We recently saw the opening of the new Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur, located at the very top of the Merdeka 118 building, which is the tallest hotel in all of Asia-Pacific (by my math, it’s the world’s second highest hotel).
This is easily my favorite Hyatt property I’ve ever stayed at, as there’s just so much to love about this hotel, from the design, to the height, to the amenities, to the food and beverage outlets, to the service. If I didn’t have a family, I might just stay here forever and never go home. As a hotel and hospitality geek, this property checks so many boxes, and I couldn’t help but smile just being here.
Let me just share some initial thoughts, and then soon I’ll have a full review.
In this post:
The Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur is a design masterpiece
I love staying in skyscraper hotels, and I love how the Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur is actually at the top, unlike so many other hotels nowadays, that open at the bottom of skyscrapers (with residences often being at the top). Seriously, how fun is it to stay all the way up there?!
The hotel’s lobby is merely on the 75th floor, and that’s also where all the food and beverage outlets are located. How beautiful is that lobby?
Then the hotel’s spa and wellness area are on the 99th floor, while guest rooms are on the 100th through 112th floor. The hotel is opening progressively floor-by-floor, and as of now, the hotel is only open through the 108th floor.
I had confirmed a Park Suite prior to my stay using a suite upgrade award, and as a lifetime Globalist member, I received an additional upgrade to a Park Executive Suite (the hotel was sold out, so I suspect that explains the further upgrade). Specifically, I was assigned room 10800, so I was actually on the very top operational floor. How cool!
For a non-specialty or named suite, talk about an absolutely massive suite. What am I supposed to do with all this space, all on my own? But it’s not just about the size, it’s also about what you do with it, and this was honestly one of the most beautifully designed Park Hyatt suites I’ve seen. So much effort was put into the finishes.
It’s not often that you’re looking down on the Petronas Towers, but that’s exactly the view I had from my room.
The Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur has incredible amenities
You might think that being in a hotel so high up would come with some compromise in terms of amenities, given that space comes at a premium all the way up here. But nope, this hotel has a super impressive selection of amenities, with the 99th floor being dedicated to wellness.
Have you ever seen a more beautiful pool on the 99th floor of a building?!
Or a more beautiful hydrotherapy area?!
The hotel also has a large gym with cutting edge equipment, as you’d expect.
The Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur has creative dining outlets
The Park Hyatt has no doubt become the new “it” spot in Kuala Lumpur, so all the food and beverage outlets are bustling with locals who want to see what all the fuss is about. That always adds a fun sense of liveliness to the hotel.
For one, the Park Hyatt has the Park Lounge, which is the all-day dining restaurant, where breakfast is served. This has to be one of the most beautiful versions of the Park Lounge concept I’ve ever seen. 
Breakfast here is unbelievably good, with a high quality buffet, plus an unlimited a la carte selection. You can’t beat that combination!
But what I love most is the two other dining concepts beyond that. The hotel didn’t just go for some generic restaurant and bar. Instead, you have Cacao Mixology & Chocolate, literally a bar with a heavy focus on… you guessed it, cacao and chocolate!
When I saw this concept, I thought “oh boy, is this just going to be something really cheesy?” Nope, they really went all-in on the concept, and the food and drink selection is phenomenal. I ordered a cacao coffee martini and a dark chocolate tart. Of course I just ordered these things for you guys, to be able to report back. 😉 Man, being an adult is pretty great, when you can have dessert before dinner, eh?
I then moved on to dinner at Merdeka Grill, the hotel’s signature restaurant.
This is a legit fancy restaurant, and I ordered the signature dish, the salmon roasted on cedar wood. This was perhaps the most expensive salmon dish I’ve ever ordered anywhere (hey, I had a Hyatt Prive credit to spend!), at around $75.
In fairness, it was phenomenal. The presentation was amazing, as it was first presented on cedar wood, prior to being plated table side. It was served with cucumber, grape, and a caviar and smoked butter sauce. YUM.
The Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur has phenomenal service
Across the board, service at the Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur was exceptional. Every single employee was clearly proud to work at the city’s best hotel, and went above and beyond to provide great service. Separately, I’ve already covered the amazing service I received from Jerome, the hotel’s concierge, when my phone suddenly stopped charging while in Delhi.
More broadly, can I just say how much I like traveling to Southeast Asia? Back in the day, I used to travel to Southeast Asia several times per year. There’s just so much better value there (if you’re spending USD), service is consistently friendly, and it really feels like hospitality is still a thing.
Nowadays I don’t get to this region as much as I used to, as it’s just so far, and I’ve had a lot more commitments at home. But it’s just so refreshing and enjoyable to travel to places like Malaysia, where there’s so much more of a sense of pride in providing good service. It’s such a contrast to the United States, where you’re constantly hit with destination fees, excuses about being short staffed, etc.
Bottom line
The new Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur is stellar, in terms of both the hard and soft product. For one, it’s so cool to stay 100+ floors up, in the world’s second highest hotel. but even beyond that, this hotel has gorgeous design, great amenities and food and beverage outlets, and perfect hospitality. I already can’t wait to return, and the only thing that made me sad was that I was enjoying this property alone!
