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The Ritz Carlton Hotel in Malaysia's capital city, Kuala Lumpur, is an esteemed experience where those lucky enough to experience will tell you a stay here can have you mistakenly thinking you are of presidential elite status, or then again, perhaps you are...
Located by the most glamorous shopping mall in KL which is the shiny Pavilion, you couldn't ask for a more central location. Here is where the city's hub of life is at play, with millions of malls, eateries, and other five start fancy hotels, all located within the ‘golden triangle' area - which is right where the Ritz Carlton sits.
Walking into your soft-carpeted room is like coming home to your own first class inner city apartment, Mr or Mrs President. Everything about the room exudes a prestigious air. Large modern and comfortable sofa lounges set to a high status stylish décor, a giant flat screen TV (that has multiple channels to choose from,) mini bar and high-tech safety box are all yours for the stay. An enormous and comfortable bed is just begging you to lie in and never emerge, with your head on a million pillows of the softest kind. A glass wall reveals the city of Kuala Lumpur, best seen at night with all the flashing lights. And then the room has extra features, like an iPod docking station, a study area with intercontinental wall plugs and internet access, a large wardrobe including snug dressing gowns and scales (eek) as well as flip flops/thongs/jandals (depending on where you come from as to which word makes sense there) and if you need it (you won't) extra pillows.
Walking into the large marble tiled bathroom is where you are reminded it's the little things that count. Like shampoos and conditioners of the best quality, luxury bath gels and moisturizers - all luxurious branded RC, even the toilet paper has been glammed up with ‘Ritz Carlton' stamps. A huge marble basin presents itself next to a delightfully large bathtub. The bath offers a charming Menu: Honeymooner's Rose Bath, revitalizing Muscle Soak, or My First Bubble Bath for the kids. One glass door will open to your shower with rain-head, the other the WC. A hairdryer is at your disposal and the softest towels, embroidered with the crown and lion RC logo too!
Upon my arrival, I had three knocks at the door.
Door knock one: Hello, I am your Butler. Here are the special features of the room.
Me: Thank you - Yes, I have noticed the room already, did you say my ‘Butler?'
Door knock two: Hi there Ma'am. Just checking everything is ok, here is an evening cookie, oh and the turn down service.
Me: Mmm Cookie.
Door knock three: Hi there Ma'am. Just checking you are ok for everything, and here is a fine selection of exquisite chocolates to enjoy.
Me: Sound of chocolates melting in my mouth.
As well as a personal Butler on call, there are also two housekeeping services a day for your room.
If you are even considering the gym or Spa treatment, don't hesitate. This is a wellness centre you can spend the day in. In fact, The Ritz Carlton suggest their guests who are taking a later flight, do just that - if they have time to kill between check-out and flying. The gym area is very large full of fancy equipment. What I like is the self-spa area. Take some time for yourself in the steam-room, dip in the heated spa tub, laze in the large sauna or relax in the individual peace rooms with couch facing a flat screen.
Head to the Spa Village for complete relaxation before you leave. Passing the pool (great to swim in a tropical setting with a high-rise skyline) you can plunge between the hot pool and cold pool, or laze on a banana bed. Entering the Spa village will have you understanding why it's called a village. Room after room offering massages of all types (I recommend the Malaysian style) or spend some time in an enclave with flooring constructed to vibrate to the sound of a heartbeat as you glance up to a sky of a thousand stars. This spa village is a truly unique experience.
And so is the Ritz Carlton.
For contemporary upmarket accommodation near Singapore's Chinatown roll your suitcase to Wangz Boutique Hotel, a stylish art hotel. Wangz Boutique Hotel could probably double as an art gallery (with beds,) where hip, and comfort combine to make your stay in Singapore delightfully and inspiringly colourful.
