I’ll like to think that I’ve been pioneering the concept of a staycation before the term even came into existence. It was more out of necessity (a friend of mine described my apartment at that time as “having it’s own ecosystem with new and constantly evolving species of fungi” 
) and an excess of funds from legally questionable endeavors that prompted me to live primarily in hotels and serviced apartments like Somerset Gateway in Kuching during the weekends back then.
However, I’ve gotten all those wild days of drugs, sex and rock and roll out of my system and prefer a quiet weekend spent with my loved one nowadays. My dad happened to have excess points from a vacation rewards system that he couldn’t use so he asked me if I wanted it coz it’ll go to waste otherwise.
I jumped at the idea and booked a nice room at Pyramid Tower Hotel at Sunway Lagoon.
The room cost RM 340/night but it was deducted from 11,551 points in Club Asia International so it didn’t really cost us anything. It’s next to Sunway Pyramid so that was pretty convenient. We checked in at 2 pm and dumped our bags before heading to the mall to get some lunch.
1. Had a fun lunch
We went to the food court and ate local food together. We acted like we were in a foreign country (Dubai was the place we decided on – inside joke) so it was a lot of fun and very different from the stress of finding an empty bay in the carpark, braving the thongs of people, and getting stuck in traffic.
2. Chilled out in the room
This is one of the most appealing things about a staycation! Since you’re at your very own hometown (it was just 15 minutes away) there’s not much to see, so you can really relax and enjoy the hotel amenities – the tub, the cable TV , plush bed and pool cleaned with the best pool vacuum there are for this.
3. Snacked on takoyaki
The hotel is right next to the mall with a connected walkway that takes all of 3 minutes to traverse. We decided to eat regular baby octopus takoyaki (delicious) and also sampled some salmon takoyaki (not very nice). The place also serves okonomiyaki.
We ordered so much that we had to take some of it back to the hotel room to eat!
4. Posed for funny photos
This is one of the things you do when you have too much time on your hands and have put the daily worries and work out of your mind for the entire staycation. 🙂
5. Went out for bubble tea
We were both craving for bubble tea and I noticed this new place called GeorgPeck. We shared a bubble milk tea with aloe vera jelly, which was really good.
It seems that everything tastes better when your mind think it’s on vacation!
6. Walked around the mall
…and watched people falling down at the ice skating ring. Haha!
7. Took a long afternoon nap
That’s the beauty of a staycation! You don’t feel the urge to get up early in the morning less you miss out on precious time which you can use to visit all the attractions in a foreign country. There’s a lot more time for real R&R during a staycation.
8. Nice dinner for two
We dressed up and went out for dinner at night again! It was at O’Viet by Du Viet and I had a funny incident that entails a close call with a near poisoning. Heh.
9. Ate Red Velvet Cake in bed
My dear bought this from the Coffee Bean outlet before we went back to the hotel room for the night. She opted for Red Velvet Cake and since we were still full from dinner, we had it to go so we can eat it later at night, since we had planned to stay up late and sleep in the next day.
We ate this while watching movies in bed! Simple pleasures in life are the best…
10. Pigged out at the hotel buffet breakfast
I set the alarm just before the hotel buffet breakfast ended and totally pigged out with a full plate of food, and cereal, and yoghurt, and some croissants with maple syrup…
…before heading back to the room to hibernate.
We had asked for late check-out and left at 1:30 pm.
It was a fun staycation and it’s also an early celebration for our 1st anniversary together as a couple. We had our first vacation together in Melbourne, where I stayed for over 4 years and we’re looking to go abroad again soon!
However, a staycation when you don’t have a lot of time and holiday leave to burn is an awesome option. 😀
340 a night, inclusive of breakfast? Nett? Is that a special rate accorded to selected people e.g. their corporate rate or something? That’s relatively cheap really compared to the other lesser places around.
Must KIV this – hope to stay there sometime plus can save a bundle on taxi fares, everything’s around there.
