Last updated on November 11th, 2015 at 10:10 am

Excellent Location and Not So Expensive…

Whenever I get asked where is a good place to stay in Kuala Lumpur I always suggest an area called Bukit Bintang. I’ve stayed in a couple of hotels in that area but the one I frequently stay at is called the Piccolo Hotel (called ANSA Kuala Lumpur Hotel today).

The Piccolo was built back in 2008. Yeah, it sounds old but it’s remarkably well kept. And although I’m not a 100% sure there must’ve been some renovation done sometime ago to look the way it looks.

Piccolo Hotel superior room are about 30 square meters...

ANSA Hotel superior room are about 30 square meters…

I always choose the superior rooms and for some reason on Agoda.com you get two rates, one cheaper and the other more expensive. So of course I book the cheaper ones which cost about $65USD.

I’ve booked at deluxe room a couple of times at the ANSA Hotel but to me there is not much difference in terms of quality between the two room grades. There’s free in room Wi-Fi internet access too.

Last time I went a superior room at Piccolo cost about $65USD per night with taxes included…

The bathrooms layout could be a little bit weird because the toilet and the shower is not in a separate room. There’s just glass separating those two facilities from the rest of the room. I suppose that’s fine if you’re staying with your spouse or close family but if you’re bunking with a friend it might be kinda uncomfortable due to limited privacy. Or maybe that’s just me.

Toilet and shower stalls in room…

So what’s so good about the ANSA Hotel?

It’s one of the hotels closest to the Bukit Bintang KL Monorail station. I always take the buses from KLIA2 because I fly in from Air Asia. I also take the SkyBus which is Air Asia’s official bus to KL Sentral where I take the KL Monorail line to Bukit Bintang. The SkyBus fare is only RM9.50 and the bus trip takes about 1 hour. A single journey fare from KL Sentral to Bukit Bintang cost RM2.10, very cheap.

KL Monorail Station has two exit points...
KL Monorail runs through popular parts of Kuala Lumpur...
Farenheit Mall is next to Piccolo Hotel...
Lot 10 Mall, also next to Piccolo Hotel, check out the food court in the basement...
Pavillion Mall, a posh mall in Bukit Bintang area, just minutes away on foot from Piccolo Hotel...
Lots of people outside Pavillion Mall on weekends at night...

At KL Sentral you’ll see it’s a major travel hub with trains and buses that go all over Malaysia. There is also a big mall attached to KL Sentral. Follow the signs through the mall and you’ll find the entrance to the KL Monorail. As I recall the station platforms are on the second floor.

And you’ll find a lot of shopping malls adjacent to ANSA KL Hotel:

Lot 10 Mall – Cool food court in the basement.
Sungei Wang Shopping Plaza – This place is kind of like the MBK Mall of Kuala Lumpur.
Farenheit – A mix of luxury shops and local businesses.
Pavillion Mall – A high end posh mall in the heart of Bukit Bintang.

There are a lot of other malls too just a bit further away like the Berjaya Times Square. You can walk there in about 10 or 15 minutes.

A huge plate of food at Food Republic in Pavillion Mall, with a drink it cost about $5.50USD…

Bukit Bintang is also a gem of an area for food. Indian, Arab, Chinese, you name it you’ll find it or a combination of it. It’s a wonderful food paradise. But because Bukit is a tourist area food prices are higher but still manageable.

I forgot to mention, you can also walk to Kuala Lumpur’s most famous landmark, the Petronas Towers in about 30 minutes. The Piccolo is a good hotel for exploring Kuala Lumpur. There’s a KL Hop on Hop Off tour bus that stops right in front of the hotel sidewalk.

Read guests reviews and find current discounts for ANSA Kuala Lumpur. (Note- On Agoda ANSA is rated as a 4 star hotel. Personally I think it’s a 3 at best, which is still good.)