We checked into Asia Pacific’s tallest hotel – it brought us to unexpected heights

An immersive lodging experience is usually confined to the world of the resort. Want to experience your location outside of your ivory tower? Tough luck. But just steps away from Kuala Lumpur’s gritty Chinatown, the city’s Park Hyatt rises more than 100 stories to tell a different tale. 

Inside Merdeka 118 – named for its 118 floors – Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur invites visitors to refresh in its ultra-modern wonderland while also providing a convenient launch pad for seeing the city’s ample sights.

First impressions and rooms: Modern indulgence at a price

The hospitality begins when guests arrive in the formidable shadow of the Merdeka 118, the world's second-tallest building. Staff is ready to guide visitors up to the 75th floor — the location of the lobby, as well as the property’s restaurants and bars. Wooden room keys scanned inside the elevator send guests straight to their floor – fast enough that your ears will pop. 

The 252 guestrooms include 27 suites, but for those without an expense account, the best bet may be a king room with a tower view, which features floor-to-ceiling windows that invite those who check in to gape from above at KLCC’s collection of landmarks, such as the Petronas Twin Towers, from morning until they light up after dark.

Suites include the freshly minted Presidential Suite, which covers nearly 7,000 square feet on the 112th floor with its own kitchen and private gym. But whether you're in that suite or a basic king room on the 105th floor (as I was), some things stay consistent: a self-flushing Toto toilet with a seat that rises to greet anyone on approach, a glass-encased rain-and-steam shower stocked with Le Labo products, and an ultra-efficient Dyson hair dryer. Even the smaller rooms – still around 800 square feet – come with closets large enough to stay tidy.

Even as a World of Hyatt member, my stay cost around $400 USD per night. But compare it to the New York Park Hyatt – the Kuala Lumpur location, Park Hyatt’s fiftieth, does less than half the damage.

The rest: Memorable meals and a pool with a view

So much of the enjoyment of the Park Hyatt KL is rooted in what’s outside the window. Even the 30-meter infinity pool offers sky-high views of the city’s most famous buildings. But I would argue that what’s on plates is every bit as important. It takes significant culinary firepower to compete with the fare offered in KL’s Chinatown and nearby Bukit Bintang, but it’s worth staying in for at least a couple of meals.

Perhaps most memorable of all is breakfast at Park Lounge, which can be included with guests’ stay. It’s worth every penny to start the day with danishes featuring fresh fruit like longan or mango alongside both Western and Asian eats. That includes one of the most flavorful versions of nasi lemak I’ve tried in Malaysia, complete with crisp, spice-packed fried chicken. The buffet covers the basics, but it's worth ordering off the menu too, for highlights like the butter-striped kaya toast and roti jala with spicy chicken curry.

Afternoon tea is a stunner thanks to a varied tea menu and multi-course presentation, and dinner offers up “lost recipes,” oldies but goodies from around Malaysia, such as Sarawakian banana-leaf-wrapped mackerel. The Merdeka Grill is a Western-style steakhouse that serves the best beef from Japan and Australia alongside Malaysian bites such as grilled coral rock lobster and roasted Perak duck confit. Cacao Mixology & Chocolate feeds guests’ sweet tooth with local and regional chocolates paired with spirits, cocktails, and mocktails. 

For gourmets who would never book an all-inclusive stay, KL’s Park Hyatt is an eye-opener. One of the world’s tallest hotels soars to the top of the heap of places to lay one’s head in Malaysia. 

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