Also located close to Singapore's business district, (in Tiong Bahru to be exact - Singapore's heritage area which is 7 mins to Orchard RD and 25 mins to Changi airport by taxi,) the hotel proudly opened to guests in December 2009. Converted from an historic church owned building with shop housing, now with 360 degrees of a strikingly modern aluminium-clad façade, Wangz Boutique Hotel gleams against the sun - your cabbie won't miss it! Walking inside shows off a vibrant interior flavoured with artworks blending art deco and straits settlement design, set to ambient jazz music. In fact, arriving here is like arriving at an art gallery slumber party, a fashion that continues through all levels of the hotel and dining areas.
The rooms portray a funky urban-retro feel with generous colour use in designer furniture, chic lighting and textured wallpaper features. Ambient music is piped in rooms to complement ambience - with a volume control you'll be listening to French fusions & 50's style jazz sounds. Otherwise utilise an ipod docking station to your own tunes. You can relax in front of a large (37 inch) flat screen TV showing 13 channels with DVD player. A trendy desk area with universal sockets and complimentary high speed Internet is handy if in town for business.
If you're thirsty, there are tea and coffee making facilities and an in-room glass rack for wine and champers (if you missed duty free, alcohol is avail in the mini bar, which also offers complimentary soft drinks.) Make complimentary local calls from the comfort of your Sealy Posturepedic bedding. (Love a good brand!) Soon you will find yourself Lazing around in a terry bathrobe provided with soft slippers on your feet, while perusing the Pillow Menu. Or you might pop down to the fitness centre for a mini workout on treadmill, weights and fitness ball. Back in your room, step into the floor-to-ceiling glassed bathrooms, and lather yourself in Molton Brown bath amenities. Dry off with large soft towels and modern hair dryer, as supplied. A luggage holder lets you rest large suitcases and makes for an easy level when sifting through that suitcase choosing what to wear. Leave you valuables in the electronic safe (which does fit a laptop,) before enjoying an evening on the rooftop bar.
Stepping onto the rooftop bar called Halo is refreshing and dazzling. As you gaze across a panoramic Singapore city skyline, (best seen as the sun sets and into the night,) jazz and bossa nova music play and a cool breeze will likely blow your way in Singapore's predictable high temperatures - if not then the air-con machine will! This is a great spot to try a fruity cocktail (Halo has many modern cocktails, I recommend the Singapore sling.) A large screen for exciting moments like the world cup, (on my visit!) or a jazz night means not only hotel guests will frequent here, - which I think is a nice opportunity for mingling.
Nectar is the restaurant downstairs, serving modern cuisine with Asian influences and are able to serve dishes on the rooftop for something different. But if you prefer the air-con and a quieter ambience, sit in the usual dining location, inside. Surrounded by more colour, imagination is continued in the serving of food. Dishes are creativity presented and of a fine tasting cuisine. I recommend Sirloin of Angus beef fillet in pepper Madeira sauce served with parsley potatoes, vegetable melange & dashed with port wine reduction. For dessert, Molten Lava chocolate cake with earl grey tea ice cream. At breakfast take your complimentary newspaper along to enjoy your complimentary continental breakfast at Nectar Restaurant.
As you dine, you'll no doubt glance at the artworks on the wall - Wangz boutique Hotel actually houses a private collection of art pieces specially commissioned and worth approx $S400000. Artists such as Anthony Tan, Hijran Seyidov (who counts royalty among owners of his works) and P. Gnana (whose art is in the private collections of the President of Singapore, plus the Singapore Art Museum
I recommend a stay at the Wangz Boutique Hotel to sophisticated travellers who fancy a chic moment in a heritage area, and like to look at art of the floral kind.
It’s the year 1888 and a wool storage facility is built in the working class suburb of Pyrmont. In the same year, Kodak launch their first box and roll camera, making selfies accessible to the masses. Today, after two years and $30m worth of developments, the 'world’s first Instagrammable hotel' opens in this very building by boutique hotel operator 8 hotels. Yes, Instagrammable is an adjective now – deal with it.
