I knew about Hotel Stripes Kuala Lumpur when they first opened 2 years ago, but had never paid much attention to it, untill recently, when I was scouting for a place to do a video shoot.
Soon after the video shoot, I was real curious about this hotel. I thought to myself “wouldn’t it be nice to have a 2D/1N stay in the heart of the city and truly experience the hotel?”
And so I did! In fact, I took back pieces of history about Kuala Lumpur, which I never knew.
Every stripe tells a story and here is #mystripesstory.
THE HOTEL
In the heart of the city, nestled in a little quiet sanctuary, is where Hotel Stripes KL is established. The location is great for a vacation or business travels.
It is only a 5 minutes walk to the nearest LRT station – Dang Wangi. If you’re not afraid of the heat, it’s a walking distance to KLCC and KL Tower too.
If you’re not from around town, this is the best chance for you to take a brisk walk around the hotel’s vicinity. Remember to take your phone or camera with you to capture some memories. You’ll see the past and present parts of KL just within the neighborhood.
Places to take note of:
- Yut Kee Restaurant – A very busy Hainanese-Western coffee shop started in 1928. Now, still operated by the family members, offer some delicious beef noodles. It’s closed on Monday but, during lunch hours, it’s packed!
- Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman – Some of the pre-war buildings still exist on this street. If you’re looking for textile, this is the place to go to. Every Saturday, the street is closed for vehicle and turn into a “pasar malam” (night market).
- Sin Hua Bee Bakery – This bakery is 60 years of age and famous for their freshly baked traditional Chinese wedding biscuits. Do take note when you walk around the hotel restaurants and event hall. You might spot some familiar glass bins filled with Sin Hua Bee Bakery biscuits.
- Loke Mansion – Loke Yew, a name that is familiar to the locals, in fact used to own the land around Hotel Stripes. He even has a street named after him, which is Jalan Loke Yew! He was a self-made tin tycoon back in the late 19th century when Malaysia was well-known for tin mining. He built the Loke Mansion and apparently, his mansion was the first home to have electricity in KL. Take a stroll to his mansion, now a legal firm, and find out more about its history.
My life revolves around this hustle and bustle city. I’ve drove passed a lot of these places and yet, I’ve never paid much attention to them, till now.
SUNDAY FUN DAY
That Sunday when we checked in, it was a hot day. I was glad the air conditioning in the hotel lobby worked well. We were escorted to the room by Aman, who were so helpful by explaining the amenities and showed us around.
There are 20 floors in this hotel and a rooftop bar called the Man Tao Bar. Once we placed our luggages in the room, we headed up to the roof top Man Tao Bar for their Sizzling Sundays BBQ Buffet.
MAN TAO BAR
So, my first thought was to wear a loose fitting outfit to dig-in the buffet and yet still look good after a huge meal. Boy, did I regretted wearing my jumpsuit on this extremely hot day. Given the chance again, I would wear a tee and shorts instead.
Even though Man Tao Bar is shaded from the rain and sun, it does not have an air-conditioned room. You basically eat besides the pool on a sunny day. However, the hotel staff probably caught a glimpse of our sweat exuding through our pores and brought us a portable AC unit! All is good after.
SIZZLING SUNDAYS
Every Sunday from 12noon to 3pm, Man Tao Bar serves an array of BBQ ribs and sizzling meat. The Marinated Short Ribs and Lamb Shoulder were so delicious and were my favorites! The homemade Chimichurri Sauce and Peri Pepper Garlic Sauce were super tasty as well.
As for dessert, I can’t help, but had 3 servings of Ice Cream Potong. They brought back so much memories of my childhood, when I used to buy it after school. They served it in 3 different local delicacies – Cendol, Red Bean and Sour Plum.
It costs RM100 for 2 person. You get to enjoy such delicious food and choices are a plenty. I think it’s totally worth it.
STUDIO ROOM
After the huge lunch, we went back to the room and lounge around. The air condition in the room cool down so quickly and it was a blessing from the heat we experienced during lunch.
The studio room is a comfortable size. It has everything you need to make you comfortable such as robes, slippers, a safe, water and drinks in the mini bar for our convenience if we get lazy to walk to the nearest convenient store.
We made coffee and tea and lounge on the bed while watching TV. Next thing we know, it’s 6pm! I guess we really needed a nap.
We cleaned up, took a shower and got ready for dinner. The water pressure in the room is fantastic! The only thing we find a tad inconvenient was the sink location outside the bathroom.
Well, this is definitely a very personal viewpoint. We are light sleepers, so if either one of us is sleeping and the other uses the sink, it does affect our sleep. Oh well, nothing earplugs can’t fix. I’m glad we packed some for this staycation.
Staying in Hotel Stripes Kuala Lumpur slowed down my pace and gave me a chance to see the other side of my hood.
DINNER AT BRASSERIE 25
This place reminded me of a pizza parlor in New York or wine cellar in France. It has a twist of traditional and modern appearance. Brasserie 25 started as a French-based restaurant, but soon after, more English style dishes were introduced.
We started with soup as our appetizers, then main course and dessert. At first, we thought we’re going to be stuffed by the end of the meal, but to our surprise, the amount was just right.
The food portion was perfect for us because we’re small eater. The taste of the food was better than what we had expected. No fine dining, but for the price you paid for, it’s worth every cent and more!
BREAKFAST AT BRASSERIE 25
Breakfast were served here in the morning too. It starts as early as 630am until 1030am. We came to Brasserie 25 around 930am and there was plenty of food for us still. There’s a mixture of local and western food.
I headed for the pancakes and waffles because I don’t have the machine to do it at home and I love waffles with lots of honey in the morning! The chef did a great job with the eggs. They’re done well and the way I like my eggs to be – not too runny and not too cooked.
STAYCATION TAKEAWAY
Staying in Hotel Stripes Kuala Lumpur slowed down my pace and gave me a chance to see the other side of my hood. In just 2 short days, I took back a whole lot from this staycation.
It’s always hard to bid farewell. I had a great time here in Hotel Stripes Kuala Lumpur. I hope by sharing #mystripesstory, you would be enlightened by my experience and someday, share your stripes story too.
