Last updated on June 8th, 2024 at 09:22 am

Guide on Where to Stay in Kuala Lumpur for First-Time Visitors

If you’re searching for the best areas to stay in Kuala Lumpur then I’ve got you covered. Kuala Lumpur is one of the most exciting cities I’ve had the pleasure to travel frequently in Southeast Asia through the years.

And I can confidently say these are the 5 Best Areas to Stay in Kuala Lumpur!

So I know which areas tourists should book a hotel for their first trip to Kuala Lumpur based on my experiences. Here in this post, I’ll point out the best areas to stay in Kuala Lumpur that are safe and perfect for sightseeing.

I’m going to make personal recommendations on the best hotels near KL’s nightlife, shopping, and of course most importantly for finding excellent Malay food. I’ll point out where to stay in Kuala Lumpur on a budget or to live it up in 5 star hotels. In essence, you’re going to learn where the best areas to stay in Kuala Lumpur are right here so you can pick that perfect hotel.

And as you can see from this post, I really do enjoy eating in Kuala Lumpur and that’s just one of the many reasons why I am so passionate about coming to KL.

3 Quick Tips on Your Kuala Lumpur Hotel Search for Your First Trip in Malaysia

1. Book your KL hotels near a train line. It’s one of the best ways to get around and explore the city. I recommend staying at a hotel near any of the hotels along the KL Monorail Line, specifically Imbi Station and Bukit Bintang Station.
2. If you can’t stand the smell of cigarettes then be sure to specify you want a nonsmoking floor. Trust me on this you’ll thank me later.
3. Don’t be turned off if you see a room rate that is too cheap. Many $20USD per night hotel rooms in Kuala Lumpur are decent and clean but on the small side. And there may not be a window.

The 5 Best Areas to Stay in Kuala Lumpur for First-Time Visitors

1. Bukit Bintang– Kuala Lumpur’s primary shopping center with many hotels from guest houses to the city’s top 5-star hotels. From here you’re in easy walking distance to explore popular parts of the city. My recommendation and one of the best areas to stay in Kuala Lumpur.
2. Changkat– If you like your hotels near bars for booze then Changkat is where you want to be. From dive pubs to wine bars if you pick a hotel near Changkat you’ll be right at home.
3. KL Sentral– Trains and buses plus a shopping center all rolled into one at KL Sentral. KL Sentral is the city’s main transportation hub so book a hotel here if you’re planning on taking day trips out from KL.
4. Chinatown – Sort of the city’s historic district with old-fashioned shophouses, restaurants, and counterfeit luxury goods markets.
5. Kuala Lumpur City Center (KLCC)– Here’s where you’ll find lots of 5-star hotels in KL’s business district. Hotels in this area are close to KL’s most famous building and landmark, the Petronas Towers. LRT Ampang Line has a few stations around KLCC.

Below I have a selection of four hotels in five different areas of KL that I think you will enjoy staying in.

All the locations I recommend are right in central Kuala Lumpur, perfect for any first-time visitors for sightseeing purposes. Keep reading and you’ll know why they are the 5 best areas to stay in Kuala Lumpur for first-time visitors!

But first, check out my video and get a quick look at traveling to Kuala Lumpur from Bangkok. There’s also a review of Chaos Hotel in Bukit Bintang!

The first area I highly recommend staying in is called Bukit Bintang. It’s my favorite area in Kuala Lumpur!

1. Bukit Bintang

Hotel Price Range: $25USD to $250USD
Subway Line: KL Monorail Bukit Bintang station and LRT Bukit Bintang station
Why Stay in Bukit Bintang: Everything’s here, food, shopping, and train stations. One of the best areas to stay in Kuala Lumpur even for backpackers on a budget.

Speaking from personal travel experiences in KL, I really do believe that Bukit Bintang is one of the best areas to stay in Kuala Lumpur ever.

Bukit Bintang is like the Times Square of New York City. It has flashy billboard lights, and shopping centers, full of activity and people. I highly recommend booking a hotel in the Bukit Bintang area of Kuala Lumpur for your very first visit.

Yes sure it’s where all the tourists go to stay. And that’s for a good reason. Everything you could want and possibly need for a fun experience in KL can be found in Bukit Bintang.

Even though Bukit Bintang is such a busy neighborhood prices for hotels are not so expensive. Even though all the top hotel chains like Marriott and Millennium Grand are there believe it or not you can find economy hotels with single rooms as cheap as $25USD.

That’s not bad at all considering you can easily walk to the posh shopping centers of Bukit Bintang and walk to Jalan Alor, KL’s famous street food haven.

For traveling families Bukit Bintang will be the perfect location for kids and most certainly for adults.