This is a hotel for the hip 20-something who has opinions on architecture, those who took a design subject at uni or the peeps who know their Hefe from their Hudson. Your mum would probably not approve of the exposed brick and splintery pillars in the tiny rooms or the staff dressed in denim – but your mum probably wouldn't stay here.
A tour takes us to the hotel’s pièce de résistance- the ‘007 Williamson’ room, which offers its own private entrance. This suite is pimped out with its own bar, a bespoke piece from the 1950s and you can even hire a bartender if you aren’t capable of shaking your own martini. The furniture is eclectic with vintage pieces and modern leather sofas side by side and much of the original building is still on show. “We want the building to do the talking,” says General Manager Roberto Russo.
Indeed, if these walls could talk – the round bath is built big enough for three – perfect for when that soirée turns into another popular French expression.
The junior suites are more than adequate with big windows allowing natural light, reclaimed iron bark pillars, exposed brick and bench tops made from the atrium’s original wood.
For the rest of you, the self-aware ‘shoebox’ rooms are deceptively spacious with high ceilings and a bathroom that doesn’t feel like a closet. Yet, starting at $179 a night, does seem a bit steep for something that actually describes itself as cell-block size.
Dining in the hotel is minimal with no room service, a mini bar stocked with healthy, organic snacks and a bar that only serves antipasto plates. The drinking man’s diet might not satisfy everyone but we noticed staff were more than happy to let guests BYO their own takeaway pizza. They do, however, allow you to start the day well – the continental breakfast has all the trimmings, made from locally sourced produce, and a barista who knows his beans.
So why is the year 1888 so important to 8 Hotels?
“The building was opened in 1888 so we thought, ‘what happened in that year that’s relevant today,’” explains Russo. “Taking the Kodak theme, we created the Picture Perfect Package, where guests are treated to free wifi, an antipasto plate with two glasses of wine and breakfast the next day for $239 a night.”
Showing off holiday photos is nothing new, our parents had slide shows in the 80s, so in a way, 8 Hotels are cleverly letting the guests do their marketing. There’s even a gilt frame hanging from the ceiling at reception where you're encouraged to get in on the picture. A true Instagrammer would know that for a perfect fit the frame should be square, not an oversized rectangle, but whatever. There are free iPads and wifi in the rooms so you can lo-fi to your heart’s content, and popular social media fiends with over 10,000 followers are given a free night’s stay. But will it work?
Only time, and the kids, will tell.
“We want guests to become part of the project,” explains Russo. When we point out that you can buy your own followers, their PR company are quick to tell us that you could also buy a night in the hotel for around the same price. Snap. Veruca Salt, they don’t want your money!
If you don’t have 10k worth of followers, you still have the chance to win a free night if you’re really creative with the filtering of your photos. So get in there, relax, recharge the batteries (on your smart phone) and start spreading the news.
Where: 139 Murray St, Pyrmont NSW
Rooms: Start at $179/night
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From the suburban Brisbane street, Spicers Balfour Hotel evokes a tinge of mystery with its modern, bold design sprouting a distinctly Queenslander-style wraparound verandah. Swathed in moody indigo hues that shimmer beneath the lights by night, one can’t help but wonder what’s inside.
Originally a Queenslander house built in 1901, a three-year long overhaul transformed the building into a suave yet welcoming boutique hotel far from its airy timber origins. The newest addition to the luxury Spicers brand, it’s the only inner-city residence, yet still captures the same intimate escape. Stepping into the lobby and wandering upstairs to reception, the blues that captured me were met by chirpy purple tones, a sparkly chandelier suspended over the counter.
Although the feel is now more European than Queenslander, a few telltale signs hint at its 110-year heritage. A replica of the original front door leads onto the verandah, original mouldings and trims feature in the common area along with revamped exposed beams overhead, and leadlights have been switched around to create an interesting mix combined with the dramatic furnishings.
Standing at the reception counter, a wooden chessboard over to my left caught my attention, perched in the common lounge area by a congregation of velvety chairs, sidelined by a tall, dark bookcase offering anything from fiction to art history reads. My host, friendly and without the stiff smile, then showed me to my room down the dimmed hallway lined with colourful artworks by leading Australian artists.
