Thursday, 29 May 2014

Malaysia Airlines to end hotel stays for MH370 families | The Herald - Hotel in Malaysia Blog

<b>Malaysia</b> Airlines to end <b>hotel</b> stays for MH370 families | The Herald - Hotel in Malaysia Blog


<b>Malaysia</b> Airlines to end <b>hotel</b> stays for MH370 families | The Herald

Posted: 01 May 2014 03:01 PM PDT

Malaysian JetKUALA LUMPUR. — Malaysia Airlines will cease to provide hotel accommodation for relatives of missing flight MH370 passengers by May 7, the airline said yesterday.
The Malaysian flag carrier has provided hotel accommodation for relatives in a number of countries —most of them in Malaysia and China —where it provided them periodic updates on the situation since shortly after the flight mysteriously disappeared on March 8.
But relatives' tempers have repeatedly flared, particularly at the Lido Hotel in Beijing where Chinese families have regularly lashed out at officials from the Malaysian government and the airline over their inability to explain the plane's disappearance on May 7.

"Instead of staying in hotels, the families of MH370 are advised to receive information updates on the progress of the search and investigation and other support by Malaysia Airlines within the comfort of their own homes, with the support and care of their families and friends," the airline said in a statement.

"In line with this adjustment, Malaysia Airlines will be closing all of its family assistance centres around the world by 7 May, 2014."
Wen Wancheng, whose son was on the flight, said that relatives have come under pressure from time to time to leave the hotel and go back home, but was adamant that they would refuse  to do so.

"Today MAS brought this up officially and we're not going to accept it," he told AFP, referring to the airline.
"They made the commitment in March that they wouldn't drive us out of the Lido until any wreckage was found," he said.

The government-controlled carrier also said it would soon make advance compensation payments to the next-of-kin of the 239 people on-board the plane, part of a final package to be agreed upon later.

It did not specify the amounts.
Wen, the Chinese relative, expressed concern about the payments.

"It has to have a legal basis," he said.
"Is this for relatives' mental damages or the casualties of our family members on-board?"

About two-thirds of those aboard the missing plane, which vanished from radar en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, were Chinese nationals. The airline also had provided psychiatric support at hotels for families trying to cope with the tragedy.

The carrier said it would establish centres in Beijing and Kuala Lumpur to provide "follow-up support and services" but gave no further specifics.
A Malaysia Airlines spokeswoman declined to offer further details when contacted. —AFP.

HOTEL OF THE WEEK | Holiday Inn Melaka in Malaysia - InterAksyon - Hotel in Malaysia Blog

<b>HOTEL</b> OF THE WEEK | Holiday Inn Melaka in <b>Malaysia</b> - InterAksyon - Hotel in Malaysia Blog


<b>HOTEL</b> OF THE WEEK | Holiday Inn Melaka in <b>Malaysia</b> - InterAksyon

Posted: 26 May 2014 04:33 AM PDT

As recommended by Agoda.com | In partnership with InterAksyon Lifestyle · Monday, May 26, 2014 · 7:33 pm

Holiday Inn in Malaysia. Photo courtesy of Agoda.com.

The 20-storey Holiday Inn Melaka in Malaysia. Photo courtesy of Agoda.com.

Holiday Inn Melaka is the city's award-winning hotel with 275 rooms including suites and deluxe in a gleaming 20-storey white tower, the strikingly modern hotel is a relaxing base to explore the Portuguese-influenced and UNESCO listed Heritage city.

Located at the stylish waterfront of the Straits of Melaka, it is conveniently next to the city's main shopping and historical interest places, as well as business and entertainment spots.

Six versatile function rooms and a pillar-less 836 square meter ballrooms, all equipped with the latest technology, providing an ideal space for a range of functions and meeting requirements. It offers leisure and corporate travelers alike the perfect place to relax in comfort or conduct business with ease while providing conference delegates the perfect sanctuary.

Hotel's site
Learn more about Holiday Inn Melaka's discounted rates on this site.

Location, easiest way to get there
Address: Jalan Syed Abdul Aziz, Malacca City Center, Malacca / Melaka, Malaysia

From Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), take a cab that will take you to the hotel in an hour and a half. From KLIA, take the Johor Bahru/Seremban exit and proceed to North South Highway, exit the Ayer Keroh Melaka toll and proceed to Pusat Bandar/Melaka Raya. The hotel is located next to Mahkota Parade Shopping Mall along Jalan Syed Abdul Aziz.

Another option would be to take the train and follow the signboard that says heading to "Melaka" or "Bandaraya Melaka."

