Shangri-La: ‘A beautiful oasis where life approaches perfection’. Not only found in the novel Lost Horizon, but also in the centre of bustling Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s capital. The Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur is a welcome retreat to escape the pulsating city, found just on its doorstep. With lashings of gold and marble as well as an oasis of greenery and running water you really will feel as if you have transported into paradise. The palatial lobby and exceptional staff all add to the luxurious appeal.
However, the best part about this luxury 5* property would be their approach to families and children. With a dedicated floor to family suites and an exceptional range of activities. You’ll notice small gestures at every turn ensuring your little ones have just a good of a time as you. Even the kid’s menu is absolutely amazing, we have never seen anything like it. There is no tackiness either, they have clearly thought long and hard about how to mix luxury and kids, and it works.
If you going to lash out on a 5* property, Kuala Lumpur is the best place for it. With prices half or more of what you would pay for similar in most Western nations but with the same exceptional quality. We can honestly say that everything about our stay was top notch and we are extremely excited for the next time we get to sample another Shangri-La property.
Table of Contents
Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur
The Shangri-La is found centrally in the Golden Circle area of Kuala Lumpur. Known for its close proximity to many of the major tourist sites and attractions in the city. The KLCC Mall and Petronas Towers are just moments walk away, as are various large parks. Even though the hotel is super close, they also offer a free shuttle service between KLCC and Pavilion KL, just in case you shop up too much of a storm or eat too much delicious local food. There are also always taxis to be found waiting for you outside reception, or you can order Grab cars too if you would like. Being in the CBD there are loads of food and drink options nearby. We sampled almost all of the onsite restaurants at Shangri-La and were duly impressed – especially the Chinese restaurant, Shang Palace!
This 28 story hotel is home to 662 luxurious guestrooms, 101 of which are suites, all featuring amazing views of the city and gardens. Some even have views of the Petronas Towers or the KL Tower. The classicly designed rooms feel warm and inviting with a rich cream, chocolate and red colour scheme. Many of the suites include access to the Horizon Club which brings with it a plethora of amazing benefits. With an AMAZING fitness centre onsite and fantastic pool area for both adults and kids, you really won’t want to leave the hotel in a hurry!
Inside Our Family Premier Suite
We were treated to a family staycation in the Shangri-La’s custom Family Premier Suite. These spacious 80 sqm suites are ideal for small families. Featuring a lavish master bedroom they also have a separate large family lounge – complete with kids tent and lots of kiddy extras! All family premier suites are on the same level, located high up the tower on the 25th floor, offering commanding views of the city and gardens below. Plus stays in this room type are granted complimentary access to the Horizon Club, which is an amazing perk, even having its own VIP kid benefits!
Living Area & Workstation
Opening the door we stepped into our lavish retreat. Soaked in sunlight and with a rich interior, this living room instantly relaxes you. Upon stepping into your right is the enormous walk-in cupboard. Seriously this cupboard is HUGE and will store a family of tens luggage if needed. There is also a massive safe to match, probably 3 times bigger than your usual hotel safe, so don’t worry your possessions are safe!
Continuing into the room you’ll spot a comfy sofa and a large buffet unit under the flat-screen television. This effectively conceals all of the minibar as well as crockery and glassware. Hidden in there also is an instantaneous hot water dispenser, so much better than a kettle! There is also a Nespresso machine and a variety of pods, an essential item in our eyes! We couldn’t help notice the amazing kids tent taking up a portion of the room. After all, this is their haven (more on that later though!). There was also a range of welcome goodies on the coffee table for both kids and adults!
Then came the extravagant workstation taking up a corner of the room, right against the window. Complete with a full-size executive writing desk, a printer, a multitude of connection ports and all the stationery items you could need, this was the best in-room office space we had ever seen. Of course, the office chair was also exceedingly comfortable. This area really did motivate us to work as it was just such a ‘proper’ office space.
Bedroom
Separated from the living room is the adult’s bedroom. Complete with luxurious king-size bed, incredible linens and a pillow menu. Oh and more of that great view, which is easily revealed by the motorised curtain controls beside the bed. There was also a separate climate control unit for this room which always comes in handy.
Ensuite
The Shangri La Kuala Lumpur has one heck of a showstopping bathroom. Decked out in marble and gold trimmings it feels luxurious to the max. The TV facing the standalone bathtub probably contributes a lot to that! Then you have the designer bath amenities, L’occitane if you must know. Plush bathrobes for both parents and kids give you that true 5* feeling.
The Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur Experience
Airport Limousine Service
Upon clearing customs we were met by a sign bearing our name and a smiling man in an official red uniform. He was genuinely such a friendly guy and entertained Ollie whilst walking to our ride and wheeling our bags. Our ride was a snazzy blacked-out van and we were introduced to our driver who offered us a bottle of water each. The inside was insanely spacious and oh so comfortable, more resembling a private jet with individual sofa style seats. Then there was the onboard WiFi. Seeing we arrived right at Instagram posting time this was ideal for us and made the most of having internet connection. The drive was seamless and felt much quicker than the 50 or so minutes it takes to get to the CBD from the airport.
Definitely splurge the bit extra for this service, it is soooo much more comfortable than the hassle of getting a cruddy taxi. We accidentally left one of Ollie’s teddys in the car and it was back in his arms within hours, exceptional service.
Check-In & Horizon Club
Stepping out of our luxury limousine transfer we were greeted by staff in royal uniforms who handled our luggage. We were immediately walked through the grand lobby to the golden elevators and whisked up to the Horizon Club.
We settled in and were offered a beverage of our choice whilst the staff processed our check-in. After a few quick signatures, we were invited to our room at our leisure (after finishing our drinks of course). The Horizon Club is enormous and consists of various sections including private rooms and even a family section. We will talk about the family section in the kid’s section because it’s very write home worthy.
The Horizon Club comes with various extra privileges such as complimentary breakfast, all-day refreshments, afternoon tea and evening cocktails (all included of course). There’s also computer stations and a range of international newspapers available. They will also provide basic secretarial services for you as well as a concierge service. We loved popping into the club for our morning coffees and the breakfast up there featured a buffet and a-la-carte menu. There are comfy sofas everywhere and it really is quite a relaxing venue.
Gym
This has to be the best hotel gym on earth, surely! It is bigger than our big brand name gym at home that we pay a membership for! All of the latest Life Fitness cardio equipment, machine weights and free weights. There is absolutely everything you need for a workout and more, even 50kg dumbells. Then there’s also the separate yoga studio, lockable lockers, headphones to borrow as well as spa & sauna in the bathrooms! As gym lovers this was our absolute heaven, you have no excuse to skip your gym session if you are staying at the Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur.
Pool
As expected the pool is a welcome respite from the metropolis outside the hotel’s doors. A tropical oasis full of lush greenery and two pools, one for the adults and one for the kids. There’s a separate area with lounges that’s adults-only surrounded by a garden for those that want to tan in peace. We loved hanging by the pool as did Ollie.
Dining at Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur
Room Service
The room service menu at the Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur is a sight to behold, it is jam-packed. There is everything you could possibly want in there and you can tell they have consulted everyone from chefs to dieticians to create the perfect menu. There was an entire wellness section full of items that were super healthy yet also delicious. They even managed to make hidden veggie dishes for the kids (even desert ones)! Whether your vegan, vegetarian, carnivore, a baby or a toddler or any combination you are sure to find plenty to dine on.
We indulged on our first night seeing we arrived in late and couldn’t be bothered heading out. Wow just wow. When our meal arrived it came in a warmed cabinet that folded out into a proper dining table, fancy! Everything was cooked to perfection and our three deserts were absolutely spectacular. Turns out the room service here is better than most standalone restaurants.
Buffet Breakfast @ Lemon Garden
Offered at Lemon Garden which has views of the Shangri-La outdoor rainforest and water feature full of koi. The buffet breakfast served here is next level. Whatever your heart desires is probably on offer here. They even have a wellness health section full of diet-friendly delights and even a DIY acai bowl station. There’s everything from Western, Indian, Chinese, Japanese and everything in between it seems.
But just wait until you find the ‘treat’ area, it is just way too tempting. You’ll find a range of delicious freshly baked deserts as well as made to order waffles, pancakes and french toasts. But that’s not even the best bit.. they have both milk and white chocolate fountains with fresh fruit to swirl under it. Or you can be cheeky like us and lather it over your waffles. Then there’s the full ice cream fridge just begging to be consumed. Shortly after sitting down a server will take your drink order and you will have made to order coffees brought to you as well!
Traditional Chinese @ Shang Palace
Shang Palace is a treat for the senses, an authentic Cantonese restaurant serving up a range of delicious meals. The menu is quite extensive and consists of an a-la-carte menu, a dim sum menu and set menus. We are not joking when we say the two main dishes we had were the nicest Chinese dishes we have ever had! So you can try them we will list them below:
- Crispy free-range chicken with preserved vegetable and almond slices in marmite sauce (weird sounding, but wow!)
