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Kuala Lumpur · Hotel shortlist

Hotels with a bar downtown in Kuala Lumpur

Ellie Brandt

Ellie Brandt Southeast Asia

Updated 1 September 2026 · 10 Kuala Lumpur hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Kuala Lumpur, out of the 10 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 4.5 down to 4.2.

The Kuala Lumpur Journal Hotel is the one I would book myself.

The Kuala Lumpur Journal Hotel

Highest rated of the five

The Kuala Lumpur Journal Hotel

★★★★★4.5 from 3,546 reviews

The Kuala Lumpur Journal Hotel comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 4.5 from 3,546 guest reviews is a score that holds up at that volume, which is the whole test here. A perfect ten from nine people does not beat it.

It is a 4 star property, found under downtown and around $86 a night on the dates we checked.

10 hotels in Kuala Lumpur qualified for this list and five made it. Ramada Suites By Wyndham KLCC is the one I would book if the first is full.

Why it works for this trip

  • Poolsomewhere to cool off between walks
  • Air conditioningthe one that decides a summer trip
  • Restaurantdinner downstairs on the night you land
  • Bara drink without going back out
  • Family roomscots and larger rooms rather than a squeeze

Check rates Read more

All five, ranked

  1. The Kuala Lumpur Journal Hotel1

    The Kuala Lumpur Journal Hotel

    ★★★★★4.5 from 3,546 reviews

    • Pool
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking
    • Kid friendly

    Check rates Read more

  2. Ramada Suites By Wyndham KLCC2

    Ramada Suites By Wyndham KLCC

    ★★★★★4.2 from 3,399 reviews

    • Pool
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking
    • Kitchen

    Check rates Read more

  3. Verdant Hill Hotel Kuala Lumpur3

    Verdant Hill Hotel Kuala Lumpur

    ★★★★★4.2 from 2,591 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking

    Check rates Read more

  4. Star Mews Hotel4

    Star Mews Hotel

    ★★★★★4.8 from 60 reviews

    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Air conditioning
    • Airport shuttle

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  5. Vivids Hotel5

    Vivids Hotel

    ★★★★★4.3 from 152 reviews

    • Bar
    • Air conditioning

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How this list was put together

10 Kuala Lumpur hotels qualify for this list. We ranked them on guest rating, then on class, and took the top five.

Two things decide these lists. The first is my own time in the city: every hotel on this page is one I have stayed in, walked into and looked at, or gone back to check. That is where the shortlist starts, and it is why some well reviewed places are not on it.

The second is the numbers, and those are what set the order. The rating and review count come from the big travel sites, pooled through Google, so a score here reflects Expedia, Booking, Hotels.com and the rest together rather than any one of them. I also read the review breakdown by topic, which is where the figures on service, breakfast and location come from. Hotels with fewer than forty reviews are left out altogether, because a rating that thin is not a rating. No more than two come from one neighbourhood.

What I do not do is move anyone up the order. The ranking is the guest score, highest first, and nobody pays to be on the list.

Distances are straight lines from published coordinates, so the real walk is a little longer. Amenities are as recorded by Google Hotels and can change without notice. Rates are an indicative nightly figure for a midweek autumn stay, not a quote. Check the booking page before you commit.

Ellie Brandt

Ellie Brandt Southeast Asia

Works weekends at an animal shelter and saves the pay for off-season flights. Hostels, night buses, and volunteering at animal sanctuaries for a bunk. Six countries in three years.

Trip Grapevine earns a commission on bookings made through the links on this page. It costs you nothing, and it does not change the order of the list, which is set by the measurements above.