The building itself is behemoth, with a green base and four red-and-yellow towers rising several stories from it. Sunbow Hotel Residency is perfectly located in the heart of Bukit Bintang. In fact, if you like roaming around the spiffy Pavilion and the more affordable Berjaya Times Square, this is the best place for you to stay. Berjaya is literally at its back; two buildings to its right is Low Yat Plaza (the IT arcade). There's a Chinese restaurant close to Low Yat which serves roast pork with rice at just 5.50 ringgit (and you can choose all-roast or a combination with pork BBQ). What's better is, it has an amorous Pinay waitress serving you ("Naku, maraming Pinoy, mayayabang, 'di namamansin."). And there are several restaurants more - cheap and otherwise around this area. There's also a 24-hour internet shop/convenience store nearby (which can print and photocopy).
The lobby of the hotel is located at the 10th floor so you have to take the elevator - there are three elevators which are always full (and slow); make sure you take the one in the middle because it passes by the 10th floor. This boutique hotel has 38 rooms. Since it's relatively new, everything here glistens, from the very clean floors to the modern, glass-interiored bathroom. My twin room at 152, at the extreme end of the hallway didn't have a window - so they hang a brown curtain on the wall. What's particularly likable here is how comfortable (and fragrant-smelling) the bed is. In fact, once my head hit the fluffy pillows (two of them per bed), I was taken straight to dreamland.
Your Agoda booking doesn't include breakfast, but options abound in the area. In fact, just outside the building is an inexpensive restaurant (if you're not picky). Unlike most hotels, Sunbow doesn't offer complimentary bottled water which is standard for most hotels all over Asia. Even the cheapest guesthouses have them. Not here. They also ask for a refundable 50-ringgit deposit per room. At the lobby, there's a brochure that peddles trips (70-ringgit for Batu Caves and, I think, 350-ringgit for Cameron Highlands) but you're really better off with DIY-journeys.
You will meet a lot of Pinoys and other expats (Indians, Africans, Arabs) at the lobby, since the higher floors (red-and-yellow buildings) are residential units. Your entrance at the ground floor is through a nondescript lobby punctuated by a huge shop selling Chinese products and, right across it, is an entertainment bar of sorts featuring Chinese acts. Just head straight to the elevator. Sunbow isn't directly beside Bukit Bintang (street), but slightly tucked away from the main tourist lane. It is midway between Jalan Pudu and Low Yat Plaza.
They have a Facebook page that doesn't seem to reply to queries. http://www.facebook.com/sunbowhotelresidency
How do you get to Sunbow Hotel from KLIA or LCCT? Get yourself to Bukit Bintang (taxi, train or bus), find Low Yat Plaza and you are nearby. I had to transfer from Le Apple Hotel to get to Sunbow. Lovely place for a base around KL.
This is the Eye in the Sky.
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| Facing the Sunbow Hotel is Sky Hotel. The street facing that pink building is Bukit Bintang already. |
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| Hotel's front desk. Elevator directly opens to this through mirrored wall. |
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| Very comfortable beds. |
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| Behind the curtain is not a window, but plywood. |
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| Empty refrigerator, relatively new AC, desk... |
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| Television |
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| Through a sliding door is this very clean bathroom. The shower room is demarcated by glass walls. |
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| Nice faucet. |
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| From my room at the end of the hallway... |
Other options, if budget is tight:
- http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2009/03/accommodations-in-kuala-lumpur-part-1.html
- http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2009/03/accommodations-in-kuala-lumpur-part-2.html
- http://eye-in-the-blue-sky.blogspot.com/2009/04/backpack-accommodation-in-kl-part-3.html
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| Building lobby where you find an entertainment center. Proceed to the middle elevator. The one at the sides only reach the 9th floor so you have to take the stairs to get to the 10th or wait for the center elevator again (a long wait mostly) to get to 10th. |
8 comments:
from the outside I did not like it but inside it looks more than ok!
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Agree. It's more than ok where comfort is concerned. :)
Room looks clean.
@ Twin:
It is very clean, and the interiors are tastefully set and designed, especially the bathroom. :)
Thanks, Krishna. :)
Hi! How do you go to Sunbow from KL Airport? Thank you!
There are different ways of getting to Sunbow Residency from KLIA or LCCT. The easiest is by taxi which will set you back by 80 to 100 ringgit, and a little more if you arrive from 10 PM onwards.
If you are taking the bus to the capital, head to KL Sentral (the city’s main transport hub) first from LCCT through Air Asia’s affiliate Sky Bus or Aerobus just waiting outside LCCT (from LCCT's arrival hall, head left to the extreme end of the airport complex - or just ask people where the Skybus waits). This ride will take an hour or so.
Upon arrival at KL Sentral, head to the monorail station by crossing the street opposite KL Sentral. Purchase a ticket to either Imbi station (the nearest) or Bukit Bintang station. From Imbi, take the exit opposite Berjaya Times Square (a huge mall). You will find a 7-11 shop along Imbi Street. From there, walk the side street beside 7-11 til you reach the back of that building. You will find a narrow (dark) road, turn left. That huge building facing this narrow alley is already the back of Sunbow Complex. It won't look like much because it's mainly a residential complex and the lobby is at the other side. There is a single entrance/exit that will lead you (via a flight of stairs) to the front and lobby of the building.
The hotel is located several floors from the ground level as stated in my post. Sunbow is closer to Jalan Pudu than Bukit Bintang, but even closer to Jalan Imbi.
I forgot to mention the rates: Bus ride from LCCT to KL Sentral will cost you between 8 to 10 ringgit only (cheaper if your flight is via Air Asia which allows you to purchase a bus ticket online). Then the monorail train ticket to Imbi station will cost you something like 1.10 ringgit. That's just roughly 12 ringgit or less. A big savings - if you compare it to a taxi ride which will cost you between 80 to 100/120 ringgit.
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