Location is one of the greatest selling points of a hotel and Pacific Express scores highly in that respect. It sits behind Central Market, one of KL’s most popular tourist attraction, and is hard to miss, a whitewashed building that towers over the colourful shops and stalls in the area. The nearest train station – for both the LRT and KTM Komuter – is just several minutes’ walk away.
At first glance, Pacific Express is all-business. The compact lobby area fits in a small reception desk and just a few seats, but their fairly quick and competent staff ensure that checking in and out is a breeze, even if there may be a bit of a wait at times.
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The rooms: Cosy and comfortable
There are 207 rooms in the hotel, with four types to choose from: Standard, Superior, Deluxe and Pacific. The Standard room is the most budget-friendly, but there are no windows, something the claustrophobic need to take note of. The Superior and Deluxe rooms are differentiated by their size, with the Deluxe being slightly larger while the Pacific room is more of a suite and the only room type that comes with a bathtub.
Space is a luxury here, but the hotel makes up for it with creative layouts that make the most of what’s available while maximising guests’ comfort. The bathroom, for example, has an alcove that prevents unwanted smells and damp air from escaping into the bedroom. The bathroom itself is simply furnished, with hotel custom toiletries, a spacious shower stall with a rain shower and separate smaller shower head while the toilet has both a bidet and easy-to-access toilet paper roll.
The only downside to the bathroom is that it makes the room harder to sleep in, as its position is such that light shines right through the semi-opaque frosted glass walls toward the bed. The morning sun will wake you up earlier than your alarm will so if you want extra shut-eye, make sure to pack an eye mask along.
Location is one of the greatest selling points of a hotel and Pacific Express scores highly in that respect
I stayed in a Deluxe room on level two, which is the smoking floor. The room was clean, with no noticeable mustiness or tell-tale smell of cigarettes, a testament to its good ventilation and air circulation. You won’t feel stuffy despite the cosy size of the room, made even cosier with a loveseat.
The best thing about the room is undoubtedly the bed. The quality and softness of the mattress is on par with that of four-star hotels and the plump, fluffy pillows ensure an enjoyable sleep.
Leisure facilities: Pool with a view
The rooftop lap pool is framed by a simple wooden deck and glass enclosures, and affords one of the best views of the area. From there, you can look out to various landmarks, including the KL Tower and part of the Petronas Twin Towers. Note that the pool closes at 9pm.
If you’re more of a gym bunny, you would be pleased to know that the hotel’s well-maintained fitness centre offers a decent range of equipment.
Connectivity and conveniences: At your fingertips
Wi-Fi reception is good, with decent though not blazing fast speeds. I had no problem sending emails, doing research and streaming the odd video during my stay.
For business travellers, the hotel has meeting rooms for rent and a small business centre for those who want to work in the hotel but not in their rooms. Basic secretarial services such as printing and faxing are available for a fee.
The rooftop lap pool is framed by a simple wooden deck and glass enclosures, and affords one of the best views of the area
The hotel has a café, Uncle Lim’s, located on the ground floor, or head out and you will find numerous choices within walking distance. There is also a mynews.com outlet, a newsstand cum convenience store, on the ground floor that’s open 24 hours.
All-in-all, Pacific Express is an easy enough hotel to recommend to people who want somewhere really accessible, with a great rooftop pool view and comfortable beds at reasonable rates.
Website: www.pacific-express.com.my
Address: Jalan Hang Kasturi, 50050, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Telephone: +60320226888
Fax: +60320226868
Email: info@pacific-express.com.my