What makes this hotel stand out
Holiday Inn Melaka offers travelers a full range of facilities including a sparkling infinity pool overlooking the straits of Melaka. Guests can also experience both modern and traditional messages in their Balinese inspired Tea Tree Spa.

Holiday Inn Melaka's pool area has a charming beachfront view. Besides the beach, the hotel is also accessible to various entertainment and shopping spots in the area. Photo courtesy of Agoda.com.

Holiday Inn Melaka's pool area has a charming beachfront view. Besides the beach, the hotel is also accessible to various entertainment and shopping spots in the area. Photo courtesy of Agoda.com.

Dining options include its Sirocco Italian Restaurant and Bar, which offers diners a taste of Italian dishes, and Es.Sense Kitchen, which serves international and also Malaysian food.

Holiday Inn Malaka's Es.Sense Kitchen serves international and Malaysian dishes. Photo courtesy of Agoda.com.

Holiday Inn Malaka's Es.Sense Kitchen serves international and Malaysian dishes. Photo courtesy of Agoda.com.

The property is Silver Certified by EarthCheck, a global accreditation organization for environment-friendly hotels and companies. Apart from that, the hotel's effort in reducing carbon footprints is also recognized locally by their government.

Ongoing Promotion
Experience the UNESCO listed Heritage city and avail of Holiday Inn Melaka's discount through Agoda, which has a partnership with InterAksyon Lifestyle. CLICK HERE

Spacious room at Holiday Inn Melaka in Malaysia. Photo courtesy of Agoda.com.

Spacious room at Holiday Inn Melaka in Malaysia. Photo courtesy of Agoda.com.

What guests are saying
As of May 2014, Holiday Day Inn Melaka enjoys a "Fantastic 8.3" rating.

"Superb. The room was newly renovated. I always enjoy the Malacca Straits view. The breakfast was good. I feel well-rested and refreshed each time I visit Holiday Inn."
—Victor K., couple traveler from Singapore, May 2014

"We are a family of five. We stayed for two nights in this hotel and the room with the separate room for the kids is perfect. The kids loved it. The hotel is a bit out of the center (maximum of 10mins), but there is a shuttle bus going every hour. This is a perfect hotel for a family of 5."
—Andrea B, family traveler with young children from the Netherlands, April 2014

"The room check-in was fast and we were greeted by the friendly hotel staff. The room was clean and the beds were comfortable. It is strategically located near the Mahkota Parade, just walking distance. The hotel provides huge variety of breakfast and delicious. Overall the hotel is good and will stay again next time."
—Bee L., couple traveler from Malaysia, April 2014

"We spent three nights in this hotel. We felt welcomed from the first second we stepped in the lobby. Everything was clean and well-maintained. Our room was very comfortable and spacy. Pool area and gym were in excellent condition. Breakfast was really tasty and variety of dishes was good. Highly recommendable in every way!"
—Marrku L., couple traveler from Finland, March 2014

Best located <b>hotel</b> for Disabled traveller please assist - Kuala <b>...</b>

Posted: 28 May 2014 07:06 AM PDT

4. Re: Best located hotel for Disabled traveller please assist

Parkroyal is better location wise than Melia.

Melia is 2/3 down bukit bintang facing times square. Park Royal is in the middle across the other side of Jalan Sultan Ismail.

Bukit Bintang is more than 1km long. So you cannot be within 200m to everything. You have to decide where you want to be near to. Do you want to be near the electronics mall, or food street Jalan Alor? Or the lower end malls like times square and sungei wang then Melia.

Do you want to be near the upper market desinger brand malls like Pavillion, starhill,..etc then Park Royal.

Do you want to be right smack next to the high end malls, want a quiet but excellent hotel, then Ritz Carlton.

Tune <b>Hotels</b> opens in Taiping, <b>Malaysia</b> - Travelandtourworld.com

Posted: 20 May 2014 10:43 PM PDT

Published on : Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Tune Hotels opens in Taiping, MalaysiaTune Hotels, the international value hotel group has opened another hotel in the heritage city of Malaysia. Taiping in the northern state of Perak, Malaysia, will have another star hotel from the Tune group making accommodation an extended luxury.

International value hotel group Tune Hotels continues to boost its presence within Malaysia with the opening of a hotel in the heritage city of Taiping in the northern state of Perak, Malaysia.

The 113-room Tune Hotel Taiping, which is part of the Taiping Centre Point development, is located within the heart of a new business growth area of the city

To celebrate the opening, rooms at Tune Hotel Taiping are being made available at promotional rates starting from only RM68 all-in per night, exclusively for online bookings. Bookings can be made from now until 25 May 2014, for immediate stay periods up to 24 Jul 2014.