Le Apple Boutique KL – Check Rates

Chaos Hotel – Check Rates

Capitol Hotel KL – Check Rates

Grand Millennium KL – Check Rates

I highly recommend staying at a hotel in Bukit Bintang, especially when it’s your first visit to Kuala Lumpur. It’s easy to travel to and get to where you need to go because of the train stations. There are so many varieties of restaurants all around plus the shopping malls to check out.

Trust me, after staying in Bukit Bintang for yourself you will know for sure why it’s one of the best areas to stay in Kuala Lumpur.

But for the more adult crowd, it’s not a bad idea to look into Kuala Lumpur’s Changkat area, which is not far from Bukit Bintang.

2. Changkat

Hotel Price Range: $15USD to $250USD
Subway Line: KL Monorail Bukit Bintang station and LRT Bukit Bintang station
Why Stay in Changkat: The mecca of international bars and pubs in KL. Easy walking distance to Bukit Bintang and KLCC. Changkat is easily one of the best areas to stay in Kuala Lumpur for nightlife.

Changkat borders Bukit Bintang so it’s still an advantageous location for your first visit to Kuala Lumpur. The only difference is you have to walk just a little further to Bukit Bintang Monorail station and LRT Bukit Bintang station. But if you put yourself up at a hotel near Changkat you’ll be near KL’s popular mini pub crawl street that is closed off at night to vehicles.

Changkat is also near Jalan Alor, KL’s famous tourist food spot popular for hawker stands and foods found throughout Southeast Asia. Jalan Alor is where you should go find famous Malay food and other Southeast Asian favorites.

Also, a strip of affordable massage parlors can be found along the streets leading to Changkat. A great little location in KL for adult travelers. So I recommend staying at Changkat for KL’s nightlife. Because the location is also not far from Bukit Bintang. The only difference is that Changkat is a more adult-oriented neighborhood in Kuala Lumpur.

Out of the four hotels on this Changkat hotel list I recommend Izumi Hotel Bukit Bintang and you can take a look at my post review here.

Stay in Changkat and you’ll know why it’s one of the best areas to stay in Kuala Lumpur for partying.

Hotel Izumi – Check Rates

The Yard Boutique – Check Rates

Melange Boutique – Check Rates

Ramada Suites – Check Rates

Changkat is a decent area to pick and choose hotels as there are also many hotels in low price ranges to slightly upscale hotel properties to book.

It is a more adult-oriented location in Kuala Lumpur so you may come across touts looking to persuade men to partake in “special” massages. But even so, Changkat is a pretty good area to stay and explore Kuala Lumpur during your first-ever visit to the city.

3. KL Sentral

Hotel Price Range: $30USD to $250USD
Subway Line: All train lines and certain bus lines converge at KL Sentral
Why Stay in KL Sentral: If you’re in KL for a few days and need quick access to KLIA airports. KL Sentral is the best area to stay in Kuala Lumpur for shopping.

KL Sentral is where you can find the most good quality budget hotels in Kuala Lumpur.

As the transportation hub of Kuala Lumpur, there won’t be a problem finding a hotel in KL Sentral. From there you can travel to most parts of the city via the train system and even to most parts of Peninsular Malaysia.

Every single train line in Peninsular Malaysia converges on KL Sentral. This is why this is a great area to choose a hotel if you’re planning on exploring Western Malaysia.

Another reason why KL Sentral is a very good area to pick a hotel in Kuala Lumpur is because it’s attached to NU Sentral Mall. So you’re not far off from retail therapy as well as a wide variety of dining options from fast food to casual sit-in dining.

Because KL Sentral is linked to all train lines you can take a quick trip to Bukit Bintang as well as Changkat. So you’re not far off from popular tourist spots in Kuala Lumpur. This is one of the main reasons why KL Sentral is one of the best areas to stay in Kuala Lumpur.

Citi Hotel @KL Sentral – Check Rates

NU Sentral KL – Check Rates

Easy Hotel Sentral – Check Rates

Ascott KL Sentral – Check Rates

As I mentioned earlier I am a frequent visitor to Kuala Lumpur. Sometimes I just visit for a few days and when I do I prefer to book a hotel near KL Sentral. Mainly because I like using the KLIA Express train located beneath KL Sentral station to get to the airport.

NU Sentral Mall which is connected to KL Sentral station has lots of retail brand name stores as well as plenty of casual restaurants plus Western fast food chains.

KL Sentral is an ideal area to stay in KL when you’re planning on exploring Kuala Lumpur and other parts of beautiful Malaysia.

