Review: Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur

After many years of delays, the Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur finally opened in August 2025, marking the luxury brand’s long-awaited debut in Malaysia.

This isn’t just any Park Hyatt though. The hotel resides at the top of Merdeka 118, the second tallest building in the world at 679 metres. It’s not quite the world’s tallest hotel — that honour goes to the Rosewood Guangzhou — but it’s still pretty darn high.

The risk with a property like this is that it lives and dies purely by its elevation, leaning on it like a crutch to make up for shortcomings elsewhere— “well I didn’t care much for the service, but the view was amazing.”

Thankfully, for the most part that’s not the case here. I very much enjoyed my stay at this hotel, some unevenness aside, and I’d definitely return if the price were right. That said, I am concerned about how well the hotel’s hardware will age over time, as wear and tear was already visible in some places.

Booking the Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur

While most aspects of the stay were great, the Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur sure didn’t give a good first impression.

I originally booked this hotel back in December 2024, for a stay between 30 June and 1 July 2025. This cost me 17,000 World of Hyatt points.

The following month, I read that the hotel would not be opening in time for June, so I reached out to ask about options. The reservations team insisted that the hotel would still open as planned, and no changes were required.

So surprise surprise, they emailed on 21 May 2025 to inform me that the hotel would not open in time for 30 June, and offered the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur as an alternative option— and no further compensation beyond that.

No disrespect to the Grand Hyatt, but that was a clearly inadequate offer. Leaving aside the fact that it’s two categories lower on the award chart, it’s not in the same league as the Park Hyatt. 

I asked them if they could do better than that, and they told me the only option was to change my stay dates. When I did, they told me my revised date was a peak date that needed a further top-up of 3,000 points!

Let’s pause here. Most of the time, when a hotel misses its opening date, it will not only reaccommodate guests to another property of equivalent quality, but also offer some other compensation. So it felt very odd that the Park Hyatt was telling me “top up another 3,000 points or cancel your reservation”.

After a few rounds of back and forth, they eventually agreed to cover the additional 3,000 points from their end, but the whole experience left a sour taste. 

In any case, I applied a Guest of Honour award to my stay, which granted me World of Hyatt Globalist benefits including a room upgrade, complimentary breakfast and guaranteed 4 p.m check-out. I would have had executive lounge access too, but the Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur does not offer such a facility.

Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur: Arrival and Check-in

Trust me: you don’t need GPS to find the Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur. Just look for the tallest building in Kuala Lumpur and head that way. Merdeka 118 makes the Petronas Towers look like toothpicks by comparison!

But otherwise, the Merdeka MRT station is the closest public transport option. I took the KLIA Express to Sentral, then hired a Grab (<10 mins) the rest of the way.

Unfortunately, there isn’t much going on in the vicinity at the moment. Merdeka 118 feels somewhat unfinished, and the ground floor still had cordoned-off under construction areas. The 118 Mall has yet to open (and is unlikely to for at least one more year) and the nearest hotspot is Jalan Petaling. You can technically walk there, though the route is very pedestrian-unfriendly and involves some jaywalking.

Protip: If someone’s coming to visit you at the Park Hyatt KL and says to meet in the lobby, you’d better clarify which one. Because of the layout of the building, there are three possibilities. The first is the ground floor lobby, which is basically empty. I thought the hotel should have at least provided some seating for guests to wait for taxis or Grabs.

The second lobby is up the escalator on the second floor, where there is indeed seating and a concierge desk.

The third lobby is on the 75th floor, where check-in also takes place. This is undoubtedly the place to meet if you want to impress your visitors, with floor-to-ceiling windows providing panoramic views of Kuala Lumpur, and bathing the area in natural light throughout the day.

Altitude is everything here. You know how some people pay good money to visit the observation deck of the Petronas Towers or KL Tower? At the Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur, you can stare down at both of them from the lobby. 

My room was ready when I arrived at 2.30 p.m, and the check-in process was completed quickly. There wasn’t any welcome letter (which would have been useful), but I was verbally informed about the facility and breakfast hours. My Guest of Honour status was acknowledged, and I was told that my room had been upgraded to a King Bed Corner room on the 106th floor.

Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur: 1 King Corner Room

The Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur has a total of 252 guestrooms, including 27 suites and 30 residential apartments. Rooms are situated on floors 100 to 112, so great views are practically guaranteed.

The smallest room at this hotel is already an impressive 570 square feet, which is close to what a junior suite would be at some other hotels. 

My points reservation was for the lead-in 1 King Bed category, but as mentioned, my Guest of Honour award got me upgraded to a 1 King Bed Corner room. This sounded a bit underwhelming at first — where suite? — but I soon found that the room was pretty incredible nonetheless. 

At the entrance was the mini-bar, which had complimentary bottles of filtered water (more could be found around the room), Nespresso capsules and Harney & Sons tea bags. The rest of the bar items were chargeable.

Next to the mini-bar was the walk-in wardrobe, which offered plenty of space to hang your clothes and store your luggage. The room’s safe was also located here.

Opposite the wardrobe was the toilet. I mistook this for a guest bathroom at first, but as it turns out, this is the only toilet in the room. What the designers have done is split it out from the rest of the bathroom, and I can certainly see the appeal- there are few things less romantic than soaking in the tub while your other half is taking a dump in close proximity (I believe this is known as danger close). There was an automatic TOTO bidet seat and a shelf to place your phone, together with a wash basin and vanity area.

Beyond that, the space opened up into the room itself. This exuded understated luxury, with a design language that blended contemporary elegance and warm natural tones. The space was anchored by floor-to-ceiling windows that revealed sweeping city views (though I didn’t get a Petronas Towers facing room; those were on the other side), creating an open, light-filled atmosphere. The view is, of course, an integral part of the décor, and the angled architecture helped to frame the skyline and distant hills in a way that accentuated it even further. 

The plush king bed was dressed in crisp white linens and flanked by minimalist bedside tables with soft ambient lighting. There was a caramel leather bench at the foot of the bed, and a woven rug beneath helped to ground the space in a sense of cosy refinement. I found the sleep quality to be excellent, on par with any hotel bed elsewhere in the world.

Each bedside had master switches, though curtain controls were only available on one side. There was a GENEVA alarm clock with a wireless charging pad, together with universal power sockets, USB-A and USB-C ports.

However, the USB-C port could only output about 12W, definitely not enough to charge a laptop.

The seating area near the window felt like a natural extension of the bedroom, ideal for unwinding with a coffee or simply watching the cityscape shift from day to night. 

Opposite the bed was a 55″ QLED smart TV, which supported casting from your personal Android or iOS device. The TV could be pulled out from the wall and pivoted accordingly.

The room didn’t have a proper work desk, but there was a round multi-purpose table beneath the TV.

While there were power outlets, USB ports and switches, I found them rather inconveniently located. They were blocked off by the table, and you had to reach across to access them. Unless you packed a very long cable, you wouldn’t actually be able to use your devices while charging.

The hotel’s Wi-Fi network was somewhat inconsistent. In the room I clocked a rather middling speed of 27 Mbps down and 14 Mbps up, but in the lobby it was a much better 90 Mbps down and 53 Mbps up.

The bathroom featured a contemporary, sleek design with a neutral colour palette that went heavy on the stone, giving it a spa-like atmosphere. The vanity counter had his and hers sinks, backlit mirrors, and a generous amount of countertop space. It could be sealed off from the rest of the room by closing two sets of folding doors.

I was pleased to find a Dyson hairdryer in the drawer, together with a full range of amenities like toothbrush kits, shaving kits, and two bottles of Le Labo body lotion.

The shower area was generously-apportioned, with a metallic gold herringbone tile wall that created a striking reflective surface and gave the space a luxurious feel. This was supplemented with cove lighting that gave it a warm, ambient glow. The grey stone bench made it easy to sit and wash your feet, or to relax with one of the provided shower steamers. 

I’ve read a few early reviews that cited issues with water pressure and hot water, but there were no such problems during my stay, either from the overhead rain shower or the hand shower.

