EQ Kuala Lumpur (Hotel) at Equatorial Plaza

[Luxury Hotels]

When the original Hotel Equatorial opened its doors in Kuala Lumpur back in 1973, it was the talk of the town and quickly gained a reputation as a premier five-star destination. Fast forward to 2012 and the hotel was almost 40 years old was looking dated and thus the owners decided to close it for redevelopment. Well the redevelopment took almost seven years (takes time to safely knock down a building and construct an entirely new one!) and the new Equatorial Plaza reopened its doors (albeit a soft launch) on 1 March 2019.

I happened to visit the new EQ (hotel) last week as it was the venue for the Xiaomi Mi 9T media launch (which you can read about here – https://timchew.net/2019/06/24/xiaomi-launches-the-mi-9t-in-malaysia/) and was pretty impressed with the new unmistakable 52-storey tower along Jalan Sultan Ismail in the heart of Kuala Lumpur’s famed Golden Triangle. The EQ is the centrepiece of the new Equatorial Plaza (which also houses office units), which offers, 440 Guestrooms and Suites with panoramic views of the city skyline.

After the event, I decided to explore the EQ’s public areas, and snap some quick photos with my phone (which is a Huawei Mate 10 Pro) on my way out. The photos are completely unedited (not even cropped) with absolutely no adjustments to colour, contrast, etc. etc. besides what was automatically done by the phone’s AI.

Entering the lobby, you’ll immediately notice the statement piece staircase which is incredibly outstanding

The corridor leading to the reception area

Even the lift lobby is beautifully designed

The Bottega Lounge, serves light refreshments from 11am to 11pm (Sundays to Thursdays) and 11am to 12am (Fridays and Saturdays)

Kampachi – the renowned Japanese restaurant returns, serving the popular Sunday lunch buffet

All-day-dining restaurant Nipah serves an array of Asian and international fare

The foyer area outside the meeting rooms/ ballroom

Options for business functions and special events are aplenty as there are ten (10) meeting and banquet rooms and the 1,025 sq. metre Diamond Ballroom and Gallery (which I managed to have a peek but did not manage to snap any photos as there was an event happening at that time).

EQ has function rooms that are designed with flexibility in mind. The size of the event spaces ranges from 35 sq. metres to 291 sq. metres and all function rooms, including The Forum and The Conservatory is fully equipped with the latest systems to host social and corporate events.

Even the washrooms are huge and beautifully designed

Apart from the (public) areas which I visited, there’s also the Infinity Pool and the soon to be opened Sky51 on the 51st Floor which will be a culinary hub for both casual and fine dining.

The new EQ marks the brand’s latest take on innovation in design and technology, as well as a renewed commitment to service excellence, offering guests a refreshing mix of heritage and modernity. 140 guest rooms are currently ready – from Deluxe rooms and Premier rooms to Studio Suites and the Presidential Suite, which all come with a complimentary in-room mini bar. Many guestrooms also have panoramic views of the Kuala Lumpur city skyline.

The Sanctum Wellness on level 29 is an entire floor dedicated to fitness and wellness with the fully equipped Sanctum Gym day; the 25-metre infinity pool, which offers panoramic views of the city skyline; the large adjoining vitally pool and the Himalayan salt sauna.

EQ Kuala Lumpur is located at:

Equatorial Plaza,

Jalan Sultan Ismail,

50250 Kuala Lumpur,

Malaysia.

Telephone: +603 – 2789 7777

Email: info@kul.equatorial.com

Website: https://www.eqkualalumpur.com/