* Prince Hotel & Residence, Kuala Lumpur

Prince Hotel & Residence is a 5 star international hotel owned by a Japanese group of company called Seibu Holding Inc. We chose to stay here as it has been accorded a fairly high rating by some popular travel sites. We had hoped it would be a good weekend getaway.
Barely a month ago we were enjoying our stay at The Royale Chulan  which is located along the same road (Conlay Road). In fact these 2 hotels are just diagonally opposite each other. Having stayed in both I can say that Prince Hotel is inferior in every way to The Royale Chulan.
Click here to see my review on The Royal Chulan.

Firstly there is no consideration at all for hotel guests who drive their own vehicles. The system works in such a way that in order to access the guest parking area, you will need to use your room card but before you can get the room card you will need to check-in. The hotel does not allocate a temporary parking area for such a situation. Coupled with this inconvenience is the rudeness of a security personnel who was quick to show his authority by blowing the whistle curtly at you when you park at a "wrong" area even though he knew you are a guest seeking temporary parking.
The concierge service was equally disappointing. The concierge is not trained to handle multiple arrival of guests. As they were busy with a van load of luggage they were totally oblivious to the later arrival of  other guests. My luggage was dropped off right at the hotel entrance and I waited till the cows come home to get it picked by the porter. The cows never come home so I had to go into the lobby area to summon a porter myself. That was how frustrated we felt even before checking in.

This is the hotel lobby. It is quite spacious but not unique or spectacular in any way.

Our complaint was made to the duty manager who merely apologized but did not do anything to appease us (the disgruntled guests).

This passageway to our room is one typically seen in many other hotels. But this one has no music, no wall painting or decor to cheer up your mood. 

We stayed on the 25th floor in Superior Deluxe Room. Measuring only 35sq meters the room is small compared to the deluxe room in The Royale Chulan (41sq meters) [the rate is more or less the same]

The furnishing is very ordinary. There is a working table with complimentary wired broadband internet service. Usage of WIFI is however not free as you will be charged RM50 per day [a cut throat price]

The bed is king-sized but the pillows sink and are not very comfortable.

The closet provides hanging space but not enough shelves to put your personal stuff.

You do get facilities like the iron, the ironing board, a safety box, bathrobes, bedroom sandals and a hair-drier.

There is coffee and tea making facilities and a mini-bar. The hotel is however generous with mineral water as there were 4 bottles of it.

The washroom is commendable as it is spacious and enough bath amenities are provided.

There is a separate shower room and the heater works well.

There is a bath-tub too.

This is the hallway with the lifts. For security you will need to use your room card to access the floor you are going to. Unfortunately the room card does not work very well. I remember one incident where I was with a group of about 8 Japanese guys, each frantically trying to get the the card to work. After about 20 to 30 trials, half of them left for another lift. I tried using mine and when it worked after five trials, the remaining Japanese guests took the opportunity to quickly press the floor numbers they were heading to. The card did not register well at the parking area too.

I was about to go to the fitness center.

Most of the hotel facilities are located on the 10th floor. This is the hotel spa.

This is the hotel swimming pool.

The round pool in the center is the kid's pool.

As the facilities are shared by the hotel and the residence guests, it can get a little over-crowded. Many pool users are also not properly attired.

There is a tropical garden beside the swimming pool.

This is the Pool Bar & Grill.

This is the Kid's Club, a brightly painted room with lots of toys for kids.

This is the fitness center. The caretaker told us photography is not allowed. When asked whether that was the hotel rule or his own rule, he realized that it was actually his own rule and apologized profusely.

Top Row : The Chinese Restaurant and the Japanese Restaurant.

Bottom Row: The Hair Salon and Multi-purpose Store and The Mezzanine Bar & Lounge

These are all located on the 2nd floor of the hotel.

The ballrooms are located on the 3rd floor.

Eccucino Restaurant which is located on the lobby floor is the main restaurant of the hotel .We had our breakfast here.

Looking at the food served for breakfast gave me the impression that the hotel is on a tight budget in its preparation of breakfast cuisines. Not only is the menu lacking in "quality", a few items are also not palatable. For example, the naan and roti canai are too tough to be enjoyed. The waiters and waitresses were not very friendly and there was one who threw used napkins roughly into a basket, displaying displeasure in handling his chores. The Prince should have been more generous as it actually enjoy a high occupancy in the hotel. (Supported by  many Japanese tourists)

The Royale Chulan is clearly visible from The Prince Hotel as they are only 50 metres apart. Both are near to the Pavillion, a happening mall. Between the two however, I'll recommend The Royale Chulan where you get better value for money. The setting and fittings in The Royale Chulan are also superior in every way.  
This is my personal review of Prince Hotel. Complaints has been filed to the GM and also to Prince Hotel Headquarters in Japan. Both have responded positively so I hope all these problems would be ironed out should you lodge here in the future. 

You are recommended to also read about: My second visit To Prince Hotel (7 months later)