GTower Hotel

The Kuala Lumpur skyline is ever changing. The concrete jungle in the city centre grows denser by the day.  Whenever I drive into the city after a short lapse of time, I'm always in awe of the increasing amount of construction activities there and new buildings keep sprouting like mushrooms after a rainfall.  I can never keep up with, or rather, keep count of the number of new skyscrapers fighting for a tight spot in the almost-overcrowded KL skyline.



When I was invited to visit and stay a night at the GTower Hotel, my interest was piqued.  So, what sets this particular hotel apart from the rest?

Well, for one, this hotel is located in GTower - the first fully certified green building in Malaysia by Singapore's Building & Construction Authority (BCA) with a rating of Green Mark Gold.  So what does this actually mean?  Put simply: GTower's construction adopted the latest Green Building Technologies which enabled the building to achieve a better sustainable, low-energy and healthy environment. Translating that into simpler terms: GTower boasts a 25% energy reduction (compared to other buildings of similar size & location), it saves nearly 7.5 million kwh of electricity per year (assuming it operates 10 hours/day at 5.5 days/week for 52 weeks/year) and in terms of carbon dioxide reduction, that's about 3.5 million kg of carbon not emitted into the environment and thus saving 18,000 trees per year!



Targeted mainly at corporate travellers, the GTower Hotel combines business practicality, art and convenience with quality and style.  I was impressed that they use waste heat from condensate units to generate hot water for the hotel rooms!  With the coveted MSC (Malaysia Cybercentre Status) award in its belt, is it any wonder that its high-speed multimedia services connectivitiy is world-class?  Hotel rooms come with superfast wired & wireless internet access, elegant work table, plush beds and a most-comfortable leather recliner, perfect for a bit of reading...or just to rest your back!



Guests of the hotel are given access to The Club - KL's exclusive new chic business club.  It's perfect for business meetings as well as a quiet elegant spot to chill-out, wind-down after a hectic day.  It's interesting to note that the chic decor of The Club uses wood from sustainable resources and certified green materials.



Art... the "organic earth" and green theme of the hotel is very eminent, whether it's the corridors, or the walls of hotel rooms, black & white images of our rainforest in Sabah, captured by renowned photographer Maria Espeus, hang proudly displaying the luxuriant flora and foliage of our national heritage...



The Bridge Bar... perched 30 floors above ground, straddling the 2 towers of GTower, this chic watering-hole is exclusive only to hotel guests and The Club members.  The interior decor uses recyclable materials like glass bottles, cable drums and recycled wood planks.  Whether it's drinks-before-dinner or after, the uber swanky bar is a great place to chill out - try their Chilli Padi Mojito - it's guaranteed to blow your socks off!



Fitness buffs among hotel guests and members would be thrilled by the new Elements Gym in the building... complete with the latest range of fitness equipment, a dedicated room for spinning and group exercise classes like yoga and pilates...



Re-energize and re-invigorate your systems ... go for a dip/swim in the infinity pool.  Rest assured that no chemical is used in sanitizing the water here... instead, salt chlorinators are used, resulting in pure and crystal clear water and definitely good for the environment!



Food... ahh, how can one not mention this... the breakfast spread for hotel guests at The Club on the 28th Floor... more than sufficient to kick-start your day...



There was more dining at the Trattoria Tanzini... that will be elaborated in another post shortly.

The use of greenery such as landscaping, rooftop/sky garden and green roof helps alleviate urban heat islands through shading and evaporative cooling.  There's even a Rain Water harvesting system in place for irrigating the landscaping and vertical greening areas.



Strategically located at the cross-roads of Jalan Tun Razak and Jalan Ampang, the GTower Hotel is right in the middle of KL's business district, conveniently located just 30m from the Ampang Park Light Rail Transit (LRT) subway, 400m from the KLCC Park perimeter and only 45 minutes' by road to the KL International Airport.

Many thanks to Melissa Hon & her team for the warm hospitality and to Sreejit Pillai for the invitation for  this remarkable green experience!

GTower Hotel
199 Jalan Tun Razak
50400 Kuala Lumpur
Tel:  03-2168-1800