Kuala Lumpur is an incredible destination, but it can be hard to pick a hotel to stay at when you visit since there are many options available. In this blog post I will share the best areas and hotels in Kuala Lumpur to help you where to stay in KL during your trip. This post contains affiliate links. When you make a purchase I may get a small commission at no extra cost to you. Find out more here.
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Kuala Lumpur City Center
Four Seasons Kuala Lumpur
The Four Seasons Kuala Lumpur is a 5-star hotel located right by KLCC Park. It’s one of the best places to stay at if you want to be close to the iconic Petronas Twin Towers. Just imagine waking up with that view of the towers and the park!
At the same time you will be minutes away from Suria KLCC Shopping Mall so you can do some shopping while you’re in Kuala Lumpur.
This is one of the most popular shopping centers in the city (the other one is Pavilion). The mall also has plenty of restaurants if you need a break while shopping.
Besides the prime location advantage, the spacious rooms have large windows and have modern amenities. Everything contributes to the luxurious atmosphere that this Four Season hotel offers.
The hotel also has an outdoor swimming pool with city views, including the iconic Petronas Towers. Swimming among the skyscrapers is such a unique experience!
They also have plenty of dining options such as an on-site restaurant focused on modern Cantonese cuisine, an award winning cocktail bar, and a lounge for all-day dining and afternoon tea.
If staying at a Four Seasons hotel is on your bucket list, Kuala Lumpur could be the perfect place to tick this item off. That’s because it’s a more affordable stay than other Four Seasons locations.
The RuMa Hotel and Residences
The RuMa Hotel and Residences is a luxury hotel located in the Golden Triangle area, right by the Aquaria KLCC. This hotel was voted top 100 most incredible hotels in the world by Fodor’s Travel.
The hotel was designed to be an urban resort. The luxurious rooms have breathtaking views of the city’s skyline, including the Petronas Towers.
They have a specialty European bistro on-site, a bar, a pool bar, and a lounge for afternoon tea and snacks.
On the 6th floor they created a wellness hub that combines modern science with ancient healing techniques. This hub is connected to their outdoor pool, sundeck and pool bar.
This hotel is another great option for first-time visitors who want to experience a luxury stay in a central location in Kuala Lumpur.
Traders Hotel Kuala Lumpur
Traders Hotel is a hotel in KLCC near Bukit Bintang that’s part of the Shangri-La portfolio. The hotel offers direct access to Suria KLCC and the Twin Towers.
If you want to stay in KLCC, have views of the Twin Towers and KLCC Park, and pay only about a third of the price that you would pay to stay at the Four Seasons, Traders is a great choice.
It’s a more affordable choice that still offers plenty of top notch amenities and iconic views. They call it “simplified luxury”.
The hotel has 2 restaurants, 1 cafe, and 1 bar on-site, and they also offer 24/7 room service.
The other amenities include a rooftop pool, sauna, steam bath, as well as a spa.
Kampung Pandan Dalam
Villa Samadhi
I stayed at Villa Samadhi, a 5-star boutique hotel that offers so much lush greenery and serenity that you forget you’re in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. The hotel is located in an upscale neighborhood in the heart of the city and it is surrounded by embassies, bungalows and high-end private residences.
The hotel is about 10 minutes away by car to the Petronas twin towers, the Bukit Bintang neighborhood, and the broader Kuala Lumpur city center.
Grab is the most popular e-hailing app in Malaysia and it’s quite affordable, so you can get a car to get to the city center from Villa Samadhi. I recommend you do this since the weather is very hot and humid. So even though you could walk to the city center it’s not a very pleasant experience because of the weather.
Check in at Villa Samadhi Kuala Lumpur
Check-in time starts at 3pm. For me this was perfect as my flight landed around 4pm.
Once I got to the hotel the friendly staff welcomed me and offered me cold tea and water as welcome drinks. I loved the tea! It was very refreshing and it had a nice aroma.
The check-in process was very smooth and it took only a few minutes. After that I was taken to my room and a staff member brought my luggage to my room.
Rooms at Villa Samadhi Kuala Lumpur
Villa Samadhi has 20 private villas with a different layout and a rustic-luxe room design, drawing inspiration from traditional Malay architecture and using natural materials.
I stayed in a luxe sarang room. There was a jacuzzi on the left-hand side and an outdoor terrace where you can relax and drink complimentary coffee and tea on the right-hand side.
Then you open another set of double doors and you get to the villa itself. First you have a nice living room with a sofa and a table. I loved how they had fresh tropical fruit waiting for me on the table.
And they also surprised me with snacks and sweets, as well as a bottle of port during my stay. The hospitality at Villa Samadhi is unmatched.
On the left-hand side of the living room I had the bathroom which had a separate area for their rain shower.
And as you walked straight from the living room you got to the spacious bedroom that had a king-sized bed and plenty of storage space for my luggage.
The room had air conditioning, free wi-fi, a mini bar and a flat-screen tv, excellent amenities you would expect from luxury boutique resorts.
From the bedroom you could then open the door to get to a private outdoor terrace with direct access to their lagoon pool.
If you’re able to, I highly recommend you book a pool villa because starting and ending the day with a swim was fantastic. Jumping into that outdoor pool was the best way to cool down after being out and about in the hot Kuala Lumpur weather.
The hotel also provided a sarong skirt to wear during my stay. And if you like it, you can also purchase one to take home as a souvenir when you leave.
Breakfast at Villa Samadhi Kuala Lumpur
Villa Samadhi offers a breakfast buffet every morning. The options are varied and include both local cuisine such as nasi lemak or roti canai and more Western food such as eggs.
There are also plenty of fresh juices, coffee and tea, and fresh fruit. I also tried the famous kaya jam for the first time while having my daily breakfast at Villa Samadhi.
Kaya is a delicious jam specific to South East Asia made from coconut and eggs. Local people usually eat it on charcoal toast and they dip the toast in half boiled eggs.
I loved kaya! I even brought 2 jars back home with me. You should definitely try it for breakfast.
On one of the days I was there I requested to have breakfast in my room. I just told the front desk the night before what I wanted for breakfast and when to bring the food.
They were punctual and got all items of my specific request right. I loved having breakfast by the pool. It was an excellent choice. Sometimes in-room dining is exactly what you need.
In-house Dining Room restaurant
Villa Samadhi has an all-day in-house restaurant. You can have breakfast here. And for lunch and dinner they offer a selection of Thai dishes.
I had dinner here on my first night in Kuala Lumpur and the food was so good!
The satay was so flavorful, the salads had just the right amount of heat, the main courses were very tasty, and the mango sticky rice was perfection.
Bukit Bintang area
CitizenM Kuala Lumpur Bukit Bintang
CitizenM Kuala Lumpur Bukit Bintang is a 4-star hotel in the Golden Triangle area of KL. This is a more budget-friendly hotel option compared to the luxury hotels in KLCC.
The hotel has a very fun and lively vibe as all decorations have vibrant colors. They only have one type of room designed with one bed for 2 adults. They do not have twin rooms.
Their rooms come with a king-sized bed and they are high-tech. For example, you can choose the color of lights in the bathroom.
The rooms come with super fast wi-fi, blinds, a power shower, and a widescreen TV.
They offer a breakfast buffet from 6-11am. Their restaurant is 24/7, so if you get hungry while at the hotel you can easily grab something to eat. They also have a bar on-site called CanteenM.
Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur
Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur is a 5-star luxury hotel adjacent to the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center. The hotel overlooks the Petronas Twin Towers.
The hotel is focused on sustainable initiatives. For example, they source their food locally and they have an energy-saving system is used to enhance hotel air-conditioning temperature with minimal electrical usage.
The rooms are large and they are decorated in an elegant, traditional fashion.
There is a restaurant on the 38th floor with a 360 degrees view of the city, including the Petronas Towers. This restaurant also has lively kitchen shows to add a theatrical element to the dining experience.
The hotel also has a spa and a pool so you can relax after exploring the city.
