Element Hotel knows how to pamper their guests. Upon filling up the reservation form, we specified if we can leave our bags early in the morning so our day-tour will be light.
Whenever we travel, we always strive to be practical and economical, but do you ever consider to invest on something environmental? Well, we surely do, and we are beyond happy that we have found such an accommodation in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. Element Kuala Lumpur is an impressive 275-metre high tower and the tallest eco-conscious hotel in Malaysia. The first thing that attracted us to this hotel wasn’t just the fact that it was GBI certified, nor was it because of the spacious interior bathed in natural light, the hotel also carries out eco-friendly practices on a day to day basis. Rain water harvesting, indoor air quality CO2 monitoring, and energy efficient LED lighting are just some of their many environmental efforts. The one we love most though, is their effort to reduce plastic wastage. Element does not provide plastic mineral water bottles. Instead, they equipped each room with filtered drinking water that is certified by NSF International.
All eco-friendly aspects aside, the giddy tourist inside of us loved the fact that the hotel was only a stone’s throw away from Kuala Lumpur’s commercial districts. We didn’t need to walk or commute very far to reach shopping malls, trending eateries, and tourist destinations. It’s an irreplaceable convenience for people who like to take their time exploring the city without over exhausting themselves. And the iconic Petronas Towers? We got a stunning view of that on the 39th floor where they have a 200 sqm indoor saline pool.
A bonus factor for us was that our eyes got to feast on world-class interior design because this hotel was designed by none other than London’s globally acclaimed Foster+Partners. So don’t worry about how pretty your temporary home might look like in your photos. This place couldn’t be more picture-perfect.
Studio
This may be their smallest room, but it already has everything you need! It has air conditioning, TV, and WiFi access. It even has a spa-inspired bathroom, and kitchenette where you can prepare small meals, not to mention coffee tea facilities, because everyone LOVES coffee.
What we love most about this room is that despite its size, it still features their signature Heavenly Bed in King or Twin thats sleeps up to three guests. This maximizes the overall space and is great for millennials, on comparatively smaller budgets, who are in the city for a fun and leisurely vacation.
Skyline Studio
When we saw this room, we immediately noticed the amazing view of the skyline. We already felt like we were on cloud nine in their standard studio suite, but their Skyline Studio brought us one step closer to heaven. With a choice of king and twin sized beds, there’s no doubt that you’ll be sleeping peacefully under fluffy comforters, while appreciating Kuala Lumpur’s city night lights from your window.
1-Bedroom Suite
What other essential to do we look for in a hotel room? That’s easy, a refrigerator. It’s quite useful when you want to bring food souvenirs home, and you bet your bottom dollar that we made complete use of our refrigerator when we bought the unique kinds of food found only in Malaysia. This room also has a workspace with an ergonomic chair, not that we needed to be reminded how eco-friendly the whole Element Hotel is.
1-Bedroom Skyline Suite
Can their accommodations get even better? Yes, they can. Element’s 1-Bedroom Skyline Suite didn’t just provide us with a view of the skyline, and everything that the previous suites had to offer. This suite is more spacious and friendly for small families with younger children. Your family can simply bond inside the living room, or cook your own meals with a fully equipped kitchenette. Don’t forget the bathtub that’s there for you to relax and meditate. We personally felt like we had our own spa inside this suite!
2-Bedroom Suite /
2-Bedroom Skyline Suite
An even better option for people who are travelling in a group like us, is the 2-Bedroom or Bedroom Skyline Suite. The moment we experienced the comfort of the two king sized Heavenly Beds, we almost didn’t want to leave. We loved how spacious the room was, it had its own washing machine, living and dining room areas, plus a separate bedroom where you can once again appreciate the amazing view of Kuala Lumpur. If you don’t feel like going out, sit back or lie down, and see what’s on the 55” HD TV you’ll find in both living room and bedroom.
Live well
Looking for a therapeutic food experience? The hotel’s social hub, Trace Restaurant & Bar, has an interactive afternoon tea experience every weekend from 1pm to 5pm. This is where guests can create their own spread, blending art, tea, and pastry, while enjoying a perfect view of the Twin Towers from the 40th floor. This is the place to be if you want to socialize, they even have what they call complimentary Relax: Evening Reception for in-house guests to mingle over some light refreshments and drinks, from Monday to Thursday at 5.30pm to 7pm.
Try their Yoga In The Sky
Yes, you read that right. Element has complimentary Yoga classes, with a professional instructor, held in their wellness floor where you can enjoy a gorgeous view of the city. We have never tried to do Yoga in a place where there’s a skyline to admire, but we definitely felt its benefits after the session. It elevated our workout, literally and figuratively.
Swim, bike, and admire
Whether we swam or biked, there was always a site to behold. Element’s mildly heated indoor pool is on the 39th floor where we get a view of the Petronas Towers. Plus, the pool uses saline instead of chlorine to provide their guests with a healthier alternative to the standard pool we usually swim in. We topped off our physical activities by trying the Bike Lending Programme where they lent us our own bikes for the day. This made going around Kuala Lumpur quite an exciting and healthy venture!
1. Need to do groceries? No sweat!
You can maximize your suite’s kitchenette by ordering your own groceries from the hotel’s kitchen. They’ll deliver it straight to your room!
2. Keep your sunglasses in your bags
That’s right, there’s no need for them when you feel like catching the sunrise or sunset from your room. The hotel’s large windows are built with daylight glare control, which helps you avoid being blinded by the sun.
3. Artistic appreciation
The hotel is full of art pieces. In fact, the moment we stepped foot in the reception lobby, we saw all these paintings that went on until the restaurant and top floors. Ilham Tower has its own Art Gallery at Level 5, which is also open for public viewing. In the Level 40 lobby, you’ll see the light installation of Venezuelan artist Claudia Bueno, called “Life: Resilient.” This artistic creation was inspired by Malaysia’s tropical sea life in the forms of abstracted coral, fungi, hibiscus, etc.
Element Kuala Lumpur is located in Ilham Tower, 8 Jalan Binjai, Kuala Lumpur. Getting to the hotel from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) is already easy by train. You can take the Express Rail Link from the airport to KL Sentral Station. From there, transfer to Light Railway Transit going to Ampang Park Station. Ampang Park Station is only a three minute walk from the hotel. Alternatively, you can take a cab or car service from the airport. For more convenience, you may book a personal vehicle through the hotel’s services.
You can travel around Kuala Lumpur for free via the GOKL shuttle bus. If you prefer set routes, you can try their hop-on-hop-off which has 23 stops and 70 attractions. Don’t worry, they usually have a map for hop-on-hop-off buses so you can easily plot the places you want to go.
Kuala Lumpur also has a Car Free Morning every first and third Sunday of the month, from 7am to 9am. This is when they close specific roads to cars so people can bike, skateboard, run, or even walk to where they want to go without thinking of the traffic.
If you’re in the mood for a food crawl, then you’re in luck. Element is only within walking distance to food attractions such as Petaling Street Flea Market (Chinatown), Little India, Jalan Alor, and of course Tapak, the popular food truck park.
You can also shop all you want since commercial malls are close by, such as Suria KLCC and Avenue K. All you have to do is take the train from Ampang Park LRT station, which is also within walking distance from the hotel. Talk about convenient travelling, right?
