Whether you’re looking for a spa and foodie weekend ‘staycation’ or a fabulous hotel to call home during your holiday or business trip to KL, The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur is going to be just what the doctor ordered. Located just 2 kilometres away from the iconic Petronas Towers, The Ritz is a haven of pampering for both the body and soul. Their newly renovated rooms opened only months ago but I swear I felt like the first guest to stay in mine (it was utterly pristine) … and with attentive butler service, I rarely wanted to leave it. Foodies will love The Ritz because you’ll find something to tempt you day or night between their five diverse restaurants and lounges, with hands-down the best jellyfish in their fine dining Cantonese restaurant Li Yen that I’ve tried in my life.

Why You’ll Love The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur

• The service! I’ve been reviewing 5-star hotels since 2011 and this is the first time I’ve listed ‘service’ as the #1 love but it’s true. It doesn’t matter where I go in the hotel, because I’ve been there a couple of times before (for afternoon tea and once for Sunday brunch) the staff not only knows what I like and they’ll bring it without being asked but they all magically seem to greet me by name – and I love that because it makes me feel at home!
• The 1-bedroom suites are bright and cheery and modern and so absolutely perfect you’ll want to stay IN on this visit to KL.
• The food!  Lordy, Lordy the fooooood!  I ate so much, and so well, that I left with a couple extra kilos I’m sure.  Don’t miss their afternoon tea (my #1 favourite of the big hotels so far in Kuala Lumpur) or the Chef’s Menu Du Jour for dinner in The Library, it was my favourite meal of the weekend.
• Champagne ‘Sunday Roast’ Brunch!  It’s a grown up brunch, without donuts or waffle stations, and it’s scrumptious.
• The midnight brownies!  Well, okay it was more like 21:00 not midnight but they were moist and gooey … and as much as I hate to admit it, they were both GONE almost as quickly as they arrived once I called down for a glass of merlot (see evidence in my pijamas below!).

One Bedroom Suite 1303

Spread across the 5th – 19th floors, these 730 s.f. suites are the perfect place for one or two people to call home in KL.  These rooms are bright and pretty and have a charm to them that is subtle and elegant.  I slept great in Suite 1303, loved the well-lit bathroom, the large marble bath, and especially the 24/7 personal butler service.

Loved the quality of the amenities from Asprey, a brand I hadn’t tried previously.  Also … my suite smelled divine all four days.  I don’t know what they do but it made me smile every time I stepped on in.

Food & Drinks

Honestly, I don’t even know where to start. Chronologically? In order of MOST fabulous? Let’s go alphabetically by venue!

Li Yen

Their award-winning Cantonese restaurant Li Yen set all my senses alight in a good way. It smelled delightful, peppy but chilled Chinese music was playing, it’s a pretty restaurant with more dark wood and neutral tones than red and gold, the bird-shaped origami napkins were soft as can be, and later I happily unearthed that the food was to-die-for! My favourite dishes of the night were:

• Chilled octopus and jellyfish – with a slight kick and prepared with sesame oil, pickled ginger, and parsley.  The jellyfish was the most tender and best I’ve tasted in my life!  A must-try at Li Yen.
• Baked spare ribs with Chinese long jing tea leaves – cooked with honeycomb sugar until a smoky flavour emerges (cooked not too short and not too long, so it’s tender and rich in flavour), these ribs are sweet and tangy and absolutely succulent.

TIP: The service at Li Yen can be a bit quick-sticks in my opinion.  I would suggest ordering a cocktail to start, only when that has arrived, start perusing the lunch or dinner menu.  And if you’d like a long and leisurely meal, ask them to hold the main course until you give them a 10-minute notice.   I was in and out so quickly I had to come up with a plan b for the rest of my evening 🙂

Lobby Lounge

Whether you’re stopping in for a leisurely lunch or their absolutely perfect Afternoon Tea, you’ll be well attended to at the Lobby Lounge.  The staff remembered me from my last visit and my server even knew off the top of his head the three teas I’ve tried there in the past.  I don’t know if he has an eidetic memory or they take notes but either way I was very impressed and it made me feel a bit like I was at home.  The resident quartet plays oldies to modern soft hits, jazzy tunes, and ballads to enhance the ambiance and boost our spirits.

TIP: Don’t miss Afternoon Tea!!  You’ll indulge in three elegant tiers of freshly baked scones, petite gourmet sandwiches, quiches, pies and desserts accompanied with a perfectly-steeped pot of The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur Blend.  I go naughty towards the end and order a glass of Champagne, which is the perfect way to end their high tea.

The Library: Cocktail Trolley & Menu Du Jour

Dinner at The Library is a lovely and delicious affair of the palette, and the service is ‘fine dining perfection’ at its best. They serve an ever-changing menu du jour curated by executive chef Murli and paired by Tariqul and it is wonderful. You’ll choose between 2 appetizers, 2 soups, 4 mains, and either a sweet dessert or the cheese cart (#funfact, I chose the cheese cart and it was perfect … every single night I was there!). There’s also an amuse busch to whet the whistle to start. My favourites were:

• • Pan seared foie gras – served with oriental mango chutney on a thick, perfectly toasted brioche and paired with Woodridge Riesling
  • Roasted cod fish – served atop mushy peas with olive relish and red capsicum and paired with Brown Brothers Dry Muscat, which I hadn’t tried previously and very much enjoyed

The Library: Sunday Roast

When a quintessential New York Champagne brunch married a traditional British Sunday roast, they came to live at The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur. Their Sunday Roast is so naughty, so nice, and sooooo sweet … that I’ve been twice in a month. Their speciality, aside from the hearty Sunday roast, is shellfish and seafood and it is fabulous. They serve an endless pour of Canard-Duchêne Champagne and are in the splendid habit of refolding napkins when you leave the table to plate up, which is an attention to detail that I appreciate. For a full walk-through of their Sunday Roast, click here to experience every bit of it in the video from my last visit.

• Every Sunday from 12:00 – 15:00
• Cost is MYR 398 (or MYR 198 without bubbles ‘n libations)

Spa Village

Who knew we’ve been lacking vibrations in our massages all these years?  This year, The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur has added the Sensory Sound Bath to their menu and it was a memorable treatment.  I actually thought I was going in for a real bath, so it was a bit of a surprise to see I’d be on dry land but it was definitely something special I’m thrilled to have experienced.  After a long, relaxing massage (including a mix of long kneading massage and hot stone massage), the experience culminates with a 10-minute soothing Sound Bath by the therapist, who gently sounds the symphonic gong which ’emits therapeutic tones to harmonise your energy and nerve paths’.  It was so mesmerising and so relaxing that I fell asleep twice during the 10-minute rhythmic gong and vibrations session!

TIP: Ask to enjoy your post-treatment ginger tea and biscuit on one of the chaise-lounges you see below.  You’ll relax in your robe to the sound of birds and nature there, and extend the spa experience a bit longer before snapping back into the real world again 🙂  I regret not having taken advantage of that space.

My Other Ritz KL Reviews

• Traditional Afternoon Tea in Lobby Lounge
• Champagne Sunday brunch
• The Ritz-Carlton CLUB

Connect with The Ritz-Carlton KL

• Be sure to follow The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur on Facebook
• To make a reservation or for more information, visit their website
• Located at 168 Jalan Imbi in Kuala Lumpur, 55100, they can be reached on +60 3 2142 8000

XOXO Angela

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