Swiss-Garden Hotel & Residences Malacca

It has been ages since I last set foot in Malacca so I was super-excited when we decided to make an overnight trip to this historical city.

As usual I had turned to my BFF, Agoda.com to find suitable digs for our stay. Since Malacca is a hot spot for tourists, there are numerous hotels in this city, but the 4-star Swiss-Garden Hotel & Residences Malacca tickled my fancy, mainly because it’s new (built in 2014) and its strategic location. Close to the city center and various must-see attractions (Malacca River Cruise, Jonker Walk, Taming Sari Tower, etc.) the hotel is adjoined to The Shore Shopping Gallery.

Finding the hotel from the PLUS Highway Ayer Keroh exit was a breeze. If you are not a fan of Waze, just look out for the signage to The Shore and you’ll reach the hotel within 20-30 minutes depending on traffic. Parking was available free of charge in the mall with direct access to the hotel from Level 3A where we parked.

There were only 2 counters opened at the time so it was quite a long wait in the queue for check-in

I had booked the Deluxe Room at RM254.55 (without breakfast) from Agoda for our 1 night stay. Note that hotels in Malacca are required to collect a RM2 Heritage Charge per room per night which is to be paid directly to the hotel at check-out.

The standard check-in time was at 3 p.m. but we had reached the hotel earlier than expected and wanted to see if our room was ready. Unfortunately, the room I had booked was still being prepared but it was a blessing in disguise since we got upgraded to the Deluxe Plus room which came with a bath tub. Yeayy!

Our room was on the 16^th floor with a balcony overlooking the Malacca River and Kampung Morten, a traditional Malay village which is also a tourist attraction.

The view from our balcony where we could see the Malacca River Cruise boats going up and down the river. The red roofed houses are part of Kampung Morten.

Love the warm earth tones that offered a relaxing ambiance

The glass wall in the bathroom – pull the blinds down for complete privacy

The edges of the glass top working desk may be a potential hazard especially to families with young children

LED flat-screen TV (with satellite channels) and DVD player. The DVD player has a USB port so you can bring along a USB drive pre-loaded with your favorite movies. In-room Wi-Fi is also available free of charge

Coffee/tea-making facilities cleverly tucked away 

How many hotel rooms you know come with a bathroom scale!

The water playground on Level 9 – kids (adults included) will simply love this!

Guests enjoying the mini Jacuzzis. The glass-paneled cube overlooking the pool is the fitness center - cool, right?

One of the 2 swimming pools - also on Level 9

For dining options, there are 2 restaurants in the hotel - Garden Terrace Coffee House and the Sky Garden. 

There are also a few restaurants in the mall including Nando’s, Seoul Garden, Sushi Zanmai and La Bodega. We didn’t get to try any of the restaurants in the hotel or the mall since we wanted to have our lunch at Asam Pedas Selera Kampung Restaurant in Mahkota Square, which is known as THE place to go to for authentic Malacca-style “asam pedas” (fish cooked in sour and spicy gravy). 

For dinner, we headed to Medan Ikan Bakar Muara Sg. Duyung which is a haven for delicious fresh seafood dishes especially grilled fish. You need Waze to find this place which is about 20-30 minutes drive from the hotel but totally worth the trip! When you return to the hotel and if you are not completely pooped after a long day out, soak up the evening air and take some nice photos against the backdrop of the colorful fountain right outside.

Our room did not come with breakfast so the next day, we bought some pastries from Starbucks which is located on the ground floor of the mall. The mall does not open until 10 a.m. but you can get to Starbucks (which thankfully is opened by 9 a.m.) by following the sidewalk right outside the hotel lobby. There’s also a ‘mamak’ restaurant (Seri Sahabat) within 5 minutes walking distance from the hotel – just ask the friendly and helpful hotel staff for directions.

After breakfast, you can burn off the extra calories by taking a stroll on Boardwalk – a pedestrian footpath for visitors to walk along the riverline. Just be mindful of your steps since the timber boards are not that well maintained with broken or uneven areas.

Within the mall, there is the departmental store TANGS and other outlets if you fancy to do some shopping. You can also check out The Shore Oceanarium or go for a Sky Tower experience.

The world’s longest aquarium tunnel, longest coral reef aquarium and also South East Asia’s first 360-degree view aquarium tunnel. You wouldn’t want to miss that!

Check this out only if you are not scared of heights

Overall, our stay at the Swiss-Garden Hotel & Residences Malacca was very enjoyable. The only downside we experienced was the long wait for the lifts. At 42-storeys, the hotel is the tallest in Malacca, but there were only a limited number of lifts to cater to guests. Since we were there on a weekend, we sometimes had to wait for at least 10-15 minutes before the lift arrived and when it did, we could hardly get in (imagine the stress of trying to cram into one tiny space alongside a family with young children, a baby stroller and a few pieces of luggage!). 

Apart from this, our stay at the Swiss-Garden Hotel & Residences Malacca was a fantastic one and we will not hesitate to recommend this hotel to our family and friends.

Overall Verdict:

Location: 9/10
Hotel Ambiance: 9/10
Room Comfort: 8/10
Service: 8/10
Value for Money: 8/10

Swiss-Garden Hotel & Residences Malacca

Add: T2-4, The Shore @ Melaka River, Jalan Persisiran Bunga Raya, 75300 Malacca, Malaysia

Tel: +606-288 3131
Fax: +606 288 3377
Email: resvns_sghrm@swissgarden.com
Web: www.swissgarden.com/hotels/sghrm

Lotsa Luv