I’ve been lucky to have spent some time at the JW Marriott Hotel Kuala Lumpur and I must say, its swimming pool and gym are something else. Not only were these facilities aesthetically pleasing, they also had plenty of amenities that really just set them apart from others that I’ve been to. Today, I’ll go through the things that I liked during my visit.
Swimming Pool and Gym at JW Marriott Hotel Kuala Lumpur: For Guests Who Want to Stay Active
Located at 183 Jalan Bukit Bintang in Kuala Lumpur, this JW Marriott branch is directly connected to the Starhill Gallery Mall. Both the mall and the hotel are targeted at more affluent travelers. As a result, rooms at the hotel can be relatively pricey.
If budget isn’t a constraint though then you’ll find that there’s a lot to like here at JW Marriott in Kuala Lumpur. As I said earlier, I was fortunate enough to have spent time here recently. I will say, it does live up to being a luxury hotel just from its entrance alone. When I actually first saw this, I immediately knew I was in for a memorable stay at the very least (expounded on this in my full review of the hotel).
After checking in with the hotel and depositing my stuff to my room, one of the first things I did was check out the pool area. Here’s a sign with safety guidelines near the towel cabinet that you should definitely check out before taking a dip. Like with most hotels that I’ve been to, there isn’t a lifeguard on duty here so if you have kids with you then make sure you or a guardian accompanies them here.
Unfortunately, it was past 7:00PM so the pool was already closed. That said, you can still access the pool area and there are plenty of lounge chairs here where you can rest, relax, and take in the views of Kuala Lumpur’s skyline. If you do want to swim here then make sure to drop by between 7:00AM to 7:00PM.
I don’t know if it’s just me but I really prefer the look of the pool in the evening. The blue just really stands out at night thanks to the pool lights. It’s a shame that swimming is prohibited from 7:00PM onwards because I was actually raring to jump in when I took this picture.
At 1.2 meters, this end of the pool isn’t that deep. If you look back at the safety guidelines earlier, the prohibition on diving now makes a lot of sense. While diving here is a no-no, the pool should still be great for swimming and for cooling down on hot days (Kuala Lumpur is notoriously hot and humid thanks to its tropical climate).
One of the things that I liked about the pool area is the availability of chaise lounges. This was probably the first hotel that I’ve been to (that I could remember) that had so many of these in its pool area. I did try out one of the chairs in the image above and found it to be decently comfortable to sit and lounge on.
Other than the lounge chairs, the pool area also had these gazebos which I thought looked really comfy. There are three in total and each of the gazebos have an outdoor daybed and a small bedside table. I also ended up trying the daybed and as expected, they were even more comfortable.
Here’s the indicator of the depth at this end of the pool which also happens to be the same as in one of the prior pictures. Unlike most pools that typically have a shallow and deep end, the one here at JW Marriott Hotel Kuala Lumpur has uniform depth. Then off to the side, you can see the kiddie pool area which is even shallower.
Unlike the blue of the main pool, the kiddie pool looks green. Aesthetically, it honestly doesn’t look nice at least at night. That said, you and your kids are really not swimming here at night since, as mentioned earlier, the pool closes at 7:00PM.
So this is a closer look at the gazebo and the outdoor daybed. You’ve probably also noticed by now but there are also curtains tied to the gazebo’s posts. If you want a little privacy or if the sun is a little too strong then you can just loosen the ties to then use the curtains.
Here’s the border that separates the kiddie pool from the adult/main pool. You’ll notice that there’s also a bench that spans this end of the adult/main pool that’s perfect for guests who aren’t too keen on swimming and just want to soak. I think the pool was a little shallow (at least for me) for swimming and you might want to spend more time soaking in these benches and enjoying the views instead.
From here you can see where I entered the pool area. It’s a little dark but if you look closely, you’ll also notice the windows and doors of some of the Cabana Poolside Rooms. From what I’ve been told, these are some of the more expensive rooms in the hotel with rates typically hovering around the 800MYR (more or less) mark.
If you’re facing the gazebos you’ll find this pool bar called Bel-Aire on your right. Much like the pool though, this one is closed for the night. If you want to though, you can still call up room service and have someone deliver your drink of choice to your room and then you can bring that here with you.
Just to be sure, I tried to get a little closer to the bar to see if it was closed. True enough, the bar didn’t have any lights on and no one was manning it. I did end up returning the following day and by that time staff were already behind the bar taking in people’s orders.
This is one of the Cabana Pool Side Rooms I was talking about. If I’m not mistaken, there are two kinds of pool side rooms available for guests here. The one in the image is the Twin Room while the other one is called the King Room. As you can probably infer, the room’s names are determined by the kind of beds they have. Interestingly enough, both rooms share the same rate.
