Four Points by Sheraton Kuala Lumpur, Chinatown: A Cultural Experience Perfect for Work and Leisure
Four Points by Sheraton certainly needs no introduction as a hotel chain in the Marriott Bonvoy group’s Select hotels category, renowned for its uniquely distinctive and classically designed brands.
We were recently invited to check out Four Points by Sheraton Kuala Lumpur, Chinatown, which has been operating since December 2019. The building, located in Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown district, boasts 318 rooms spread across 20 floors.
The four-star hotel serves as a hub for both work- and leisure-based travellers due to its extremely convenient location, which is within a 10-minute walk from public transport stations and Chinatown’s culturally rich and historical offerings. With amazing facilities, food, rooms and experiences, the hotel is great for those looking for a staycation within the city or for those with work purposes.
Activities
What makes Four Points by Sheraton Kuala Lumpur, Chinatown truly unique are its activities, which all have links to Chinatown’s history and culture.
We got to experience their Mixology Masterclass at Jann on Level 7, where our head bartender guided us through making their signature Tau Foo Fah cocktail, which was inspired by the iconic soya bean stall on Jalan Petaling.
This was a memorable experience as we were taught the fundamentals of cocktail making as well as how to use all of the different apparatus used by bartenders when crafting our favourite drinks.
We were also impressed by Jann’s cocktail offerings, which all nod towards the area’s history, with signature drinks such as the Cham’O, Air Mata Kucing, and Bak Kwa cocktails.
Some of the other notable activities that are available include a tea blending workshop as part of the Peranakan Affair Afternoon Tea at Lady Yi’s Tea House on Level 7, which is available every Saturday and Sunday, and a Chinatown Cultural Walk, which is held every Tuesday and Saturday morning.
Room
We checked into the Premier King Room with views of the KL skyline for 2D1N. The room was spacious for two and had a walk-in shower, a TV with multiple channels, an office desk and chair, a comfy chair, a king-size bed, as well as your standard closet, mini fridge, and tea/coffee area.
Design-wise, it was nothing extraordinary and reminded us of your standard corporate rooms, where someone travelling for business would spend the night. However, there was a slight touch of that Chinatown feel in the form of a mural. Perhaps as a show of this, the office desk and chair were perfect for working and extremely comfortable, which can sometimes be a rarity at hotels.
The free WiFi was reliable and quick, and we didn’t face any issues while working. One thing we appreciated was that there was definitely not a lack of plug points, as they were scattered all around the room, which meant that there was no fighting over who could use which plug and when.
Food
Although hotels usually only have one main restaurant/bar for all of their dining needs, Four Points by Sheraton Kuala Lumpur, Chinatown has its main eatery, Quan’s Kitchen, its bar, Jann and Lady Yi's Tea House, which serves various teas and Peranakan light bites and snacks.
During our stay, we were treated to a dinner buffet and a breakfast buffet at Quan’s Kitchen on Level 8. We experienced the FUIYOH Nostalgia Weekend Buffet, which is available every Saturday from 6:30 pm — 10:00 pm at RM 138+ per adult.
The buffet had various dishes inspired by the surrounding food institutions and local culinary districts around Chinatown and invoked a sense of nostalgia.
There’s a bubble tea station with various flavours and toppings, a fresh seafood section, your standard hot dishes, dim sum, salads and antipasti, satay, desserts, a noodle section and even a roast section.
We went for various dishes across the spread, such as the Nyonya Roasted Whole Salmon, Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Mustard Marination, Pan Roasted Fish with Herb Crust & Cream Sauce, Stuffed Chicken Breast with Tornado & Olive Salsa and many more.
Although the Roasted Beef Tenderloinwas a bit dry, the Nyonya roasted salmon was super succulent and juicy. In terms of the hot dishes, our personal highlights were the Pan Roasted Fish with Herb Crust & Cream Sauce, Kam Heong Lamb, and Baked Cincalok Scallop. Out of the wide range of dishes, these three were the most flavourful dishes and were the ones we kept going for round after round.
In line with the nostalgia weekend, there was also a children’s games area filled with childhood games such as gasing, lawan pemadam, congkak, Happy Family card games, amongst others.
Meanwhile, for breakfast, we were treated to their breakfast buffet, which served up both Western and Asian-styled breakfast. Besides usual breakfast dishes such as yoghurt, cereal, salads and eggs, we enjoyed the freshly made Kaya Toast and Waffles.
Facilities
The hotel boasts a poolside area with a great view of KL. Adjacent to the pool is the fitness centre, which is well-equipped with treadmills, dumbbells and weight machines.
Although we personally couldn’t find the time to experience either the pool or the gym, they were pretty adequate for those looking to fit in some exercise or a swim into their schedules.
Ambience & service
We loved the decor in the hotel entrance and lobby area, which features wall-to-ceiling glass windows and elements of Chinese-inspired decor throughout the hotel's interiors. However, we wished that the rooms had leaned more toward similar decor.
Service-wise, everything was top-notch, including the service from the receptionists, the service staff and the bartender, who was super knowledgeable and friendly.
Verdict
Overall, we enjoyed our short stay at Four Points by Sheraton Kuala Lumpur, Chinatown. We loved how they incorporated the rich history of Chinatown into all the various aspects of the hotels rather than just being yet another 4-star hotel.
The hotel wasn’t too crowded either, as we believe many of its residents were out exploring the streets of Chinatown when we were there. We’d highly recommend it for both tourists looking to explore Chinatown and locals looking for a short staycation in the heart of the city.
Four Points by Sheraton Kuala Lumpur, Chinatown
Featured Image Credit: Provided to Rojak Daily