Wall-mounted Le Labo Bergamote 22 amenities were provided in bulk-sized bottles. I should point out that these Le Labo amenities are made in Malaysia, which is the case for most (but not all) Park Hyatt hotels. Some have complained that they feel different from the in-store version, which is made in Canada. I personally felt the shampoo and conditioner were great, but the shower gel appeared to be watered down and didn’t lather well.

The freestanding bathtub was undoubtedly the highlight, allowing you to soak while taking in the amazing views. Bath salts and a loofah were provided, though I would have liked a bath pillow too. 

The tap filled up the tub very quickly, and I also appreciated that it could be pivoted aside so that you could lie at either end.

As a Guest of Honour, I was supposed to receive a welcome amenity, just like any Globalist member would. There was nothing in the room on arrival, and after two phone calls, a sad-looking fruit basket showed up. From what I can see on FlyerTalk, this is pretty much par for the course, so don’t get your hopes up.

On the whole, I’d say I was very impressed with the room, both in terms of size and design. However, I did notice some wear and tear issues, which I’ll address at the end of this post.

Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur: Swimming pool

The Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur’s swimming pool is located on the 99th floor, and is open from 6 a.m to 9 p.m daily. 

It is majestic. Think soaring ceilings, full-height glass panels that offer breathtaking views of the city, and a fully-sheltered indoor pool heated to just the right temperature. Together with the glowing ambient lighting in the walls and ceiling, it felt like a sanctum.

It’s the kind of place you want to visit twice a day— once during the day, and once at night to see the skyline. This reminded me very much of the Conrad Osaka, though for my money Osaka has a more impressive skyline that KL!

What I also loved was the heated jacuzzi adjacent to the main pool, which allowed couples to spend time enjoying the views together, rather than separated in the gender-segregated facilities in the changing rooms.

There were plenty of day beds by the side of the pool, some for singles and some for couples. I never saw them fully occupied during my time here, though I did stay on a weekday. The hotel might be more crowded on weekends with staycationers.

My main complaint about the swimming pool was actually the F&B. While you can order from the room service menu (from 11 a.m onwards), it felt somewhat amiss that there wasn’t an option to enjoy a cocktail by the pool. The only alcohol options were bottled beer. I suspect this might be because Cacao Mixology & Chocolate, the hotel’s bar, only opens at 5 p.m, but even some simpler cocktails or wines would be appreciated. 

The changing rooms were equally fantastic, with scattered stone recliners angled outwards to give you a view of the surroundings, together with a heated jacuzzi and steam sauna.

There was also a chromotherapy shower (pseudoscience alert!) which “uses different wavelengths of visible light to stimulate the body’s natural response to heal itself”. Debate the health benefits all you want; I just saw it as a shower with cool mood lighting. 

Rounding out the changing room was a Himalayan salt alcove used for halotherapy (pseudoscience alert again!), which says that breathing in tiny salt particles in the air can improve lung function and provide relief from skin conditions such as eczema. If you don’t buy into all that, you can just take it as a dry sauna.

Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur: Gym

The Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur’s gym is located on the 99th floor, and can be accessed by keycard 24 hours a day.

Inside you’ll find a spanking new range of modern Life Fitness equipment, complete with entertainment systems. Many of the machines face a row of large windows, allowing you to take in the views while you work out. While I believe they’ve installed some sort of solar film, it can still be a little glaring during the day, so bring sunglasses if you’re sensitive. 

Disposable headphones were provided, along with towels, cartons of water, and a water refill station.

Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur: Breakfast

Breakfast was served at Park Lounge on the 75th floor, from 6.30 a.m to 10.30 a.m. As this was a Guest of Honour stay, complimentary breakfast for two guests was included. Otherwise, you can expect to pay MYR 130+ (adult) and MYR 75+ (child) if it’s not included in your room rate.

Breakfast was a hybrid of buffet and a la carte. The buffet area was divided into hot and cold food sections.

In the cold area, you had various freshly-baked breads, pastries, cut fruits, cold cuts, yoghurt, cereals, and salads. I’d definitely recommend sampling the pastries, as they’re crafted by Executive Pastry Chef Holger Deh, formerly from Butterfly Patisserie at Rosewood Hong Kong.

