This pet-friendly, tech-savvy KL hotel is an ideal workcation spot for furparents on the go

We’ve started a workcation series where we personally visit and review hotels, resorts, and more, to find out how well they cater to digital nomads and hybrid professionals. Our whole team is fully vaccinated, boosted, and have tested negative on the first and last day of our trip. 

Hotel highlights:

✓ Work and lounge area with desktops and self-service, free-flow coffee and tea for guests in the Premier rooms

✓ Tech-enabled touchpoints to reduce physical contact between guests and surfaces

✓ Strong, fast, and reliable WiFi

✓ Pet-friendly for dogs and cats under 8KG

✓ Elevated parking and car lift to take away the concerns of flooding (during rainy seasons) and finding parking

A newly-erected hotel in Bukit Bintang, Capri by Fraser (Capri) has opened its huge automatic wooden sliding doors to us. 

The first sight you’ll see when coming in through the lobby, these doors are intentionally designed to shut out the hustle and bustle of the city, inviting guests into their own private and focused space.

Unpacking the work situation

We checked into two different rooms (2 pax per room): the Studio Premier and One Bedroom Premier. 

The 36 square metre Studio Premier we had came with two single beds, an en-suite bathroom, a small sofa and coffee table set, along with a kitchenette equipped with a microwave, mini-fridge, and cutleries (modern, new, aesthetic dining ware too).

Meanwhile, the 50 square metre One Bedroom Premier was similar, and a little more furnished with necessities that would suit longer-term guests. 

In addition to the above offerings, it had a study desk in the bedroom, a bathtub in the en-suite bathroom, an electric stove in the kitchenette, and a full-sized fridge.

Both rooms have smart TVs equipped with IPTV and Chrome casting, and an e-concierge. The latter is where guests can find attractions around the hotel and scan a QR code to chat with a bot named Lola for any queries.

In the Studio Premier, you can get work done on the couch and roundtable where the TV is. Those in the One Bedroom Premier can do the same, but can also opt to use the bedroom’s study desk, which is readied with plug points and a firm yet comfortable swivel chair.

For Premier suite guests who itch for a more public working space though, they have access to Capri’s lounge, Pow Wow. Guests staying in other room types can access the lounge for an additional charge of RM80 per person, per day. 

Located on the 43rd floor with massive floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking KL’s skyline, it’s reminiscent of most coworking spaces where self-service coffee, tea, and water are at your disposal. 

Pro tip: If you’re a guest staying in a Premier suite and plan to work at Pow Wow before its opening times (3PM-9PM), you can make a request for it, and the hotel’s staff will gladly set up the area for you.

One issue we faced was the lack of charging ports around Pow Wow. Requesting for an extension cord from Capri though, we found that the staff weren’t equipped to fulfil this need yet, so there’s still room for improvement.

On the plus side, we faced no issue with Capri’s WiFi whatsoever. It was very fast, strong and reliable, none of us experienced any disruptions when doing our work online.

For guests without access to Pow Wow, Capri’s in-house restaurant, The Den, can be another sufficient workspace as well.

To add, companies and teams planning to host events, workshops, and the like at Capri can book one of the three spaces offered at The Pod.

Coming soon: Capri allows guests to bring in outside food whilst they’re still setting up their official menu from the hotel’s kitchen. Once that’s ready, however, they encourage guests to order from the restaurant’s kitchen itself as all-day dining will be available too.

Only its best “food” forward 

The Den will be your go-to dining area throughout your stay at Capri. Currently, the restaurant is finalising its menu which will tentatively make its debut in April 2022.

But this didn’t mean there was no food offered to us during our time there. Over the 3D2N stay, we were served a breakfast buffet that was simple, with attention to quality over quantity.

Every single item was prepared exceptionally, where all hot items at the spread were kept in food warmers atop heating plates too.

To reduce physical contact and ensure guests’ safety, plastic gloves are required to be worn when picking up items from the buffet line. 

Coming soon: Capri’s team shared that the buffet spread we had is just the start of what the chefs plan to put out in months to come. Once that’s ready, the breakfast buffet will even offer lunch-like items such as pasta, noodles, and more.

We also had two high tea sets served to us at Pow Wow, along with a signature refreshing punch. A pre-dinner cocktail is served at Pow Wow as part of the added amenities for guests staying in the Premier rooms.

Self-service cocktails would usually be accessible during Pow Wow’s opening hours too, but with the current occupancy, Capri is serving personalised cocktails to guests.

No additional charges apply as long as guests are staying in Capri’s Premier rooms.

Time for play

In most hotels, guests would expect there to be a gym and swimming pool, and Capri definitely checked those boxes. The hotel’s gym is open 24 hours, while the pool is open from 7AM to 9PM.

Perhaps taking note of social distancing measures, the treadmills and stationary bicycles at Capri’s gym are spread out enough that no appliance needs to be left unused to act as a buffer. 

We noticed that the gym equipment were also high-end models from Technogym, adding to the list of tech-savvy features you’ll find around Capri.

At the saltwater infinity pool, guests are treated with a scenic view of the city while they swim. 

Meanwhile, in an area called Spin N Play, guests can do self-service laundry. You’ll need two tokens to operate the machines: one for the washing machine and another for the dryer, which can be purchased for RM8 each at the lobby.

While waiting for your laundry, there are also some entertainment amenities including a foosball table, and TV room with plenty of beanbags to chill on.

Did we mention they’re pet-friendly?

Pet owners will be pleased to find out that Capri is also pet-friendly. For RM180 per pet, per day, guests can bring their small to medium-sized (max 8KG) dogs and cats along with them for the stay. 

This would allow digital nomads to forgo the hassle of finding a pet sitter or pet boarder while on such trips. 

However, do note that pets are only allowed to roam freely within your own hotel rooms, and must be in a pet carrier if brought to the common areas. Any damages caused by pets will be subjected to additional charges.

To ensure the comfort of guests who aren’t supposed to come into contact with dogs due to religious reasons, Capri’s housekeeping will do a thorough samak (religious cleansing) in rooms where dogs and their owners stayed after they’ve checked out.

Coming soon: Pet facilities for a guest’s furry friends to do their “business” are in the pipeline of being added to the hotel.

For the tech-savvy crowd

In addition to Capri’s e-concierge, gym equipment, and self-service laundry machines, there were several other tech-enabled details scattered around the hotel: 

What really impressed some of us though was the hotel’s elevated car park that’s able to accommodate 132 vehicles.

It’s a strategic space-saving design in KL’s already limited land, and Capri’s team shared that the tech was inspired by what they saw in Singapore, where the island has limited land too.

To get your car out, simply scan your parking ticket at the check-out kiosk, and the elevator will get your car down for you.

Coming soon: Capri plans to introduce a valet service to help guests park their cars in the car lift, for a minimal fee. This would be beneficial for older folks or those in a hurry to check-in, since the car lift could be confusing to use for first-timers.

Many of Capri’s tech-enabled services are catered for guests’ comfort. This way, they can move around the hotel independently while being assured that help is just a call away. 

Having some of these minor processes being taken care of by technology also means that the hotel’s staff can then focus on what they do best: hospitality.

Part of that hospitality includes the ability to strike up conversations with Capri’s team about their personal interests, made possible by labels on their nametags.

This fits with Capri’s “social living” motto too, where lifestyle and technology blend, and safe to say, our experience matched up.

Want to suggest a specific place for us to try that’s not in the poll above? Send the suggestion to our Facebook page!