4. Chinatown

Hotel Price Range: $10USD to $70USD
Subway Line: Chinatown is a wide area. Pasar Seni MRT is in the center of Chinatown. KL Monorail Line Mahajarela is near the entrance to Petaling Street. Then up north of KL’s Chinatown is Masjid Jamek LRT station.
Why Stay in Chinatown: The old world meets the new world at KL’s Chinatown. Chinatown is the best area to stay in Kuala Lumpur on a budget.

Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown is a colorful and lively part of the city filled with restaurants and hawker stands serving up good cheap eats and cheap shopping. If you’re here you’re looking for hotels near or along Petaling Street.

Petaling Street is KL’s shopping bizarre filled with loads of goods, mostly cheap and fake but that’s part of the fun, isn’t it?

You can also walk to other points of interest in KL such as Central Market and Merdeka Square, sight of KL’s independence.

So if you want to see the old parts of Kuala Lumpur, picking a hotel right in KL’s Chinatown will put you in touch with KL’s rich history. This is why many consider Chinatown as one of the best areas to stay in Kuala Lumpur.

I Highly Recommend the Ahyu Hotel in Chinatown

I frequently stay at Ahyu Hotel when I come to Kuala Lumpur alone. It’s a short walk to Masjid Jamek LRT station. So it is easy for me to get to this hotel from KL Sentral after taking the 1 hour 30-minute bus ride from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).

Rooms cost about USD 20 with taxes and these are the rooms with windows. So of course windowless rooms are cheaper. Most importantly it is clean and the rooms look new and in good condition. There’s a small fridge, room safe and the Wi-Fi internet speed is sufficient.

The front staff service is super friendly, it is a terrific hotel! And you will enjoy the Indian restaurants nearby. I certainly did!

Tian Jing Hotel – Check Rates

Avenue J Hotel – Check Rates

Big M Hotel – Check Rates

Pacific Express Hotel – Check Rates

Currently, it’s a good time to start your exploration of KL by booking a hotel in Chinatown. Through the years I’ve noticed that this little slice of KL is undergoing major renovation. New hotels are built up and many small businesses, particularly hipster cafés and restaurants are popping up all over the area.

KL’s Chinatown is undoubtedly one of my favorite spots in the city and it’ll be interesting to see how the transformation will look.

Regardless I find Chinatown is the best area in Kuala Lumpur for budget travelers.

5. Kuala Lumpur City Center (KLCC)

Hotel Price Range: $40USD to $300USD
Subway Line: Ampang Line and KLCC
Why Stay in Kuala Lumpur City Center (KLCC): This is KL’s flash business center with many new hotels including 4-star properties. Best hotels in the Kuala Lumpur area all in the KLCC area.

If cash is not a concern for you then KLCC has the best hotels in Kuala Lumpur for you. KLCC neighborhood is Kuala Lumpur’s financial business area. I stayed in KLCC the fewest times because I used to go over to the Thai Embassy in KL to apply for a new visa.

KLCC is where you will find the most high-class business hotels in Kuala Lumpur. If you have the money and can pay for high-end hotel rooms then KLCC is the best area to stay in Kuala Lumpur for you.

KLCC is also where you can find the Petronas Towers, Malaysia’s famous skyscraper. Staying at KLCC you’ll still have some advantages when exploring the rest of Kuala Lumpur. There are several LRT train lines located along KLCC.

There are also a few shopping centers and the biggest one is located on the lower levels of the Petronas Towers. Plenty of restaurants can be found in the area as well. But if you’re staying there check out the food court inside Suria KLCC on level 2.

Le Apple Boutique KLCC – Check Rates

Impiana KLCC Hotel – Check Rates

Pacific Regency KLCC – Check Rates

Double Tree Hilton – Check Rates

KLCC area is a bit more spread out. So I recommend looking for a hotel near the Petronas Towers because it’ll just be more convenient for sightseeing on your first visit to KL. The closest one on this list is Le Apple Boutique KLCC which is a very nice hotel with and in walking distance to an LRT train station too plus a shopping center.

The Takeaway

Kuala Lumpur is an amazing city to explore in Malaysia. I travel there often back and forth from Thailand at least 3 or 4 times a year. So I’m quite familiar with the areas of KL particularly where to stay for sightseeing.

Please remember the 10MYR per night hotel tax that was introduced on September 1st, 2017. You pay directly to the hotel upon check-in. However, if you book with a hotel booking website like Agoda.com, the tax is collected through their portal.

Now that you know where the best areas to stay in Kuala Lumpur are I’m sure you’re going to fall in love with the city as much as I have. It’s been one of my favorite cities to visit ever since my first visit. I’m pretty sure you’ll feel the same way on your very first memorable trip to Kuala Lumpur.

What to Eat in Kuala Lumpur