Weekend of pampering at Le Meridien KL

We spent a weekend of pampering recently at the invitation of Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur. It was something that we didn’t need any persuasion for.

We checked in on Saturday afternoon and was informed that we’re being given a Le Royal Club Suite with a view of the swimming pool.

Our suite came with a living room, LCD TV and a separate bedroom and bath. It’s absolutely luxurious! How surprised I was to find a personalized bathrobe on the bed … We were also sent a plate of fresh fruits, dried nuts and chocolate covered dates. Yummy! As content as I was to just luxuriate in the room, our daughter was very eager to check out the pool. Le Meridien KL shares a pool with KL Hilton. The free-form pool is big by KL standards and comes with its very own slide. No prizes for guessing how popular the slide is with both kids and adults alike! There’s also a mini waterfall and a grotto which adds to the landscape around the pool. Later that night we attended a dinner hosted by Le Meridien where we were served the Chef’s creations. The dinner was definitely unique and yes, delicious! I’m kicking myself for leaving my camera in the room so I didn’t take any photos of the food but imagine this … quail with chocolate! And apple cider vinegar and caviar served in a test tube. How unique is that?

Next morning we were treated to a buffet breakfast at Latest Recipe. Separate food stations for Japanese, Indian, Malay, Chinese and Continental were set up for guests. The food were scrumptious! There were also rows of fresh fruits, breads, pastries and cakes for those with a sweet tooth. In the afternoon Latest Recipe also has a chocolate fountain and ice-cream teppanyaki where guests can add all sorts of condiments such as nuts, candy etc into the ice-cream. Absolutely decadent! We had an absolutely delightful weekend at Le Meridien! It’s the perfect oasis of serenity from the madness of KL city.

Le Meridien Angkor

We stayed at Le Meridien Angkor during our holiday in Siem Reap last year. Le Meridien is situated next to the Kantha Bopha Children's Hospital run by Dr. Beat Richner and is the closest hotel to the legendary Angkor Wat temples. It's about 10 minutes by car to get to the entrance of Angkor Wat. The exterior of the hotel is not much to look at, but inside you'll find a retreat oasis for a good rest after a long day of exploration at the temples.

Garden view of Le Meridien Angkor

The lobby is bright and airy with very high ceilings and lots of potted plants. Outside the lobby the trees are lighted up with lanterns at night. As with many 5-star hotels, check-in is done at the many sofas around the lobby where we were served welcome drinks. Once check-in is completed we were escorted to our room. We were upgraded to a Deluxe room with two large queen beds and a big marble and black-tiled bathroom with separate shower and tub. The room has rich timber floors with Khmer-accented furniture. I especially loved the high and comfy beds! All deluxe rooms come with a garden view. Aromatherapy oils were placed in the room too, as with the complimentary tea and coffee facility.

Our Deluxe room! Is this not the perfect place to relax and re-energize?

Inside the hotel there are a few restaurants and bar which are able to cater to your meal requirements. On our first night there was a Khmer traditional dance at the Angkor Royale Cafe. The dancers were splendidly costumed and were gracious in their moves. As we were on a very short holiday we did not get a chance to dine at the hotel. We were too busy checking out the many restaurants at the Old Market area which is about 10 minutes ride by tut-tut from the hotel. Tut-tuts are available opposite the hotel. We found a rider who waited for us both days we were there to take us around.

Lovely Khmer-themed pool

There is a Khmer-designed pool in the hotel surrounded by water lily ponds. Teak wood deck chairs are placed around the pool for those who are working on a tan. The Cambodian weather was too warm for us so we preferred to stay indoors.

To relax after a long day of exploration, the hotel has a spa to rejuvenate tired limbs.

For guests who need a little retail therapy, there is a small shop inside the hotel selling Cambodian souvenirs and shirts.

The hotel staff were friendly and very accommodating even when faced with very rude guests. When we were checking out, a group of foreign guests had refused to pay for the Evian water they consumed. The free bottles of water were clearly labelled in our room, as with the Evian. The guests were extremely rude but the staff were clearly well-trained to handle them. I liked the fact that they greeted us by name every time we came down from our room.

Our holiday in Siem Reap was memorable not only because of the legendary Unesco World Heritage site of Angkor Wat, but also due much in part to this wonderful retreat called Le Meridien Angkor. Le Meridien Angkor will be my hotel of choice when visiting Siem Reap.