Bangsar Homestay Kuala Lumpur

We were gutted to pay a nonrefundable AU$200 and find a room so far from the clean, sleek 4-star place advertised on the website. We left as soon as we checked in. The layout was odd, and the bathroom exhaust fan made a loud, miserable moan. The walls were a mess: pencil scribbles from a child, cracking and peeling plaster, uneven patches, paint in different tones apparently used to cover earlier repairs, and scuffs and marks everywhere. There was even an unexplained liquid splatter beside the light switches. The hallway walls had similar patching, and the ceiling showed obvious water damage with a paint job that would make a slum landlord blush. The room smelled of tobacco smoke. For a 4-star hotel, they should be able to hire trained contractors to maintain the building and pay staff enough to wash the walls. Absolutely unacceptable. Rancid.

At checkout the receptionist said the cleaner had reported a strong smoking smell and wanted to keep our deposit. I explained that the smell had been there when we first entered, but the receptionist scolded me impolitely and blamed me for not complaining or asking to change rooms. I was extremely disappointed by that attitude. We’d noticed the strong smoky smell as soon as we arrived. It was peak season, and the receptionist said all rooms were booked. Since it was already evening, we left our luggage and went out, thinking the smell might fade. When we returned close to midnight, it wasn’t as strong. It was very unpleasant to then have them try to withhold our deposit and blame us. The room should have been properly checked and cleaned before being assigned to new guests.

The room and bed are spacious, but the lighting is dim and the toilet badly needs an upgrade. The shower head is broken, there’s nowhere to put your own face wash or shampoo, and the centrally controlled air-conditioning doesn’t get cold. There were even mosquitoes on the 17th floor. I wonder how they got 8.5 stars in 2024.

Very spacious hotel, with clean rooms, a comfortable bed, fresh sheets and towels, and a clean toilet with a full set of toiletries. There are eateries nearby, and parking is free. Our family would definitely stay again.