Room with a view
To her own surprise, Syida Lizta Amirul Ihsan finds herself in a charming staycation spot in the administrative capital
The Deluxe Garden Room comes with a patio which overlooks the mosque and the lake.
BEYOND being the country’s administrative capital, Putrajaya doesn’t resonate with me. The lake and bridges wow me from the inside of a car whenever I go there, but the city isn’t a place I will go for a staycation. Little did I realise that the only thing needed to change my perception of Putrajaya was a stay in Dorsett Putrajaya at Precint 3, a stone’s throw from Masjid Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin.
An early weekend running event leads me to the hotel, a simple, fuss-free property which delivers good service and superb location in equal measure.
Check-in is smooth and the hotel staff, from front office to housekeeping to food and beverage, I was to find out later, are ready to serve with a smile.
My room is special as it oversees the lake and the mosque and comes with a Dine outside at night at Citra Rasa and enjoy this marvellous view.
The infinity pool on the 9th floor and its accompanying view.
patio and two chairs. And to make it nicer, the morning sun comes from behind the building, so the outdoor spot is great for 11am coffee and biscuits with my spouse and his friends who come to visit.
The grass on the patio is artificial, which is unfortunate. I’d love to have real grass but after thinking of the possibility of insects, especially ants crawling the corridors and swarming to food and fruit in the room (not to mention maintenance cost), I reckon artificial grass is a practical choice.
But the best view has got to be the one from the ninth floor swimming pool. It oversees the city and the view is simply majestic.
From 7pm on a clear day, you can see the sun starting to set, and admire the gradation of colours in the sky as day turns into night.
COSY SPOT
Our room is not large. This is, after all, a business hotel, but it is very cosy. The bed is so comfortable I have no trouble sleeping though usually an alien bed often makes me toss and turn.
The bathroom comes with rain shower and another adjustable shower head and
the water temperature control is userfriendly that it doesn’t get too hot or too cold fast.
The cupboard slides to open and this saves room when space is of the essence. And in the cupboard, there is enough room to organise your clothes for the weekend so you don’t have to live out of your suitcase.
FOOD PLACES
The hotel has two eateries, the Dorsett Cafe and Citra Rasa on the third floor, its all-day dining restaurant.
The former serves drinks, while the latter serves buffets for breakfast, lunch and dinner, alongside a la carte dishes.
Citra Rasa nails Malay dishes to a tee. I have ayam masak lemak (chicken in coconut gravy) and beef rendang for dinner and they are both delicious. The next day, I have bubur gandum (wheat in coconut milk) and it is really good, the way my mum would make it.
Restaurant manager Sharizan who is overseeing Citra Rasa, deserves special mention for his service and hospitality. He is cool enough to sing happy birthday to celebrating guests, attentive enough to offer soup as we wait for our ala carte dishes and kind enough to ask me to help myself to the dessert at the buffet bar even though I order a la carte.
But if hotel food isn’t your cup of tea, the adjacent shopping mall has a wide range of eats to choose from. Lawood is a Kelantanese nasi kandar eatery and its sets start from RM7.90, with rice, vegetable and fried chicken. I order ayam masak hitam and it is delicious too.
There is also a Go Lokal cendol and noodle store one floor down. The cendol pulut or cendol durian are both good, sleep-inducing endings to a hearty lunch.
At night, the lakeside spot plays host to a number of food trucks serving fried chicken, burgers, rice dishes and of course, sweet drinks of various kinds. Prices are pocket-friendly too, plus you can go for a stroll by the lake after dinner.
By the time I check out on a Sunday afternoon, my view of Putrajaya (at least that small area where I stayed) has completely changed. A beautiful mosque with infinity pool on its prayer floor, inexpensive food, food trucks, great views and jogging and biking lanes to take you as far as you can go. Let’s just say I’m sold and am currently planning my return.