A township wasn’t built in a day.
Stepping inside One World Hotel, there’s no question that travelers have also crossed over to another kind of world showcasing a different Kuala Lumpur.
Before it flourished commercially, the neighborhood of Petaling Jaya was once a rubber plantation. Once housing was developed, an immense shopping mall came along. Quite some time after, One World was constructed as a resort-like home away from home, for the high volume of traffic that the township frequently welcomes.
NEXT TO A GIANT MALL
Situated 12 kilometers outside of Kuala Lumpur’s bustling downtown is another Petaling Jaya where travelers that love to shop can lose themselves in Malaysia’s largest shopping mall: 1 Utama Shopping Centre with more than 700 boutiques, a movie theater which encompasses 20 screens and a 36-lane bowling alley. Where does one rest and get a good night’s sleep after all the fun?
Since One World Hotel is attached to the 7th largest shopping mall in the world, it is likely that guests can feel as though they’re indulging in a township. Many arrive in Kuala Lumpur, seduced by the convenience and entertainment that One World has to offer, as they find themselves never leaving the hotel or the mall.
Beige tones, dark woods with hints of lavender embody the fusion of tradition and opulence. Upon a glitzy entrance, there are magnificent light bulbs that overlook the marbled ivory floor. To the right, traditions are conveyed through plush burgundy chairs and classic Asian wooden carvings. Massive floor-to-ceiling glass panels permit natural light to illuminate the lobby Sphere Lounge in grandeur. From its velvet rouge carpet to the massive oil painting which depicts tones of an alluring ancient East: black, red, and gold.
ROOMS & SUITES
One World Hotel boasts 452 rooms, comfortably suited for both leisure and especially business travelers. The cozy guest bedrooms are categorized as such: Superior, Deluxe, Executive Deluxe, Junior Suites, Premier Suites and Executive Suites.) Guests in the suites are able to access Peridot Club – a special lounge located on the 1st floor. Afternoon teas, cocktails in a quiet and exclusive area of the busy hotel is much appreciated for those who need a break from the hustle bustle.
Technology plays a major role throughout the guest experience in addition to Wi-Fi access, every room also offers Wireles Screen Mirroring, Airplay (for Apple) and Miracast (for Android), in-room motion sensor and MediaHub.
RESORT-LIKE RESTAURANTS
Arguably one of the largest breakfasts in Kuala Lumpur is Cinnamon Coffee House located on the bottom floor of the hotel. The colossal spread of breakfast items celebrate various cultures around the world. Imagine: Japanese sushi stands, Indian curry and samosa sections, Singaporean chicken and rice draped in ginger and chili pastes, Malaysian porridge stations displaying pickles and salted eggs, lines of Chinese style braised meat dishes…just to name a few. Mountainous fruit plates, colorful fresh squeezed juices highlighted in green, yellow, orange. One would wish their stomach was bigger to indulge in all that Cinnamon Coffee House has to offer. Thankfully, it is also open for lunch, dinner as well as high tea on weekends featuring an a la carte menu.
For dinner, Zuan Yuan Chinese Restaurant is a must-eat for those who crave for authentic Cantonese cuisine. The majority of dishes utilizes Chinese herbs fragrantly cooked then delectably integrated into each dish. By catering to 40% of Southeast Asia’s population and 65% in Malaysia that are Muslim, Zuan Yuan’s menu is pork-free.
Wok fried diced honey glazed chicken with crispy ginger, scrambled egg white with crab meat, fish meat and pine nut, braised homemade bean curd with lily bulb (Wolberry, Shimeji mushroom and crispy scallop) are some of our favorite dishes. The desserts are cultural as well as aromatic, paying tribute to Malaysia’s 7.4 million population of Chinese immigrants and descendants. Double boiled dried longan with snow lotus seed, ginseng root and peach jelly in coconut is a prime and, not to mention, incredibly tasty example.
AMENITIES FOR SERIOUS BUSINESS
By catering to globetrotting business travelers, One World Hotel is an ideal venue for corporate conventions and events. The massive hotel grounds encompasses: 5,000 square meters of conventions and meeting space, a 3,100 square meter ballroom for up to 3,500 people or 2,000 for banquets, 15 meeting rooms, 1 secretariat room, 3 holding rooms for dignitaries, an extensive foyer for pre-function facility, 7 built-in projection screens…and much more.
On the relaxing spectrum of a vacation, the hotel includes a 24-hour gym and full spa service. There are several outdoor pools, with an entertaining slide painted in the shape of a thunder mountain, perfect for children to enjoy for an entire afternoon.
WHY WE LOVE IT
At the end of the day, returning to One World Hotel after a day of trotting through KL feels like coming home. With a full-fledged staff of 450, the hotel is constantly kept busy which is a prosperous sign of an institution that has long been welcoming tourists. For an experience of a township within a capital city, One World might very much be up your kind of alley.