Rooftop bar
After a poke around my room – comfortable yet stylish – to the sound of the smooth jazz radio beats left on for my arrival, I ditched my bags and head upstairs having arrived in perfect time for canapés at the rooftop bar, served daily between six and seven o'clock.
From cocktails to cognacs, liqueurs, beers, wines, port and vintage champagnes, the high-end class of the hotel is represented in the bar list. But there are plenty of options still priced at the same you’d find anywhere down the road in hip and happening New Farm. Whilst the small outdoor bar area would have been tempting if there were stars, I instead found refuge from the drizzly weather inside by the bi-fold windows.
Looking over and between the local tin rooftops and sturdy Jacaranda trees, the Story Bridge dominated the night skyline in front of the city, its peaks lit in lines of blue lights. Whether it was the view or the smooth latin beats that soon switched into jazz – amplified by the wondrous and free Friday night feel – my crisp drop of sauvignon blanc glided down ever-so-smoothly.
The rooms
After heading out and about until nearly midnight, returning to a warm towel rack was the deal-breaker that landed me in a hot bubble bath. Of the nine rooms, four have baths and deep ones at that, which are spread across the room types. The four Executive Rooms on the central level are great for short stays, whilst the one-off Terrace Suite boasts a well-sized private slice of the verandah overlooking the front garden.
On the bottom level, as well as a small room with some exercise equipment for guests, the Courtyard Rooms offer a little extra breathing space with a small courtyard lined by green bamboo plants. Bold and sleek inside, unique furniture pieces complete the style whilst laptop workstations come in surprisingly handy. And the LCD TV provided perfect Will and Kate royal wedding replay screening.
Local grooves
Located on the cusp of the city, in trendy New Farm, here you reap the benefits of being close to the city but without the sounds of traffic whirring below. Walk out the front and turn right, pace 300 metres, and you’ll discover a grassy cliff-top park with one of Brisbane’s quietest and nicest views down over the winding Brisbane River, through the Story Bridge and to the city. Otherwise turn left, pace 100m, and find yourself standing on Brunswick Street amongst the plethora of quality cafes, restaurants and bars. Try restaurants Ortiga, Dell’Ugo or Anise.
Room packages are inclusive of continental and à la carte breakfast, which can be enjoyed inside or out on the verandah speckled with rays. Also open to the public by reservation, chef Tyson Buchanan offers a great selection to start the day – from exotic jams and granola to French toast brioche and eggs how you like.
Asking the host for her opinion, I went with her favourite, Eggs Benedict, to accompany my cappuccino and freshly made pear, pineapple and ginger juice. Upon placing my reservation, Spicers Balfour confirmed any special dietary requirements, so my breakfast came perfectly on gluten-free bread as well.
With a flick of the paper and a gaze over the quiet street, it was time to pack my bags and say goodbye. This special spot may be more European than Queenslander these days, but the homely feel still lingers.
Hearty breakfasts
Room packages are inclusive of continental and à la carte breakfast, which can be enjoyed inside or out on the verandah speckled with rays. Also open to the public by reservation, chef Tyson Buchanan offers a great selection to start the day – from exotic jams and granola to French toast brioche and eggs how you like.
Asking the host for her opinion, I went with her favourite, Eggs Benedict, to accompany my cappuccino and freshly made pear, pineapple and ginger juice. Upon placing my reservation, Spicers Balfour confirmed any special dietary requirements, so my breakfast came perfectly on gluten-free bread as well.
With a flick of the paper and a gaze over the quiet street, it was time to pack my bags and say goodbye. This special spot may be more European than Queenslander these days, but the homely feel still lingers.
Guest book peek
There are no ‘good’s or even ‘great’s scribbled in here, it’s more like ‘wonderful’, ‘amazing’ and ‘fabulous’, as well as ‘homely’ and ‘welcoming’.