See the Ferraris and Maseratis parked outside!

I am almost certainly in the minority but I just am not keen on Shangri-La Hotels. I find them brash, blousy and generally tasteless. And our room at the KL Shangri-La was pretty awful, small, very tired decoratively and with a poor limited view of the city. The bathroom was dreadful with a tiny shower and bath. This was called an Executive Triple Room! The Reception indicated it wasone of the better bigger versions. 17th Floor.

Outside were parked the cars that typified the sort of people who come to this hotel.

It is very unlike the Mandarin Oriental in KL which oozes quality and real class. Now there is a real hotel!

The public spaces here are very glamorous and perhaps suit the clientele. Afternoon high tea was delicious and a real treat but there was little else to like. We found the staff here - uniquely for KL and for Malaysia in general - very unhelpful, always after a tip and generally quick to thrust questionnaires in your hand (in one day four members of staff did this at different times) and to ask you to write a good report of inadequate service.

Mutton dressed as lamb comes to mind!

The food was good though I was shocked in the foyer cafe to be asked 28 ringetts (£4) for a small Tiger beer to accompany the buffet meal. One would pay less at Florians in Venice! The wine seemed to start at £30 a bottle and very few of those eating were actually drinking alcohol.

To be frank, couldn't escape the hotel fast enough. Not our cup of tea.

Not your average tourist hotel

I was really impressed with this hotel. This is the second time i have stayed in Kuala Lumpur-the first time i stayed at another hotel. This hotel has a very modern style-its interior and accessories were designed by Philip Stark. You will see a lot of modern glass accents throughout.

We upgraded to a club room, which was worth it for the free cocktails and gourmet breakfast. The only downsides were that i had asked for a room with a view of the Petronas Towers, which they said was confirmed. The woman, who checked us in the"horizon suite area" was very unfriendly and had quite an attitude! Maybe, next time i;ll get the room with a nice view. For the size of this quite large hotel-they have a very tiny pool.

Otherwise, the staff was great. You wouldn't have to ask for another drink-one would just appear. We had a great dinner at their restaurant Lafite. The restaurant staff was so friendly. The sommelier offered to give us a private tour of their wine cellar-which has a fine vertical of chateau Lafite.

Definatley would stay here again. Great for tourist and business travelers.

Magnificent

My Hubby and I felt like celebrities when we arrived here! We only stayed for one night unfortunately, as we were en route to Borneo, but had the most wonderful stay here.

The lobby is stunning, staff were wonderful and we really couldn't find any faults.

Our room (deluxe) had a fabulous view of the petronas tower (the other was directly behind it, thus concealed!) It was beautifully decorated and equipped with everything you could possibly need.

My husband and i took high tea in the bar area, which was great fun! plenty of lovely nibbles and sugar crystal stirrers to sweeten your drink!

Would recommend the revolving restaurant "Seri Angkasa" in the KL Tower. My husband took me here for a valentines meal and it was amazing!

It was not hard to see why this hotel is the best in KL.

Divine

I stayed here several months ago and I loved it.

I would not hesitate to go back here, it's beautifully laid out, the rooms are generous and so comfortable.

The view from my room on the 19th floor of the petronas towers was spectacular..

So close to nearest train and the shopping centre (pure heaven for those with cash to spare).

The food was wonderful, room service breakfast everyday was delightful, so delicately presented.

Staff were helpful and so friendly.

Would highly recomend it. I'll be back for sure.

Good base to explore KL

Stayed here in February for a four days, during the Chinese New Year celebrations which meant the Hotel was packed, and had a party atmosphere.

The Malaysian government gave a reception to the visiting Turkish Prime Minister at the night we arrived. This explains why security may be tight on occasions as it is popular with Heads of States.

We enjoyed the hotel; it was luxurious, with friendly staff (complimentary bottles of water was nice touch). In the evening we could relax with the entertainment provided in the lounge area. We had a great view of the Petronas towers from our hotel, which is only a ten minute walk away. The monorail station is only a five minutes walk away, making this a good base to explore KL.

The buffet breakfast was great with a varied line up including Chinese and Malay cuisine, and kids loved the chocolate fountain, and seeing the fishes in the tanks.

There is also a mini jungle near the hotel pool; other guests saw a troop of monkeys going to the tennis courts in the morning (I wonder if the monkeys brought their own rackets).

I cannot quite understand the previous negative reviews, a 700 room hotel is bound to be busy during breakfast time, and the hotel does well in catering for both business and family guests. Our daughter loved the swimming pool which was popular with families.

A First Class Hotel

We stayed here for a second time in January 2005 and enjoyed it even more than the first time. We upgraded to the executive floor (28th) for a very reasonable price and thoroughly enjoyed the experience - much plusher and larger room with a fabulous view of the Petronas Towers (fab at night). Breakfast was included in the exec breakfast room plus early evening apperatifs with lots of choice of drinks and nibbles. The service is very professional and the rooms immaculate. The location of the hotel is good - easy walking distance to a very good shopping mall adjoining the Petronas Towers. The Hard Rock cafe is just opposite along with a choice of other restaurants.

We will certainly be going back next January.

What a fab place to stay!

We have stayed at the Shangri-La KL on four separate occasions and are due to stay again in May. What a fantastic city centre hotel. Friendly professional staff, efficient check-in/out and large comfortable rooms. We joined the Golden Circle Club which gives you good benefits such as half price breakfasts, preferencial room upgrade rates etc.

Would highly recommend this hotel to anyone.

Not quite "Shangri-La" - but close

I admit I booked into this top end hotel on the recommendation of the Lonely Planet's Malaysia guide, and while it wasn't the idyllic paradise I expected, it was close enough to keep me satisfied, but not enough to lure me back. Places like the Shangri-La Hotel are more like Disneyland than hotels. Everything you could want is somewhere on premise, including all variety of food and beverage establishment. The opulence is a bit over the top to the point that it's almost campy. The rooms are plush and more than adequate, but the view I had was nothing to write home about. And while the price (about US100-120/single room) is pretty competative by 4/5-star standards, don't forget to factor in the tax and service fees, and don't overlook that if you do drink from the minibar or patronize the onsite facilities, you're bill will rise higher than the nearby twin towers. Negatives: no bellman offered to help carry my luggage to my room, which is unlike a place like the Shangri-La. Also, while I was there, I had armed military personnel camped out on my floor, and when I asked why, I never got a clear answer. I don't know about you, but being greeted by stone-faced, machine-gun-weilding arm people on floor 22 of the Shangri-La sort of spoils the mood of supposedly being in a luxury retreat. But otherwise, not bad.

--- pete tolman, Japan

Culture shock

Having used Shangri-La hotels in China and Thailand, which were fabulous in every way, the KL offer was a serious disappointment. Its brash, noisy and limiting. Eating breakfast with a couple of hundred other people holds no appeal for me. After six days I felt I had been on a hotel management seminar. Every meal event was followed by a quality questionnaire which got very labourious.

Woderful experience

What a wonderful experience. If you want great rooms, wonderful service, opulent surroundings look no further. This hotel has it all. We were on the 22nd floor and had great views they think of everything even provide you with a toothbrush!

We had breakfast included and it is one of the best choices I have ever come across. Our 11 year old loved the chocolate fountain but we couldnt quite face it for breakfast. I would recommend this hotel to stay whilst in KL. As soon as you walk inside from the heat its cool exterior works its magic. Its only a short taxi ride away from all the major sites and just over the road from the Hard Rock Cafe. A winner all round, we will be back