Tag Archives: agoda

Solo stay at MITC Hotel Melaka

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My husband brought the kids over to Acheh for the Raya Haji celebration with my dad and his new wife (and kids). Mi amore knew that I was NOT on leave in that particular week due to the usual ‘kuota cuti’. Although my response to his proposal to bring the kids to Acheh was a sing-song ‘you can do that, saya tak cuti‘, the most appropriate response is to CANCEL EVERYTHING. But no, he took it at face value and went ahead on the trip. After more than 10 years of marriage, masih lah tak faham faham. Ha ha.

So, I did the next best thing to console myself. *giving myself a butterfly hug here*. I booked a solo stay at one of the nearest hotels to my workplace. The MITC Hotel. It was only a 15-minute journey to work. I checked in on the evening of EID and just enjoyed the great hospitality. I booked a Superior Double room for a 4D3N stay through Agoda.com. My total was RM 492.94, including taxes and fees. I even have breakfast included. I did have to pay the Melaka Heritage Fee separately at RM3 per night. The fee may vary depending on the hotel’s star rating.

Parking was obviously easy. I can see why some comments on Google reviews mentioned that the room seemed small. It is because the bed is not big, risen and bulky. It looks like our ordinary double bed at home. It feels like a Hobbit home. The pillows were fluffy but a bit odd-sized. It felt like sleeping on the chest of a really muscular bodybuilder. The hotel was pretty generous with its beverages. They provided one cup of instant noodles on arrival. The coffee and tea sachets were replenished daily. The air conditioner was superbly cool. I loved that there was a hair dryer too. There is no fridge in the room, so I basically get my cold water from work and bring it with me to the hotel. I need my cold water.

Do bring your own toothbrush and paste

The location is great. There are plenty of restaurants near the hotel itself. If you are willing to walk a bit further like me, you can go towards the roundabout and find your way to Mydin Mall. Apart from what is in Mydin itself, there are also a few other nice places to eat at Kota Fesyen. I was able to get my steps in daily after work in the evening. Every day, I had dinner outside and would usually come back to the hotel just after Maghrib. I will write about my dinner adventures in a different post.

Breakfast at the hotel starts at 7 am. That means I get a quick 30 minutes at the restaurant before I drive off to work. I only managed to enjoy the buffet at a leisurely pace during my last day there, since it was a Saturday. I have to recommend their Nasi Lemak. The sambal was really good. I put it on top of everything I can, the roti canai, lontong, everything! If they are serving this particular Nasi Lemak as part of lunch, I would actually come here to have lunch. Coffee was OK. It did come from those automatic machines. I also enjoyed their noodles. It was nice. The roti canai and curry were delicious too. Thankfully, the school holiday crowd has yet to arrive during my stay there. Thus, my breakfast was quite peaceful and less hurried. Meaning, I don’t have people staring at my table, wanting to sit there once I get up.

The swimming pool was cute. I think my daughter would have loved it. There was a beautiful courtyard for private events just beside it, too. The overall service and hospitality were great. The staff were so polite. Always with a smile and a tiny nod. The manager even called me a few minutes after checking in, just to make sure that everything was up to my expectations, since I will be staying there for 4 days. No wonder it is a 4-star hotel.

part of the pool
the courtyard

There was no sight of a gym. Even then, as I said earlier, I managed to get my brisk walk in after work by strolling the area. There were so many things to see and try. You will never go hungry because there is a 24-hour McDonald’s restaurant right beside the hotel. I would definitely come here again if I ever need another solo moment because I really felt safe as a female guest.

Grand Margherita Hotel, Kuching

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GMH could certainly improve their kitchen services. It was odious.

I booked the hotel at least a few months in advance through Agoda.com. It was a 4D3N stay and cost me a total of RM862.72 including tax and fee. My superior Room came with WIFI and breakfast. There was a bathtub, a mini fridge, an in-room iron and board, a TV and most importantly a great view. There’s also a swimming pool in the lobby but I did not check it out. If you plan to enjoy the city, this hotel is definitely in a good location.

It is near to great places to eat. My favourites are Bing and Topspot. Now I have a new one, IG Ais Kacang. Other places worth mentioning are Ayam Penyet RJ, SCR and Chicken Hartz. There are also little pubs nearby and non-halal options that visitors might enjoy. In fact, GMH is very near to Meritin Hotel, another place I have stayed at before.

I had a nice walk at night from my hotel to the Darul Hana Bridge as The Waterfront is so beautiful with the lights. I noticed no more food vendors there since the last time I came to Kuching with the family. I am pretty sure I put in at least 12K steps for the day.

Back to my disappointment with the kitchen services.

