Those of us of a certain age—a most respectable age, of course—will recall the joys of driving over to the landmark Hotel Equatorial KL for ais kacang in the days before it shut its doors for an epic seven-year makeover. Reborn and relaunched in March this year as EQ, it’s now a 52-storey tower that has its sights set on maintaining its reputation as a leading purveyor of Malaysian hospitality, sitting confidently in its original sweet spot within the Golden Triangle.
Throughout its 440 rooms and suites (prices start from RM5,000 for a suite), EQ has resolutely stuck to its guns as a distinctively Malaysian hotel, first and foremost. There are boldly patterned Nala cushions on the sofas, rich touches of songket weavings on the walls, and hunger-appeasing curry puffs and mee mamak on offer at the Equator Club Lounge. It makes the most of its prime position—understandably—with suites that bask in the glorious sight of the Twin Towers and a bar, private deck, and restaurant on the highest floor called Sky51, where you can thumb your nose at the helipad below.
Even if you’re ensconced in EQ’s duplex Presidential Suite—all 235 square metres of it—it would be a shame not to sample the hotel’s facilities. There’s Bottega Lounge cocktail bar where bubbly flows like water, the all-day dining restaurant Nipah (where you’ll see many a corporate high-flyer tucking into the excellent satay for lunch), and Sanctum Spa, which offers colour therapy-inspired wellness treatments. The ultimate sense of smugness comes when you’re lazing in the hotel’s vitality pool, letting the underwater jets pummel away at you as you gaze at the skyline. EQ has got it right—this city was always meant to be enjoyed, and they know exactly how you can do that.
