Back in KL

Made it back to Gombak, via Taman Melawati for a spot of take-out. Anita was too tired to cook after the long journey. Traffic was light and it took just under three hours from JPO to the Sg Besi toll. Traffic into KL was also easy.

Just finished unpacking and trying to convince the boys to hot the showers. Next would be dinner, before a spot of television later tonight. Will also be unloading my photos from the camera. Will do the sorting and editing tomorrow I guess. Needing some rest. Work tomorrow. School for the boys Tuesday.

Setting Off!

After a not-so-quick stop at Johor Premium Outlet, we were finally ready to set off. It was filling up time for the MPV and the boys' tummy. And a quick drink for Daddy. Toilet breaks were done, and InsyaAllah we should reach Gombak by Maghrib. Let's go!

Wake Up!

That's it. I'm pulling the covers off! Have to check out in an hour and the boys were still snoozing away. Both Anita and I had had our breakfast. I wonder what time they finally fallen asleep. I went to bed at around 1 and they were still at it last night. Now they couldn't pry their eyes open!

Time form some drastic action!!!!

Thistle Negatives

Well, I have to be balanced. There are a lot more could be done to improve Thistle. And as a patron, I deserved to voice them up.

My chief gripe was the lack of free broadband services. In 2013, it should be a crime for hotels not giving away free bandwidth to their paying customers. It is a basic necessity. I could understand if this was a budget outlet. We paid good money for the stay and we deserved that. To make matters worse, the rooms were not blessed with the best telco receptions, be it Celcom or DiGi. It was better at the pool - which even there was not equipped with WiFi.

At least there should be free service at the lobby.

Second was the toilet in the room. The shower door was pretty loose, and every time my boys had a shower, the place turned into one big bathtub. The floors were all wet.

TV channels were limited. There were more Singaporean channels than ASTRO. One movie channel. Only ESPN, so no Manchester United. And no channels for the kids! Blimey!

Last but not least, were the lighting. It was really dark at both the living area and bedroom. Since we bought Lego during our trip to Legoland, my boys tried to assemble some of the toys when they got back into the room. Forget it. The grumpy boys had to wait until the next morning. More lights please ......

This would need fixing my friends ......

Goodbye Thistle

I was about to start packing for the return to Kuala Lumpur, but I couldn't resist penning this entry. We actually enjoyed our stay here at Thistle. The room was cosy, the food was good, and the best of all, the staffs were friendly.

Over the years, we always had some issue with hotel staffs treating us local Malaysians as second-class patrons. Maybe we didn't tip them enough. But it tended to be rather obvious.

To start with the staffs here are Malaysians in the majority. So, communications were not an issue. They were also prompt and keen to help, which is always good. Yes, they were not perfect, but not everybody could be perfect - although Marina Bay Sands was damn near that if only they serve Halal food. But I digressed.

They still lack the finer things. For example, not offering us the parking pass despite basking for the vehicle number and where we parked. And not offering seats on the Legoland shuttle despite us checking in with a couple of kids. They still have plenty of room for improvement.

Three things you should try should you checked in here were the pool, the Executive Lounge at Level 15 and Oasis, an Italian-Japanese fusion restaurant by the pool. The pool was great and well-maintained, with separate children area and ample seating. No lifeguards though and the beverage service was pretty slow. The Lounge was quiet and exclusive, service breakfast in the morning and afternoon tea. The scone was a hit. And lastly, Oasis, with the freshly baked pizza at a stone oven at the restaurant, and fresh sashimi. It was a winner. Add to that live music from an acoustic band. Perfect! Good thing that my children loved Italian food.

Definitely I would consider coming back here in the future. My boys definitely loved this place, so that was always a good start.