Here’s another look at the pool with the gazebos in the background. If you look closely to the right of the gazebos, you’ll see a couple of people relaxing on some of the lounge chairs near the pool bar. Again, the views here are rather nice at night so I wouldn’t really blame them for coming here to unwind and relax.
Aside from the nice views, the area is also just cool, especially in the evenings. Mind you, it’s still warm compared to an airconditioned room but definitely cooler than walking on a KL street in the day. Unlike most pools I’ve been to in my travels, it’s also open air so you get to enjoy the fresh air and the occasional cool night breeze.
This is what the pool area looks like in the morning(it’s nice to go and relax here after having breakfast buffet at Shook! restaurant). The pool doesn’t look as striking now without the underwater pool lights though it still admittedly looks really good. It was around 7:00AM when I took this photo and you can see that the staff had already prepped the area for guests looking to get their early morning swim.
If you look closely at the chaise lounges, you’ll see that they have towels on them. After your morning swim or dip in the pool, you can then just a towel by heading straight to one of the lounge chairs. Interestingly enough, there weren’t that many people here when I took this shot. I did ask around and was told most guests tend to use the facilities around 9:00AM to 10:00AM with usage peaking around mid-afternoon.
Here’s the cabinet where you can also get your towels (if for some reason you won’t find any on the chaise lounges). You’ll also notice that this has a receptacle where guests can place their used towels. Again, you’d do well to read the sign with the safety guidelines posted in the back.
So I don’t think I’ve taken a close up of these lounge chairs before this image. You might notice that they have a completely different design than the ones on the opposite side of the pool. I’m not sure if there’s any reason why this is but for what it’s worth, they’re equally as comfortable to sit/lay on.
I initially thought that the Bel-Aire pool bar would open late but apparently its operations start the same time as the pool. It’s not shown in the image but there were already staff here preparing the bar for guests. Take note though that this isn’t a complimentary bar so if you plan to get drinks here then you’re going to have to pay for them.
The bar surprisingly has a wide selection of drinks that you can choose from. Aside from beer, there’s also tequila, whiskey, and even infused water. If you’re looking for cocktails then you could also request the bartender (not shown) to come up with one for you.
Kuala Lumpur’s weather can be really hot and humid especially during noontime. Thankfully, the pool area here also has a garden. If you’re not used to the hot weather then this might be a great place to cool down and feel refreshed.
Okay, so this is just a secret between us: the garden lowkey has possibly the best seat in the pool area. This Bohemian-style Hanging Hammock Chair will lull you to sleep because of how comfortable it is. Additionally, it is also perfect for those IG-worthy selfies and pictures.
One reason why being in the garden feels so refreshing is the presence of these plants. Now I’m no botanist so I’m not sure what these are. I will say though that they’re really pleasing to look at and if you do find yourself having urban fatigue then I’d highly recommend staying here for maybe an hour or two.
Another reason why you’re going to want to stay here is that it’s probably one of the only sections in the pool area with consistent shade thanks to this pergola. Unlike most pergolas though, this one doesn’t have a solid roof. Instead, the shade is thanks to the vines here running up the pergola’s posts.
And with this image, my tour of the pool area is complete. Whether you want to cool down for the evening or want to jumpstart your day with a swim, this is definitely a great amenity to use if you ever find yourself at the JW Marriott Hotel in Kuala Lumpur.
Gym
So this is the entrance to the hotel’s gym/fitness center (called FLYPROJECT). Honestly, my first impression of the place was that it wasn’t going to be anything special. From this angle, the inside looked like it was going to have little space for specialized equipment and free weights. Turns out, this initial impression was quite wrong.
One of the first pieces of equipment I found when I got inside was this lat pulldown machine. If you’re a guy looking to build a wider back while traveling then you’re definitely going to want to get some reps on this. Looking back, I don’t think there were that many hotels that I’d been to in my travels that had a dedicated lat pulldown machine.
A couple of steps from the lat pull down machine is this shoulder press machine for isolating and strengthening the delts. Again, this is another specialized piece of equipment that I don’t often see in the hotel gyms that I’ve been to in my travels. Aside from the shoulder press machine, you can also see some elliptical trainers in the background.
Now not everyone might have time for isolation exercises. If you want to work on both your delts and lats but don’t want to touch the lat pull down and shoulder press machines then the low row machine could be a good alternative. It doesn’t completely replace both machines but not everyone understandably has the time while traveling.
I get most people wanting to have strong upper bodies but more often than not, they then tend to end up neglecting their legs. It’s understandable though as leg day can be a literal pain. That said, if you’re serious in holistically building up your body then you should be dedicating a couple of sets with the leg curl machine here.
