Alila Bangsar is a luxury hotel that occupies levels 35 to 40 of The Establishment, a mixed-use development nestled in the district of Bangsar. It is conveniently connected to Bangsar LRT station via a direct sheltered bridge.
Having heard many good things about this property and seeing photos on the website of how absolutely alluring the spaces here are, I just had to come check it out for myself! Thanks to a friend, my husband and I were able to enjoy World of Hyatt Guest-of-Honor benefits such as a suite upgrade (subject to availability), complimentary breakfast and a 4pm late check-out ❤
- Inclusions:
- 2-night stay in Junior Suite (upgraded from Studio)
- Breakfast
- Late check-out 4pm
- Spent: SGD$232.51
Check-in
The hotel’s reception is situated on level 41, the topmost floor of the building. Bathed in natural light, this bright and breezy area boasts sweeping views of the city and truly invites one to linger for just a little longer. Guests can even help themselves to sweets in a cup by the counter.
To get to the rooms from the ground floor, guests have to take a lift up to the reception floor before changing to a separate set of lifts. This presents a similarly cumbersome issue as that at Four Seasons Hotel, where guests have to spend additional time changing lifts. However, the situation felt worse here as the lifts weren’t as efficient, so the wait time was palpably wasteful.
Oh well, at least there were complimentary snacks and coffee machine drinks at every level’s lift lobby for guests to help themselves to while waiting.
Room
In keeping with the overall aesthetic of the hotel, our suite on level 36 had a modern and elegant vibe which I really liked. It was incredibly spacious with panoramic city views through full-height glass windows. There is quite a bit of direct sunlight during the day so it can get pretty warm, but the air-conditioning vents are strategically placed to mitigate some of that heat.
The firm pillow I requested for was brought to our room very promptly but its pillow case had faint black smudges ): At least the bed was comfortable and firm just the way I prefer.
Given how stunning the online photos of the room were, I was rather disappointed by what I met with in reality. There were apparent signs of wear and tear in the form of scuffs and peels around the room. Also, many of the towels had black or brown stains on them. Even after our towels were changed during a room make-up, the problem persisted. The tile grout in the shower was turning a shade of pink at some parts and the shower head itself was leaking, squirting water in the opposite direction from where the spout was pointing.
Facilities
During our stay, the pool on level 40 was out of bounds as it was undergoing renovation (the same thing happened when we visited DoubleTree By Hilton Hotel, what are the odds). As a result, guests were required to register and get a key card from reception to access the pool and gym on level 9 (I’m guessing these facilities are for those staying in the residences within the building).
The elongated, rectangular pool reminded me of the one at JW Marriott Hotel South Beach, albeit less futuristic in its design but a good spot to catch the mesmerizing sunset nonetheless. There is also a smaller jacuzzi pool at the far end and saunas in the gender-segregated changing rooms.
On this level, you can also find a reading area, as well as a games room with foosball and ping pong tables.
Breakfast was served at Botanica+Co from 7am to 10.30am on the ground floor. It was a small buffet consisting of breads, pastries, local dishes, fruits, chilled juices, yoghurt, salad and made-to-order eggs. The selection of hot food, fruits and pastries had some variations across the two mornings we were here.
Given that the spread was so limited, I expected the quality to be much better than what was presented. Just about everything we had on Day 2 was bland and tasteless, even the eggs were strangely diluted (my omelette was actually watery and didn’t taste of anything). Only the chicken rendang was anomalously fantastic, with flavourful spices and a succulent texture.
The dishes on Day 3 were slightly better. The sausages were yummy, the cupcakes weren’t half bad and the teh tarik was comforting without being overly sweet. On both mornings, we had to contend with the occasional persistent fly throughout our meal but at least the staff here were superb. They were very friendly and always had a smile on their faces, greeting us whenever we entered and when we left.
The other restaurant at this property is Entier located on level 41. We almost weren’t able to dine here as we didn’t have a prior reservation and they were fully booked that evening. Thankfully, the staff got back to us saying that some guests would be late so they could squeeze us in (yay!). If you want to sit at the booths overlooking the city, you definitely need to make an advanced reservation and specifically request for those seats.
As a start, we were brought complimentary corn bread baked with seeds, which was crispy on the outside but soft and fluffy on the inside. This was paired with a fragrant kombu butter infused with truffle, yummy!
My husband ordered the pan-seared foie gras and French waffle topped with unagi and truffle petals (MYR75). I initially thought this combination of ingredients was a little unusual but it turned out pretty well. The foie gras was deliciously creamy, the unagi was moist and well-cooked, and the waffle added a crunchy, sweet element to the overall dish.
I thoroughly enjoyed my charcoal-grilled black cod in radish sauce (MYR180) too. The cod was tender and full of melt-in-your-mouth goodness with a hint of spiciness. The sharper, stronger mix of flavours added a nice balance to the creamy texture and subtle flavour of the fish.
For dessert, we had the dark chocolate soufflé with a scoop of chocolate ice cream (MYR45). Unfortunately, this was the weakest item in our dinner line-up that night. The soufflé was terribly oily such that we were unable to continue eating it past the halfway mark.
With that said, the service here was stellar. All the staff were very attentive and knew the menu like the back of their hand. Every dish presented was accompanied by a staff giving us a clear description of the key ingredients that went into it. To top it all off, there was also a 10% discount off our bill!
Situated right next to Entier restaurant is Le Comptoir d’Entier, a cosy bar and dining nook. It might be a space mainly reserved for events though as there weren’t any staff tending to the area when we were there.
My overall rating of the experience: 3 out of 5 stars. The common spaces here are so gorgeously designed in a contemporary fashion, with soothing palettes, clean lines and tasteful accents of gold. Service on the whole was fantastic – staff were so pleasant and ever-ready to assist! Additionally, most of the dishes we had at Entier restaurant were delectable. On the other hand, despite our suite being so spacious and modern, the signs of wear and tear were much too apparent and it was near impossible for me to look past the hygiene issues of stained towels and linen. The breakfast selection and quality at Botanica+Co restaurant were also not up to par. You might be better off just getting the room rate without breakfast and heading out for cheaper, more delicious alternatives. I find it such a pity as the hotel is really beautifully designed. With a little more care and maintenance, it could certainly live up to its claim of being a 5-star luxury hotel.
If this post helped you in some way and you’d like to buy me a coffee, I’d be incredibly grateful (:
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