Promotional rooms are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Walk-in guests get to enjoy opening rates from as low as RM88 all-in per night for a limited period.

Group CEO of Tune Hotels Mark Lankester said: "Tune Hotels is delighted to be here in Taiping, underscoring our presence and growth in the northern region of Peninsular Malaysia. This city has a lot of potential for tourism both business and leisure and the opening is yet another show of our commitment towards the rapidly developing Northern Corridor. Visitors to Taiping, be it for leisure or business, can rest assured of an enjoyable, comfortable and affordable stay with Tune Hotel Taiping."

The Northern Corridor Economic Region (Koridor Utara) is an economic transformation project that focuses on accelerating growth and income levels with the objective of becoming a world-class economic region by the year 2025. The corridor is made up of the states of Perlis, Kedah, Penang and northern Perak, where Taiping is located. Tourism is one of its key thrust areas alongside agriculture, manufacturing and logistics.

Famed for its tin-mining legacy, Taiping is easily accessible via the North-South Expressway, with Penang about 110 kilometres to the north and Kuala Lumpur 260 kilometres down south. One of the earliest stations of the British administration in the 19th Century, Taiping boasts a sizeable concentration of heritage buildings as well as the Taiping Lake Gardens, the first public garden established during British rule where the famous centuries-old rain trees can be found.

Taiping is also home to Malaysia's oldest hill resort, the Maxwell Hill and the country's first zoo, the Taiping Zoo & Night Safari. Nature lovers can head on to the world-renowned Royal Belum Forest where they can get up close with the rich diversity of flora and fauna and interact with the local aborigines Orang Asli community.

Mark added: "With its history and nature attractions, Taiping has long been a family holiday and adventure destination and now with all the developments in and around Taiping, we have noted a growing stream of business and leisure visitors to Taiping and its surrounding areas. With Tune Hotel Taiping, we look forward to welcoming holidaymakers and business travellers alike to enjoy our international class accommodation at affordable rates. Apart from standard double and twin-sharing rooms we have also included family rooms to suit the needs of families and group travellers."

Tune Hotel Taiping is part of the new Taiping Centre Point development, located right across from the Taiping Sentral Mall and Tesco hypermarket and within minutes from the Columbia Asia Hospital. Within the development and surroundings on offer are a host of dining, entertainment, shopping and lifestyle options. It is only two kilometres away from the Taiping railway station, the country's oldest and one of the most iconic.

Tune Hotels is part of Tune Group, a lifestyle business conglomerate co-founded by Tan Sri Tony Fernandes and Datuk Kamarudin Meranun, who are the Group CEO and Executive Chairman respectively of Asia's largest low cost carrier AirAsia.

More than five million people have stayed at Tune Hotels' properties worldwide. There are 45 Tune Hotels available for booking across Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, England, Scotland, Australia, India and Japan. For real-time updates and promotion alerts, guests can stay connected with Tune Hotels via Facebook and Twitter.

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Saturday, 24 May 2014

The Andaman Hotel, Langkawi - Half Board or All inclusive ... - Hotel in Malaysia Blog

The Andaman <b>Hotel</b>, Langkawi - Half Board or All inclusive <b>...</b> - Hotel in Malaysia Blog


The Andaman <b>Hotel</b>, Langkawi - Half Board or All inclusive <b>...</b>

Posted: 24 May 2014 06:08 AM PDT

1. Re: The Andaman Hotel, Langkawi - Half Board or All inclusive?

Hi

Were I you then I would definitely opt for the all inclusive at the Andaman. This hotel is very remote, there is nothing in the vicinity where you can eat/drink except for The Datai, which is another 5☆ hotel.

F&B prices are quite expensive at the Andaman and as you intend to spend most of your time at the hotel, I am sure that the all inclusive option will be best for you.

You could also email the Andaman and ask for some sample menus, that way you can check the prices yourself.

Lesley

Edited: today, 4:47

Staying at Traders <b>Hotel</b>, Kuala Lumpur | Alvinology

Posted: 24 May 2014 09:01 AM PDT


Traders Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, is a four star hotel which is perfectly situated within the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC). It is managed by the Shangri-La group and owned by Malaysia's global oil and gas giant company, Petronas.

Traders Hotel, Kuala Lumpur

Traders Hotel, Kuala Lumpur

It offers direct access to the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre and is near to the iconic Petronas Twin Towers, Suria KLCC Shopping Mall and local tourist attractions, which are all surrounded by restaurants, bars, clubs and cafes. Perfect for travelers concerned with business, conventions, shopping or entertainment in the heart of Kuala Lumpur.

