Extra Photo Gallery: Rooms & Suites | F&B Outlets

LOCATION:
Boulevard Hotel is located within the Mid Valley City precinct which is accessible from major city roads of Kuala Lumpur, such as Jalan Syed Putra, Old Klang Road, the Federal Highway and the New Pantai Expressway (NPE). The hotel is also accessible from KL Sentral, the main transportation hub of Kuala Lumpur, by way of KTM Komuter which will disembark at the newly-built Mid Valley station. Alternatively, one can use the Putra LRT and disembark at the Bangsar LRT station, from which complimentary shuttles are available to get to Mid Valley City.

In recent days, the City Hall has announced the plan to construct a new pedestrian linkage from the nearby Putra LRT station of Abdullah Hukum to Mid Valley City.

DESCRIPTION:
Boulevard Hotel is one of the main components in the massive development of Mid Valley City, which is envisaged to be a premier shopping, entertainment and business hub of Kuala Lumpur. The hotel building is situated at the North Court of Mid Valley Megamall, which is considered one of the busiest shopping outlets in the city. With the existing Mid Valley Megamall as well as the highly-occupied Signature Offices, and newer office blocks in the pipeline within the Mid Valley City development, Boulevard Hotel receives quite a healthy number of business travellers and holiday makers who frequent the area.

The hotel boasts a total of 390 rooms and suites spanning across the state-of-the-art tower block. There are six distinctive room categories at the hotel, which are Superior (167 units, 27 sq metre), Deluxe (112 units, 32 sq metre), Executive Superior (26 units, 27 sq metre), Executive Deluxe (17 units, 32 sq metre), Studio Suite (66 units, 46 sq metre) and Premier Suite (2 units, 109 sq metre). Most of these room categories are available in king- or twin-bedding configurations. In general, each room or suite is well-appointed with IDD telephone, coffee and tea making facility, individually-controlled air-conditioning, colour TV which comes with satellite channels and in-house movies, broadband internet access which is complimentary for guests staying at the Executive Floors, electronic safe, hair dryer, iron with ironing board, mini fridge, etc. This review shall cover three room categories at Boulevard Hotel, namely Superior, Deluxe and Studio Suite.

The Superior and Deluxe rooms are opulently decorated in earthy tones and soothing colours that effectively create a homely ambience to their overall appearance. The beds are clad in white bedsheets which are very comfortable, not to mention pleasing to the eyes. Minimal interior decorations are fitted into the rooms to create an almost Zen-like environment, which seems to be the "in" thing in interior designs nowadays. Carefully placed inside the bedding zone are lounging sofa and writing desks to complete the no-frill design. The bathrooms of both Superior and Deluxe rooms are also meticulously done with modern-style wash basins, elegant toiletries as well as glass-enclosed cubicles that boast, get this, rain shower heads! In all honesty, not many hotels in the city have opted for the heavenly rain showers just yet, and this rare offering at Boulevard Hotel would certainly carry some weight. In fact, prior to visiting the hotel, I have only known three other hotels in Kuala Lumpur that feature rain shower heads. Anyway, back to the rooms. As the Deluxe rooms are slightly bigger than the Superior ones, they also feature a bath tub in the bathrooms.

At a significantly larger living space, the Studio Suites are packed with extras which are commonly associated with premium room categories. The Studio Suite opens into a nicely partitioned hallway where a writing desk is snugged at a corner next to the large glass window. The wall partition opens out further into a living-cum-bedding area. An extra-plush king-size bed is placed as the feature item, facing a simple-yet-elegant arrangement of leather sofa and glass table. A large wardrobe is placed adjacent to the king-size bed and it houses an oversized electronic safe which can fit in quite a number of valuables. Right behind the bedding zone is the bathroom. The frosted-glass bathroom door opens into a spacious vanity section that comes with chic wash basins. A glass-enclosed shower cubicle is rightly placed in the middle of the bathroom and it is also equipped with a much-sought-after rain shower head. Overall, I feel that the bigger built-up size of the Studio Suite, along with the extra amenities that it offers, are very appealing to a certain type of hotel guests who prefer a spacious living space that is packed with modern and trendy arrangement.

In general, both Executive Superior and Executive Deluxe categories carry similar room arrangement but with a number of extra perks such as complimentary in-room broadband internet access as well as access to the Executive Lounge on the 26th floor that boasts panoramic view of downtown Kuala Lumpur. The view is particularly spectacular in the evening when the city comes alight in multi-hued arrays of glitter. The Executive Lounge is also equipped with wireless internet access which enables the guests to bring their mobile computers into the lounge for a quick online hookup. Guests staying in either Studio Suite or Premier Suite in non-Executive Floors can also use the various facilities at the lounge, including a personalised morning breakfast served at the cafe within the lounge.

The hotel offers two F&B outlets, namely Flutes Living Room at the main lobby and Wild Rice Restaurant on the 9th floor. Flutes Living Room is a lounge styled in a close-knit ambience with limited seating to ensure a more personalised lounging session. The bar serves delightful cocktails, beverages and light snacks which the patrons can enjoy in a soothing setup of decorative bamboo trees that effectively creates a mini urban oasis. With an indoor and terraced outdoor setup overlooking the swimming pool, Wild Rice Restaurant is an all-day dining outlet which sports contemporary interior arrangement. Numerous seating arrangements and configurations are available at the outlet, particularly for those partial to an open-air setting or the pool view. On Saturdays from 1900-2200hrs, Wild Rice Restaurant organises a BBQ dinner buffet which features great selections of seafood, salads, lambs, sirloin steaks, salmon, etc. The outlet also serves Buffet Hi-Tea menus on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays from 1200-1600hrs. As the offerings may change in the future, it is best to check the ongoing F&B promotions at www.blvhotel.com.

As for health and recreational facilities, the hotel provides a swimming pool, a modern and well-equipped gym and a spa outlet called SenSpa. The swimming pool is atypically large for a city hotel like this, and it boasts a decent view of the surrounding areas of Mid Valley City and Petaling Jaya. Generous amount of sunning beds and umbrellas are arranged on the pool deck. Other guest services in the hotel include a well-equipped business centre, laundry service, medical assistance, currency exchange, limousine hires, taxi rentals and valet parking. Additional supporting facilities can be found in adjoining Mid Valley Megamall which boasts over 430 retail and F&B outlets, 38-lane bowling alley and various entertainment centres.

As it has come to the end of the review, I would like to extend my heartiest gratitude to Ms. Tan Ai Tin, the Director of Sales & Marketing for Boulevard Hotel, for her relentless support and assistance in getting this review up and running. As for room bookings and latest promotions, please log on to www.blvhotel.com which is the official website for Boulevard Hotel.

REVIEWED ON:
July 2007

MY VERDICT:
Superb hotel location for business and leisure travellers. Fashionable and modern takes on room design.

MY RATING: