Budget Friendly Boutique Hotel, Lantern Hotel | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Lanjutan dari post sebelumnya, akhirnya train aku sampai juga di KL Sentral sekitar jam 6.30 sore gitu. Terus karena bawa - bawa koper jadinya aku pilih langsung ke hotel dulu baru keluar jalan biar ga rempong ya kan.

Baca juga : Penang to Kuala Lumpur by Train

Ada beberapa candidate lokasi waktu aku searching buat nyari hotel. Petaling Street yaitu Chinatown dan Bukit Bintang. Kali ini aku pilih Petaling Street soalnya biar bisa turun hotel langsung liat - liat jajanan gitu. Nah kebetulan pas liat - liat hotel di Petaling, gak sengaja ketemu Lantern Hotel. Terus pas liat review-nya pada bagus - bagus semua. Akhirnya jadi tergiur pengen coba.

Nah sebelum berangkat aku udah booking Lantern Hotel lewat booking.com waktu itu karena harga-nya paling murah disitu. Tapi kamu bisa check web lain juga pas mau booking karena beda - beda tiap detik ya kan, jadi pilih aja langsung yang paling murah. Kemarin aku book untuk 3 malam IDR 8xxk cukup murah menurut aku buat kamar dengan jendela.

Dari KL Sentral aku naik Grab, sekitar 15 menit.

Lokasi Lantern Hotel gak jauh dari main entrance Petaling Street, karena waktu aku sampai udah banyak pedagang kaki lima yang keluar jadi aku turun Grab di main entrance terus jalan kaki masuknya.

Gak sulit dicari juga karena banyak gantungan lampion gitu, nah pintu masuknya yang di lantai 1 akan selalu tertutup, jadi kamu harus pencet bell nanti dibukain, receptionis-nya ada di lantai 2.

Lantern Hotel entrance

Yang bikin langsung pengen book hotel ini karena ada balkon ini salah satunya. Jadi balkon ini public area, juga tempat breakfast. 

Pemandangan dari balkon hotel

Kalau untuk breakfast-nya sendiri karena ini udah include di package jadi jangan berharap banyak juga. Standard sih menurut aku. American simple breakfast gitu, self-service juga jadi bebas mau makan berapa banyak.

Merah merah semua gitu ya

Yang ditunggu - tunggu dari tadi pasti tentang kamar. Jadi kalo gak salah pas aku mau book gitu dia ada  4 jenis kamar. Kamar tanpa jendela, kamar dengan jendela, kamar dengan balkon, kamar dengan balkon kaca gitu lupa namanya apa. 

Aku pesan kamar dengan jendela. Tapi pas aku datang ternyata itu jendela-nya gak bisa dibuka jadi dia kaca gitu nembusnya ke tengah - tengah koridor yang atasnya koridor ada atap transparan. Yah sama aja deh. 

Alasan aku pengen yang ada jendela karena biar sirkulasi udara-nya enak dan ada matahari tapi ternyata ga bisa dibuka jendela-nya. Syedih deh :(

Untuk ukuran luas kamar dan kamar mandi lumayan pas gak gede gak kecil juga. Nah kekurangan dan kelebihannya aku rangkum sebagai berikut ya. 

Plus point : 

• Convenience location. Banyak jajanan & gampang ke MRT or panggil Grab
• Facilities cukup lengkap. Ada elevator & hair dryer salon 
• Breakfast free 

Minus point :

• No travel adaptor. Cuman 1 colokan yang bisa buat international sisanya gak bisa 
• No sandal in room. Tapi ini kayaknya di semua hotel Malay gak ada ya? Karena yang sebelumnya juga gak ada. 
• Gak ada tempat jemuran jadi bingung pas mandi baju taruh mana 

Oh iya, jangan lupa di Malaysia ada tourism tax for foreign RM 10 per room per night. 

Link Hotel | Penang, Malaysia

Various accommodation ready to welcome you here in Penang, Malaysia. From luxury hotel to budget hotel all is here. But first, you need to decide the location where you want to stay. Penang is divided to Penang Island where the airport located and the other territory on the same island as Kuala Lumpur which located within 15 minutes ferry ride from the Penang Island.

Most of the traveller will explore Penang Island as the UNESCO World Culture Heritage Site, George Town that listed on 2018 is the main target.

