Review: Swiss Inn Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

On one of my trips to Kuala Lumpur recently, I stayed at the Swiss Inn Hotel on Jalan Sultan and Petaling Street in the heart of Chinatown. The Swiss Inn Hotel was recommended to me by a co-worker, who had stayed there with his girlfriend a couple of months previously. So, it was with surprise that I realized the standard of the Swiss Inn Hotel in Kuala Lumpur was nowhere near what I was used to, and there was absolutely no chance I would ever stay there again. I very rarely write negative reviews about hotels I stay in, but the Swiss Inn Hotel so few redeeming qualities, that's why this review is so bad.

The Staff at The Swiss Inn Hotel - I've stayed in at least six other hotels in Kuala Lumpur, and have always had excellent experiences with the staff. Malaysian hotels usually have very helpful, friendly staff that provide superb customer service. So, when I arrived at the Swiss Inn Hotel, I was extremely shocked to discover the staff were not only not particularly helpful but, in some instances, were downright rude. This attitude was pervasive throughout the hotel from the reception desk staff to the cafe staff and almost everyone in between.

The Room at the Swiss Inn Hotel - Hotel rooms in Kuala Lumpur are often smaller than similar hotels in Thailand, the country I live in. However, they are still usually a decent enough size. The room at the Swiss Inn Hotel was the tiniest room I've ever slept in and had a bathroom that was literally the width of the door. To go to the toilet, you had to leave the door open as you couldn't close it or it would bang your legs and, the shower flooded the entire bathroom no matter how much you tried to avoid it. Towels were old and thin and, in one case, dirty.

On top of the tiny size of the room, it was one of the dirtiest rooms I've ever stayed in. There was a large damp patch on one wall, I didn't even dare step on the carpet it had so much grime in it, and the bed was on a lean as the springs were gone and one leg was collapsing. Sheets were thin and grey, and the towels were like postage stamps. I was literally so frightened about sleeping with the light off, as I wasn't sure what bugs would come out of the wall, that I slept with the lights on for the four nights I stayed there.

Weirdly, the hotel itself outside my room, was very clean, especially the corridors. It does seem like though, because I stayed in the old wing, the rooms were rundown, smelly and musty. In the new wing of the hotel, the rooms are much more upscale and better taken care of, but the price is much higher too.

The Food at the Swiss Inn Hotel - Unlike Thailand, breakfasts in Malaysian hotels are not usually particularly good, so I wasn't surprised that the Swiss Inn Hotel's breakfast was basically coffee and fruit juice, toast, eggs and sausages, with a couple of Malaysian dishes I wasn't familiar with. The food was fine, not good, not bad, just indifferent but, because breakfast was included in the price of the room, I didn't have any complaint.

I did eat dinner one night in the hotel cafe, Cafe Petaling, and the food was adequate. I ordered a hamburger and fries and a coke and, as the price was quite inexpensive and the food tasted fine, I would probably eat there again.

The Location of the Swiss Inn Hotel - Location-wise, the Swiss Inn Hotel is good if you like to be in the middle of Chinatown. It's actually big enough that it's located on two streets, one entrance being on Petaling Street and the other entrance on the next street parallel to Petaling Street, Jalan Sultan. It's also close to the train station, Pasar Seni station, so if you don't have heavy bags, it's only a five minute walk to get there.

A lot of people however like the location as Petaling Street is famous throughout Kuala Lumpur for the night market, where you can buy thousands of inexpensive products. There are also many shops, restaurants, bars and cafes near by, so it's a fun place to wander around. Be warned, however, it can get a little noisy at night if you are at the very front or the very back of the hotel so request a middle room if possible (only problem with this is many of these rooms don't have windows,which makes it depressing during the daytime.

The Price of the Swiss Inn Hotel - I stayed in a Superior Room with no window and paid $57 per night. I made the mistake however of booking through AsiaRooms.com and discovered later they charge almost $20 a night more than most other websites, so check around before you book. Other rooms with windows, and in the newer wing, begin at $75 a night on up.

In conclusion of my review I would say, overall, stay away from the Swiss Inn Hotel if you plan on a trip to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The quality of Malaysian hotels is usually quite high so there's much better choices in Kuala Lumpur than the Swiss Inn Hotel.