What do you make of the Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur?
Very nice property! The comment about the gym being high end may not be so true. The gym equipment from Life Fitness is really bad quality, especially the Treadmill, Elliptical and stair walker on the picture. If you do some serious training, the machines will wiggle to all sides.
Apparently it's like a yacht. If you have to ask how much it costs, you can't afford it.
I stayed there in September and although the setting, the views, the architecture, the room designs and the pool/spa facilities were excellent it was sadly let down by a lack of any hot water in the room, badly configured/functioning lighting in the room and some quite poor service given that this is a top-of-the-line Hyatt. We couldn't even get a hot chocolate in their Cacao Mixology & Chocolate - go figure that one!! During our...
I stayed there in September and although the setting, the views, the architecture, the room designs and the pool/spa facilities were excellent it was sadly let down by a lack of any hot water in the room, badly configured/functioning lighting in the room and some quite poor service given that this is a top-of-the-line Hyatt. We couldn't even get a hot chocolate in their Cacao Mixology & Chocolate - go figure that one!! During our dinner at their premier restaurant, The Grill, we had a cleaner walk right through the middle of the dining room with a mop and a bucket!! Not what I expected from a Hyatt!
There is more to Malaysia than just KL. Penang is a modern island to visit. Borneo is breathtaking as it offers raw nature --untouched and undeveloped. It is hard to fathom when visiting foreign countries, especially in East Asia, luxury hotels, fancy restaurants and malls are " a must" to see. We have plenty of them in all states here at home. The tour guide mentioned that the wealthy Malays tend to fly to London...
There is more to Malaysia than just KL. Penang is a modern island to visit. Borneo is breathtaking as it offers raw nature --untouched and undeveloped. It is hard to fathom when visiting foreign countries, especially in East Asia, luxury hotels, fancy restaurants and malls are " a must" to see. We have plenty of them in all states here at home. The tour guide mentioned that the wealthy Malays tend to fly to London to shop. I asked him what London offers that they cannot find in Singapore. He had no answer but I knew the reason. Malaysia will never achieve what Singapore has accomplished. But at least Singapore and Brunei seceded from Malaysia and still maintain peace and harmony with each other, unlike other countries, after Britain relinquished its empire and left behind deadly and violent warfare plus poverty for decades.
Brunei never seceded from Malaysia.
‘But it’s not just about the size, it’s also about what you do with it’——Haha
Now that you have time to do more travelling, I highly recommend the PH Jakarta. Having stayed at both properties, I think the PH Jakarta is superior in almost every way (except not in a super tall building).
I am just wondering how hygienic these two chairs with seat cushions will be in a saune where by definition the person sitting on it is sweating a lot. There is a reason why everywhere else wooden benches are used.
Glad to hear they've gotten their act together. I stayed there for several nights in mid-September and it was truly the worst hotel of its class I've ever stayed in. The staff in particular, while pleasant and seemingly well-intentioned, was so inept at literally everything that it became something of a running joke amongst my travel party.
By roof height it's definitely not the second tallest building on earth. Spires are a cheat.
Epic views! To be looking down upon both The Petronas Towers and the KL Tower... that's tall. It's been almost a decade since I was in KL, but this PH is making me want to return. I'd love to see Borneo as well. Maybe find some orangutangs. Someday...
Am I to understand the hotel has no outdoors pool ? I love KL, mostly because practically every day is a warm pool day, and given the limited tourist must-see attractions, I don’t feel guilty spending half a day by the pool.
Cannot imagine lazing by that pool. It would just feel like a chlorine cell.
Also that salmon for $75 is an absolute joke. KL offers some amazing food at super reasonable...
Am I to understand the hotel has no outdoors pool ? I love KL, mostly because practically every day is a warm pool day, and given the limited tourist must-see attractions, I don’t feel guilty spending half a day by the pool.
Cannot imagine lazing by that pool. It would just feel like a chlorine cell.
Also that salmon for $75 is an absolute joke. KL offers some amazing food at super reasonable prices.
I’m also not a fan of the high up hotels. Every time I stayed at the grand Hyatt I spent way too much time in multiple elevators, usually with the crowds going up for a cocktail and a selfie.
I’m going to stick to my regular KL place. Kinda like it being unknown.
@ Mike -- Correct, no outdoor pool. And if you're not a fan of high up hotels, then obviously this place isn't for you. :p
PH is much too high for me. I'll stick to the Sofitel, thanks.
75 USD for that salmon dish, which has traces of very clear overcooking, is beyond surprising on its own, borderline absurd in otherwise cheap KL.
I like hotel reviews on the site usually, but this sounds like advertisement.
The Singapure blogger Milelion, who I also appreciate, was much more limited in praise of the hotel, saying his room had a lot of wear and tear already, and area around the hotel was absolutely boring, mall next to hotel is not opening anytime soon etc.
