Monday 22 June 2009

Sheraton Imperial Hotel, Kuala Lumpur

Despite the high hotel rate, I chose Sheraton Imperial to stay for a night for its convenience. The Faber Imperial Court, where the Prometric Test Centre for GRE is, shares the same building with the hotel. I figured that I'll do away with the maps and the getting there. Plus, with all the current pressure from work and the intensity of the exam itself, Sheraton Imperial is just about the ideal place to rest and leave the worries behind. Without the breakfast, the deluxe room cost me about 190 Brunei dollars.

As I walked into the hotel lobby, quizzical looks were thrown at me. I wasn't sure if it was the clothes I was wearing - I was wearing a jacket over my t-shirt and three-quarter pants, and carrying a backpack, looking like a backpacker - or if I appeared as a little girl stepping into the hotel at the late hours alone. I headed straight to the reception counter which was facing pretty curtains of stringed of shells. The guests at the lobby all appeared either business-like or sophisticated, which made me feel a little out of place. But, the warmth and friendliness of the receptionist who attended me was reassuring.

As I walked into the lift, I tried to figure out the floor I was supposed to be heading. My room number was 2120 and I had thought it to be on the second floor, which I pointed out aloud to a lift of silent guests as the lift was shooting up to the 22nd floor. I wasn't exactly paying attention to the receptionist who had pointed out the numbering system earlier, which I then vaguely remembered. So, silly me, the room is on the 21st floor.

The deluxe room is impressively spacious and tastefully furnished. I like the colour choices of the cushions and the designs of the lamp covers. And, the flat screen is so humoungous that I actually got frightened watching it all by myself and switched to the channel switching mode for a smaller viewing area. Sheraton was thoughtful to add a welcoming message on the tv screen with my name personalised. I took more than 15 minutes absorbing the interiors of the room as I went around to take photos.

Unfortunately, I failed to relax as I had planned to. The bed is so comfortable and the pillows are wonderfully soft but I couldn't sleep until 6am in the morning. I wanted to soak myself in the bath but thought about the amount of water I'd be wasting and opted against it. I was worried about the exam but I couldn't concentrate when I tried studying. I was worried about the one month I am left to finish up all my work and the supposedly exciting holiday plan that is coming up, which I am now having mixed feelings about.

The room is wonderful and I do think that it has managed to make me feel as comfortable as I possibly could with my uncontrollably troubled state of mind.



The bedroom


Spacious lobby that leads to the bedroom, bathroom and dressing room


Study table furnised with travel, audio and tv adapters. I am not sure if you can actually connect your computer to the flat screen.




The bathroom


Bathtub


Shower cubicle


A room to keep your clothes with ironing facilities


More clothes/shoe compartments


A painting of a turtle facing the bed


Donate a dollar to UNICEF when you check out


My in-room breakfast, egg benedict with beef bacon and hollander sauce, which I decided to have instead of the breakfast buffet




After the exam, I grabbed a bite at the Pavillion Cafe in the hotel while I waited for D to get me. Listening to the jazz music and sitting on the three-seater couch made me relax as I mentally went through the list of to-dos left to be done. I laid my head on the couch and noticed the ceiling. Thought, I'd just snap a photo.


Quiet and nice, Pavillion Cafe


D didn't want to be caught in the traffic as it was building up. So, I was instructed to meet her elsewhere instead. Got myself a cab and saw Tune Hotel as we went passed. Tune charges about 50 Brunei dollars a night if I remember correctly and I was going to book Tune until I read several unsatisfying reviews online including one that suggested that the hotel is haunted. Just yesterday, J told me that she's heard from another friend that it is haunted. The plus point about this area is that it is 5-minutes walk to the nearest mrt station and it is located about 5-minutes walk to the Asian Heritage Row where the clubs, bars and bistros are if you are into that sort of thing.

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