Lonely Planet Review

The red paint has barely dried on this slickly designed new player on the KL hotel scene. Number Eight is a pioneer in a new style of budget accommodation, where form is just as important as function.

This new place stands out in so many ways. Two colonial shop houses have been completely renovated to create an environment of casual chic. Past the front courtyard, guests enter a wide, cool room with angular couches, soft red and grey tones, and a massive relief map of Southeast Asia. Staff gleam with pride as they guide you past the beverage area and up to one of the 17 superbly designed rooms, with Japanese-style panelling, artful washbasins and muted lighting. There's air-con as well as ceiling fans, and the blissful feel of the original parquetry underfoot. At the back of the hotel are the solar-heated amenities, as well as two coveted doubles with sliding doors that open on to a palm-fringed courtyard. This place is a smartly designed mix of the old and the new.