This has been in the works for a long time. I finally figured out a reason to return to Malacca after around two decades. I have been wanting to check out this property for a long time. It is one of the last remaining Hilton hotels that I hadn’t stayed at in major cities in Malaysia. If I am not wrong, the property is owned by the same owner as the DT in Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru. The look and design are very similar, and this even applies to the naming of their restaurants. This is the main and only property in Malacca. The other one is an SLH that recently collaborated with Hilton. I took Scoot here for a weekend getaway. Let’s check out the property!
Booking Process & Pre Arrival
I booked the guest room and we will be staying here for 3 nights. I will be staying here for 3 nights! We will have two rooms here. I reached out to the hotel to get some information and also to put down some requests. Surprisingly, I did not get any upgrade before the stay, even when check-in opened online. This is weird, as higher-tier rooms are available. I usually get at least a one-tier upgrade. Doubletree by Hilton Melaka comes with 273 guest rooms and suites spread across 6 categories. You can check out the breakdown below.
| Rooms | Bathtub | Room Size |
|---|---|---|
| Guest | No | 40 Sqm |
| Guest High Floor | No | 40 Sqm |
| Deluxe | No | 51 Sqm |
| Junior Suite | Yes | 65 Sqm |
| One Bedroom Suite | Yes | 100 Sqm |
| Presidential Suite | Yes | 180 Sqm |
Checking In
I landed at Malacca airport at about 12pm, and from there it was a pretty smooth ride. I just took a grab to the hotel, which takes about half an hour or so. Malacca seems quiet! The ground floor is just a reception area. You can find the concierge desks and some seating. The adjacent mall is closed now. The bellboy immediately came over to help us unload the bags and also informed us that the lobby is on the 12th floor.
I was promptly helped by a friendly associate. We had two rooms here, and only the Deluxe room is ready. My other room, which was upgraded to a Junior Suite, wasn’t. This fits well into my plans since they are connected. We were then provided with information on the property and warm cookies. This is always perfect in DT! Breakfast and afternoon tea are only provided for one room. Axis Lounge vouchers are provided for diamond members daily. The lobby area is very nice with a good view of the surrounding area. By the lobby are the Axis Lounge and Makan Kitchen restaurants.
The Junior Suite ended up being ready at around 2pm. There are two sets of elevators. One can take you from the ground floor to the rooms.
Junior Suite
I was assigned a junior suite and twin room combo on the 25th floor. It is at the end of the corridor. The junior suites here are very nice and measure a spacious 65 Sqm. I am very pleasantly surprised with the suite the moment I entered. Despite it being of some age. It still looks so good and new.
Right to the left of the entrance way, you have a countertop area and some storage. This will be a great spot for some loose items. It is very handy to have. On the right, you have a large wardrobe area similar to a walk-in wardrobe. The area is very spacious. It felt so generous here. The area comes with a generous luggage storage area and can fit any full-size check-in bags.
There are also a couple of wardrobes here with all sorts of amenities. There is a connecting door here that you can use to connect to the twin room next door.
On the other side is the bathroom. This is huge! It comes with only a single sink, but there is plenty of counter space. There are full sets of amenities provided, including mouthwash. As per usual, amenities are from Crabtree and Evelyn in large pump-size bottles.
The toilet is in a separate room and comes with a bidet as well. The standing shower is simply gigantic! It could fit 6 people inside! I love the configuration where you have a bathtub inside, too. It comes with both a handheld shower head and a rainforest one. The temperature control and water pressure are excellent.
Moving back to the living room and the bedroom area. Everything is in the same space. There is no physical barrier between the two, given that this is a junior suite. It comes with a gorgeous sofa set in the living area that will fit five people comfortably over a coffee table. This is handy if you wanna do some dining in the room. The set-up makes it a very cosy spot.
In the middle of both spaces, you have the TV. The TV is on the smaller side, but it does come with a good mix of both local and international cable TV channels. You can easily adjust the TV to face the seating area since it is not mounted.
In the corner, there is a minibar set up next to the working desk. It comes with both a kettle and a proper espresso coffee machine, which I appreciated. Complimentary drinking water is offered alongside capsules and packaged tea, too. This is refilled during daily housekeeping and turn-down service. There’s also a mini fridge below that is left empty for your use.
The working desk setup comes with an ergonomically designed office working chair that provides excellent back support. This is great if you need to get some work done. The Wi-Fi in the room is also very strong. As a diamond member, I get access to the premium Wi-Fi over here, which works very well.
The bed is on the other side of the suite. It is very comfortable with plush, high-quality sheets. There is also a pillow menu that you can choose to customise your sleeping experience. I love that the mattress is on the firmer side, which is to my preference. Flanking both sides of the bed, the nightstands come with power outlets and controls for the lighting. I do love that they have a USB charging port here, too.
Given how the suite is in the corner, it offers sweeping views of the surrounding area. You can even get the seat in the background, which makes for quite a lovely view. There is another coffee table and side chair in the corner here, too. Great for soaking in the views and having a cup of coffee.
I am happy with this junior suite, and it works very well in my plans of having two rooms here. Turndown service is automatically offered in the evening with the room refreshed and tidied. Let me also share some pictures of the twin deluxe room.
Fitness Centre
The gym is open 24 hours. It is located on the 13th floor. It is a pretty nice spot, very spacious and bright with tons of natural light. I love that they had a good view of the surrounding area. All the equipment seems to be well-maintained, too. Great spot if you want to get a workout anytime you fancy during your stay. Towels and water are provided.
Pool
Similarly, located on the 13th floor. The infinity pool is one of my favourite spots in this property. It comes with such a nice view of the area. The place also gets plenty of sun. Sunbeds are available for you to soak up the sun. It is key to take note that you are exposed to the restaurant next door. You can order food and drinks to enjoy by the pool from the restaurant. I enjoyed lazing here in the afternoon.
Kids Club
Same floor as the pool and gym. The Kids Club is open from 10am to 7pm daily. It also faces the pool. The location meant that you can keep a loose eye on your kids while relaxing in the pool.
Axis Lounge
This is the hotel’s day lounge and bar area, located on the same floor as the lobby. I checked it out during my stay using the afternoon tea vouchers provided for diamond members. You can use this from 3pm to 6pm. It comes with some light refreshments on a tiered stand. You can also choose from coffee, tea, water or fresh juices. I appreciate the hotel going the extra mile here since they do not have to do so with the lack of an executive lounge.
Breakfast at Makan Kitchen
Breakfast is served daily from 6am to 10am. This is included in your rate if you hold Gold and Diamond elite status. It was crowded when I was down. They have some priority tags for gold and diamond members, which is a nice touch. We were soon shown a table. The restaurant is huge, which helps. You should not have any trouble finding a seat. Breakfast is pretty good and a nice spread. Some of the more memorable items are their Nasi Lemak, Noodle Station and the Rota Canal. I will let the pictures do the rest of the speaking.
Worth stopping by if you have it included.
Conclusion
With a lack of properties over here in the city. This stands out as one of the best hotels that you can choose to stay at. It comes with modern rooms that are clean and well-maintained despite its age. I will recommend it. It is especially true for Hilton members. You are just around 10 minutes away from the city centre, and there is no issue with transportation, which is reliable and affordable. I enjoyed my stay here. It has a solid breakfast, and I also got a very nice, gorgeous suite. The complimentary afternoon refreshment was a nice touch too for Diamond members. Malacca is a rather seasonal place with the peak on Friday and Saturday.
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