I decided to surprise my better half with a night at a local hotel during the long holiday weekend. Yup, it’s our biannual staycation, where we spend a night (or two) at a KL or PJ hotel and chill, eat and shop. My better half suggested Mid Valley this time but I don’t really like Cititel Hotel (although it’s the cheapest option, the rooms reek of cigarette smoke).
Thus, it’s down to St Giles Boulevard or St Giles The Gardens. The latter is slightly more grand, a step up in both standards and price so I splurged a little and went for that. The rooms are significantly larger than St Giles Boulevard (27 sq m) and make the ones at Cititel Mid Valley (18 sq m) look almost like closets. 
All three hotels are managed by the same people – it’s supposed to be for different segments of the market with St Giles The Gardens as the premier choice, with larger rooms (38 sq m). I paid USD 116.26 (RM 442.35 per night) for our room and thought I overpaid coz I forgot to switch the currency to MYR. It turns out that MYR was even more expensive at RM 452 so it’s a good thing I have a PayPal account with USD inside.
I almost went for the 72 sq m 1 bedroom suite which is about RM 80 more but I ended up going for a deluxe room instead and the extra cash went towards a single glass of wine (more on that later).
It was a lot of fun, we crammed all the things couples do into a 24 hour period – ate at a restaurant rated as one of the best in KL, watched a movie we’ve missed and enjoyed each other’s company. It was a great and relaxing staycation, plus we managed to stay within the budget of RM 1,500 for everything – can’t wait to do it again! 🙂
I’ll write more soon.
Is that Ling? Looks rather different.
Cititel is fine, go for the better rooms…not those cheap tiny cubicles. For half the price, I really can’t complain, good for people on visits or on holiday who would be out all day.
Haha! Of course it’s her. 🙂
I think you may have forgotten since you’ve only seen her a handful of times. Or it could be the shadow interplay. I look different in most of my photos as well, and I’ve been told I look very different in real life too.
Hmm…I’ve actually stayed at all 3 hotels back when I came to our KL branch office for business trips while I was working in Kuching. Cititel Mid Valley is the only smoking hotel (other two are smoke free) and many people smoke in the rooms, which makes it smelly. It’ll be fine for me and you, since we both smoke but non-smokers like Ling hate the smell, even if we only slept in the rooms when we came back at night.
I also hated the smell – despite the fact that I do smoke myself. Will never do it in the room, the stench will stick around till like forever.
Yes, had that experience before at Cititel – the small rooms. The occupant that had just checked out must have been smoking like a chimney inside – the smell was so bad…even spraying with my expensive cologne did not help much. Plus the rooms are so so so small. Ok for one, not for two or more…and definitely not if one is my size. LOL!!!
I quite liked the very much bigger room that I took the last time I stayed there.
Ummmm…ok, I think you look better in person! 😉
Yeah, that’s the problem with Cititel. 🙂
The rooms all smell of smoke despite it being non-smoking (stayed here and had friends stay here lots of times before and I know this hotel well). The medium sized rooms are okay but it’s a far cry from St Giles Boulevard or St Giles The Gardens – holes in the bedsheets from cigarettes etc.
No proper toiletries ready for you too, have to ask for shavers and toothbrushes while all those are provided without having to call and wait for St Giles. I’ll stay at Cititel if I’m traveling or alone just coz it’s cheaper but otherwise I’ll chose the other two.
Hmm…I think everyone looks better in real life, except kids who do duck faces and hold it up at an optimum angle to make them look better in photos.
Oooii…that’s me la! I know why I look different. I have new glasses which HB bought for me earlier because eyesight power has increased. I didn’t know that glasses can do amazing make over.ahhaha
Haha! No la. 🙂
It’s not the glasses dear, I think it’s the shadow interplay from the mirrors and lights placed in the room and bathroom.
I enjoy having such staycation but thinking of the money spend for such, I’d prefer going somewhere further….Anyway, looking forward to see ur next post!
Yeah, the hotels are not cheap nowadays! 🙂
I thought it’ll be fun to get away for a while but since it was the Raya holidays, if we went out of KL we’ll spend most of our weekend getting stuck in a jam. Haha.