Couple of selection to find your accommodation location, as I search, Bukit Ferringhi for sea view apartment, Clan Jetties for accommodation near to ferry terminal, and George Town for it heritage building & street food.

This time, I choose George Town. So what my expectation is a room which : can reach by lift, have window, private bathroom.

Here we are, I found Link Hotel which located inside George Town. You need to know mostly for hotel in George Town that use old building don't have lift and shared bathroom, but also budget friendly.

I book via Agoda and it cost me IDR 332k per night for deluxe twin room. Starting 2017 I guess there is tourism tax for foreign who stay in Malaysia, RM 10 per room per night and it will pay once check in directly to the hotel.

I take Grab from Penang Int'l Airport to Link Hotel, distance is around 30 minutes with fare RM 27.

Spot Link Hotel

When check in, they will ask deposit for RM 50 and will return when check out.

As a person that drink water so much, I'm glad there are drinking fountain in each floor so no need to buy the mineral water from outside, quiet plus point I love.

But sadly the window prohibited to open. As my expectation to get window room is to get airy room.

What they have for facilities : Wi-Fi in room, soap, shampoo, towel, glass, hot shower

What I expect they have but not : Slippers inside room, tooth brush & tooth paste

For travel adapter & hair dryer upon request on receptionist and its free to use, return when check out and you will get back your deposit.

Plus point :

• Very strategic location and easy to reach 
• Reasonable price with lift facilities

Minus point : 

• Window unable to open so the air feels like no window room
• No slippers 

One day trip about Penang can read by this link, welcome to click :)

Place2Stay @Chinatown, Kuching | Malaysia

It was an unplanned holiday to Kuching, Sarawak capital, Malaysia. I start searching a hotel for my trip in 2 days before d-day through many website and find what kind of place to stay that people recommend. I'm excited enough to have holiday after a long exhausting week.

As usually my criteria is same : clean, comfort, tourist destination nearby, and of course a pleasant price.

Than I found Place2Stay that seems like a good candidate w/ good reviews in agoda.com. I choose Place2Stay @Chinatown that seems a very good location w/ walking distance to many tourist destination.

Arrived at 9 in the morning, I directly grab an uber from Kuching Sentral. I hope that my note when booking to have earlier check in is come to be true and I have talk to my self if they want to charge it's fine. I need a bath now very very need.

The Place2Stay name is familiar in local due it has many branch in many places. So better call the phone number in booking receipt and let the driver talk.

It says @Chinatown, but literally not inside Chinatown, still walking distance. The driver also get wrong that he bring me to another Place2Stay.

And yeay after around 20 minutes finally I arrived. Give your passport for check-in, and RM50 for deposit (refund when leaving). The good news is they let me check in earlier without any charges. A good beginning, dude!

Outside look

I booked a twin deluxe room for 3 night in total IDR 550K (paid in agoda.com). This place provide single, twin, double room, the difference is deluxe room has window.

Mine is in the 2F, but level 3. No lift here, just take your luggage through the grey stairs.

Main door and big mirror welcome you to the room. Push the key and electricity is on.
Wi-Fi password also in the key and its a fast Wi-Fi. 

That twin bed, TV, and a tiny table that messy by me.

Bathroom is quiet small, bath soap & tissue available, others toiletries please bring by yourself

One point I love the most is the window. That feeling when you laying and sunshine down to your face, that sky view.

View when you lay on the bed

Addicted to keep the window open every morning, ahhh thats sunshine sky

Then I always keep the window open :)

No breakfast provide, but you can easily get your own in neighbourhood.

It was a pleasant stay at Place2Stay @Chinatown. A comfortable & relaxing place to stay to refresh mind & soul.

Tips :
• Find your greatest deal by searching from many booking website, they own website. I found mine is in agoda, but maybe you find the others.
• Its hard to find Place2Stay @Chinatown in google map during your uber booking, just enter Kapit Hotel. It's beside only. Maybe Place2Stay can work on this to easy tourist.


Plus :
1. Very good deal. High value room w/ lovely rate.
2. Walking distance to 7-11, laundry shop, restaurant, Kuching Statue, Chinatown, Kuching Riverside, Plaza Sarawak, Parkson, etc.
3. Facilities : Fast Wi-Fi, mineral drinking water 2 bottle/day, towel/day, housekeeping everyday

Minus :
1. No lift / elevator. Stairs only.
2. Toilet is quiet small, sometimes the smell of cigarettes come through toilet exhaust.