This is the worst managed Shangri La I've ever stayed at. A complete waste of money - poor food, inept staff, dreadful managers - and completely overpriced compared with nearby hotels and restaurants.
It doesn't deserve to be a called Shangri La - it's not heavenly, it's ropey and unpleasant to stay in but the most unforgiveable thing for a supposedly five star hotel is the poorly trained staff and incompetent managers. The Spice Market restaurant where breakfast is served in the Garden Wing is a complete joke. If you can get a seat, you'll end up getting half the cutlery and crockery yourself, rarely get the tea or coffee you ordered and eat bog standard food. You can stand around for ages waiting for eggs while the rest of your breakfast goes cold, or find that the trays are empty and no matter how often you ask, things aren't replenished - so each day you have to figure out how to get what you'd like and make sure all your hot food arrives at the same time on the same plate - no mean task. It is a complete lottery as to if and when you'll get what you'd like and not the sleek, swift and efficient standard of any other Shangri La.
It was a huge waste of money and a massive disappointment after the huge refurbishment they are so proud of (I last visited in 2003). Superficially it looks lovely but when you're used to the pleasant and welcoming atmosphere in the east, this place feels really uncomfortable. I've travelled all over Malaysia, to far more basic hotels and met far more warm, welcoming and thoughtful staff. And Shangri La should really rethink their policy of customer recommendation of staff for a monthly prize because all the client facing staff badger you to fill in cards for them while the hard working gardeners, for example, don't get to speak to you, let alone ask for recommendations.
Oh, and the room cleaners are pretty poor. The bathroom was dirty and dusty, sometimes the towels weren't changed, the cleaners appeared anytime up to 6pm to clean, we were locked out on our balcony twice - as were our neighbours, the same fruit rotted in a bowl for a fortnight as did the crumbs and dirt on the balcony which was there from the day we arrived until the day we left.
We were also given the hard sell to upgrade our room on arrival. After hours of travelling we were dragged round the hotel looking at rooms we didn't want when a drink and a quiet seat was what was in order (and what I'd have expected from a 5 star hotel).
Stay away. There are far better Shangri La's in Malaysia and you'd be better spending your money on fun things and staying at the Pacific and Oriental or one of the cheaper hotels on Batu Ferringhi.
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