When it comes to airport hotels, I have mixed feelings. I have had both good and bad experiences. However, I am a little more apprehensive about airport hotels located on the airside since I have usually found them to be older properties and often run down. Conversely, some of the airport hotels I have stayed in on the landside have been quite good. So when I found myself flying through Kuala Lumpur, I opted for staying at the Sama Sama Hotel located on the landside of Kuala Lumpur International Airport. I heard good things about it and read some positive reviews. I had a feeling that my two-night stay at this hotel would be a pleasant experience. I wanted to share my honest opinion in this short review about the hotel.

Sama Sama Hotel is located in close proximity to KLIA1 i.e., Terminal 1 of Kuala Lumper International Airport. Once I landed in Terminal 1, I had to go through customs and immigration before making my way to the hotel. Just so there is no confusion, there are two Sama Sama Express Hotels, one in Terminal 1 and the other in Terminal 2 but both are on the airside. I also had the opportunity to spend one night at the Sama Sama Express Hotel in Terminal 1 and it was an older property. Compared to that, the experience at Sama Sama Hotel on the landside was simply amazing.

The hotel is conveniently located adjacent to the terminal and one can use the covered skybridge to get to the hotel. Finding the hotel is not too difficult if one follows the signs. It is likely that passengers might be carrying luggage with them and it can be difficult to trek all the way to the hotel. To make matters easy, the hotel provides a 24-hour buggy service which makes a round in short intervals. When I reached the buggy waiting area, a buggy showed up within a few minutes. I was the only passenger and had all the space to myself on my ride to the hotel. Soon I was zipping through the airport corridors and it was such a fun ride. Once we reached the hotel, I was dropped off at the back entrance that connected with the airport. I noticed there was a convenience store located right next to the hotel which I decided to visit later.

As I walked through the door into the hotel, I could sense the grandness of the place. It was tastefully decorated but not excessively ornate. After a short walk, I entered the hotel lobby which had a very upscale and polished look. The attendants at the desk were very jovial and attentive and checked me in with efficiency.

The lobby was quite impressive and I could not help but admire it for a moment before heading toward the elevator. The elevator had an orange theme and was decorated with patterns which complemented the grandiosity of the place. As I stepped out from the elevator, I was welcomed by the sight of lush blue carpeting which covered the entire floor of the hotel. It appeared from the cleanliness of the place that the common areas were well maintained. My room was a located quite far from the elevator and on one of the sides which is always a welcoming option. Such rooms shield the occupants from unwanted noise and can be a boon for those seeking quiet time.

As I entered my room unsure about what to expect, I was pleasantly surprised at what met my eyes. The room was neatly decorated and had a rich vibe. The bathroom was located on the right side of the entry way. Walking past the bathroom, the remainder of the wall in the passage on the right side had top to bottom mirror. On the left side of the passage was the closet space which was quite accommodating. As I walked past the closet, I could see the entire room with a large comfortable bed, a working desk with ergonomic chair, and a small sofa located next to the window. The window did not offer any special view but it was completely unobstructed.

The window had both automatic curtains and blinds which could cut off the light completely from outside. Among the amenities in the room were a large screened tv, writing pad and pen, safe box, and coffee and drink station with complementary bottles of water. The bathroom was stocked with usual toiletries such as soap, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, etc.

The room felt slightly dated but still well maintained. It had modern amenities such as digital control of lighting and temperature, charging ports, etc. The room itself was sufficiently large with plenty of space to walk around without bumping into anything. The bed was very comfortable and the mattress was very supportive. I did not have any issues falling asleep and slept soundly throughout both the nights I was there. There was ample storage space in the closet and I could hang quite a few clothes using the provided hangers. The bathroom was clean and had sufficient number of towels. The water pressure was strong in the shower. All toiletry amenities were of good quality.

On my first night at the hotel, I was too tired to venture out to the inhouse restaurant and opted for room service. I ordered a burger with some fries and a soda. It took about half an hour for the meal to arrive. I was hungry and developed quite an appetite. I was worried if it would be enough to satiate my hunger but when the food arrived, I was taken aback by the amount of food. The burger was definitely bigger than the average size I am used to and it had thick double beef patties. There were also some veggies that came with the burger along with a good portion of fries. It took me some time but I did manage to finish everything. The entire meal was extremely satisfying and worth every penny.

The following day, I had a late start and made my way to the hotel lobby for breakfast at the restaurant which was included in my stay. The restaurant was very expansive and had different sections for western, Asian and local food. It was not too busy when I arrived and a helpful staff walked me around the place to show me all the options. There was a sufficient number of waitstaff ensuring that hotel guests were looked after. All the breakfast items looked good and I tried a select few. After breakfast, I made plans to go to Kuala Lumpur city center and visit some of the malls.

I was thinking of walking back to the airport terminal and taking the train to Kuala Lumpur city center. My plan was to be in the Bukit Bintang area and more specifically, at the Berjaya Times Square which is a multistoried shopping complex that also includes an indoor amusement park. I inquired with the hotel front desk about taking the train and they suggested that I take Grab instead since it would be faster and economical, and it would take me to my destination with minimal hassle. For those not familiar with Grab, it is an alternate to Uber in Malaysia and many other countries in Asia. I opted for the Grab option and soon my ride arrived to take me to Berjaya Times Square.

My Grab ride was reliable, safe, and comfortable and I was dropped off at my desired location. I spent most of my day walking and shopping at Berjaya Times Square following which I made my way to Sungei Wang Plaza and ultimately ended up at the Pavilion Mall. I did walk around the Bukit Bintang area quite a bit which eventually got me very hungry and I made my way to a Middle Eastern restaurant to grab a late lunch.

I got mango juice, beef kebab and fries which also came with some salad and bread. The food was fantastic and I am so glad I chose this place. In general, I have been satisfied with most of restaurants in Kuala Lumpur during my previous visits and this was no exception. With lunch complete, I decided to head back to the hotel since I had an early morning flight the following day. I used Grab again to hail a ride which did not start out very smoothly but eventually, I made it back to the hotel.

By the time I got back to the hotel, it was evening time. I decided to freshen up and walk to the main terminal of the airport. I wanted to get an idea of the time it took to walk from the hotel to the terminal and also see what facilities were available. As I stepped on the skybridge, I noticed the convenience store located adjacent to the hotel. I decided to check it out before making my way to the airport terminal. This store was not too big and was packed with all kinds of items that included food, drinks, toiletries, clothes, travel accessories, souvenirs, collectible items such as stamps, model airplanes, etc. It was quite impressive to see how so much stuff was packed and displayed in such a small space.

The walk to the airport terminal took me about 15 minutes. Not all sections of the skybridge were airconditioned but it did not feel too hot or humid. Once at the terminal, I came across a food court with both foreign chain restaurants and local ones as well. This can be an alternate dining option for anyone staying at the hotel. Besides the food court, there were other restaurants and food options on different levels of the terminal. There were also other stores at the terminal selling electronic and travel items. One of the benefits of staying at the airport hotel is that the terminal offers ample space to walk around and stretch one’s legs.

Since I had an early morning flight the following morning, I decided to retire for the night earlier than usual. Normally, I am under stress in such situations since some planning is required to make it to the airport on time. In my existing situation, I needed to catch two additional flights after my flight from Kuala Lumpur until I reached my final destination. Missing my initial flight would require me to rebook the remaining flights which would be challenging. However, staying at the airport hotel made me feel extremely relaxed since I knew there would be no surprises in getting to the airport. I felt everything was under control which helped me sleep better through the night. I woke up at my desired time, casually got ready, checked out of the hotel without any hassle, and hopped on the buggy that was waiting outside at 5:00 in the morning.

Overall, in my opinion, the Sama Sama Hotel at the Kaula Lumpur International Airport is an excellent option for those needing to catch a flight within a day or two. This is especially so if it happens to be an early morning flight since it might require some advanced planning with transportation to get to the airport. The hotel is clean and upscale with great facilities and the service is very good with attentive staff who are both friendly and helpful. I would highly recommend this hotel for anyone transiting through Kuala Lumpur International Airport.