Tag Archives: 3 star hotel

A Christmas weekend in Cheras

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As parents, we were very grateful for this long weekend. It’s a little breakaway in the two-week school holiday break. I consider this an opportunity to scoop the kids somewhere since we couldn’t really apply for leave during this time. Mr Husband initially wanted to go to Kuantan but with the rainy season – it can be quite a risk to go there as the place could be flooded. Cheras is only 2 hours away and we managed to squeeze in a quick visit to my father’s house at BSP.

PRESCOTT-ACE HOTEL

Mr Husband booked two Standard Twin rooms. So, there’s one for us girls and another one for the boys. This is a 3-star hotel with amenities like FREE WIFI, a mini fridge and a water dispenser in the hallway. Breakfast was included in our room rates and I think my husband paid for less than RM100/night. Of course, The Suite would cost more but even the standard room was comfortable enough.

The hotel is nestled within a very vibrant community with Aeon Mall just 11 minutes walk away. Better still, there is a metro station 2Km away. This makes travelling around KL better.

Check in is at 2pm. So, we had lunch at IOI City Mall first before going there. Parking is easy and there’s just plenty of place to eat around there. One of those places is Soru Station. We also went to Ikea Cheras for our meatballs and photo-taking in the mock rooms. On our final day of checking out, we visited Pusat Sains Negara.

SORU STATION

This is where we had our dinner the same day we checked in. They serve a mix of Malaysian and Western dishes. The meals are decent with appropriate portions and reasonable prices.

IKEA CHERAS

The layout has changed. There used to be long, communal tables lined up next to each other. Perhaps the management team has come to realize that Malaysians don’t share and prefer to hoard the whole table even if it’s just 4 people because the bags need a seat. So there are more 4 seated tables in sight with a few bigger ones for the larger party. We had the usual meatballs and mash. Mr Husband had the nasi lemak. Our drinks were refillable. It’s one of those RM2.50 per glass drink.

After our meal, we walked around Ikea enjoying the aesthetic looks of its showroom. Then, we were done for the day as our daughter needed her nap.

We went to Pusat Sains Negara the next day and that will be in another post.

The Meritin Hotel, Kuching

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I caught a glimpse of this hotel when I stayed at Lime Tree Hotel last year. I was surprised to see another quaint yet modern-looking hotel in the same area and thought of giving it a go for my current wedding staycation.

I booked the hotel through Agoda.com and chose a Studio room. I wasn’t paying attention to the size of the room, only to find that the size was quite small ( 15m2) even though it was just me occupying the room. It was a 3D2N stay at the hotel and I paid RM348.40 for it including tax. This time, I did not include breakfast in the room because I initially thought I would have time to find breakfast outside. Turns out, I was pressed for time. Anyway, there’s free bottled water, beverages and WIFI in the room. There is also a mini fridge and an iron – only the plug is weird.

I liked that it is near to at least a great coffee shop and I suppose the nightlife is also colourful and awesome as it is walking distance to lots of nice places to eat and The Waterfront. Since I had assignments to complete, I decided to stay cooped up in my room instead of enjoying the lights and pretty views. Plus, I was too full after my dinner at The Reef.

Parking is limited but I didn’t rent a car, so it’s fine. Plus, MAXIM cars are so easily booked here in Kuching. Overall, it was a great and cosy stay. I felt safe amidst the bustling mini Chinatown. Definitely a place I would come back to in the future.

Langkasuka Hotel

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We went to Langkawi again this year from the 1st of March till the 5th for the pre-Ramadan and school holiday trip. We departed from KLIA with the new low-budget airline MYairline Malaysia at noon. The queue was expectedly long because it’s ‘budget’ but the check-in process was I feel, messy. We had less than 90 minutes before the departure and we were still in the queue despite already checking in online when the lady at the counter screamed out to the crowd ‘last call Langkawi.. last call Langkawi!”. It was honestly annoying and probably lack of insight because everyone in the line IS BOUND FOR LANGKAWI!. Just speed up the process, my gawd.

Anyway, nothing eventful happened on the flight. It had the same vibes as Air Asia – the red and the black. In-flight purchases and meals, if you wish as well.

Upon arrival in Langkawi, we were a bit surprised to see the very quiet airport. It is the school holidays after all but where is the ‘holiday crowd’? Did everyone go to Hatyai? Mr Husband rented a Myvi and we headed to our hotel, Langkasuka.

Langkasuka Hotel

It is situated very near The Grand Continental Hotel in Kuah. Only, this hotel is connected to a mall. I liked it. It is a 3-star hotel but the service is impeccable. The room was spacious but the air conditioning was freezing. They have the usual amenities: a mini fridge, a kettle with complimentary beverages, a hot water heater, an ironing board with the iron, a prayer mat and FREE WIFI. Mr Husband also included breakfast during our stay. I super love the food we had for breakfast at their Lemongrass restaurant. They also serve in-room meals at a reasonable price.

