Travelling with a baby has changed the way we used to travel as backpackers. Back then, being both easy-going people and an adventurous couple, we tend to go anywhere and sleep in any corner as long as it’s affordable and somewhat comfortable. In other words, where we sleep is very cincai lah.
This philosophy served us well up till the recent addition of cute lil C into our family. Suddenly, instead of money being the main deciding factor of where we’ll be staying, we also have other considerations. We realised that, while we are always welcomed at my family home, we no longer could just make do with the queen-sized bed that now stands in my childhood room. The one that I used to spend the many hot and sticky nights on when I was a child would be way too hot without air-conditioning.
Now we have to ask ourselves:
- Is the room or bed big enough to fit the both of us and an infant who loves to roll around in her sleep? Would it be possible to add a cot or an additional mattress?
- Is there air-conditioning? While it may be much like a luxury to many, air-conditioning is a necessity for us, especially when lil C has just left the dreary winter in Hamburg and arrived smack in the midst of tropical heat and humidity.
- 3.Just how accessible the accommodation is. Would there be eateries and convenience shops nearby so that we could get bottled water and tapao food at all times of the day? Is it easily reachable by public transport and taxis?
And lastly, after our recent sleep at a hotel in Singapore (we flew into Singapore before heading to KL) the below question became quite pertinent:
- Is there a separate living space?
I’ll elaborate more on this point in the later part of my post.
Thankfully ANSA Hotel has graciously offered to host us at their ANSA Suite and after two nights, I could say, it does tick all the boxes on our checklist!
OUR STAY AT ANSA SUITE
Looming between the hip block of LOT 10 and Fahrenheit 88 is ANSA Hotel, a no-frills 4-star hotel that has everything we needed for a good night’s sleep and more.
We stayed in the ANSA Suite (70sqm) which came with a firm king size bed, separate living space, a separate bathroom and toilet plus an additional guest toilet which made it really convenient if guests needed the toilet but someone is getting some rest in the bedroom itself.
Separate living room of ANSA Suite
No more waiting to use the toilet while someone is in the shower!
Wooden minimalism at best
For our little family, the ANSA Suite was perfect. Designed with functioning minimalism and coziness in mind, the ANSA Suite served as a perfect sanctuary for our first few days in KL. I love the mute colours and all the wooden elements of the room. It made the 70sqm room even more spacious and pleasing to the eye without the kitsch. Despite being situated right in the Golden Triangle, where one just has to take a look outside the window to appreciate how central the location is, the ‘zen-ness’ of the room helps one forget the hustle and bustle outside. There is also a little coffee machine at our disposal which we really appreciated. For those who prefer Starbucks coffee will be pleasantly surprised to find out that you can actually get your favourite coffee delivered to your room from the Starbucks below.
The staff fitted a little cot next to our bed but as it turned out, lil C played in it more than sleeping in it. During the nights, she took a considerable amount of space on our bed but no matter, the bed was large enough for all of us.
Sleeping area
I have two favourite spaces. One of them is the bathroom where one can relax in the bathtub and enjoy the glittering night landscape of Kuala Lumpur. Showering there brought back memories of how much time I used to spend around this area. My high school is just right below the KL Tower.
The amazing KL landscape from the bathroom
The other favourite space of mine is the living space. It allowed us to have visitors, chat, chill or eat while our baby slept in the bedroom. This was something we never thought we would appreciate until we had the tiniest of hotel rooms in a hotel in Singapore. You see, lil C’s bedtime is around everyone else’ dinner time. For us to get any dinner, one of us have to stay in to watch her while the other would go out to bring back some food. In Singapore, the room was so small that the only place to unpack our dinner was in the very small bathroom!
Thankfully at the ANSA Suite, we could dine and wine just like any normal human being! One of the evenings, we even had a friend who came over to hang out.
Chilling out with my little one
So happy that we could unpack our food and dine without worrying that the little one would wake up from all that noise
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
Having been away for so long means missing certain important developments that have been going on around the area. I am pleasantly surprised to find out that not only the Bukit Bintang Monorail is at the doorstep of ANSA Hotel but so is the newly built MRT. I haven’t got a chance to take the MRT but I know, with the MRT, I could go all the way to Bandar Utama to shop or Kajang for some good old satay kajang!
But you don’t have to go far to enjoy what KL has to offer. Bukit Bintang was my old hunting ground back when I was an active CouchSurfer. I remember taking my CouchSurfers on long walks from Masjid Jamek, past Central Market (Pasar Seni) and eventually topping the evening off at Jalan Alor or Changkat which is just a five minute walk away from ANSA Hotel. Petronas Twin Towers is just 15 minutes away on foot.
This time, with my family, we sought out nearby food places instead like the infamous Hutong food court at neighbouring Lot 10 or Nasi Lemak at the beginning of Jalan Alor. One of my go-to meals every time I come home is Kin Kin Chilli Pan Mee. I was overjoyed to discover that Hutong actually has it and that I didn’t have to make a trek to Chow Kit to satisfy my cravings!
Being surrounded by shopping malls also means we could do our shopping every time when lil C is down for a nap. We bought our Chinese New Year clothes from the nearby Fahrenheit 88 and even an extra large suitcase (Emirates damaged the one that we brought along) from the departmental store in Pavilion. For once, I am not complaining about the plethora of shopping malls that seem to mushroom everywhere in the city lately!
Our view
Our happy family
As I’d mentioned previously, ANSA Hotel is a no frills hotel. It has no gyms, no pools, no restaurants or lounges. To be honest, I’d have loved it if I could go for a swim, especially when it’s so mind bogglingly hot in KL. But apart from that, I really couldn’t complain about my stay at ANSA Hotel. The staff were very friendly and attentive, the rooms were very clean (not all hotels are that clean!) and most of all, it felt like a refuge for my family while we were back home visiting family and relatives.
Reception area
If you are looking for somewhere affordable and convenient, I bet ANSA Hotel is one for you. While we stayed in two nights at ANSA Suite, ANSA Hotel also has other room categories including Superior, Deluxe, Executive and Suites.
One of the Executive rooms
Would we come back again? You bet!
Have you stayed at ANSA Hotel before? Let me know what you think!
This stay has been made possible by ANSA Hotel but as always, I only recommend and write about brands that I personally use or believe in. Therefore all views that are expressed here represent only those made by myself and NOT of any other entity in their favour.
In her vagabonding heydays, she's backpacked to many countries, lived in a few, funded her wanderlust by teaching English to sailors on Italian cruise ships and making coffees in hipster cafes.
Her work has appeared in Marie Claire, Roads & Kingdoms, Bootsnall and OffAssignment.
