Whenever I hear Shangri- La I’d think about luxury, men and women in business attire, romantic couples and travellers- not so much a child-friendly hotel. So when I saw some stories of Patricia K’s recent staycation in Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur, I was amazed at how child-friendly the hotel actually is and decided to check it out myself.

It’s true what people say, once you have kids, your priorities change and decisions such as where to eat, where to stay or where to go on holiday are made with your child in mind first. You’ll be asking yourself questions like, is it child-friendly? Is it baby-friendly? Will the kids have activities to do there? Where are the kids going to sleep?

My husband and I are island lovers. We used to go snorkelling 3 times a year, but when my two boys came along, everything changed! Holidays are now closer to home and they must be child-friendly.

In short, Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur changed my perception towards it entirely. From the kid’s buffet spread in Horizon Club, to the daily activities to keep the little ones busy, right down to the little details they’ve prepared inside our room, Shangri- La is indeed a child-friendly hotel, one that we will surely go back to.

So let me break it down for you as to why I would say so.

Child-Friendly Rooms and Amenities

We were booked in the Premier Selection Suite that comes with a kid’s tent (limited numbers available) that I’m sure all kids would love- my son included. There’s something about tents and kids that gets them excited- probably gives them the feeling of having their own little nook.

In our Premier Selection Suite they also have little touches for the little ones such as kids’ toiletries and stool, which I think are thoughtful touches that made our stay all the more better. You can also request for a baby cot if you need one.

Horizon Club Lounge

Depending on the type of room you’re staying in, guests at Shangri-La will also have access to the Horizon Club. This privilege begins with a personalized check-in at the Horizon Club Lounge, with the option of late check-out until 4pm, which means more quality time to be spent with the family!

During the weekends, Shangri-La has a special family area in the Horizon Club Lounge for a more inclusive family bonding time. It includes a mini playroom and a child-friendly mini buffet spread during breakfast, afternoon tea & cocktail hours catering for children under the age of 12. After our activities, (which I’ll talk about next) we always found ourselves going back to the Horizon Club Lounge as we find it to be a comfy place to hang out and have refreshments, which are available throughout the day. Plus, the staffs there are really friendly and accommodating too!

Kids Activities at Shangri-La

Once you’ve done your booking, you’ll receive an email from Shangri-La closer to the date of your stay that will tell you about the exciting activities that they have lined up throughout the weekend. Activities include- fish feeding, movie nights, family yoga or Zumba and even a kitchen tour. All you have to do is key-in your details in the form they provided in their email and book a spot for the activities that you’re interested in.

Once you have checked in, your child will receive an Activities Passport that can be used to collect stamps from the activities that you’ve registered them in. You’ll also be able to redeem a gift at the end of your stay!

Our favourite activity during our stay has to be Movie Night, where we could cuddle up as a family and watch a movie while eating warm popcorn and marshmallows! If you have a toddler or a pre-schooler like myself, you’ll probably be worried about making noise and getting them to sit still, but you really don’t have to worry as the room is pretty laid-back and filled with some books and toys to keep them entertained as well.

For older kids (4-12 year olds), I would say that the Kitchen Tour is a great activity! Not only do the kids get a tour from the chefs in Shangri-La’s Lemon Garden Restaurant, they also have the chance to create a dish of their own- and this time it was sushi. My boy is 3-years-old, so he wasn’t in the mood to join in, but there were other younger kids joining in as well. As long as an adult is there to accompany, they do accept kids below the age of 4 as well.

Free Shuttle Service

If you hate driving around KL City Centre, you’ll be glad to know that Shangri-La also provides free shuttle service to a number of places of interest around Kuala Lumpur. It saves you the hassle of driving and looking for parking, plus the kids love bus rides anyway – it’s adventurous!

Overall

Overall, we loved our short staycation at Shangri-la Kuala Lumpur. Besides the child-friendly amenities and activities, we also enjoyed the delicious food from Lemon Garden, Zipangu and Shang Palace. Lemon Garden is one of my favourite places to have a buffet and I absolutely recommend it!

Would I go back to Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur? Absolutely! I think the perks and complimentary service at the Horizon Club makes it worthwhile. So if you’d like to know more about what Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur has to offer, head on to http://www.shangri-la.com/