The hot food selection was smaller, but the idea is that you supplement it with items from the a la carte menu. During my visit, there was ratatouille, hash browns, chicken sausage and beef bacon on offer, together with nasi lemak and fried noodles. 

The highlight is undoubtedly the a la carte menu, where guests can order an unlimited number of items.

I especially loved the kaya toast with soft-boiled egg. The presentation was unlike anything I’d seen before, featuring kaya jam and whipped butter made into a gel-like texture and lathered on Japanese milk bread.

Also great was the egg shakshuka, a vegetarian option served with grilled sourdough. 

Unlike many other 5-star hotels, which serve limp, pre-made waffles that wilt under buffet lights, the waffles here were made to order, served with berries and whipped cream.

The dim sum was mostly great. I liked the wild caught prawn har gow, fried beancurd skin with prawn and yuzu aioli, and charcoal lava bun. I found the black truffle dumplings with snow pea, mushroom and beetroot a little weird though.

In terms of service speed, dishes were flying out of the kitchen when I showed up at 6.30 a.m. However, by the time I finished at 8 a.m there was a good-sized crowd, and orders arrived much more slowly. I gave up waiting for a beef noodles that never showed.

That aside, I had no complaints about the quality. I’ve generally been underwhelmed with hotel breakfasts in Kuala Lumpur so far, but the Park Hyatt changed that.

Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur: Other Dining Options

Afternoon tea at Park Lounge

On the day I arrived, I decided to try the afternoon tea at Park Lounge, which cost MYR218+ per person.

Tea started with smoked salmon laid atop a croffle, garnished with microgreens, and a duck rillette pie tee. There was also a king crab roll, served in a mini hot dog bun.

The next course was my favourite: lobster dumplings with saffron and chilli oil.

Then came a pair of scones with the usual assortments, and a mizuna sorbet (mizuna is a kind of Japanese mustard green, which gives it a mildly peppery and subtly sweet flavour).

And finally, the dessert cart, from which you could choose three items, together with chocolate. All of these are made in-house daily.

The afternoon tea was pleasant enough, though I expected a bit more food for the price.

Cocktails at Cacao Mixology & Chocolate

Cacao Mixology & Chocolate has the distinction of being Kuala Lumpur’s highest bar (and one of the highest in the world, no doubt), and it certainly nails the cocktail aspect.

The menu here was one of the most creative I’ve seen, effortlessly weaving cacao into the drinks without it feeling forced. 

I went with the Cacao-nut Highball, a blend of cacao bitters, gin, house-made coconut soda and hinoki. This blended beautifully, and came with a delectable piece of Kelantan 70% dark chocolate. There’s something to be said about the bar snacks too, which aren’t just cheap nuts shovelled out of a packet. These are made in-house, and I loved them all.

But Cacao Mixology & Chocolate is more than just a watering hole. It’s also a place to sample chocolates and chocolate-inspired desserts, and while I didn’t have the stomach for any, I’ll definitely check them out the next time.

Other options

I’ve been told that the 114th floor will eventually host an Italian restaurant called Limonaia, which should open in 2026. 

Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur: Maintenance issues

The Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur is only a few months old, so it was quite concerning that I could already see wear and tear inside and outside the room.

For example, the threads on the wall in the bathroom were already starting to fray, and several had fallen out of place. 

Elsewhere, the coating on door handles was starting to come off…

…and tables and other carpentry edges were scuffed.

If it’s already like this, I can’t imagine what it’d be like 6-12 months down the road, as more and more guests pass through the hotel!

Conclusion

The Park Hyatt is a great addition to the Kuala Lumpur luxury hotel scene (the Waldorf Astoria will have its work cut out for it, if/when it finally arrives!), and it’s not just a one-trick pony. The views are stunning yes, but it’s also got the hardware to back it up.

The lingering question in my mind is whether that hardware can last the test of time though, when it’s already showing wear. Also, my interactions with the staff were limited, so I can’t say much about the service aspect, and I think the F&B prices might be too eye-watering for some.

That aside, I would very much like to return at some point in the future, when the surrounding area is better developed. 

What do you make of the Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur?