– Majestic wing suites $290
– The thoughtfully restored building and sense of history
– The gym is poorly equipped and the pool area in the Tower wing is bare and not very enticing, the spa pool is much nicer
+ 603 2785 8000
Lovers’ trysts, clandestine discussions about independence, high powered business deals; you can imagine it all going on in the grand old Majestic Hotel. Built in 1932, the Majestic was simply the place to be seen in Kuala Lumpur in the following decades. Everybody from visiting dignitaries to KL high society and the glamorous celebrities of the day slept under its roof.
Now, after years of meticulous restoration,the Majestic has re-opened, restored to its full grandeur and with service standards to match. We stayed in the all-suite, colonial-era Majestic wing of the hotel (there is also a modern Tower wing). After in-suite check-in with our personal butler, we relaxed in the comfortable, stylish one bedroom suite, the highlight of which was a beautiful bathroom with stand alone bath tub.
On our way to the spa all the staff greeted us by name, something we marvelled at as we had just arrived. As a fan of architect/designer Charles Rennie MacIntosh, I was thrilled to walk into the hotel’s beautiful spa and find that it is inspired by his famous Willow Tea Rooms in my home city of Glasgow. The art noveau décor is striking and perfectly complements the art deco design of the main hotel building, and the spa’s unique treatments are inspired by Malaysia’s colonial past.
The hotel is a heritage listed building located opposite the old Moorish railway station so not in the most convenient area but guests have a car and driver to use at will to get them around town. Guests of the Tower wing can use the hotel’s regular shuttle bus.
I was particularly impressed with the service when I had a colleague over for an early morning business meeting before the Majestic wing’s restaurant had opened. Staff prepared complimentary tea, coffee and biscuits for us to have in the Reading Room and hovered at a discreet distance in case we needed anything extra.
In the evening we took our drinks to the 12 seat private cinema and settled down to watch an old black and white Sherlock Holmes movie. We deemed kissing in the front row would be acceptable when you have a private cinema all to yourself!
