The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur

Ritz Kuala Lumpur was booked for 4 nights as a special end to a holiday to mark my 50th birthday this year. We upgraded to the executive club lounge access and club wing as a treat but wish we did not bother to spend it here. This hotel fell far below our expectations for a 5 star hotel, let alone the Ritz chain. Some issues below: 1. Welcome reception was a bit frosty to start with, which is a terrible first impression. After a long journey it felt as though they believed we were not meant to be in the Club section 2. Very cold pool, unusable really. All three kids were disappointed, as were the adults 3. Breakfast was a decent choice but orange juice did not taste fresh and eggs were cold. Service was non existent, just sitting you down. 4. Morning wake up call coffee was late for our room and did not even materialise for one of the other rooms in our party 5. Limited space in the lounge for the cocktail hour. Initially we couldn’t get a table, and when we could we had to get extra chairs and squeeze around a smaller table 6. The drinks menu proudly boasted about their signature drink, the ‘Ritz Fizz’. However, none was available on all days. When challenged they just said that they had ‘run out’ of Prosecco to make the cocktails. I expressed surprise that a 5 star hotel like the Ritz would ‘run out’ if something that should be so basic for them. There was no response to this 7. Beef in lounge had some bits that were literally like rubber, not edible. In general, the food was below other executive lounges I have been to in other 5 star hotels (and indeed some 3 or 4 star) 8. The only beer in the lounge was Carlsberg which is a budget UK brand not typical for luxury hotels. 9. Afternoon tea included some sandwiches whose bread was very dry, almost stale. I have had better from petrol service stations in UK. 10. Desserts are largely the same each night in the lounge. All other 5 star hotels I have been to change these (and certainly do not recycle them in the next session in the lounge…) 11. Wifi was somewhat ‘hit and miss’ Overall, no hotel we have ever stayed at has fallen so far short of our expectations

Normally the Ritz chain is a luxury indulgence that I really enjoy, especially the executive lounge. Sadly, our family was not happy with our experience in Ritz Kuala Lumpur. We've stayed in a number of Ritz hotels around the world. For a super luxury chain, there are expectations and Ritz Kuala Lumpur would do well to remember that it represents the Ritz as a brand. If this was my first Ritz hotel stay, I would never pay for another. Executive lounge is privilege that we paid for 3 executive rooms but this was really hit and miss (assuming you can get a seat) with food (rubber beef and fatty chicken), deserts not great and no sparkling wine for the duration of our stay for 5 nights as they ran out of (but every shop has it and you can buy it everywhere else in the hotel so they just don’t want to service it). We actually ended up buying a couple of sparkling wine bottles, and had to order a Grab each night. The white wine is more like desert wine so wine drinkers may struggle. Lunch serving were sandwiches and salad which weren’t great, my bread was soggy which made me feel ill. The pool that the kids can go into is very cold so after initial excitement, kids and adults decided it was not usable. Under 18s are also not allowed to use the jacuzzi, steam room or sauna. The hotel definitely doesn't cater for young teens. The room cleaner comes at random times (I got a knock at 8.30pm??), leaves chocolate in some rooms and not in some others which is odd, given we have 3 rooms, it felt a bit random and not consistent. We had a knock at the door at 9.50pm with some fruit. While a nice gesture, this is not an acceptable time to be knocking on doors. Orange juice at breakfast does not taste freshly squeezed and I heard a few more people complain. Some smoothies tastes a bit artificially sweet so may have syrup in. Eggs can be done fresh but you have to wait so no table service which is the norm for most 5 star I stayed in. The ready made eggs went cold quickly. The omelette was untidy looking and oily. The rest of selection was decent for breakfast but the salad is a bit basic, more popular dishes such as potato salad and greek salad would be best rather than chicken skin and peppers etc. Check in experience was a bit random as went to club lounge and they tend to assume you are in normal hotel rather than club lounge bit so it was a bit unwelcoming until we said we were in the right place and they checked our name was on the list. We've had multiple doormen ask if we're actually club entrance members even after check-in. We thought we would try the free pressing service with a few dresses and was told they'll be returned within 24hrs. They didn't come back in 24hrs and we're still waiting... Overall, it’s okay hotel but it is not the Ritz-Carlton luxury we are used to and sadly would not come back here again. Don’t bother with exec lounge, they probably won’t have your drink and the food will leave you thinking not to bother going at all.

I stayed at the Ritz KL for 3 nights in a 2 bedroom suite. While the property is showing some wear and tear, you cannot beat the Ritz’s service, which is impeccable. Sat was the check-in clerk both times I checked and he was very friendly and helpful. We had to store a large amount of heavy luggage and that was no problem for the bell desk, who were very prompt and strong! The breakfast buffet had a large selection that I could not try everything. The quality was great and the beverage counter was my favorite. For families, the 2 bedroom suite is awesome. It is huge! There was an office, a living room, dining room, and kitchen. There is even a washing machine. We didn’t need all that space but it was great to have to relax. The location is awesome as it is near the Pavilion mall and the eateries around the area. The front lobby is not very grand as the hotel sits back from the Main Street, but I think that makes it quieter.

Having picked Ritz Carlton Kuala Lumpur after having good experiences in other Ritz hotels, I do not recommend this one at all. Especially the executive lounge, it is not worth it. Good things: Rooms are nice Pretty hotel in certain areas Decent choice at breakfast Bad things: Executive lounge issues: no sparkling wine (pretty much the only 5 star hotel that ran out of sparkling wine for the full 5 night duration of our stay), food hit and miss (beef rubbery and chicken curry mainly skin and fat from chicken), deserts not great. Lunch simple small salads and stale sandwiches. In general, it was a waste of money paying for it as the worst lounge in a 5 star hotel i have ever been to. The pool is cold, the kids for once did not want to bother to play in the pool-that is the first. The adult pool was cold too and not really used by many. Taxi dropping us off could not access the road to the hotel, it seems to be one way going out of the hotel. had to get out around the corner and drag our bags on the pavement. On arrival, i found the club lounge a bit dismissive saying we must be in the other section before even asking my name to see. Orange juice at breakfast did not taste fresh and smoothie bar felt like it had syrup added. Omelette very untidy looking and oily. Wake up call teas and coffees tend to be late for some of our party at 7.30 can come at 8am. Sauna and jacuzzi are for 18 and over, our 16yr old was disappointed.

I intentionally chose The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur to begin our family vacation, expecting the exceptional service the RC brand is known for. Unfortunately, our experience fell far below expectations, to the point where I deeply regret not choosing another hotel. Despite confirming early arrival after a night flight, our room wasn’t ready until 2 PM, which disrupted our entire day’s plans. Check-in lacked the usual welcome drink (only served after asking), no staff escorted us to the room, and no Elite Member welcome amenities were prepared. The room itself was disappointing: not properly cleaned (hairs on the carpet and in the bathroom), windows were filthy, and no evening turndown service was provided. Paintings were removed, leaving holes in the wall, and there were loud water noises in the suite’s master bedroom. We had looked forward to the well-promoted spa, but even by 11:30 AM the steam room was off and the sauna barely warm, completely unusable. While some staff were kind, especially in the spa and pool area, the overall experience was far from the high standard I associate with the RC brand. To make matters worse, front desk staff refused to provide contact details for any senior manager despite multiple requests, a concerning approach to guest feedback. I’ve always held Ritz-Carlton in the highest regard, but this stay has truly shaken my confidence in the brand. For the service (or lack thereof) we received, the experience was simply not worth it.