Yeah, that’s the price we were charged! 🙂
(or rather, deducted from points)
The list (walk-in) rate is a lot more expensive, so are the prices on their website, but actually booking it or doing it via a travel site would be much cheaper.
You can definitely get it for RM 340++ per night, it’s not nett though. However, it is a very convenient place to stay, everything’s just a walk away.
STP ahem planning to stay there ke next round in KL? surrounding area have loads of good food.
Whoa! You raised my eye brows with your torrid pasts! Tee-hee I am not alone. Phew!
We mellow as we aged and having a relaxed stay with our loved ones is prefect & meaningful. I always learn from your blog posts what are the best frills in life!
I would splurge once in a while for a comfy stay like that too. I would rather choose unfamiliar places like Cyberjaya or Saujana resorts.
Haha! That’s all in the past! 🙂
Yeah, we do indeed mellow as we age, and every guy (and girl) has a stage where they are just out to live life to the fullest before settling down.
I’ve been to Saujana, that’s a nice place too, and I’ll love to head to Cyberjaya to stay too! That actually sounds quite fun!
you really listed all the great benefits of staycationing, some of which i hadn’t thought of! now i need to think of which hotel to staycation at … and maybe try to collect some points somehow to redeem a room, haha 😀 i probably don’t need to stay next to a mall … i’d be happy to just walk from hotel bed to hotel restaurant and bar, and back 😀
Yeah, I actually redeemed points from Agoda once! 🙂
Haha! Now that’s taking the staycation to a whole new, chill level! That’ll be nice, just staying exclusively at the hotel and getting some proper R&R!
I’ll chose a resort over a city hotel for that!
What a relaxing vacation eventhough it was just one night…..no housework to stress with… Lol…
Yeah, that’s the fun of a staycation! 🙂
You get away from it all while you’re actually still in the same place. The different environment allows you to relax!
I think Americans have a different idea than Europeans and the rest of the world when it comes to the definition of a staycation though – for them it’s literally staying at home and visiting local attractions while for Europe and us it’s staying at hotel.
i like your last picture.
My parents have this membership thingy from Grand Margherita as well.. and i felt weird when we went to hotel to stay when our house is just nearby. 😡 But like your dad mentioned, if don’t stay then it will be wasted. Haha.
Thanks Rose! 🙂
It’s from Grand Margherita? I didn’t know that! I never asked my dad how he got it but I know it must be used before the end of the year since it doesn’t roll over e.g. if you don’t use it (book) by Dec 31st 2013 then the points are gone, but the actual stay can be in early 2014.
Haha! Yeah, use the points, or else it’ll just go to waste! You can relax for a day at least.
When I was still in KL, frustrated with my job I had staycation almost every weekend! I think I must have stayed more than 30 – 40 hotels last year alone. Am actually thinking to start a hotel review blog soon. Have all the pictures still. Haha
It was a fun experience though, and like you say only during staycation you actually explore the facilities of a hotel. The tubs, the tv and the bed 🙂
Wow! You’ll have a great hotel review blog! 🙂
Yeah, I agree with you, it’s the best stress-buster ever. However, a lot of people use hotels as a place to throw house parties (no need to clean up) and I was guilty of this before too, but it gives locals who wants a staycation a bad name.
It is really fun to just explore the hotel and rest in the bed, even for a day!
Hmm … I wanna try a staycation too !!
Yeah, it’s a lot of fun! 🙂
It’s awesome to be able to escape from the pressure of everyday life and reward yourself! YAY! 😀
Yeah, a person needs some R&R once in a while! 🙂
I’ve always liked the idea of going on vacation coz my parents brought me along when I was just a little kid.
I’ve backpacked to a lot of different countries and plan to go for a lot more!
Now more and more are option staycation. It’s actually a good concept to relax stress without going far
It was a great staycation dear! I think I quite love the breakfast buffet in the hotel. Probably we were too hungry? haha. <3
takoyaki is SO MUCH LOVE(!) and seeing those pics made me want some O: om nom nom. i’ve never tried the fried octopus one though.. for some reason the whole octopi have always freaked me out. lol! does it taste just like chicken? hehe