For those who don’t know, the tune hotels are based upon the low budget airlines model. The earlier you book, the cheaper it is, and you pay add ons for things like air conditioning, wifi and towels! if you need them. The chain advertises itself as a 5 star bed for a 1 star price.
Basically you get a smallish, but clean room, with a super quality bed in it, and an attached bathroom with a power shower, sink and western toilet. Downstairs is a lobby with computers for internet access, a 7-11 store, subway and a coffee house.
If you book early enough then you can get a room for a fiver a night. As I wanted somewhere to stay after a long flight I booked a double room for four nights in KL, this cost about 12 pounds per night, which i feel is very good value. (I have also booked in at the Tune hotel in Kuching, there I have a single room, for £4.50 a night).
The tune hotel is about a mile and a half north of downtown/Chinatown KL, but has good access to two transport stations so you can get downtown in about 10 mins for a cost 0f 1.2 RM (25 pence).
To get to the Tune Hotel from the LCCT KL airport is pretty easy; you first take the skybus to KL Sentral (this runs about every 30 mins from 4.30 am to 12.30 am and costs 9RM). At KL sentral you need to get the LRT to Masjid Jamek (RM 1.8); then change platforms/ lines and get the LRT to Sultan Ismail (RM1.20); turn right outside the Sultan Ismail station and the Tune hotel is about 150 metres down the road on your left. Total cost from the airport to the Tune Hotel KL is RM12 (£2.40 / $3.60).
The other station near the Tune Hotel KL is the Medan Tuanku monorail stop (250 metres further down the road from the hotel). This is a very handy station as the monorail can take you to most of the major sites and party spots. It is also possible to get the monorail directly from KL Sentral to Medan Tuanku; but as the monorail station is not in the same complex as where the airport buses drop you off, it is probably easier to go to the sultan Ismail LRT stop to the tune hotel the first time.
Just beyond the Medan Tuanku station if you turn right you come into Asian heritage row, this is supposdly the happening spot in KL at the moment. I got there at about 9.30 at night and it was pretty dead; I don’t think that it gets going until after midnight.
Asian Heritage Row – The place to be in KL
Also in the area is the chow kit market, and it is about a 10 min walk to Little India.
Other than bringing your own towels, there are a few minor drawbacks to staying at the Tune Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, one is the advertising; instead of having a nice picture above your bed you get this.
I think that the main drawback of staying at the Tune hotel is that if you have an early flight in the morning, it is a bit tricky to get to the KL Sentral station to get the skybus to the airport as the trams don’t start going until about 6; you’ll need to catch a taxi to KL Sentral (costs about RM15 to 20 (£3.50)).
So overall I’d say that the Tune Hotels KL is a pretty good place to stay for those in a budget. I know from experience that many of the hostels in KL are not so nice, so this place is very welcome and a good alternative to forking out for a more upmarket hotel.