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Hotel Istana: Traveler Reviews

4.5 of 5
73 Jalan Raja Chulan | Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur 50200, Malaysia
Hotel amenities
Hotel Istana
Ranked #28 of 231 hotels in Kuala Lumpur
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1,441 reviews from our community

Traveler rating
    525
    515
    216
    106
    79
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Families
303
 
Couples
485
 
Solo
108
 
Business
173
 
Rating summary
  • Location
    4.5 of 5 stars
  • Sleep Quality
    4 of 5 stars
  • Rooms
    4 of 5 stars
  • Service
    4 of 5 stars
  • Value
    4 of 5 stars
  • Cleanliness
    4 of 5 stars
Date Rating
Indore, India
Senior Contributor
24 reviews 24 reviews
15 hotel reviews
Reviews in 17 cities Reviews in 17 cities
16 helpful votes 16 helpful votes
“Great hotel in city center”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed March 1, 2013

The hotel is very nicely located and is walking distace from all the shopping malls and city attractions. The staff, service quality and the ambience is as per 5 star standards (business class). Nice cozy rooms and good interiors. One suggestion would be that the hotel needs to add more Indian vegitarian options or rework on the already served Indian vegitarian dishes in breakfast as the taste was not upto the mark. Overall rating 8.5 out of 10.

Room Tip: Take the front facing rooms.
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  • Stayed February 2013, traveled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Ask PriyankSamaria about Hotel Istana
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
HotelIstana, Manager at Hotel Istana, responded to this review
March 12, 2013
Dear Guest,

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We are pleased to know that you have had a pleasant stay with us. We look forward to welcoming you back to Hotel Istana Kuala Lumpur City Centre in the future.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Turin, Italy
Senior Contributor
21 reviews 21 reviews
11 hotel reviews
Reviews in 11 cities Reviews in 11 cities
16 helpful votes 16 helpful votes
“MY FAVOURITE at a reasonable price”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed February 26, 2013

This was my third time there.
Impressive building and hall. It really look like elegant and splendid.
I had a room on a high fllor. The room was huge with an impressive wonderful view on the Petronas. Comfortable huge bed. Flat screen TV.
The bathroom was perfect. Large, with amenities, all white and clean.
I love these large comfortable rooms.
The only thing I did not really like is the fitted carpet buy yet quite comfortable for walking bare foot.
The pool is also very nice for a good swim.
I will go back there when in KL:

  • Stayed February 2013, traveled solo
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
HotelIstana, Manager at Hotel Istana, responded to this review
March 12, 2013
Dear Guest,

Thank you so much for sharing your recent experience at Hotel Istana Kuala Lumpur City Centre. We are very pleased to know that you have enjoyed your recent experience with us and hope to welcome you back, soon.
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Jakarta, Indonesia
Senior Contributor
36 reviews 36 reviews
24 hotel reviews
Reviews in 11 cities Reviews in 11 cities
29 helpful votes 29 helpful votes
“Grand old lady in need of a facelift”
3 of 5 stars Reviewed February 25, 2013

Having e mailed the hotel to expect me at 8.30pm it was annoying to wait 15 minutes whilst an inexperienced guy at check-in tried to locate me a room. Eventually they upgraded me to a Club floor (but without club benefits which always seems ungracious). The room was a reasonable size and being on the 18th floor had good views. The bathroom was large, although the bath itself had been crudely patched with white paint. There was a separate shower. The towels were old and there were only two bath sheets. The mini bar was empty - a note offered three very unappertising packages - with no individual choice. There was a Seven 11 three minutes walk away where mixers/juice could be purchased.

I was in a non smoking room and the ban had been adhered to. The bed was comfortable but I had to get two of the four pillows canged as they smelt.

When I arrived, I tried to log on to the free LAN internet. After many attempts, I rang through to be told that it was down but would be fixed within half an hour. After an hour and a half it still wasn't and i had to walk a considerable distance to the JW Marriott to get connected. I had not been informed of this by the check in staff. It was working later that night but was down again the next morning. On their web site the hotel makes much of its interconnectivity!

The corridor carpet was stained and old - not to the standard of a 5* hotel - and this was a club floor.

