Swiss Garden's New Concept Rooms

I suppose I am bias. I consider the folks over at Swiss Garden Hotel Kuala Lumpur friends. You know what? I am not the only one to think so.

Maybe it is the thoughtful décor in my room which makes me want to sit on the laminated wooden flooring and dive into the mind of the artist.

Maybe it is how the brilliance of the city sunshine is effortlessly diffused into a warm glow in the room. Maybe it is just the easy smile of the hotel’s staff members and the friendly banter that greets any return guest.

And there are plenty of return guests.

The art doesn’t stop at the rooms, even the food is beautifully presented.

The hotel’s new concept rooms are surprisingly spacious. Benson Lim, the designer and architect from Tokyo Design Culture who oversaw the hotel’s RM30mil facelift, tells me no walls were knocked down. Instead, carefully planned features were employed.

Each of Swiss Garden Kuala Lumpur’s new concept room is diagonally designed in two parts. As you enter the room, you are transported into the earthy facet of the hotel’s design. The laminated wooden flooring is complemented by the wall’s textured Zebrano panelling.

According to general manager Jerina Foong, “We have used earth tones to lend warmth and give a homely feel to all the rooms. The darker shades used will complement the lighting and give you the perfect ambience.”

Towards the middle of the room, though, you get soft pastels in shades of brown and beige. This half of the room is carpeted. Curtains in heavy crinkle copper drape over the windows. A bold headboard flanked by bedside lamps in chic blackcurrant purple canvas presents the room’s centrepiece – a luxurious king-sized bed.

The e-Lounge on the Privilege floor. — MAJIDAH HASHIM

Now, even if you can’t decipher the design features, the room does make for a fascinating dive into the hues of earth, and a bold and meek play of colours.

Style and comfort are not the only perks of staying at Swiss Garden Hotel Kuala Lumpur. On the Swiss Privilege floor is the hotel’s exclusive e-Lounge. The lounge is meant to cater to the tech-savvy business traveller, offering high-speed Internet access and all-day refreshments.

And this is where I – the discerning business traveller – park for the better half of an afternoon. A bookcase stands invitingly at one corner. Tastefully blended into the decor are flat-screen computer terminals. On the left wing of the lounge, a few homey sofa sets sit in the sunshine.

The lounge opens up to a cosy balcony with an interesting water feature, extending into the Kuala Lumpur skyline.

Later in the evening as the city lights up, the cool evening air settles into this snug and incredibly personal corner of the lounge.

My company for the evening is Linda Wong, the marketing and communications manager here who tells me that the lounge also caters to exclusive private functions: a barbecue on the balcony, perhaps, or a romantic candlelit get-together?

Over an elegant champagne breakfast at the lounge next morning, I watch one smartly dressed guest after another check into the lounge for their technology fix. Anxiously, they access their e-mail, replying a few and beginning their day with a smile.

You can lose yourself in the comforts of Swiss Garden Hotel Kuala Lumpur and still stay in touch with the world outside.

Swiss Garden Hotel
Kuala Lumpur
117, Jalan Pudu
Kuala Lumpur
Tel: (03) 2141 3333
Fax: (03) 2142 5555
Toll free: 1 800 88 3093
E-mail: resvns_sghkl@swissgarden.com
www.swissgarden.com

o Swiss Garden Hotel Kuala Lumpur’s new concept rooms include Deluxe Rooms, Executive Rooms, Family Rooms, Junior Suites and Executive Suites. The hotel’s e- Louge is located on the 11th floor and is open daily from 7am to 11pm.

Source : STAR
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