The Izumi Hotel – Just One of Many Two Star Budget Hotels in KL
I’ve come across the Izumi Hotel name quite a few times while searching for budget 2 star hotels in the Bukit Bintang neighborhood of Kuala Lumpur.
So this time I decided to book a room at the Izumi for a couple of nights so I could do this review.
Bukit Bintang has tons of budget hotels and guest houses. But the Izumi is in a pretty good location. Just a short 5 to 10 minute walk from Air-Asia Bukit Bintang KL Monorail station.
And there are so many shopping centers, restaurants and nightlife to enjoy also within walking distance near Izumi Hotel.
Bukit Bintang’s famous Jalan Alor food street is about a 10 minute walk and you’ll also find many bars and pubs as the area is quite popular mostly with tourists.
I always tell fellow travelers that Bukit Bintang is a good choice for budget hotels and the Izumi Hotel is a perfect example.
Two Stars But Nothing More
The Izumi Hotel is a 2 star rated hotel at most. On some hotel booking websites I see it rated as 3 star hotel. Not sure where that extra star came from but whatever.
There is nothing wrong with 2 star hotels in my opinion as long as they’re clean and comfortable.
As in the case of Izumi Hotel I like it because it’s clean, comfortable and modern. And the hotel is relatively new because the Izumi Hotel was built in 2014.
That said, you’re always going to find minor faults at any budget hotel in KL. In the instance of Izumi there were small reddish brown stains on bed linen. Some of the bathroom fixtures looked as if it needed some screw tightening.
Pretty much every budget hotel I’ve ever stayed in KL have some sort of room maintenance issue and stains on bed sheets. It just comes with the territory I suppose.
Take a look at my reviews for Sky Hotel Bukit Bintang and Hotel Capitol that are all in the vicinity of Izumi Hotel. All have the same particular faults but not a big deal really.
Location, Location, Location
I can easily recommend Izumi Hotel to anyone visiting Bukit Bintang. It’s at a great location near KL monorail stations. Plenty of food option from Indian, Malaysian and Arab. Lots of shopping centers if that’s what you’re into.
What I do like is a good massage and there are plenty of massage shops near the Izumi Hotel.
And I paid about $40USD including taxes for the night. No breakfast. But the free Wi-Fi worked pretty well and the air con kept me chilly. And the bed was comfortable as long as I stayed away from the side with the stains.
Overall I can easily recommend the Izumi Hotel as one of the better budget hotels in Kuala Lumpur.
Hotel Capitol – A Nice Budget Hotel in Bukit Bintang
Recently I booked a few nights at Hotel Capitol in Kuala Lumpur to make this review. Usually I stay over at the nearby Sky Hotel Bukit Bintang but I passed by Hotel Capitol many times. This time I decided to stay at Hotel Capitol so I could check it out and share my thoughts here.
Also while I was checking room rates I saw Hotel Capitol was charging about $60USD a night including taxes on Agoda. So I figured why not check it out for a couple of nights. As it wasn’t that expensive at the time.
Hotel Capitol is listed as a 3 star hotel but there’s no gym or swimming pool. Which is not unusual for budget hotels around Kuala Lumpur.
Hotel Capitol Location
If you want to be in the heart of shopping centers with good mix of Malay, Chinese, Middle Eastern and Indian foods, Bukit Bintang will not disappoint you.
Hotel Capitol is located on Jalan Bulan 1, just several minutes walk from the main drag of Jalan Bukit Bintang. It’s about a 5 minute walk from Imbi KL Monorail station.
I never bothered taking a taxi to any hotel I’ve stayed in Bukit Bintang. I’ve always used the KL Monorail system because it’s easy and cheap from KL Sentral station.
If you are not familiar with the area, the best way to find Hotel Capitol is to locate Low Yat Plaza, a popular electronics mall in Bukit Bintang. Low Yat Plaza is directly right across from the hotel.
What’s Nearby
As I already mentioned there are many restaurants near Hotel Capitol especially shopping centers:
Jalan Alor – This very popular street food area is a 5 minute walk from Hotel Capitol and opens during the evening hours. Although Jalan Alor is popular I suggest checking out other restaurants especially local Indian food centers.
Fahrenheit Shopping Center – A shopping center brand name and loca Malay shops as well.
Pavilion Shopping Mall – The is KL’s premier luxury shopping center.
Lot 10 – Not a great selection of shops at Lot 10. But there is a very good food court in the basement level.
Sungwei Plaza – This humongous shopping center is particularly popular with the locals. It’s kind of like the MBK shopping center in Bangkok. You can find a lot of knock off and counterfeit items inside Sungwei Plaza.
Berjaya Times Square – Of all the shopping centers the Berjaya Times Square is the most popular particularly with the locals and foreign tourists. There’s even a small amusement park inside.
Hotel Capitol Kuala Lumpur Review
Hotel Capitol is not a big hotel with 235 rooms. When I made my booking via Agoda I requested a non smoking room on a high floor. If you can’t stand the stench of cigarettes you best ask for a non-smoking room because in Malaysia a lot of people smoke.
For the first night I had to stay at a smoking room though because there were no non-smoking rooms available when I checked in. Luckily the next day one was available so hotel reception helped me make a room change.
