ZEN Rooms Basic Bukit Bintang

This was my third stay, and I’ve usually found it does the job as a cheap bed for the night. This time there were problems one after another, and I won’t stay here again. The lock on the larger pod I moved to was too short to secure the door. I checked the other available large pods and found the same problem with every one. Before that, I’d tried to upgrade because they seemed a bit cooler than the single pods, where the AC barely cooled things down. It was boiling, and the sheet didn’t fit the bed, so I took it off altogether. The flimsy bathroom doors were worn out or coming off their hinges, and some locks were broken. In the morning, the person in the bed next to mine said his cash had been stolen from his wallet while he showered. I was ready to leave the next day, but KL isn’t cheap, so I tried to make it work. I asked about moving beds and found only the European guy who’d checked me in. I think he was a guest volunteering there, and he couldn’t approve a move, so he woke the manager, who was asleep in the dorm at 6pm. The manager looked tired and annoyed but let me switch beds. He didn’t know the upgrade price and said he had to ask his boss. I moved my things without knowing what I’d be charged, then discovered the lock wouldn’t work. When I went back to find the manager, he’d gone to bed again. I’d had enough, packed up, and found somewhere else.

The service was a highlight: the staff were excellent, friendly, and helpful. They also provided filtered water and coffee. I’d come back if I were staying around Bukit Bintang on a very tight budget, though I might try another room type. I booked a single bed in a mixed dorm. The lower level had double beds, while the single beds were upstairs and needed a ladder. Each unit had red brick walls and its own metal gate with a padlock. It felt a bit like sleeping in a jail, haha. Sound carried badly, and I could often hear the person in the next unit coughing. The shared toilet was clean and right in front of the units, which was handy, though people bathing could keep you awake. It’s just behind Plaza Low Yat, a lively and loud spot during festive periods. Monorail and MRT stations at Bukit Bintang are a few minutes’ walk away. The hostel is on the fourth floor of the Hai-O building, inside a parking lot, and a bit hard to find, so arriving in daylight would help.

The resident cat was very cute, and the location is great. The pod style dorm was comfortable enough for one night after arriving in KL. The shower wasn’t working when I needed it in the morning, though. Also, having the kitchen right beside the dorm means people can be noisy and inconsiderate. The owner might want to rethink that setup.

The low price didn’t make up for the bad sleep and run down facilities. I stayed six nights at OA The Factory Hostel and wouldn’t return. It’s on the fourth floor of the Hai-O building, in a parking garage, so it’s easier to find if you arrive during the day. Noise was the biggest problem. Most nights were interrupted, especially the last two, when people were cooking and clattering pots or talking right outside the room from about 3 to 5 a.m. The walls and layout do almost nothing to block sound. I heard other guests’ full personal conversations several times. There were no quiet hours or enforcement, even though most guests seemed young and keen to party. The facilities felt dated and sometimes unsafe. In two bathrooms, rusted windowsills had sharp exposed metal edges. Two bathrooms had open windows with no privacy from the street below, and the smell of Bukit Bintang came in. One shower handle fell off when touched, and hot water was mostly unreliable. The front door was left open much of the time, and a monitor facing the entrance displayed guests’ full names along with their room and bed details. Anyone coming in from outside could see that information, which seemed like a serious security risk. My room was cramped, more like a closet, and there wasn’t space to walk around the lumpy, uncomfortable queen or king bed. The cleaners seemed hardworking and did their jobs well. Check-in felt minimal, though, and one staff member seemed more interested in socializing and partying with guests. Another staff member only showed up on our departure day, which made things feel disorganized.