The first thing you need to know about Kuala Lumpur is that it is hot. No matter what time, month or season you visit the city, you are pretty much guaranteed to be dripping with sweat from dawn to dusk and even after that if you don’t have a decent aircon at your accommodation. With some of the best infinity pools in the world, taking a dip while staring at the city skyline is a pretty good way to beat the heat.
But, as swimming in fancy rooftop pools is such a sought after thing in the city, hotels and apartment blocks have made them even more exclusive and you will not find one hotel pool offering day passes. I have therefore made you a list of all the reasonably priced hotels or apartments where you can stay and sleep comfortably with the added bonus talking stunning selfies in rooftop infinity pools. There is also a free Lightroom preset for you at the bottom, so make you download it and edit your poolside pictures like a pro!
The Face Suites
Close to the famous Golden Triangle and only a 5 minute walk from the enormous Petronas Towers, The Face Suites is home to one of the most Instagrammable pools in southeast Asia. Made up of 200 serviced apartments, two restaurants and two outdoor pools, one being on the top of the building on the 51st floor, The Face Suites is very popular and spending a day watching KL do its thing while sipping a cocktail in the pool should be high on your list. If you are not a hotel guest you can’t even get to the pool, never mind swim in it. Security is tight and you need a specific keycard to use the lift to the pool deck, so if your dream is to take a selfie in this pool, get ready to dish out around £80 per night for a double room. You can check rates for your travel dates here.
Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur
For a very luxurious stay, check yourself in at the Mandarin Oriental. With 632 rooms and suites to choose from, this luxury 5-star hotel might come with a higher price tag and you can expect to pay between £120 and £180 for a double room per night, but make sure to check exact rates for your travel dates here. With 9 restaurants, bars and cafes, tennis courts, an indoor golf simulator, a gym, a stunning wellness centre and spa, a hair salon and a tropical themed pool that will have any Instagrammer weak at the knees, it is easy to see why the Mandarin Oriental is the picture of luxury and living well in Kuala Lumpur.
D’Majestic Place
D’Majestic Place is another massive hotel set right in the middle of Bukit Bintang and Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown. Other than the 90 immaculately decorated rooms and a very large restaurant that can seat over 300 diners in a single sitting, D’Majestic Place also has a large infinity pool with a view of the wider city as it is slightly outside the biggest cluster of skyscrapers. Junior double rooms range between £35 and £60 per night, depending on the season, so staying at the D’Majestic Place and making use of their pool is a more budget-friendly option. You can check specific rates for your travel dates here.
Somerset Ampang Kuala Lumpur
If you are more of an apartment kind of person and would like more amenities such as a small kitchen instead of just a fancy hotel room, book a fully serviced vacation apartment at the Somerset Ampang Kuala Lumpur. Although the pool does not face the city directly and you won’t be able to take poolside pictures with the KL skyline, it has a large jacuzzi section which makes up for the lack of city views. Once again you have to be a resident of Somerset to get access to the pools, but as a deluxe one-bedroom apartment will cost you between £40 and £60 per night, it is well worth it. You can check specific rates for your travel dates here.
WP Hotel
If you are not looking for anything flashy but still want access to a rooftop pool, look no further than the WP Hotel. Less than a third of the cost of its fancier neighbours with double rooms going for £25-£35 per night, the WP Hotel is just over a mile from the Petronas Towers and about 2 miles from the KL Forest Eco Park – an attraction that should definitely be on your Kuala Lumpur to-do list. If you are not a hotel guest but you feel a bit cheeky, try your luck at reception and see if they will let you in on a quiet day. You can check specific rates for your travel dates here.
Regalia Residencies
If you have already booked other accommodation but you really want that infinity pool experience, I have found the perfect little cheat for you. The Regalia Residencies is a group of three skyscraper towers made up of smaller hotels, holiday apartments and a few hostels. Situated a little out of the main centre of Kuala Lumpur, the view from the infinity pool on the 57th floor is absolutely breathtaking and with a poolside bar, good music and fewer crowds than at many of the other hotel pools, the vibe is really good.
As everywhere else, you need to be a guest of one of the hotels or hostels to gain access to the pool, and to do this without breaking the bank, book yourself a bed in a hostel, even if you don’t plan on sleeping there. For less than £4 per person you can book a bed at the Sky Pool Kuala Lumpur Hostel, show up, get your keycard and enjoy the pool for the entire day without even stepping into the hostel.
This is also a great idea if you have to check out of your accommodation early morning but your flight is only later at night, as you can store your luggage inside the hostel’s lockers and enjoy a last sunny day in KL swimming and relaxing.
If you would like to see more pictures of my time in Kuala Lumpur and of this fantastic pool, please visit me on Pinterest at @LuzanneFletcher and follow me on Instagram at @luzanne_f. Also check out the related article section below if you want to read more about the amazing things to do and see in Kuala Lumpur.
To help you make the most of the amazing pictures you will be taking at the pool, I have developed some amazing free mobile and desktop presets that you can use to transform your pictures. All you have to do is download the zip folder for either the mobile or desktop presets to the matching device, follow the easy step by step instructions and before you know if you will be editing like a pro! The Sky Pool KL preset works especially well on photos with a lot of blue in them and will give them a nice dreamy look. Once you have used the presets, remember to tag me on Instagram at @luzanne_f and use the hashtag #TravelPresetsByLu so that I can see your amazing photos!
For the mobile presets you will need the free version of the Adobe Lightroom app that is available in the Android Play Store and in the Apple iStore. For the desktop presets you will need the paid for version of Adobe Lightroom.
Here are some transformations using only my Sky Pool KL preset!