A million dollar view for budget room price at Hotel Capitol…
I specifically requested a high room because I’ve read that you can get a really nice city view of Kuala Lumpur, especially the magnificently lit up Petronas Twin Towers.
And I got a room on the 11th floor which I was happy to find out that the entire floor has non smoking rooms. So you don’t really need to get a room that high up.
Still A Good Budget Hotel in Kuala Lumpur
Hotel Capitol was built in 1997. So it’s an old hotel and it really shows on the room carpets. I am not aware if the hotel has gone through any major renovations but I certainly do see certain repairs and upgrades, at least in the rooms I’ve been in.
I do have a gripe which is I found a few old stains on the bed sheets. I’ve been to many budget hotels in Asia and it’s one thing you just learn to expect.
I have seen some photos of Hotel Capitol’s premium and bigger rooms but those cost 4 times the price of a superior room. To me I can’t justify paying that much for a 3 star hotel.
But if you’re traveling alone and you just need a good clean(ish) hotel to sleep in with many excellent nearby restaurants, shopping and train stations Hotel Capitol is a recommended budget hotel in Bukit Bintang.
For discounts and and to read current guests reviews for Hotel Capitol Kuala Lumpur click here.
One of my favorite cities in another country to visit from Thailand is Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. It’s just a short flight from Bangkok and then a couple of train rides to a popular tourist hot spot called Bukit Bintang where I always choose a hotel.
Bukit Bintang – A Popular Tourists Destination
And there is a KL Monorail station right in the heart of Bukit Bintang so there’s no need to rely on taxis getting to the airport or anywhere else within KL proper.
I’ve stayed in various hotels all over Bukit Bintang that cost between $40USD to $75USD. On a recent visit to KL, I stayed in Sky Hotel Bukit Bintang for the very first time. This is a budget hotel located on a very quiet corner of Jalan Bukit Bintang and Jalan Bintang.
Today it is evermore
This hotel is super easy to find. It’s about a 5-minute walk from the Imbi KL Monorail station. Alternatively, you can get off Bukit Bintang KL Monorail Station too and from there walk west on Jalan Bukit Bintang which requires a 10-minute walk.
Points of Interest Around Sky Hotel
One of the reasons why I like staying around Bukit Bintang is because there are lots of malls. Ironically I’m not a shopper. But I just like walking around and checking stuff out. Okay, occasionally I’ll splurge and buy a little something.
There’s the posh Pavillion Mall where you can find a lot of high-end fashion clothes, jewelry, and many sorts of goods and services. I usually chill out at a cafe called Coffee Coffea on the top floor almost every day. This mall is about a 15-minute walk due east on Jalan Bukit Bintang from Sky Hotel Bukit Bintang.
Then there’s Sungwei Plaza. It’s kind of the MBK Mall in Bangkok where you find all sorts of odds and ends. Clothing, luggage, electronics, watches, and mobile phones are all there mashed into one giant shopping center. This mall is about a 10-minute walk to Sky Hotel and has a station connection to Bukit Bintang KL Monorail station.
Lot 10 is a medium-sized mall with brand names such as Zara and H&M. There is also an Isetan inside but as of writing, it’s undergoing major renovation. The upper floors of Lot 10 seem quiet with most of the big-name shops occupying the street level. Be sure to check out the food courts in the basement level where you will discover a lot of Malaysian good eats. Lot 10 is directly across Sungwei Plaza.
Low Yat Plaza is the mall to go for gadgets and techs. I don’t know if the prices for computers, cell phones, and cameras inside are good or not but seems like a good place to go for those items.
Finally, there’s Berjaya Times Square. It’s the mother of all malls in the Bukit Bintang area. And it’s only a 5-minute walk to Sky Hotel Bukit Bintang. It’s all the malls I mentioned above combined into one. That’s how big it is. There’s even a small amusement park on the upper floor and you’ll also find a movie theater inside as well.
The Hotel Review
So now you know what’s around the hotel’s area. Sky Hotel is listed as a 3-star hotel. I rate it in the 2-star category. 2 stars is not a bad thing though. I booked a room with no windows for around $35USD a night with taxes included. No breakfast, however, but I don’t even think this hotel serves food anyhow.
Upon check-in, I was given a choice of whether I wanted to stay on the lower floor or the higher floor.
I asked the receptionist which was better?
The answer was the lower floor rooms were in better shape. So I said okay I’ll stay on the lower floor.
Not a lot of channels on the television but what it had counts. There was the BBC and some Fox movie channels. A couple of bottled waters are complimentary every night and there is an electric kettle to make tea.
When I got to my room it was what I expected. There’s no window but I knew that already before I booked it. There is a room safe in the closet with decent space and the bathroom was spacious too. Not bad though there were minor flaws in the room I’m not the type to go off about it.
For example, on some nights my towels looked grey and passed its prime with old blotches of brown stains. A quick call to reception and the towels were replaced. The bum gun looked like it was missing an important piece. But I could live without the bum gun. You can’t complain because the room costs $35 a night. At least the bed was clean and comfortable.
