Hotel 1000 Miles

A no-frills budget hotel between Chinatown and Masjid Jamek, with en-suite bathrooms in every room and a penthouse patio.

Hotel 1000 Miles is a small budget hotel at 17 and 19 Jalan Tun H S Lee, in the old commercial heart of Kuala Lumpur between Chinatown and the Masjid Jamek area. It sits in a converted shophouse building at the end of a row, which the owners chose so that more of the rooms could have windows - a detail that matters in a part of town where many cheap rooms have none. It is rated around two and a half stars by the major booking sites and runs somewhere between a guesthouse and a flashpacker hotel.

Rooms are simple, air-conditioned and compact, and every one has its own en-suite bathroom, including the dorm, which is unusual at this price. Private rooms come in several grades of double and twin, from windowless Budget rooms to Standard and Superior rooms with windows; the Basic Twin uses a bunk bed. Private rooms have a 32-inch LED TV, and hair dryers, irons and plug adaptors can be borrowed from reception.

There is no restaurant, but free coffee and tea are available around the clock, and the surrounding streets are some of the best value eating in the city. Petaling Street's hawker stalls, the old kopitiams of Chinatown and the mamak restaurants around Masjid Jamek are all within a few minutes' walk.

The best shared space is the outdoor patio at the penthouse level, free to use, with views towards KL Tower and the Petronas Twin Towers. Reception is staffed 24 hours, there is no curfew, and luggage can be stored before check-in or after check-out.

Location is the strongest point. Masjid Jamek LRT station is under five minutes on foot, giving direct trains on the Kelana Jaya, Ampang and Sri Petaling lines, and Merdeka Square, the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, Central Market and Petaling Street are all walkable. For Kuala Lumpur International Airport, take the LRT one stop to KL Sentral and the KLIA Ekspres from there, or allow about an hour by Grab.

It suits solo travellers, backpackers and budget-minded couples who mostly want a clean, central place to sleep. It is not for those wanting space, quiet or hotel facilities: rooms are small, traffic noise reaches the street-facing side, and the hotel does not accept children. Recent guest feedback is mixed on maintenance, so set expectations accordingly.

Practical tips: pay a little more for a room with a window, as the Budget rooms have none. Expect the Malaysian tourism tax of RM10 per room per night to be collected at check-in, in cash. Check-in starts mid-afternoon, so use the luggage storage if you arrive on an early flight.