The hotel may look ugly and suss from the outside. Especially with the construction going on outside but the place is fine. And safe.

Our room was a Superior Triple Room with 3 single beds. The price at the time was ranging between RM240 – RM280 per night. I’m not quite sure about the exact amount my husband paid for it. We parked our car at the parking space behind the hotel/mall. There is also a mini swimming pool and gym just outside the breakfast restaurant.

In the mall, they have the usual marhaen retail stores, a food court on the top floor and a fast food restaurant on the Ground Floor. In the evening it is quite lively because they are other eateries open nearby for your meals. I recommend this hotel to families with small children. It’s pretty cool. Even then I really hope we are not going to Langkawi again next year. The dear husband really loves the place too much.

East Riverine Boutique Hotel – bringing Sarawak into KL

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So.. is Chow Kit like a mini New York? Macam tetiba ada hotel tema Sarawak?

Hello East Riverine Hotel

Our little family arrived at the hotel near 9pm and the first thing that surprised me was the tribal pattern on the wall near the reception. Another family came through the door, speaking in the Sarawakian language headed to the lift. I was like, “OK… this is an interesting boutique hotel”. Soon after, I caught sight of some kek lapis inside the display fridge near the entrance and that kind of triggered me to have a quick swipe on Instagram and find out more about this hotel.

Apart from its very strategic location, it offers various types of rooms suitable for a family staycation and is priced from as low as RM 100/night. Ours is a Family Room with 2 double beds, and a cute living area with a mini fridge and an ironing board. They provide a safe, body soap and shampoo, a hair dryer and complimentary beverages. The hotel also has FREE WIFI but is only accessible via coupons. We received two coupons for our room. I guess it means that only 2 devices can use the WIFI at one time. It has a lounge area too but we didn’t have time to explore much of it as we were chasing time to go Genting.

Breakfast is provided at the Sugar Bun restaurant next door. It is served as an ala carte meal. You have to make your choices the night before and let the receptionist know. It has a very ‘mak-mak’ vibe to it cause it’s like those breakfasts you have at home where you just eat what your mom cooks for you. The coffee and tea are very basic with only sugar to taste. The cakes are nicely lined up on the plate – the usual bahulu and banana cakes that any Malaysian family would eat in the morning. Even the ‘American breakfast’ meal wasn’t American enough. Haha. The breakfast is fulfilling and decent considering the price you pay for your room. So yeah, not too bad. If you want a fancier breakfast – there are always other options available elsewhere. In fact, at night, this area is lit! There are so many things to see and eat.

We parked at a common parking area nearby the hotel as they don’t have this facility. However, you don’t really need a car to enjoy Chow Kit because the LRT is just around the corner and even on foot, there are so many things you could explore. Overall, the stay was pleasant. Would definitely recommend this place to those who are on a budget but still wants to make the best of their stay in Kuala Lumpur.

Heritage Hotel, Cameron Highland

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I hate surprises so I made sure to know where our holiday destination is. Mr Husband said we would go to Cameron Highlands during the long Lunar New Year break. The land of tea plantations and strawberries. We were expecting the crowd because CH is always full of tourists but we overlooked the fact that it will be raining a lot there, this time of the year. January, 2023 – raining season.

Hence, it was not only cold but very wet. The high humidity is felt in our rooms and to an extent quite uncomfortable. I under-packed. I should have bought a few more jackets or long sleeves, throws/blankets and a portable dehumidifier.

Mr Husband booked a room at the Heritage Hotel although it went viral in Malaysia some time ago for its supernatural sightings specifically LEVEL 4. It is a 3-star hotel with a nice view, and a strategic location to the nearest bustling, lively area. We were in Room 438. meh. Ours was a Superior Triple Room with 1 Queen Bed + 1 Single Bed & Breakfast/ Free WIFI. Mr Husband said he paid over RM300 for the room. We booked it for 3D2N. It has a shower and bathtub which delighted our daughter very much. The hotel has a very English Tudor design and is situated at Tanah Rata – a place where all the good food is.

We checked in at 3PM at the very red, prosperous lobby. I really love this mini snowing decor. I found it on Shopee. Search for ‘Spot New year’s lights’ – shipped from China. Seller is jkczyy521.my.

The breakfast spread was simple yet fulfilling. I was careful to try and follow my DSSS regime. I do not want to pile on too many kilograms during this trip. The decor at the restaurant was very festive. Then, we had a walk around the hotel and checked out its facilities.

There was a mini library that has lots of Chinese books that I do not know how to read yet, a play area for children and a gymnasium.

At the lower ground, there was a fish pond with a goth-like garden that needs more maintenance to it. There were a few massage chairs available too, a laundry area and basically a lounging space with a fake chimney to just relax. We had a chilling stay but still fun nonetheless. We did not do much in Cameron Highlands due to the heavy rain and I will share it with you in the next post.