Review: Hyatt House Kuala Lumpur, Mont Kiara

On a recent trip to Kuala Lumpur, I stayed two nights at the Hyatt House Kuala Lumpur Mont Kiara.

This wasn’t my usual neck of the woods, but the MileLioness had a course to attend in Damansara, and the usual Bukit Bintang haunts would be a bit too far a commute. Even though I’m not much of a World of Hyatt loyalist, the Hyatt House looked like the best option in the vicinity, and I had an AMEX Offer to further bring down the price. 

All in all, this was a pretty good stay (breakfast aside), and I’d recommend the hotel to anyone looking for extra space without breaking the bank.

Booking Hyatt House Kuala Lumpur, Mont Kiara

For this stay, I paid MYR 538 per night (~S$161) after taxes for a Studio Suite, inclusive of breakfast (I normally book the lead-in category by default, but a Studio Suite was only a few dollars more).

“Inclusive of breakfast”? Isn’t breakfast a complimentary perk of all Hyatt House properties worldwide? Generally yes, but there’s two exceptions: Hyatt House Tokyo Shibuya, and Hyatt House Kuala Lumpur. It’s just my luck I happened to stay at one of the two! 

To add further insult to injury, breakfast used to be included for all guests at this property; it’s only recently that a charge was introduced (and the breakfast was pretty terrible, as I’ll get to later in the review).

If it’s any consolation, I did manage to use an AMEX Offer that gave S$75 back on a S$300 spend, and my total spend just about triggered it. 

Alternatively, the Hyatt House Kuala Lumpur is a Category 1 World of Hyatt property, so stays cost 3,500 to 6,500 points per night depending on when you stay.

Hyatt House Kuala Lumpur, Mont Kiara: Arrival and Check-in

The Hyatt House Kuala Lumpur is located in Mont Kiara, an affluent suburb that offers plenty of dining and shopping options. However, it’s unlikely to be the first choice for tourists, owing to its distance from the epicentres of Bukit Bintang and KLCC. Both are at least a 20-minute drive away, possibly more during peak hours. 

That said, the next door Sunway 163 Mall is home to several good eateries (go to Kanbe Ramen and Inside Scoop, thank me later) and a large supermarket called Jaya Grocer. There’s a lovely onsen spa called Urban Retreat, and Mercat Barcelona Gastrobar (over at neighbouring 1 Mont Kiara) serves up a very decent paella.

We arrived at the hotel at around 8 p.m, and there was no line at the front desk. At check-in, I was informed that our Studio Suite had been upgraded to a One Bedroom Suite, which was a pleasant surprise, given that I have no World of Hyatt elite status.

Hyatt House Kuala Lumpur, Mont Kiara: One-bedroom Suite

The 298 rooms at the Hyatt House Kuala Lumpur are split into the following categories.

One thing to note about this property is that all corridors are outdoor and non-airconditioned, and some parts may get wet during a downpour. I suppose it was built this way to save on the electricity bill, but it’s still something to take note of. 

Our One Bedroom Suite was on the 26th floor, and the door opens up into the kitchen-cum-living room. Straight away, you can see why this hotel would be popular with families- just look at all that space!

The kitchen has a two-door fridge, induction hob and hood, microwave oven, dishwasher, and a combination washer-dryer. The drawers are well-stocked with cutlery, pots and pans, cutting boards, and anything else you’d need to whip up a proper meal. Even if you’re not the cooking sort, I’m sure you’d appreciate the microwave oven, which if nothing less lets you reheat takeaway or food deliveries. 

I particularly appreciated the fact the hotel installed a filter to make the tap water potable, which saved me from having to buy bottled water. The property does provide purified water in glass bottles, in any case. 

The living area had an L-shaped sofa (which can be converted into a sofa bed if need be), together with a flat-screen TV. 

The bedroom had a king-sized bed, where the sheets were slightly rough (though I’d just come from the InterContinental Phuket, which might explain my delicate sensitivities). Each bedside had universal power sockets and USB Type-A ports.