It’s quite bad and I think the PLUS Highway is still jammed since not everyone is back for work. School hasn’t started so some people are taking a longer weekend too. I had actually planned to go to Penang for a day to get some durians before the season ends but I realized school only starts on Wednesday.
Unfortunately, it’ll still be jammed until then. Maybe I’ll go on Thursday and come back Friday – after all the point of the trip is to get some late season durians before we have to wait for next year to sink our teeth into Penang durians. Thanks!
Wow! So romantic and fun! That’s not cheap for RM1,500 but well spent.
Yeah, but if we went out of KL we’ll be stuck in a jam. 🙂
It’s better to stay in the city and save time on the road. It’s quite fun though, not cheap, but about the price of a trip to Ipoh/Penang/etc.
Your better half looks different Lol, maybe it’s the reflection or the glasses she was wearing. =) Happy staycation you too! sounds like a good idea, maybe i should do that too sometimes.
There! I’m not the only one saying it! Hehehehehe!!!!
She’s never met Yee Ling in real life though. 🙂
Haha! It must have been the shadows and lights.
I think it’s the shadows and lights. 🙂
The glasses she bought is the same design as the previous one. Thanks! Yup, it was a lot of fun, we had planned to go with the kids but the kids wanted to go back to their hometown so it ended up with being just the two of us.
Originally, the hotel stay was meant to be complimentary – my dear won first prize in a contest but the agency reneged on their prize. We switched to a different hotel and paid our own way though.
Wise choice stay in KL instead of joining the rush going outstation at this time. Can “pak thor” 🙂
Yeah, I thought we’ll be stuck in a jam if we went out of KL. 🙂
The Raya holidays and all, so much traffic on the roads. We ended up going to the malls and jalan jalan instead of staying in the room, think we only spent 10 hours total in the room. Haha. Still managed to pak thor though.
Thanks Kathy!
Nice idea for a couple thing. A staycation is nice to get away from work and kids.
I agreed with you on the Cititel Mid-Valley’s room. Really smell of cigarettes even it is a non-smoking room.
Thanks Rose! 🙂
Yup, it was a lot of fun! It’s always nice to get away, with or without the kids, the point is to get away from everyday life e.g. work, chores etc. You can’t do that at home, unless you disconnect your phone. I’ve always liked the idea of a staycation, even did that back in Kuching (before the word staycation was invented – thought if it more as a weekend away from my place).
Yeah, the problem with Cititel is that the no-smoking rule is not enforced, even in non-smoking rooms and floors.
Nice, another staycation.. I don’t mind local hotels, or any hotels, as long as I can relax and do all the things I want to do with my loved one and some me-time and “away for a while” from the kids (oops, I sound like a bad mom), enough already, hehe..
It was a lot of fun! 🙂
It’s actually good if you have date nights or time away from the kids, it doesn’t make you a bad mom. Lots of research has shown that it’s actually beneficial to both parents and the kids. It actually makes you a better mom, you shouldn’t feel guilty about it. It also helps the kids be well rounded, better able to adapt, and they’re exposed to new ways of doing things too.
We actually had planned for the kids to come along this staycation but they wanted to go back to their hometown. It’s good either way.
Yea…the room is big and I like the idea that the bathroom and wardrobe is attached together. Nice staycation, dear. Thanks.
Yup, St Giles The Gardens is the best hotel out of the 3 in Mid-Valley. 🙂
Cititel is the budget one, St Giles Boulevard is their Premier status hotel while St Giles The Gardens is their Grand status hotel. They’re all managed by the same people. The usage of mirrors makes it look larger than it is too.
Haha! Yeah I remember you asking me where the wardrobe is. Love you always dear.
I never really try staycation before as most of the time, hotel is just is for shower and resting while the time will be spent going out. Maybe should try someday.
Yeah, it can be a lot of fun too! 🙂
Just taking the time away from chores and work at home and spending the time at a hotel in town while exploring the surrounding areas can be very beneficial and de-stressing activity. You can do it with the kids or without the kids, it’s all good, the point is to get away from the house.