Hotel entrance

Hotel entrance

Ground floor lobby

Ground floor lobby

I love it that they have superb, strong FREE Wi-Fi connections throughout the entire hotel and in the rooms. I get uncomfortable when I am not connected to the Internet and staying at Traders was just perfect.

I stayed at a corner room in a mid-level floor. Check out the view from my room window:

View of Petronas Towers from my room window

View of Petronas Twin Towers from my room window

Skyscrapers

Skyscrapers

More skyscrapers and new constructions

More skyscrapers and new constructions

Nice? Many of the other rooms in Traders offer similar views. Traders Hotel, Kuala Lumpur is one of the only hotel in the vicinity with such a spectacular city view of KLCC.

Here's a photo walk-through of the room I stayed in:

My corner room

My corner room

View from the opposite angle

View from the opposite angle

Welcome fruits and chocolates

Welcome fruits and chocolates

Workstation

Workstation

The cosy bed

The cosy bed

Side sofa

Side sofa

Inside the wardrobe

Inside the wardrobe

Enter the bathroom

Enter the bathroom

Bathtub

Bathtub

Traders Hotel, Kuala Lumpur has a famous SkyBar.

Perched on the 33rd floor, the SkyBar is a perennial favourite of KL's party folks. The SkyBar has won many awards, including being named "Best Malaysian Bar" by the 2007 Malaysia Tatler Society, as well as "Best Bar in Malaysia" and "Best Hotel Bar" by the readers of Expatriate Lifestyle's Best of Malaysia Awards for four consecutive years.

When I told some of my Singaporean friends that I was staying at Traders Hotel for this trip, the first thing they told me was that I have to visit the SkyBar!

SkyBar has seating for 280 and standing room for 320. Enquiries for private events for up to 150 people are welcome. It is open from 10:00am to 1:00am, Sunday to Thursday, and from 10:00am to 3:00am, Friday, Saturday and the evening before public holidays. For further information and reservations, please telephone the hotel on (60 3) 2332 9911 or send an e-mail to [email protected]

View of the SkyBar in the day:

Enter the SkyBar

Enter the SkyBar

View from the lower floor of the SkyBar

View from the lower floor of the SkyBar

View from the upper floor of the SkyBar

View from the upper floor of the SkyBar

Enjoying a quiet read at the SkyBar, by a magnificent view of KLCC

Enjoying a quiet read at the SkyBar, by a magnificent view of KLCC

Swimming, suntanning

Swimming, suntanning

Sauna room on the upper floor of the SkyBar

Sauna room on the upper floor of the SkyBar

Temperature in the Steam room

Temperature in the Steam room

Spa and massage

Spa and massage

Skybar by night

Skybar by night

There are 571 rooms and suites that feature complete 24-hour business services. The hotel offers private meeting rooms and offices. Serviced Offices within the hotel are also available for rental on an hourly, weekly or monthly basis.

As business travelers constitute a fair share of the guest mix at the hotel, there are all the necessary business facilities catering to the needs of this group of travelers:

Business Centre

Business Centre

Meeting area

Meeting area

Work area

Work area

Treadmills in the gym

Treadmills in the gym

Heavy lifting

Heavy lifting

Yoga room with a view to kill

Yoga room with a view to kill

If you are staying in one of the rooms on the executive floors on the upper floors, you will have complementary access to the Traders Club Lounge. The lounge is located on level 32 and is open from 6.30am to 11pm daily.

Check-in and check-out can be done on the club floor and there is free breakfast, afternoon tea and evening cocktails as well as free beverages throughout the day.

Reception

Reception

Traders Club Lounge

Traders Club Lounge

Spectacular view

Spectacular view

For dining, there is the all-day Gobo Chit-Chat which features a selection of international cuisines and Gobo Upstairs Lounge & Grill. I had buffet lunch at Gobo Chit-Chat and quite enjoyed the wide selection of cuisines:

Gobo Chit-Chat

Gobo Chit-Chat

Fresh sushi and sashimi

Fresh sushi and sashimi

Sushi and sashimi counter

Sushi and sashimi counter

Freshly grilled satay

Freshly grilled satay

Lamb roast

Lamb roast

Dim sum

Dim sum

Sweet delights for the chocolate fondue

Sweet delights for the chocolate fondue

Dessert section

Dessert section

Fresh seafood

Fresh seafood

Assorted cheeses

Assorted cheeses

Vegetables, pies, etc

Vegetables, pies, etc

Gobo Upstairs

Gobo Upstairs

Bar counter

Bar counter

Open grill at Gobo Upstairs

Open grill at Gobo Upstairs

For more information and booking details, please visit the official Traders Hotel, Kuala Lumpur website.