Rising up with Aloft

Clean, comfortable, low-key and just a short monorail ride away from the Petronas Twin Towers, the recently opened Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral offers a relaxing stay without the frills but with all the fun.

Conveniently located in the Malaysian capital’s new business district, the Aloft Sentral – the largest Aloft Hotel in the world – is a short walk from the Kuala Lumpur Sentral Station, making it an easy commute to and from the airport, and adjacent to the newly opened Nu Sentral mall. A short monorail ride takes you downtown and you can walk to Brickfields, as the city’s little India is called, in minutes.

While the area is hectic, the hotel itself is a cocoon of comfort and relaxation. There’s nothing fancy: just simple, friendly service and essential facilities. 

The hotel, which spreads from the fifth to the 29th floor, has 482 rooms made up of 465 Loft and Urban rooms and 17 suites. The Sweet suite is a duplex and measures 49 square metres while the Breezy Suite has 20sqm more. All rooms are non-smoking. 

Designed with the digital generation in mind, Aloft has free wireless Internet access throughout the whole hotel, including the rooms. Each room is also equipped with a plug-and-play connectivity solution which connects most electronic devices to the 42” flat-screen TV, turning the room into a high-tech office as well as an entertainment centre. 

In a touch that will please many weary travellers, the fridges in the room are left empty and guests are invited to stock up the space with what they prefer from re:fuel, the cafe corner stocked with snacks and drinks for you to choose at chargeable prices. 

A less extravagant version of its sister W Hotel, Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral embraces a similar party vibe. There’s the signature bar, WXYZ at the lobby level and a Hawaiian-themed Mai Bar on the rooftop next to the infinity pool, 

a great place to relax at sundown. The gym is open 24 hours but there is no spa. 

 

At a galance

High points: Conveniently located next to central train station. The rooms are simple but comfortable and there’s free wi-fi throughout the hotel  

Low points: There’s no spa and no smoking rooms 

Find it: Next to Kuala Lumpur Sentral Station on Jalan Stesen Sentral.

Pay for it: Contact the hotel for the best rates.

Browse it: www.AloftKualaLumpurSentral.com

Phone it: (60 3) 2723 1188 or (001 800) 6566 877.

 

Starwood Preferred Guest programme

_ VIPs of Starwood’s loyalty programme, Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) staying at Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral last month were treated to an exclusive performance by British pop singer Natasha Bedingfield. Throughout the year, the programme is offering a series of exclusive events and experiences for patrons at various locations around the world. As part of the music experience, titled “Hear the Music, See the World” series, guests have enjoyed performances by Mayer Hawthorne at Element in Canada, Janelle Monae at the St Regis New York and Jason Mraz at the Westin Germany. Next up is country singer Jewel who performs at the US Grant in San Diego later this month.

_ Launched in 1999, SPG is an award-winning frequent traveller programme where members earn points to redeem for awards that include free nights with no black-out dates at any Starwood hotels and resorts, an airline transfer programme that allows you to convert Starpoints to frequent flyer miles on more than 30 airlines and SPG Moments where you can bid to get VIP access to music events, Broadway plays, sport tournament packages, access to celebrity chef’s table, red carpet premieres, exclusive parties and more.

_ Enrolment is free and points are transferable to other accounts. 

_ For more about the programme, visit www.SPG.com