Review: Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral in Malaysia gave us the total opposite of “Bonvoyed”
On a recent trip to southeast Asia, the Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral completely exceeded our expectations. While there are many stories of people getting “Bonvoyed” since the inception of the new Marriott Bonvoy rewards program, this Marriott brand wowed us. Here’s a review of our positive experience that has changed the way we see travel for the future.
The Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral sits conveniently across from the main train station, which is why we wound up here. The express train from the airport to the city runs to KL Sentral, and there are several hotels available using points nearby: the Hilton, the St. Regis, and this Aloft from Marriott. I’ll be honest that I knew nothing about Aloft when booking.
Option requiring least number of points
Originally, I had thought this would be a solo trip and went for the option needing the least points. This gem only costs an affordable 12,500 Marriott Bonvoy points a night. The Aloft wowed us in terms of location, amenities included in this “budget” Marriott brand, and the staff. The staff are the most incredible part of this hotel.
My wife’s plans changed to join me for this leg of the trip at the last minute, arriving the day before me. They treated her amazingly for her Marriott Gold status (automatic, courtesy of the Amex Business Platinum card), despite the fact I don’t really see this as a special status. They gave her a room with a view and included a selection of snacks and drinks for free. The room even a bean bag chair!
Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral as a Great Home Base
After 2 days in Kuala Lumpur, we did some short trips to other places in the region, using the Aloft as our home base between trips.
Here’s where this hotel became amazing: after they saw that we had left and come back, they asked about where we’d gone. They offered to let us leave our suitcase in their storage room on our following excursions. Just go with the necessary items in our small backpacks to make things easier.
I hadn’t thought to ask about this. It never crossed my mind that a hotel would let me check out and leave my suitcase there for 2 days before coming back. “You are a platinum member, and your wife is gold.” They thought it natural to seek opportunities to make our stay and our vacation better. That also included time away from the property.
Final thoughts
I can’t say enough good things about the location and the staff at Aloft. The services offered for what is one of the lower-ranking Marriott brands really impressed me. If you visit Kuala Lumpur, this is a great option that’s easy on your Marriott points balance.
I’ll also use this idea for future trip planning when a side trip is involved. If I can use hotel status to leave a bag and travel with a carry-on, that saves time and hassle. It also could save money when flying on discount airlines that charge for bags.
Cheers to not getting Bonvoyed!
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