Though these aren’t as effective at growing your legs/hamstrings, these stationary bikes are still great for compound movements especially if you crank up the resistance. Otherwise, you can just use them for cardio (which you’ll need a lot of if you’re planning to explore Kuala Lumpur on foot). I personally enjoy using these when I’m feeling lazy but still want to put some work in.
Aside from the machines, the gym has made sure to provide free weights and adjustable benches for you to perform your free weight exercises on. Dumb bells are basically the bare minimum equipment I look for in hotel gyms. These free weights are relatively easy to use and I think they’re even better (don’t quote me on this) for promoting mind-muscle connection, functional strength, and better coordination.
Here’s a close-up of the free weights. I was actually kind of surprised that the weights were relatively heavy compared to some of the hotel gyms that I’d been to in my travels. I think these ones are more for intermediate lifters with the lightest being the 4kg dumbbells. If you’re really looking for a good pump (and if you’re able to lift it) then you could move up to the 22 kg ones.
Another angle of the stationary bikes this time with the gym’s treadmills in the background. Aside from the stationary bikes, I think the other piece of equipment that you should be using if you’re not up to working out is the treadmill. You literally just walk (ideally you want to be running) on it for 30 minutes or until you’re sweating profusely and then call it a day.
This is Technogym’s Dual Adjustable Pulley and it’s perhaps one of the most expensive pieces of equipment here at the gym. I’ve seen plenty of similar machines during my travels with the most recent being (if I remember correctly) at the Westin Liberation Square Hotel in Chongqing. This particular machine is a Performance model which I think is targeted more at athletes.
I think I’ve said this before when I talked about Hyatt Regency Yokohama’s gym, but I’m just not that big of a fan of elliptical trainers. These are said to be better than treadmills but the motion I make when using them just feels so unnatural. I’d still prefer a treadmill or a stationary bike and will probably only use this if both of those are unavailable.
Right next to the elliptical trainers is this cabinet which has the gym’s sound system and more importantly, its towels, water dispenser, and fruit bowl. Guests can choose from either regular or hot/warm towels from the towel warmer machine next to the water dispenser and below the bowl of apples. Once they’re done with the towels, guests can just drop them off in the receptacle to the left of the water dispenser.
Moving on to the treadmills, one thing I liked about them was that they were positioned near the windows. While I like treadmills, I understand that using them can be a little boring. You’re basically just walking in place and most people get a little bored with that. Having the treadmills face the window means that you’ll get to see the view outside and it breaks off the monotony of having to just walk in place for minutes on end.
As for the treadmills themselves, these were rather nice to run on. These are made by Technogym (like a majority of the equipment here) and they were generally quiet and featured a really solid build. I wasn’t able to check what models these were but from what I know of Technogym treadmills, these can take weights of anywhere from 140 kilograms to 220 depending on the model.
This elliptical trainer (you’ve probably seen it earlier) is also made by Technogym. The model is specifically called the Excite Vario and I think it’s one of the brand’s more high-end offerings. The Vario in its name is due to it having a Variable Stride feature. What this means is that, unlike most elliptical trainers, this one allows users to vary their stride length and movement. I honestly didn’t try this out for myself but it does seem like it’s quite different from the regular elliptical trainers that I’ve come across over the years.
Here’s another of the gym’s leg curl machines. Again, this is made by Technogym and is specifically a part of the company’s Artis lineup of equipment (as was the leg curl machine you saw earlier). One really minor gripe (really, it’s more of a nitpick) that I have though is the positioning of this leg curl machine. Like most other equipment here are set up in pairs. Not the leg curl machines though. The other one is a couple of steps away and is beside the Dual Adjustable Pulley machine instead.
Speaking of the Dual Adjustable Pulley machine, another piece of equipment that’s beside it is this leg press machine. Specifically, this one is called a Seated Leg Press Machine and it’s again made by Technogym. Now, if you want to build up leg strength and mass then there’s probably no better equipment on here that you can use. That said, I wouldn’t really recommend this for beginners as your legs will get sore especially if you’re not used to the movement and the weight/resistance.
And that ends my tour of JW Marriott Hotel Kuala Lumpur’s Gym and Swimming Pool areas. These are great facilities that I think will get a lot of use from guests who want to stay active. There are some things that JW Marriott could have done better (e.g. a deeper pool, additional space in the gym, complimentary pool bar) but overall, I was content with these shared amenities.
Have you tried the gym and swimming pool at JW Marriott Hotel in Kuala Lumpur? If yes then we’d be more than happy to hear about your experience down in the comments section!