The bedroom also had a small desk with USB Type-A and universal power sockets. The chair needed an extra pillow behind for cushioning, but was otherwise comfortable enough for prolonged sprints of work.

The hotel’s Wi-Fi network clocked in at around 10 Mbps up and down, which sufficed for most purposes, albeit on the slower side.

In the wardrobe were two bathrobes and a digital safe. 

The bathroom is where I feel they could have allocated more space, because it was no different in size to one you’d find in a regular hotel room. It was already a bit of a squeeze for two people; I can’t imagine what it’d be like for a family. 

Most of the rooms and suites do not include a bathtub, so a standing shower is as good as it gets. Shampoo, conditioner and body wash from KenetMD Skincare were available in wall-mounted bulk-sized bottles.

Hyatt House Kuala Lumpur, Mont Kiara: Facilities

Swimming pool

The Hyatt House Kuala Lumpur’s swimming pool is located on the rooftop, with commanding views of the surrounding neighbourhood. The water isn’t heated, but it gets plenty of sun during the day and the wind wasn’t too strong when I was there. The water is divided into a wading area and deeper section, with a glass partition between the two.

Several pool loungers and not-quite-cabanas are available on a first-come-first-serve basis. There is no F&B service provided at the pool, though you can bring your own drinks over from the Ten37 Sky Bar when it’s open. 

Fitness centre

The 24-hour fitness centre is on the same floor as the swimming pool, and though it’s on the small side, most of the important equipment is accounted for. 

Games room

For those with time to kill, or with young children, there’s a games room with a pool table, game console and some board games, on the same floor as the swimming pool and fitness centre.

Laundromat

Rounding off the top floor is a laundromat with industrial-sized machines. Keep in mind that even though the suites have their own washing machines, the lead-in category rooms do not, so these could still come in useful (or if you simply don’t want to buy detergent for a single wash in your room).

Hyatt House Kuala Lumpur, Mont Kiara: Breakfast

Breakfast is served at Gallery Kitchen from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. on weekdays, and 6.30 a.m. to 10.30 a.m. on weekends. 

The Hyatt House Kuala Lumpur used to offer breakfast as a complimentary amenity for all guests, regardless of status, but those days are gone. If your rate does not include breakfast, it costs MYR 45 per guest (S$13), and let’s just say that if time permits, I’d highly recommend going elsewhere. 

The standard of breakfast here is, in so many words, not good. 

Setting the tone is the limp-looking salad bar that greets you on entry, which I think went completely untouched during my two mornings there.

The hot items section has some very forgettable breakfast staples: limp potato wedges, cheap sausages, mushy fried rice, a very random aglio olio pasta, tomatoes and curry chicken- almost as if the kitchen was trying to clear whatever was set to expire next.

There was also a tureen of miso soup, porridge, and an egg station. The eggs were probably the best feature of the buffet, which says a lot.

Elsewhere there was bread, breakfast cereal, cheese, cold cuts and yoghurt, and unripe cut fruit.

Believe me when I say that nothing was good. I mean, this would have been poor quality for a free breakfast, let alone a chargeable one. 

In our case, The MileLioness’ course started at 8 a.m so we didn’t have much of a choice, but if you’re willing to wait, the cafes in the surrounding vicinity start opening at that time. I’d highly recommend trying VCR Stacks or Cotta, both of which are a short walk away.

Conclusion

The Hyatt House Kuala Lumpur was, all things considered, a very good value stay- especially if you’re looking at something longer term, or have a family with you. The décor isn’t anything fancy, but this is a place that’s squarely about functionality. Suites are spacious, with all the facilities needed to cook or do laundry, the pool is a surprisingly pleasant place to hang out and catch some rays, and the surrounding area has some great cafes, restaurants and watering holes. 

My main disappointment here was breakfast, which is certainly not worth the asking price. Even if it were free, I think I’d probably go somewhere else!

Maybe you should buy some ingredients yourself and put that kitchen to good use…