I had free breakfast with the package. While it is understandable that sometimes the buffet is crowded in the morning, the least that the floor manager could do is assess and assist accordingly. That means not only getting the number of pax per room at the front door but also checking inside whether there are seats available. There were so many guests walking around the already small cafe not only to find a table but also to fight over the last piece of waffle and such. It got a little too unpleasant during our 2nd breakfast morning as we realised that now, instead of having course participants as the crowd, families with children were also checking in. I honestly do not have a problem with that because I know when you have children, breakfast takes longer. So, I asked one of the servicemen if it was OK to bring our breakfast outside, and he said it was OK. However, there was no effort on his side to help us set up our table. My brother and I ended up making ourselves comfortable by arranging our table and cutleries with the last 4 forks available. We also switched on our own portable air conditioner.

Not only that but their Laksa Sarawak and Kolok Mee stations also had a system where you need to place your order first. I mean it is fine if the chef remembers who ordered what. The thing is he didn’t. He was relying strictly on the fact that the guest would lose hope in waiting and he’d just pass the bowl to someone he thinks ordered the dish. Thankfully on my first breakfast morning, I was sitting just beside this station and I got to check with the chef if my Kolok Mee had been attended to or otherwise. My verdict of the Kolok Mee? Neh.. find something better outside.

I also ordered room service. I requested for my rib-eye to be a medium rare. Unfortunately, when it came, it was well done. I could still accept that but what irritated me was that it was as tough as rubber and I had difficulty chewing. I felt my RM70++ was not justified and of such poor quality service for a hotel of high ratings. Something is definitely wrong with their kitchen.

Apart from that particular downside, everything else was great.

Staycation at Everly Hotel, Putrajaya

Posted in Everyday Life, Leisure & Travel by

It’s been a while. Previously, before the pandemic, I try to visit my parents once a month. Once Covid19 came, the routine was disrupted. I couldn’t even spend Eid with the family. The next thing I knew, Mom caught the virus and subsequently died from it’s after effects. Who knew, kan?

When the Prime Minister announced that we could cross state borders – I immediately made a booking at Everly Hotel in Putrajaya. Since the kids have grown, I chose the Executive Suite. The room has a bath tub and a small living area where the kids could play and give us adults, some space as we attend to work and study related matters. Yes, it sucks being a doctor. It’s very difficult to shut off. I have it easier compared to my husband. His work is endless. Baru JKN, belum KKM. Eh.

I paid for the room through Agoda.Com as always. The room included breakfast for 2 pax. I paid extra for my son’s breakfast which is RM15/child. Total cost for the stay was RM827.82 including tax and fee of RM62.14. In return, I receive Agoda cash of Rm20.59. The Agoda cash is useful at times.

Some people find it weird that I would stay at a hotel instead of my dad’s house. Thing is, the house is quite small and I don’t really want to burden my dad in having to prepare the room for us. I guess this is the way it will be for future visits.

The birthday spree will start in November, all through December and into the new year. Memang diet ke laut lagi.. huhu..

On a different note, BTS In The Soop Season 2 has officially started. I purchased the series on Weverse, so I could watch it on my phone whenever I like. Episode 1 was splendid and I am looking forward to more clips of Chef Suga cooking up a storm in the kitchen. Apart from that, it’s also a good series to pick up mind-opening ideas and life quotes like this gem down here. Can’t wait for next episodes.

BTS's Jin points out the significance of rest | allkpop
Credit : https://www.allkpop.com/article/2021/10/btss-jin-points-out-the-significance-of-rest

Staycation at Imperio Residence Melaka

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I needed a short break after submitting my final assignment for psychology – the subject was Introduction to communication. Browsing through agoda – it was a choice between that blue santorini like hotel or Imperio. I decided to go for Imperio because it was walking distance to a lot of places and activities. Of course, knowing us, we’d probably be cooped up in our room enjoying food and Netflix.

This spot makes a very conducive environment to study both during daytime and night time

The studio was listed as Seaview Japanese Themed Studio JJ Home@Imperio. I made a booking for 3D2N and paid a total of RM440 – including taxes and fees. This was my first time booking an Agoda Home. The host was incredibly enthusiastic and accommodating. I received via whatsapp a pdf document explaining how to check in and out of the place. Perhaps the only thing that caught me off guard was the parking space fee of RM3 – Rm5 per entry. I am alright with paying but when I am not prepared with the sudden fee collection – I reacted quite unpleasant to the guy manning the parking area. So maybe that needs to be included in the ‘check in guide’.

Such a welcoming entrance
A studio is great for vacation but not as something that we live in. Don’t think I’d enjoy being in the same space with the kids for a very very long time. Ha ha ha.

