ACES Hotel Kuala Lumpur

We had a really good four-night stay at ACES Hotel. The bed was comfortable, and the water heater and air conditioner both worked well. We also appreciated the cold free water, which was refreshing. Khairul at the front office was kind and helpful, and gave us recommendations for getting around KL. The hotel is handy for Pudu Sentral if you're taking a bus to Melaka City or Genting Highland, and it's close to the LRT Station, Central Market, Petaling Street, Dayang Ros Florist, and other well-known spots. I'd happily recommend it and come back next time we're in KL.

The room was clean, tidy, and nice, and the location near Chinatown is good. But noise from other rooms carried straight through the walls. I complained at reception and nothing was done, so I slept badly for two nights. It was really frustrating.

The room was a decent size, but cleaning seemed to have been missed in places. There was a nut shell or other debris on the floor, and no instructions for refilling the empty glass bottles left by the previous guest. Borrowing a hairdryer was awkward too: I was told I could have it for just one hour, then would need to come back each time I wanted to use it. Checkout was no better. We waited at reception from about 11:55 to 12:05, though it was still before 12:00 when we got there, and no staff were present. You also have to ring a bell to enter reception before checking in. It felt awkward on arrival, and at night the bell could be heard clearly in the rooms when guests arrived around 1-2am. The insulation between reception and the rooms seemed poor. Getting checked in took roughly an hour and a half, with three trips back to the desk. Staff were often away from the counter, and seemed to put personal calls and chats with colleagues ahead of helping waiting guests. The tourist fee payment instructions kept changing: first cash only, then card was supposedly acceptable. Their terminal had connection problems, and they wouldn't try another one. Someone even asked for my full card number to “keep on file,” which I wasn't comfortable with. We paid cash in the end, but still waited while other guests were checked in before us, and got told “later” several times when we asked for our key. Gita and Hadiri both came across as rude and unhelpful. If the service and cleaning improved, I think the price could be fair for the value. As things are, I'd look elsewhere if possible 😆.

The self-check-in was quick and straightforward, and the rooms were clean, modern, and had what we needed for a comfortable stay. ACES Hotel is right in central Kuala Lumpur, close to Petaling Street and Central Market, so it's good value for such a convenient location.