Avenue Garden Hotel

The doorman, bellboy, and security guard provided excellent service. The room was another story: the bed was too small for two, more like a single bed in a four- or five-star hotel, and there was just one pillow per person. The toilet was in poor shape, with a cracked sink and black stains. There were only two plug sockets for a four-person room, and the iron was in a shared spot at the end of the hall. Parking was the worst part. The lot behind the hotel isn't run by the hotel and costs RM5 an hour; valet parking is RM20 for 24 hours. The free parking building is across from the hotel, but there's no direct entrance, so a 1 km trip becomes 3-5 km depending on available parking. There's also a RM7 nightly charge. They say that's because it's a four- or five-star hotel, but the accommodation didn't feel like that standard.

The toilet hadn't been cleaned properly, with visible stains left by the previous guest. That's basic hygiene, and it's completely unacceptable at this price. I booked because a friend was getting married nearby, and the listing clearly said every room had an iron and ironing board. There was no iron in the room. Instead, guests have to use a shared ironing area at the end of the hallway, something they never mentioned beforehand. At RM331 a night, that setup felt ridiculous and misleading. The stay was overpriced and poorly maintained, and it didn't provide what was advertised. Extremely disappointing and not worth what I paid.

The room had plenty of space, but there was no iron in it, so guests need to bring their own. The hotel controls the central water heater with set on and off times, leaving the water cold in the morning and at night. During the rainy season this made showering especially uncomfortable for the kids. The stay fell short of what I expected, and I wouldn't choose this hotel again.

I was kept awake all night by extremely loud, irritating noise, like sleeping in the cab of a running Malaysia lorry. Around 5am it got even worse, with a sudden shake and rumbling from what sounded like a kitchen exhaust. I couldn't face going to breakfast just to get away from the noise. This was room 115, a corner room. Avoid it at all costs.