The place looked exactly like in the pictures. Imperio Residences is basically an apartment with 2 towers. The vision was that it is built on top of a mall which has yet to open. The common facilities were at the 13th floor – sauna, swimming pool, gym, playground etc. Anyhow, the view was just amazing from our studio unit. Even the view from the bath tub was majestic. Love it! and can I just give a shout out to the scent of the towel and bedsheets! They smell so homey and wonderful, I wonder what detergent or softener the host uses.

There was a King bed with extra futons and pillows for the kids to sprawl on the floor. My daughter loved the bath tub of course. I myself did not have a chance to soak in it. The mini kitchen had all the utensils that we need including a microwave, a fridge and a water dispenser. Mothers love these conveniences. I love that they have an iron with the board too. The Kiblat signage was well placed. There was even a sejadah for muslim travellers. We had our meals from the nearby mamak and restaurants. All were within walking distance. It would have been awesome if Element Mall was opened but only MBO was in operation.

Apart from the water dispenser, the host also stocked up the fridge and pantry. The listed price was affordable and not steep but since we have bought our own supplies – we finished ours first.

Although this was a staycation, I couldn’t completely shut off from my studies. Hence, I managed to catch up with my e-lectures on Cognitive Psychology with the FREE WIFI provided in this studio. Yeay. It could have been a relaxing staycation but we were rushing to our other commitments as well – a photoshoot for Eid and my niece’s akikah. Of all weekends, it had to happen last weekend. Perhaps later, when things get more relaxed.. we will book another stay here. InsyaAllah.

The Lace Boutique Hotel

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The long weekend is here. PKPP is extended till the end of the year. Malaysians are saying bye bye to their passports already. I have decided that we will not go back to Kuching this year for our annual trip. Instead, we will just go for short trips in Semenanjung Malaysia. And that was what we did.

It was a 3D2N stay in Johor Bahru. Mr Husband booked our staycation abode at the Lace Boutique Hotel he stumbled upon Agoda at a very good price. On the first night, he chose a one bedroom suite priced at RM130/night and on the second night a 2 bedroom suite for RM 150/night. Both without breakfast options. It was a huge price drop having seen it’s original price at the website. Perhaps the CEO was being benevolent and wanted more Malaysians to travel interstate and stay at the hotel. Stimulating the economy, they say.

Lace Boutique Hotel is owned by a YB Datuk Paduka Hjh Rokiah Hj Omar. From what I gather online, she is an entrepreneur with an impressive portfolio. Such as in the motoring business, hotel and saloon. All branded under the name Lace.

Lace Hotel is covered in gold-ish decorations. It gave me the Las Vegas & Empire Classic vibe. I was honestly surprised that both rooms that we booked has a bathtub.

The boutique hotel has a terrific location. You will never go hungry as there are loads of eateries at the area of Kpg Melayu Majidee and is of walking distance. The hotel is also in the heart of the city near the main road making trips easy for anybody outside of Johor.

The rooms were clean. The amenities they provided were plenty and enough. There was a microwave, kettle, plates, cutleries and even a complete set of teapot to make our own coffee and tea. The rooms were spacious and the bed was comfy. The air conditioning was wow!.

This location is also FOOD PANDA and GRABFOOD friendly!!! I know cause that was one the things I checked first. The riders can deliver your food to the hotel as it is so accessible. Of course you can always go out in your car and get food or take a walk.

The swimming pool was at the rooftop and the kids loved it. I was not sure where the cafe was as we did not have breakfast there. It was generally a wonderful stay despite a few small bumps. By that, I mean:

  • On the first night, the WIFI was not working at our floor. The TV was also not getting a good reception as they were using some sort of internet TV. The shows keep on buffering.
  • The bathroom could use an additional ‘ambience’ light. I know moms or ladies would appreciate soaking in the tub at night while watching the night sky through the big window with that sort of light in place.
  • Enough shower/bath gel. As opposed to 2 bottles of shampoo and conditioner without the shower gels. Texture dia rasa lain. Oh well, maybe for my future trips I should consider bringing my own travel-sized bath gels. Although I really love the hotel ones especially if they have nice bottles.

That should be it. Very minor problems.

For this trip, we were very relaxed. We did not even go to Legoland. Instead, we spent most of the time in the room (since husband has things to sort out about work), goofing around & sleeping. We only went out twice to go to the Johor Zoo and Ikea Tebrau.

Ended our Johor trip at Tanjung Piai. Took a few photos as momento.

If I was a Johorean, this would definitely be high up on my list for a mini weekend getaway with the girls or something. It does look high-end exclusive yet a bit abandoned from far. Probably because the glass windows have not been regularly cleansed for some time. Or maybe it has but it still looks stained with mold. Otherwise, the interiors are truly Instagram-mable and worth checking out.