Kuala Lumpur has no shortage of top-end hotels. Can any property in this competitive city afford to close for three years? That’s what happened to the Renaissance, though not by design. A planned refurbishment was substantially lengthened by the pandemic. While rival properties were able to catch the wave of returning business, the Renaissance remained shuttered until November 2023.

It finally relaunched that month as two hotels with a shared conference center. The Renaissance retains the swankiest wing, while the other wing has been rebranded as Four Points by Sheraton, both under the Marriott umbrella. They share a fourth-floor outdoor swimming pool and other facilities (a new spa is scheduled to open later this year).

It’s the little touches that make a high-end hotel stand out, and for us, Renaissance excelled. We arrived late after long delays at airport immigration and rush hour traffic. The instant we stepped into the lobby we were greeted by name. The check-in process was swift, and soon we were entering our Bay Room on the 25^th floor (it’s a club floor with its own private lounge offering complimentary snacks and drinks; you have to scan your key card before pressing 25 in the elevator).

© Richard Newton

Many deluxe hotels welcome you to your room with a bowl of fruit or similar. Here we were welcomed with two platters of chocolate delicacies. My wife’s featured a chocolate shoe filled with candy, while mine had a chocolate model of KL’s iconic Petronas Towers and an edible chocolate photograph of … me. This is a hotel that goes the extra mile to personalize the guest experience.

Dinner was in the ground-floor Evolution Café, which in the evening is a fine Italian restaurant, and in the morning offers a spectacular array of breakfast options: European, American, Malay and Indian. We picked and mixed at the breakfast buffet. Kuala Lumpur is a cultural melting pot, and therefore fried eggs and (beef) bacon with rendang curry seemed appropriate.

© Richard Newton

On our second night we ate at The Mesh, an eclectic restaurant offering Malaysian comfort food. I opted for Mummy’s Chicken Chop served with orange ketchup sauce. It burst with flavor. My wife chose a comfort food reflecting Malaysia’s British colonial heritage: fish and chips. There would be time enough for us to eat adventurously in the city, but in our jet-lagged state The Mesh’s menu was ideal.

Kuala Lumpur is a big, frenetic city. The heat and humidity were a stark contrast to the northern hemisphere winter we had recently left behind. Retreating to our peaceful, climate-controlled room gave us instant respite while enabling us to stay connected to the city through the panoramic view afforded by the bay window. Too many 5-star hotels could be anywhere. The refurbished Renaissance offers international familiarity without forgetting where it is. It’s the perfect address in Kuala Lumpur.

Renaissance Kuala Lumpur

Corner of Jalan Sultan Ismael & Jalan Ampang
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 50450
tel 60 3-2706 8088