Review: The Federal Kuala Lumpur

Nostalgic to most Malaysian seniors and still relevant in the ever-bustling multi-ethnic cultures of the modern Kuala Lumpur, The Federal hotel has withstood the changes of time since its founding in 1957 in tandem with the Malaysian Independence Day celebrations and remained triumphant in the city's famous Golden Triangle area, serving as one of the state's oldest and functioning hotels. The Federal Kuala Lumpur has seen structural and interior revamps through the years while remaining true to their core value of excellent hospitality, making it a hotel of choice for foreigners and business travellers, and even more so with its highly strategic location rendering shopping, dining and entertainment in the heart of KL only a stroll away. Going Places reviews The Federal Kuala Lumpur through an experiential stay that is reinforced with a thorough tour around the hotel grounds and facilities as well as impeccable hospitality from the staff.

Modern Comfort

Despite its heritage and traditional setting, The Federal Kuala Lumpur offers rooms that feature up-to-date amenities and ranges from guest, deluxe family, studio deluxe and Merdeka Wing variants. For this review, Going Places was provided the Merdeka Wing studio suite that is designed for single travellers. The first impression garnered was the suite's plain setup, which gives off the feeling of a very clean and pristine room. The colour schemes of brown, white and and black posits a touch of heritage with the hotel's rich history and traditions. The studio suite has ample space for one or two guests and abundant pedestals to place your belongings, including a work cum dining table for utilisations. Staying in a Merdeka Wing suite would mean receiving daily newspapers delivered to your room's doorstep, complimentary WiFi, LED lighting, 40″ LED TV with satellite TV channels, 24-hour room service, rain shower, a smoke free environment and nontheless a comfortable bed with plush down duvets covered in crisp linen. 

Dining In 

The Federal Kuala Lumpur has five restaurants operating within the hotel itself namely Bintang Revolving Restaurant and Kontiki. Going Places was given an exclusive preview and dining experience at both these restaurants (read our previous review on Kontiki here) throughout the duration of the stay. Bintang Revolving Restaurant is Malaysia's first revolving restaurant built in the 60s and has been in operations for decades offering fine dining on the evenings, which are usually paired with live entertainment as well as a 360˚ view of KL City's skyline from the central position of The Federal. The revolving feature of the restaurant is what makes dining an even more spectacular experience as lights are dimmed to minimal illumination and diners served with a glimpse of sunset that soon shifts into twilight where the surrounding city of Kuala Lumpur starts to sparkle. Open nightly, Bintang offers western cuisine in its menu of selected choices, ranging from steak, cod fish, pasta, kid's meals and a range of beverages of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic varieties.

The Surrounding 

One of the stronger reasons to choose The Federal Kuala Lumpur is its highly centralised location in the middle of the Golden Triangle of KL that allows guests to visit nearby attraction and landmarks on foot and won't take more than a few minutes to explore the entirety. Plaza Low Yat, Malaysia's largest IT Lifestyle Shopping Mall is situated adjacent to the hotel and just across the road, providing hundreds of solutions for technological needs. For the more discerning foodies, Jalan Alor is accessible on foot as well and provides many street food and local hawkers – a great way to sample authentic and exclusively Malaysian flavours. For high-end indulgence, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur is also easily reachable (approximately nine-minute walk) and is a hub for the world's most famous luxury fashion houses and other popular brands including F&B outlets and hang out spots. 

For more information visit fhihotels.com