As a lifetime Silver-Elite member of Marriott Bonvoy, I always love the experience at the nice ambience that those upper scale hotels offer. My view is that rather than having your own place done up to that standards (which is very costly), we can spend some money to stay at those places occasionally, especially when there is a good deal.
Throughout the months of August till October, I stayed at a few Marriot Bonvoy's properties and one of the happened to be Element Kuala Lumpur (by Westin). You will be wondering that what does by Westin means? Westin used to be a Starwood brand (before they were merged with Marriott) and they have their famous heavenly bed, which costs RM10,000 for just the mattress. Element is a scaled down version of Westin. When I mean 'scaled down' it means that services offered is lower than Westin but on the hardware, they went for the 'simplicity feel'. Instead of more furniture in the room, they offer more spaces but still premium hardware like the same Westin Heavenly bed, Westin toiletries. However, as Element KL is a designed as Green Building, they do not offer bottled water but instead offer 3M Filtered water and plenty of culinary like cups, plates etc.
Some photos:
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| Welcome gift - Lifetime Silver Elite |
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| Views from the bedroom |
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| Hotel Lobby (downstairs) |
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| King Bed |
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| Bedroom |
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| View of the room |
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| Pantry |
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| Shower Area |
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| Entrance |
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| Art Deco at Lift Lobby |
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| Lift |
During my first stay, I was offered a Welcome gift as a Silver Elite Member. Normally it's reserved for Gold Elite Member and above but kudos to them for the membership recognition. The room was very spacious (400 sqft+), it has a sink, lots of plates, fork and spoons, cups and even dish washer. The room deco was actually simple and modern and it's marketed as "studio".
Oh, did I mention that this building is designed by Foster + Partners? It's one of the world's most renowned architecture firms. The hotel is part of Ilham Tower, which the lower floors are all office space and an art gallery (a personal collection of Tun Daim himself).
It has an indoor swimming pool (named Ombak) and it's definitely a plus for Malaysian weather, especially the pool is heated and water is comfortable to swim in. I did not managed to take photos of them unfortunately. In general, the few stays there were perfect (that's why I went back for more nights). Breakfast selection was limited but food quality is fantastic. And imagine sitting right next to the window, enjoy the KL skyline view, what else more can you ask for?
What I like about the hotel?
1. Big spacious room with big bed and 50" television
2. Pretty good soundproofing
3. Good views of KL, Ampang skyline (depending on which room you get)
4. Very good built quality and very comfortable room
What I feel that can be better?
1. Service is inconsistent but some staff are superb (especially if those who used to serve in Westin), enjoyed the check-in process and talking to them.
2. Car park is situated 'behind' and 'in a separate' building. You need to go down to ground floor to access the hotel lobby. Upon arriving at the hotel's lobby, you will still need to take the lift to level 40. During COVID19's season, one lift can accommodate just 1 family of 4 and the wait might be long (considering guests use the same lift from G to Level 40 and later on from Level 40 to their respective rooms).
Overall, it's a hotel that is worth paying for, even for a weekend getaway or staycation.
