Villa Samadhi, Kuala LumpurWe love the Grand Hyatt in Kuala Lumpur, but were interested to try something completely different. After a little research, we found Villa Samadhi, a highly rated small boutique property, a little way outside the city. The hotel is part of Secret Retreats, a small collection of family-owned properties throughout Asia and also has sister properties in Penang (the Blue Mansion) and Japamala Resort on Tioman Island, off the East coast of Malaysia. In addition, a number of restaurants are connected to the hotel, including the romantic Tamarind Springs, the city-centre Tamarind Hill and Neo Tamarind, offering fusion cuisine.
The hotel is tucked away in a quiet residential area around 10 minutes drive from the city centre (KLCC). The hotel has just 21 rooms; all but 2 have an indoor or outdoor jacuzzi and each is unique. All room rates include an a la carte breakfast and daily cocktails, as well as an in-room amenity of fresh fruit and cookies. On arrival, we were warmly greeted and served a cooling ginger tea and fresh towel whilst the check-in formalities took place. After a very short wait, we were escorted to our room, a Luxe Crib on the first floor overlooking the pool. SarangThe next category up is the Sarang, which is perfect for families or groups. (There is no strict age-limit though the management discourage bookings including those under 6 years old). The main feature of this room is a small kitchen with dining area large enough for a group of around 6 pax. The room we saw also had a large seating area and direct access to the swimming pool from a large terrace.
The bathroom in this room was huge, offering the largest rectangular jacuzzi we saw in the hotel. However, this jacuzzi was entirely inside rather than having the option to open to the outside as well. Perhaps this is an advantage, as we had quite a problem with mosquitoes in our room, despite the coil provided - perhaps a mosquito net could be a good idea around the bed, also enhancing the romance of each room? The LoftSo now to the "Presidential Suite" of Villa Samadhi, the beautiful and romantic Loft Suite. This is situated high in the eaves of the main hotel, providing a very cosy feel, despite the generous size. The bedroom in particular is perfect to cuddle up in - a truly magical suite for honeymooners and those seeking the intimacy of solitude.
Naturally, there is also a large dressing area, seating area and bathroom. Outside on the balcony is the private pool - although this looks large, we were disappointed by how shallow the pool was as the majority of it is only ankle depth. However, the central part is suitable for soaking and in all, this is a very nice feature, perfect for whiling away a sunny afternoon. |
Luxe CribThe base room category in Villa Samadhi is the Crib, of which there are two. These are the only rooms without a jacuzzi/plunge pool. Our room was the next category up, a Luxe Crib. All rooms in the hotel are spacious and decorated in a natural Asian style. The first feature you notice is the unusual door lock - traditional wooden doors are secured by a bar through the middle with padlock. Our room had a high, wide and comfortable bed, a gorgeous balcony overlooking the pool and plenty of storage space.
The all-important bathroom offered a large rainshower, twin sinks, great amenities with everything you may have forgotten and the highlight of the room - the jacuzzi, with shutters outside to the balcony. Note that the jacuzzi works on a timer in the afternoon and again in the evening - perfect for a pre- and/or post-dinner soak.
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Overall Impression
Villa Samadhi is a beautiful, romantic retreat and unique in Kuala Lumpur. Although only 10 minutes from the city centre, the hotel feels a world away and is a great place to relax. In our opinion, this would be the ideal location to overcome jetlag, although if you only have a short stay in KL and are visiting as a tourist for the first time, you may wish to be more central. However, for any long-stay business travellers staying in a typical city hotel and wanting to meet with a partner at the weekend, Villa Samadhi is ideal. Although the hotel is not perfect (mosquitoes are a small problem, in-house dining could be more exciting, there is a 2-night minimum stay at weekends), it offers a real escape. Although children are not banned from the property, all children are discouraged and no under 6s are allowed (partly due to safety, partly to maintain the peace for other guests). When we stayed, we had the beautiful freeform swimming pool to ourselves in the afternoon and rarely saw anyone else. What better way to spend time with your significant other?