If there's one thing that most of us miss is that freedom to travel wherever we want, whenever we want, when we feel like it.

Itching for a good break, this writer smiled from ear to ear (yes, the Joker kinda smile) reading about a new promo from Sunway Putra.

Called 'Stay-Kawtim, Makan Unlimited', the promo basically allows you to stay for a day and the package includes all you can eat lunch, tea and dinner!

Perfecto!

Needing a teman, I asked my mum if she'd like to tag along for a short staycation and upon learning that the hotel was connected to a mall, the answer was a firm, excited "YES!".

And so the mother-daughter weekend began.

Passing by the hotel's frill-free entrance and driving up the spiralling access to the parking area (I personally don't enjoy driving up those), my spirits sunk a little.

"It's Sunway, I'm sure the hotel is nice," said Mum and as always, she was right.

We stepped out of the lift and into the lobby, and the whole vibe shifted.

No point for me to go on and on (in words), I took plenty of pictures so lihatlah dengan mata sendiri.

The welcoming

It was assuring to see that all SOPs were being adhered to.

We had our temperatures checked, sanitisers readily available, all the staff were wearing masks and there were even see-through barriers for you to communicate worry-free with the front desk staff.

Reminders are also elegantly placed throughout the hotel - both reminding people to adhere to the SOPs and reminding patrons that they (the hotel) we're doing all they can to keep things sanitised.

The standout feature of the lobby is the large circular skylight which provides an ever-changing ambiance to the area.

In the daytime, the trees planted above it make it seem like you're in the middle of some jungle when in fact you're just a hop and skip away from the heart of the city.

The room

It is spaaaaaaacious!

We stayed at one of the hotel's Junior Suites and this room is perfect for a small family.

Just order a few extra beds and you and the fambam can sleep soundly and still have space to relax and walk about without hitting your big toe or worse still your baby toe on the edge of the bed.

Our favourite part of the room would have to be the comfy bed, the spacious bathroom (perfect for bathroom singers AND dancers) and the balcony with a view of the city.

The facilities

The hotel has a lot to offer but unfortunately, you will not be able to enjoy a number of them because of the current COVID-19 outbreak.

We briefly took a tour of their pretty pool which is open from 7am to 7pm from Friday to Sunday and their gym which is located just beside the pool.

You will need to book slots to enjoy the facilities and there is a 45-minute time limit, but, you can do it worry-free.

A quick chat with one of the staff revealed that the pool is deep cleaned after every session and the equipment from the gym is also sanitised from time to time.

One good thing we noticed is that all the staff we're readily prepared to answer any COVID-19 related concerns that we had and sanitising was a top priority.

The food

We had so much food!

Some would say too much food but hey, we were on a holiday!

The great thing about the 'Stay-Kawtim, Makan Unlimited' package is that it includes a buffet lunch, tea AND dinner.

Since mum and I were determined to cure a window shopping itch, we walked over to Sunway Putra Mall (the hotel and mall are side by side) and shopped for a bit and when we were "tired", we came back and "rested" while stuffing our faces at the coffee house.

The selection of food offered was not as extensive as we expected but it was more than enough.

Sunway Putra Hotel is a five star hotel after all so we enjoyed the different menus for lunch, hi-tea and dinner and the best part is that we could return as many times as we wanted throughout the nine-hour period.

Also, there's always some kind of dessert which is perfect after all that tiredness from shopping. ?

The menu ranged from local to western dishes, and for coffee lovers, you can get your fix at their coffee station.

According to the hotel's website, there are over 40 speciality dishes that you can try during their nine-hour makan spree under the package.

The shopping

For those who love roaming about in malls, Sunway Putra Mall has eight levels for you to ronda-ronda.

Also, there were sales and promotions EVERYWHERE.

We promised that we'd be good and just look-see look-see but we ended up leaving with quite a number of shopping bags. Gaaah!

We also used a few vouchers from the selection of vouchers worth RM100 given to us as part of the package. (They'll give this to you upon check-in).

What else?

While we limited our staycation time to visiting outlet after outlet at the mall, it's not the only thing you can do.

The Hop On Hop Off bus stops just across the hotel, so if you're keen to learn a bit more about KL, you can book tickets at the hotel's concierge.

The tour stops at 27 designated areas and will drive along 60 major sites, landmarks and attractions.

There is also a live on-board commentary, so you'll probably leave learning a new thing (or two) about the city.

If you'd like to visit other nearby places and skip the jams, there's an LRT connected to the mall itself.

Hop on a train, pick a stop and just go where your heart takes you.

Alternatively, you can walk around the area or just call for a Grab and get off at one of those funky cafes you've been dying to try in KL (but were too scared to do so because the parking is crazy expensive and the traffic is GILA!).

The package

The Stay-Kawtim, Makan Unlimited package is priced at RM238 nett per room per night and includes:

*A 2D1N stay in a Superior Room for 2 adults and 2 children (under 12-years-old) inclusive of breakfast.

*A 9-hour eat-all-you-can dining spree with over 40 specialties to choose from including Malay, Chinese, Indian and Western favourites. The eating spree starts from 12.00pm and is served continually from lunch into hi-tea and ends with dinner, with varied menu selections that change with each meal period.

*A minimum of RM100.00 in redeemable cash vouchers from participating tenants plus amazing discounts and offers at Sunway Putra Mall. Terms & Conditions apply. The package is also only available for stays on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and on Public Holidays.

If you want to make the most out of the 9-hour makan-makan, come to the hotel at 12pm and start with a meal first before checking in.

To enjoy the promo, make your booking on https://www.sunwayhotels.com/sunway-putra from 10 to 31 August 2020 for a stay period from 14 August to 27 December 2020.

The verdict

After experiencing the stay, we would have to say that it is definitely value for money.

This kind of staycation is not for everyone though but if you're a small family looking to change up your daily routine or you're shopping kakis like mum and me, this is probably a good promo to grab.

You'll get elegant rooms, five-star service, food all day and an accessible place to anywhere in the city.