KL Sentral
Hilton Kuala Lumpur
Hilton Kuala Lumpur is a 5-star hotel located very close to the main train station, KL Sentral. This could be a good place to stay if you plan on taking day trips by train and want to have Kuala Lumpur as a base.
The other advantage of staying close to the train station is that you can take the KLIA Ekspres Train to get to the airport in 30 minutes.
Most main attractions such as KL Tower, the Botanical Garden, or Chinatown are about a 10 minute drive from the hotel. You can use the Grab app to order cars in Kuala Lumpur. It’s very affordable and the app is easy to use. If you’ve used the Uber or Bolt apps before you’ll have no problems using Grab.
Some of the rooms have city views, while other rooms have Lake Perdana views.
The amenities include a pool featuring a waterslide, nine restaurants, and a full-service spa.
If you are a member of the Hilton loyalty program you can get points for your stay. And if you have enough points accumulated already, you can even book your stay here using points.
Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur
The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur, Autograph Collection is a 5-star hotel that is part of the Marriott portfolio. It is also located close to KL Sentral.
The building that houses the hotel is a national heritage site. It is a colonial building that was built in 1932. It used to be one of the best hotels in Kuala Lumpur back in the day.
The hotel hosted glamorous social events, government receptions and was the hotel of choice for international visitors. It is a piece of history that was a witness to Malaysia’s economic boom before World War II.
If you like to stay in locations that have a rich history this hotel is a great choice.
They have a restaurant on-site, a cafe, a bar, 4 afternoon tea lounges, and a private dining room. One of the afternoon tea lounges is in an orchid conservatory that features thousands of orchids.
FAQs about Kuala Lumpur
What should I eat in Kuala Lumpur?
There are 3 cultures that co-exist in Malaysia: Malay, Chinese and Indian. The Malay people come from Indonesia and they were the first to arrive in Malaysia.
The Chinese came to set up the tin mining business. Malaysia used to be a big exporter of tin and they needed the mining knowledge that the Chinese people already had.
During the British colonial era, the British brought Indians to Malaysia to work on rubber plantations and to build the railroads.
Both the Chinese and Indians stayed in Malaysia and these 3 distinct cultures are still preserved in today’s Malaysia. Which also means that you get to eat Malay, Chinese and Indian food when you visit Malaysia.
You can do a food tour to try as many dishes as possible.
Banana leaf (Indian food)
For the best Indian food you need to go to banana leaf restaurant where they actually serve you the food on a large banana leaf.
You will be served rice, a lot of different kinds of veggies, some pickles, curries, and meat (if you eat meat). The veggies are the same for everyone, but you can pick the type of rice you want (plain or biriani) and the type of meat or fish.
The place where my local friend took us was Sri Nirwana Maju. The food here was delicious.
Chinese food
When you’re in Kuala Lumpur you must eat on Jalan Alor Food Street once. It’s a street full of street food stalls and restaurants that becomes alive at night.
We ate at Meng Kee Grill Fish and shared a bunch of dishes. It’s nice if you’re eating here with a larger group since you’ll be able to try more dishes.
Everything we had was really good, so pick whatever sounds good to you from the menu.
Malay food
If you visit Kuala Lumpur during Ramadan, you have to go to a Ramadan Food Market. They are open only during the period when they fast from 4-7pm.
This way, people who don’t have time to cook can grab some food to eat after sunset when they break fast.
I went to the Bazar Ramadan Kampong Baru. They had so many street vendors selling traditional food. Try everything! It’s some of the best food I had in KL.
If you visit outside of Ramadan make sure you try nasi lemak, one of the most popular dishes in Malaysia. It’s made from rice, chicken, egg, peanuts, small dried salty fish, and some cucumbers.
What is the best time to visit Kuala Lumpur?
I visited late March and the weather cooperated for the most part. No matter when you visit it will be hot and humid and temperatures will be around 25-32 degrees Celsius (77-90 F). However, because of the humidity, it feels like it’s even hotter.
