Hotel : Palace of the Golden Horses

One of the most iconic hotels in Malaysia is undoubtedly the Palace of the Golden Horses. Built in the late 90s, it has sustained its operation due to reasons including -

i) having an intriguing name that sticks in one's mind;

ii) its unique and distinctive historical architecture designs; and

iii) being a 5-star luxury hotel with competitive pricing

Once, when I was a child, my grandfather won a weekend getaway hotel stay at a resort that is no longer in existence today. My grandparents took me and several cousins, because it was a family suite. I remember driving past the Palace of Golden Horses and thinking wow, I’d like to stay there too someday.

Coupled with the glimpse of the golden statues of horses that I saw on that day, is the reason why I still remember this hotel, 2 decades later. That is excellent branding, if nothing else.

The theme of golden horses is prevalent throughout the hotel - which is a good thing if you like horses, especially shiny ones. A number of statues are placed strategically throughout the hotel - in the lobby, dining hall and even the tiles are decorated with horse designs. Golden horses, marble horses, transparent glass horses - this place has them all.

Even the awning of the building entrance (as seen in picture above) has a design of golden horses.

I’ve always thought it would be lovely to stay in a historical hotel, especially those with themed rooms, furnished with vintage furniture instead of mass-produced generic furnishings.

Some would say that the hotel have seen better days, with ageing signs showing especially in the walls and carpets, but such is part and parcel of staying in a historical building, especially one with a grandiose interior.

Be sure to request for a room with a view of the lake or gardens.

I’ve heard that there is also an excellent swimming pool (with slides!), which is a great plus in the overbearingly hot Malaysian weather, and golf courses nearby if you’re into that sort of thing.

There is a fitness centre for those inclined, and a massage parlour as well.

The Mines Wonderland theme park is also a short ferry ride away. The only shopping mall in Malaysia with gondola rides, it is a fairly good location for a family weekend trip. I loved it when I was a kid.

Amongst the many hotels and airbnbs that have popped up like mushrooms in KL, the palace hotel has managed to keep afloat by competitive pricing. These days, it is quite affordable to stay here - a room can be reserved for less than RM300 per night for the cheaper rooms to less than RM1,500 for the State Suites. The colonial-theme Host of Nation suite is priced at RM4,228 per night, an astounding price leap.

Notwithstanding the frequent deals and discounts available, the reviews have been overall positive, scoring 8/10 on Traveloka* and 3.5/5 on Tripadvisor*.

There is apparently a good variety of food selection available, with a Japanese restaurant, a Chinese restaurant, a coffeehouse and a bar, serving both international and local cuisines.

On top of the points above, the hotel is well located for business purposes and weekend getaways, being 30 min drive from KLIA airport or 15 mins drive to the heart of Kuala Lumpur. The hotel provides free shuttle service; Uber is also recommended.

P.S. Bring mosquito repellent. The mosquito season in Malaysia is all-year round.

This article is brought to you by Traveloka, a Malaysian-based travel metasearch engine for hotel and flight fares.

*scoring as at 11.26pm, 20th July 2017