There’s a tiny room with 3 new-looking cardio machines. It looks way too tight inside but I have to give them an A for effort.
One big gripe that I have with the hotel however is the doors that join rooms together. Those doors were really thin. You could even hear the TV in the other room on. For a couple of nights, at least three guys were staying next to my room talking loudly. One of them even laughed like a hyena. No seriously, a hyena.
The hotel should bulk up those doors for better soundproofing. I asked reception if I could move to another room but that was the only room type I booked that was available. Though reception offered to speak to the guests in the next room on my behalf I said it was okay as I found out they were checking out the next day. I could put up with the hyena for one more night.
The Verdict
Overall, Sky Hotel Bukit Bintang was satisfactory and certainly one of the better-budget hotels in Kuala Lumpur. Though I know that there are many hotels in the area that if you pay a little bit more you’ll get an even better quality room. But if I can’t get a good rate elsewhere I would certainly stay at this hotel again.
Because the Sky Hotel is certainly in a very good area, close to two KL Monorail stations of Imbi and Bukit Bintang. And there are so many restaurants nearby that are cheap and taste so good from Chinese to Indian cuisine.
The studio no window room I stayed in at the time cost about $ 35 USD a night. If you want a window room but the same 18 square meter size you will have to pay about $8USD to $12USD more. Still not a bad deal at all.
Read more guests reviews and find discounts for Sky Hotel Bukit Bintang here.
I’ve always been a fan of Ibis hotels. But when I found out that the Ibis Hua Hin allows cats and dogs into guest rooms I became an even bigger fan!
Toby our blue tabby cat loves to travel too. That’s cause he’s got the wayfaring travel bug. But there are not a lot of hotels that allow pets in Hua Hin. Last I checked there were about 5 in and around Hua Hin. But some pet friendly hotels in Hua Hin are too expensive. And the cheaper ones had some really bad reviews.
However, the Ibis Hua Hin was just right in every aspect. It’s a clean hotel though the standard guest rooms are only 20 square meters. Though their space saving furniture design doesn’t make you feel claustrophobic. And the bed is pretty comfortable too. It’s a short 5 minute walk to a beautiful stretch of Hua Hin’s beach. The service from hotel staff is friendly and courteous.
Reasonably Priced Hotel in Hua Hin but Skip the Breakfast
And it only cost me 1400THB per night including taxes, that’s about $40USD at current exchange rates. The downside is they charge 200THB for breakfast. Normally, it’s 250THB but if you pre-pay for breakfast at check in the Ibis gives you a 50THB discount. We stayed for 3 nights so breakfast for my wife and I totaled 1200THB. That’s nearly the price for an extra night.
Now, I wouldn’t mind paying for good food. But the breakfast at this particular Ibis was truly unimpressive and certainly not worth 200THB. It’s a mix of Western and Thai dishes with not a whole lot of variety. We stayed there for 3 nights and the food just got boring. There’s no egg station where you can order up a fresh cooked omelet or scrambled eggs. Many hotels these days even in the 2 star range has an egg station.
Still A Good Value Hotel to Stay if You’re Bringing Your Pet
Okay, so I’m not staying there just for the breakfast. Most important factor we made on deciding to choose Ibis was because it’s pet friendly.
No pets over 10Kg are allowed however. While staying there I saw quite a few guests with pets. All of them had dogs and from what I saw we were the only ones with a cat. Some guests even had 2 dogs. And pets are not allowed in the dining area as well as the swimming pool. And you can’t leave them alone in the room.
But there were several times we had to leave Toby in the room during the day. If you’re a cat owner then you know already cats sleep during the day. So taking him out during that time is like carrying a sack of rice around for nothing.
There’s room under the sink for a litter box, that’s where we put it…
We just waited until room cleaning was done before leaving our little guy to rest in the comforts of an air conditioned room. What a lucky guy!
Ibis is a very pet friendly hotel in Hua Hin…
No pets allowed at the pool…
But guests with pets are allowed to eat breakfast in the lobby area. Though pets are not allowed in the swimming pool area.
Good Location, Reasonable Rates, The Ibis is Okay in My Book!
Ibis Hua Hin provides guest free shuttle service to most areas in central Hua Hin along Phetchkasem Road. The furthest I think the shuttle will take guests is to Hua Hin Night Market. But you have to make reservations ahead of time at reception. I forgot to take a picture of the shuttle but it fits about 9 to 12 people.
You can also walk to the popular Cicada Weekend Night Market, it’s south of the hotel about a 10 minute walk. The hotel shuttle service can take you there as well.
I really like this hotel. Even if I wasn’t traveling with Toby I would still stay at the Ibis Hua Hin. And although their breakfast is bad I can easily overlook that. But I think most people will like this hotel because it’s a clean hotel with friendly service and not a far walk to the beach.
Read current guests reviews and find discounts for Ibis Hua Hin.
How To Get There
It’s super easy to find this hotel. Go down Petchtkasaem Road (Highway #4) heading towards Khao Takiab. It’s the first hotel you’ll see at the entrance of Khao Takiab.
TheWayfaringSoul.com is an online travel guide to Asia. Written by Warren, a native New Yorker and long-term resident in Thailand.
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