- Wok-fried beef tenderloin with purple sweet potato in honey black pepper sauce
Both items were so unique in flavour but oh so yummy. Highly recommend!!! We also tried a few of the dim sum which were, of course, delicious as well.
Sunday Japanese Brunch @ Zipangu
Zipangu’s design is almost as good as its food. We were gobsmacked at the range of food on offer at their special Sunday buffet brunch. An indulgence of all things Japanese with a strong seafood flair, including sashimi, sushi, fresh oysters prawns and more. James being a non-seafood eater also had loads to enjoy. They even had free reign over the teppanyaki grill. You simply choose what you want to be grilled up and they will prepare it for you. We left barely able to move after eating so much, even the desert range was extravagant. If you are at the property on a Sunday the Sunday Brunch is definitely a must-do.
How Kid-Friendly Is Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur?
Ok, we know this review has been pretty glowing to say the least, but this was also the most kid-friendly property we have ever stayed at. Now that is one heck of a title to hold!
Amenities
If you stay in the family premier suite it is ensured that the kids are treated just as well as the adults. In the bathroom, there is a little kids toiletry bag (complete with cartoon) full of all the essential a little one could need. Then you have a kids bathrobe and slipper set for them to live their best lives. The Shangri-La has even considered the fact that little ones are a bit shorter, and left a small step in the bathroom for them to use.
A cot can be set up on request of there is the special kid’s tent. Then there is a full-size bath to make bathtime a breeze and the instantaneous hot water dispenser is oh so handy! All of the restaurants offer high chairs and child-friendly utensils. If you head to the concierge desk you can even borrow a stroller to head out into the city with!
Special touches
It wasn’t just the amenities that made the hotel super kid-friendly, there were special touches everywhere. Being in the family premier suite there was a large canvas teepee with the words ‘no parents allowed’. Inside was a double-sized mattress and a full set of sheets. Ollie hung out in here with his toys most of our stay! Then there was the glow in the dark stars all over the living room roof.
A custom made children’s book on the coffee table also meant storytime was a completely new experience for him. Alongside the books was a little care package for Ollie. Featuring a couple of containers of milk and some really cool chocolates shaped like pencils and lego. There were even a few rubber duckies in the bathroom that made Ollie oh so excited for his first bath there.
Children’s and Babies Menu
We touched on this in the room service section. The room service offerings for children at the Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur are exceptional. There is something for the fussiest of eaters. There are all of the usual foods your little ones will eat but also healthy options. Lots of the dishes even have hidden veggie options, like the mac and cheese and even the chocolate brownie! We were very impressed when we saw a whole page dedicated to infants with a range of pureed meals and items available for them!
Family Lounge
If entering the Horizon Lounge you head right instead of left you will find yourself in the magical family lounge. Available on Fri, Sat & Sun the lounge area is decked out especially for families. There are kiddie chairs and tables, toys and a tv playing kids shows. The best part though is the specially curated menu of light bites and treats for them to indulge in whilst you enjoy the adult’s cocktails and canapes. There is some seriously cool kids food on offer, it even looked appealing to us! They even let us borrow one of the toys from here for Ollie when he didn’t want to leave it!
Activities
The other awesome thing for kids at the Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur is all of the children’s activities they offer. Over Fri, Sat, Sun as well as during Easter and Summer they have a schedule of activities. We partook in all of them with Ollie and we all had a blast. Yep, they certainly don’t want your kids to be bored when you are staying here. From feeding the koi fish to pizza making, there’s something for everybody.
The pizza making was with the chef and they all donned little aprons and chef hats, the cutest! There were outdoor activities like mini golf and even a movie night. The movie is played in a special room decked out for kids and they even have a popcorn machine and lolly station as you enter. When we were there they were playing the latest toy story, so we snuggled up on a bean bag and settled in.
Book Your Stay at Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur
Address: 11, Jalan Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur, 50250 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Website: https://www.shangri-la.com/kualalumpur/shangrila/
Luxury rooms start at approximately USD$100, per night. Enquire now!
Have any questions or comments about our stay at Shangri- La Kuala Lumpur? Let us know in the comments below…
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Disclosure: This post was created in partnership with Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur. As always, all the reviews and opinions expressed are based on our personal view and experience.