The bar /lounge is impressive with a very tall ceiling overlooking pretty gardens and the pool area. Drinks were overpriced (US$ 10++ for a single Gin).

The hotel has a private road running up to the entrance - sadly, security fail to patrol it properly and walking down it meant running the gauntlet of pimps and or prostitutes hanging around day and night.

The staff were friendly and helpful with requests. All staff said 'hello' when they passed you.

Its location is good. Close to a monorail station and within easy walking distance of shopping malls and a good choice of restaurants.

With a bit of tender loving care (and some money) it could be great.

  • Stayed February 2013, traveled solo
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 3 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
HotelIstana, Manager at Hotel Istana, responded to this review
March 12, 2013
Dear Guest,

Greetings from Hotel Istana Kuala Lumpur City Centre.

Thank you for your constructive comments. We will take serious note of your feedbacks and discuss this matter with the management for further improvement.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Vienna
Senior Reviewer
9 reviews 9 reviews
6 hotel reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
11 helpful votes 11 helpful votes
“Look Further”
1 of 5 stars Reviewed February 23, 2013

We stayed here two nights at the end of our honeymoon. Not off to a great start when we were told that the hotel had full occupancy, and our request when booking for a king bed could not be honoured, something about 3rd party websites. We were given an upgrade to the club floor and told it would be easy enough to push the beds together. This proved difficult due to the nightstand, behind which were bare wires and an incredible amount fo dust. The floor was badly stained, and the room/hotel generally very tired looking. The AC was set to 15 when we arrived at night, and it really was like a fridge. It was impossoble to heat the room, and with the AC turned off, the room remained very cold for our entire stay despite 28-30 deg outside. When at reception we heard others complaining of cold rooms. We thought this would be a nice 5* experience to finish a long holiday, but it was terrible considering the price which also increaed from what we booked due to tax and "room servie fee". We found the staff generally indifferent. We had lunch here, the table was dirty, knives and forks placed on dirty glass top, and the food very average. Overall, we were very dissapointed with this supposed 5* hotel.

  • Stayed February 2013, traveled as a couple
    • 2 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 2 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 1 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 2 of 5 stars Service
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Ask bharden about Hotel Istana
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
HotelIstana, Manager at Hotel Istana, responded to this review
March 12, 2013
Dear Guest,

Greetings from Hotel Istana Kuala Lumpur City Centre.

Thank you for your constructive comments. We will take serious note of your feedbacks and discuss this matter with the management for further improvement.
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
4 hotel reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
5 helpful votes 5 helpful votes
“Istana needs rooms renovated”
2 of 5 stars Reviewed February 23, 2013

Thought at this price it would be something more modern... not phones in the bathroom and big old TVs/cupboards. Very traditional setup and old style rooms. Lounge is nice, but pool is also a bit worse for wear.

We didn't have breakfast because the extra cost is super high, and there is much better local food all over that neighborhood

Room Tip: Go out of the hotel and go left and try the indian and thai hawker places. Then check out the big wh...
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  • Stayed February 2013, traveled on business
    • 1 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 1 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 2 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 2 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes 1
Ask ForrestAndGeorgette about Hotel Istana
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
HotelIstana, Manager at Hotel Istana, responded to this review
March 12, 2013
Dear Guest,

First and foremost, we would like to thank you for your recent visit to Hotel Istana Kuala Lumpur City Centre. For your kind information, our hotel is in the progress of refurbishment which is done floor by floor. Therefore, we seek your patience to experience our hosting in the new phase. Till then, have a pleasant day ahead.

Thank you.
Management
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Additional Information about Hotel Istana

Also Known As:
Istana Hotel Kuala Lumpur
Istana Kuala Lumpur
Address: 73 Jalan Raja Chulan | Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur 50200, Malaysia
Region: Malaysia > Wilayah Persekutuan > Kuala Lumpur
Amenities:
Bar/Lounge Business Center Fitness Center Free High-Speed Internet Free Parking Kids Activities Restaurant Room Service Suites Swimming Pool
Hotel Style:
#23 Family Hotels in Kuala Lumpur
#26 Luxury Hotels in Kuala Lumpur
#26 Business Hotels in Kuala Lumpur
Price Range: $
Hotel Class:4.5 star (4.5*)
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