Review: Petaling Jaya Marriott Hotel
The Petaling Jaya Marriott is a rebranded and renovated Eastin hotel (not to be confused or affiliated with the Westin brand). Last time I was in Malaysia, I stayed near Kuala Lumpur city centre, however, I wanted to be closer to my friends this time, who live closer to Petaling Jaya.. With a fresh renovation and updated aesthetic, I decided to book this hotel to see how the brand has revitalized the property.
Kuala Lumpur was the first stop in my circumnavigation of the world, with flights on both the Turkish Airlines A350 and 777 on the way to a conference in Chicago.
Booking & Check-in
Kuala Lumpur has a variety of Marriott International brands available in the metro area, so there’s lots to choose from. For this trip, I was looking more at convenience to the Petaling Jaya suburb of KL. The property is located in a much quieter part of the region that’s mainly frequented by office and corporate commuters.
Getting to the hotel from the RapidKL MRT Station was a little confusing since Google Maps directs you to a disused overpass that’s only meant for cars. After looking at a satellite view on Google Maps, I walked on the side of a freeway exit to get to the main driveway of the hotel. Though there’s a much better and safer way highlighted later on.
With an early arrival into Kuala Lumpur, I arrived at around 1:00 PM, ahead of the property’s 3:00 PM check-in time. The front desk gave me a welcome orange juice and a Ferrero Rocher chocolate.
Location
The hotel is located right next to a business park, so there isn’t much in terms of shopping or eating. There are a few restaurants and cafes in the adjacent business area that are mainly open on weekdays, with some opening on Saturdays as well. The only establishment that is open all days of the week, including Sunday, is a 7-Eleven.
If you’re driving around, the hotel is right next to a highway interchange. There are many different driveways off of the highway exit, so be sure to find the one that has the Marriott sign on it.
Rideshare is very convenient, with affordable prices and lots of availability. Fares are around 12 RM, or around $4 CAD to and from KL Sentral station which is a 10-15 minute drive. During rush hour, there is congestion pricing and the trip can take up to 30-50 minutes, so try to avoid taking rideshare during peak hours.
If you’re getting around using public transport, the hotel is a 7 minute walk from the closest MRT station, Phileo Damansara on the Kajang Line, with trains every 4 min during peak hours and up to 10 minutes off-peak. You will need to walk through the business park, which is on a slight hill.
You might even be lucky enough to see some wildlife along the way.
To help clear up confusion of how to walk to the hotel from the station, here is a rough map of how to walk to the hotel’s entrance.
Parking
There is on-site parking, with an underground lot beneath the hotel. It starts at 5 RM per day for self-parking, and 35 RM for Valet Parking. If you’re inviting guests to dine at the hotel restaurant, the first hour is free for them, and 10 RM for every hour after that.
Room – Deluxe Guest room, 1 King, City View
The room is a recently renovated standard King Room. It is a little more spacious than what you would typically see, with higher ceilings and a bright ambience. I was given a room on the 4th floor, with a “city view” of the neighbouring business park.
Storage space is plentiful, in both open and closeted compartments. You’ll find your room essentials such as an ironing kit, a bathrobe, pairs of slippers, and shoehorns.
In front of the bed, there’s a cabinet with instant coffee, tea, glasses, a kettle, and a mini fridge.
In the bathroom, the shower is very spacious with an enclosed glass door. You’ll also find single use toiletries such as toothbrushes, razors, and hair brushes to the left of the sink.
The bathroom also has a faucet for filtered drinking water, with plastic water bottles not provided at this property.
The toilet is separated from the rest of the bathroom with a frosted door, giving extra privacy.
Restaurants
Ee Chinese Restaurant
Finding information about this restaurant was a little tricky, since there were no links to the restaurant’s menu on the hotel’s website. Additionally, when I inquired about a menu at the check-in desk, they didn’t have one available to read before it opened.
On Google Maps, the restaurant is linked to its previous menu that was under the hotel’s former operator, Eastin. Looking through user-submitted photos, the restaurant serves Cantonese inspired dishes, such as Dim Sum, Cheong Fun rice noodles, and various other traditional Chinese dishes.
The Atrium – Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status Complimentary Breakfast
A consistent feature of hotels in Kuala Lumpur is the massive breakfast spread that’s offered. Although I’ve only stayed at 3 properties in KL, the St Regis, Le Meridien, and now the PJ Marriott, there’s always a massive selection available for breakfast, and in all kinds of cuisines as well.
You can choose from a variety of cuisines, from Dim Sum, curries, Malaysian dishes, steamed buns, breads and pastries, and even a wall of fruit. I was there at around 7:30 AM, and it was not busy at all, so there was lots of food still available.
Beyond breakfast, there was a great selection of quality cuisines from around the world, from something as simple as a “Classic Fish & Chips” for 47 MYR to local cuisines such as a “Heritage Nasi Lemak – Bunga Raya” for 48 MYR. I came during Ramadan, where the hotel had a special promotional menu targeting those who participate in fasting during the holiday.
For more info about the cuisine available here, check out the Atrium’s online menu here.
Lobby Lounge
The Lobby Lounge is located in front of The Atrium, as a convenient spot to grab drinks. It’s located in the same entrance as The Atrium.
Facilities
M Club Lounge
An amenity I look for when I book a property is whether or not the hotel has a lounge or a quiet space to get work done. Unfortunately, for this property, the biggest turn-off during my stay was the extremely limited hours for the Club Lounge. The lounge was only open from 6:00 to 8:00 PM.
Despite the extremely limited hours, their Hor d’oeuvres hour featured wine and lots of small desserts. There also wasn’t a card reader or someone checking room or status for elite and club members, so practically anyone could just walk into the lounge.
Tennis Court
There was an on-property tennis court which was not something I expected when I booked my stay. It’s definitely not an amenity we typically see in North America, but during both nights that I was there, the tennis court was being used.
Fitness Center
The fitness center is a small room outside the property on the 3rd floor. Most of the standard gym equipment can be found, including treadmills, a weight rack, elliptical, etc. The all-glass exterior features views of the tennis court and the pool on a lower level. The fitness center is open from 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM every day.
There’s also a great view of the pool on the lower level as well.
Pool
On the second floor is where you can find the outdoor swimming pool, with lounge seating and a health club bar. There are cabanas as well, in case you plan to have a large group staying with you. It is open from 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM every day.
Conclusion
The Petaling Jaya Marriott is a convenient property just west of Kuala Lumpur. Despite the disappointing hours of operation for the M Club Lounge, the property makes up for it with a wide selection of food options from the hotel’s restaurants and on-site amenities. With easy access to nearby transportation options, this property is very accessible if you’re looking to stay outside of Kuala Lumpur’s city center.