@ MK -- Well it's definitely not an advertisement, I paid for my stay, and have no incentive to tell anything but the truth.
Regarding wear and tear, I can only share my experience, but my room didn't have any, so it would be hard for me to claim that was the case. Interesting to hear that's a problem in other rooms, though... that's concerning.
And yeah, the immediate area around the hotel is still...
@ MK -- Well it's definitely not an advertisement, I paid for my stay, and have no incentive to tell anything but the truth.
Regarding wear and tear, I can only share my experience, but my room didn't have any, so it would be hard for me to claim that was the case. Interesting to hear that's a problem in other rooms, though... that's concerning.
And yeah, the immediate area around the hotel is still being developed, but it's a short ride to most places, so I didn't find that to be an issue. I simply commented on the quality of the hotel as such in this post, and said nothing of the location (which frankly wasn't a priority for me on a short 36-hour stay where I primarily wanted to enjoy the hotel).
The Chinatown area in KL is actually one of the most interesting neighborhoods in the city—loads of trendy bars and restaurants. The neighboring metro station will easily and cheaply connect you to the rest of the city.
Don’t think it’s an advertisement, but Ben was staying in a not-so-frequently used Executive Suite on a newly opened floor, so no surprise that wear-and-year hasn’t started showing yet.
Looks nice. I'm a big fan of the Grand Hyatt for a lot of the same reasons you mention plus a superb club lounge and a great neighborhood. I'd love for you to do a quick comparison between the two.
You say nothing about whether the area is actually good to stay in.
No area of Kuala Lumpur is actually good to stay in. Having visited 50+ countries, I can say that KL is without a doubt the most vapid, soulless, cultureless capital city I've ever seen.
Sounds like you either hate the country or have not been to KL. This description you made is apt for maybe for some locations in Singapore where nary a local is in sight. Get in with the locals I would say KL beats Jakarta and Manila for sure, at least the locals comprehend English.
Malaysia’s population is roughly 1/3 Chinese, 1/3 Malay and 1/3 Indian. It is literally a melting pot of cultures with amazing cuisine & eclectic neighborhoods in its capital. Maybe you should have ventured out of your hotel room and the mega malls and eaten something besides hamburgers & fries, before making your incredibly ignorant statement.
Where did you get your stats?
According to the US State Dept.
Ethnic groups: Malay 50.8%, Chinese 23.8%, Indigenous 10.9%, Indian 7.1%, non-Malaysian citizens 6.8 %, others 0.6%
https://2009-2017.state.gov/outofdate/bgn/malaysia/47502.htm
@VladG sounds to me like you did Kuala Lumpur wrong... It has some of the best street food of anywhere in Asia and a lot of cultures blended together, plus some amazing sites within a very easy drive of the city. It's a fantastic destination (and Malaysia in general is one of my favorites).
Glad to hear your report basically echoed my experience there, though in September I was "only" staying in 106, as that was the highest floor that had finished construction. Also that suite looks amazing, though I will say their standard room was no slouch either, especially if you get the Twin Towers view.
I won't admit to returning to KL just for the Park Hyatt, but I do plan to visit again my next Asia trip in August.
Also I will need to try Merdeka Grill next time I'm there. Unfortunately didn't have the chance to check it out in September.
You say nothing about whether the area is actually good to stay in.
@ Joseph Story -- Well I'll save more on that for the full review, since this is just intended to be a summary of the highlights. It's worth noting that the Park Hyatt is the first part of the Merdeka 118 to open. By next year this area should be more bustling, including there being a mall at the base.
I know some people don't love the location of the hotel as of now, though I found it to be a quick Grab ride to wherever you might want to go.
The Chinatown area is actually full of numerous trendy speakeasies, coffee/matcha shops, and restaurants.
That is a spectacular hotel!! Wow!
A club lounge would be nice. Even if not complimentary for globalists.
Park Hyatts don't typically have club lounges. The Hyatt brands with them are usually Grand and Regency. Andaz also has an Andaz lounge concept, but that's a bit different.
The only one I know of is the PH Bangkok, which is a paid add-on that recently opened, but I don't really get the difference between that and just eating at the in-house restaurant/bar at that point.
I'm aware of it. I just said it would be a nice addition. Most Hyatt Regencies don't have a lounge anymore.
Thanks as always for a great article Ben! I’ve got the same suite booked for a stay in January but hadn’t seen photos of it beyond the one on the hotel website until now, so I’m thrilled to see a little more of it, and I’m glad the stay exceeded expectations.
@ Tim F -- Have a great stay! Indeed, I hadn't seen any pictures of this suite online yet either.
PPHHHEEEWWWW - no avacado toast. You had me scared there for a minute!! :)
Do you think this is worth the premium over the GH?
@ John -- It depends what you're looking for and how price sensitive you are, in terms of either points or cash. Personally I think it's worth it, since this is a spectacular hotel, and KL is a great value hotel market. Admittedly the Grand Hyatt is great as well, so I think it's hard to go wrong either way.