Review: Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur Hotel, Malaysia

The Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur Hotel has been around since 1997, allowing it to establish deep roots within the local community. And perhaps it has gotten more charming after a recent facelift that saw an increased room count to 398 rooms and revitalised communal spaces. Located on Jalan Sultan Ismail, just 700 metres along the same road from the Renaissance Kuala Lumpur, the hotel is a stone's throw away from the Medan Tuanku monorail station. Located about 2 kilometres away is the Bukit Bintang shopping district and the KLCC park.

The hotel's grand staircase and distinctive ceiling immediately exudes an atmosphere of refined elegance, and a pianist performs at selected hours to add on the classy vibe. The Pavilions Lounge is on the lower level, and the stairs will take guests to the international all-day dining restaurant Essence. Further upstairs is the Chinese restaurant Celestial Court, and by the poolside is Italian restaurant Villa Danieli.

The Pavilions Lounge with an atmosphere of refined elegance

View from the grand staircase

I was delighted to stay at the 84 square metre (sqm) Deluxe Suite, which was one of the 29 suites available. Other suites are named Sheraton Club Suite, Ambassador Suite (168 sqm) and the Imperial Suite (336 sqm) which was equivalent to a Presidential Suite. All suites come with a king bed. Deluxe rooms are 42 sqm in size, with a choice of either a king bed or two twin beds.

Living area of the Deluxe Suite

The bedroom was beautifully appointed, and being located at the corner, provided great views on two sides instead of one. Opening up the curtains at night made for kind of a mesmerising sleep experience in the city. In the following photographs you can see how the bedrooms looks like in the day and at night.

The bedroom by day

The bedroom by night

The marble bathroom had a bathtub and two additional showers instead of one. It had a bit of a retro feel, particularly with the separate taps for hot and cold water.

Marble bathroom

The hotel has a total of 38 floors, with the Sheraton Club Lounge being located at the top floor. Afternoon tea is available from 2pm to 4pm, while a cocktail hour is hosted from 5.30pm to 7.30pm. A selection of hot food was made available during the evening cocktail hour, and guests would likely be pleased with the presence of classic local favourites such as Nasi Lemak.

Cocktail hour at the Sheraton Club Lounge

Breakfast was available either at the Club Lounge for a more exclusive experience, or at the Essence restaurant downstairs for the full spread. The latter also serves lunch and dinner, available à la carte or in the form of a seasonal buffet menu. One observation was that the ice cream selection on the à la carte menu were apparently all unavailable during my visit, which was a slight disappointment.

Seafood Aglio Olio at Essence restaurant

Overall, the hotel excels on its infusion of traditional grandeur with modernity, resulting in a timeless and elegant ambiance throughout the property. Marriott Bonvoy loyalty recognition was standard, and a practical benefit for selected elite guests was a couple pieces of complimentary standard laundry service daily, which was both useful and practical. The hotel boast some of the largest guest rooms in the city, and as a rather tall property, great views on the higher floors are an additional bonus to enhance the guest experience.

View of the city and KL Tower

Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur Hotel is located at Jalan Sultan Ismail, Chow Kit, Kuala Lumpur 50250, Malaysia.