There will most likely be thunderstorms. It happened almost every day when I was there. But the good news is that they mostly last for a few hours. And other than that it tends to be pretty sunny.
How can I get to the city center from Kuala Lumpur International Airport?
Public transportation
You can take the KLIA Ekspres train from the Kuala Lumpur airport to KL Sentral, the main train station in the city. The trip takes about 30 minutes. Trains run every 15-20 minutes, depending on the time of day.
You can also take the bus from the airport to get to KLCC. This is the cheapest option, but it usually takes over an hour to get to the city. So I recommend this option only if you’re on a very tight budget.
Grab
Grab is the most popular e-ride app in Asia. It’s basically the Uber of Asia. So make sure to download the app before your trip.
The app is super easy to use. The service is very reliable and you can easily get a car.
This is the most convenient option to get to your hotel from the airport.
Plus, Grab is really affordable. The trip from the airport to the city center takes about one hour and it cost me only about $15. The same trip in NYC would cost you 10X this amount.
If you don’t want to download yet another app, then you can schedule a private transfer.
How can I get around Kuala Lumpur?
Kuala Lumpur is a huge city and I didn’t find it very walkable. Pretty much everyone drives there.
If you need to get from one destination to the other I recommend you get a Grab car. The prices are really affordable. It usually costs only a few dollars and it’s the easiest way to get around.
How to get cell phone data when visiting from abroad?
The cheapest and most convenient way to get data while visiting from abroad is to buy an eSIM. An eSIM is a digital SIM that lets you activate a data plan from a provider without having to use a physical SIM card. They are super easy to use.
I use Airalo. You can go to their website, select the country you’re traveling to, select how many GB of data you want, and how many days you want the eSIM to be active for. After you pay you will receive a confirmation email with instructions on how to activate the eSIM.
You can activate it on your phone and the process takes under 1 minute. Once the eSIM is activated you don’t have to do anything else. When you’re at your destination you will automatically get data.
Is Kuala Lumpur safe for a solo female traveler?
Yes! I felt safe the entire time I was in Kuala Lumpur. I didn’t see any pick pockets or scammers. People are used to seeing tourists and are very friendly.
I have to say that I felt safer in KL than I felt when I visited a Western European capital city.
Kuala Lumpur could be a great destination for a first solo trip to Asia since they use the Latin alphabet, they speak English, and it’s a more developed place compared to other countries in Southeast Asia.
Do I need cash for my trip to Kuala Lumpur?
Yes, you will need cash when you visit Kuala Lumpur. The food markets, some restaurants and some stores only accept cash. Compared to Singapore, cash is a lot more used in Malaysia.
There are plenty of ATMs in the city, so if you forget to get some at the airport there won’t be any problem. If you need to exchange money there are also plenty of exchange places in the city as well.
Pro tip: always get cash from an ATM in the country you’re visiting instead of going to an exchange place. Your bank will always have better exchange rates when taking out cash in a foreign currency from an ATM.
Do I have to tip in Kuala Lumpur?
No, you do not have to tip in Kuala Lumpur. No matter where I ate I never had to leave a tip.
Do I need to book tickets for attractions in advance?
I highly recommend you book all the tickets online in advance of your trip. The popular tourist attractions can get sold out if you don’t book in advance.
Do people speak English in Kuala Lumpur?
Yes, they do. The level of fluency varies from person to person, but I had no problems communicating in English with everyone during my trip.
Do you recommend Kuala Lumpur as a solo destination?
Yes, I think Kuala Lumpur is a great place for a solo trip. There are plenty of things to do, the food is delicious, the people are friendly, and I felt safe.
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Ioana was born and raised in Romania, lived in NYC for 14 years, and is now back in Romania. She fell in love with traveling when she was little and used to visit her aunt in Vienna. Then in high school she was able to visit Siberia, Turkmenistan, Istanbul, and Tokyo through chemistry competitions. As an adult she started to travel solo once she turned 30 and visited 20+ countries so far. Ioana is a full time travel blogger and content creator with an audience of 80K+ people on Instagram. She loves to share travel recommendations and tips.