Tuesday, January 16, 2018

The Butterfly Project x Traveloka Weekend

So last month we butterflies were treated to a weekend 2D1N stay at KL Journal thanks to Traveloka.


I have heard SO MANY GOOD THINGS about KL Journal, and I was pretty stoked about being a part of the Butterfly Project’s second Travel event. The hotel itself is nestled within the heart of KL, right behind HSBC building, and is about a seven- to ten-minute walk to major shopping centres such as Fahrenheit 88, Pavilion, Sungei Wang, etc.


Our trip started bright and not so early at 10am, where all the butterflies were gathered together at the Worker’s Union on the first floor for a quick tea break and debrief on what the itinerary will be like over the weekend. 


It was a very chill time for us as we were given free rein over what to do at night, and we could roam to our hearts content. The aim was for us to experience a staycation away from home, and enjoy the moment, thanks to Traveloka!


The KL Journal hotel houses 117 rooms, all of varying sizes and forms, has a Rooftop bar and pool at Level 11, and comes equipped with a gym (for those who are in the mood for gymming). If you are driving to this hotel, the carpark is free for staying guests. 

The business centre in the hotel
Otherwise, you can park at the open air carpark directly opposite the hotel for a flat rate of RM6. However you will need to check this with the hotel staff first as I was charged an extra RM6 cos I parked overnight. When I asked the reception, I was given a full refund, no questions asked. 

During the launch of the Traveloka weekend, hundreds of Butterflies were released
The Bar at Level 1 is open from 11am to 10pm, and to encourage local talents to participate in their open mic sessions (on Thursdays only), they have live bands playing every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Oh and Saturday is ladies’ night! So you get free cocktails at the bar.


So, why is it called KL Journal? Because, they want to cultivate the spirit of journaling, be it in written words, or verbally. Customers who come are welcome to share about the hotel, and be immersed in the local culture that surrounds the place. 


To bring a touch of nostalgia to the hotel, each room has a 555 Notebook in the room in lieu of a normal notepad.


The room itself is beautiful and spacious. My partner and I were given the family room, which comes with a queen sized and single bed. The bathroom doesn't come with a bathtub unfortunately, but everything else is very well spaced out, and the colour scheme of black fits in perfectly with the tiles. 



They do not have a wardrobe per se, but instead loose hangers hung on perfectly welded iron bars and the open curpboard concept makes it easy for you to choose which item of clothing you would want to don when you go out.


Each room comes with a unique photograph that explains a small part of the history of KL and the fact that the room comes with a view is a bonus!



The hotel prides itself on playing host to lots of instagrammable spots within its interior and exterior, so much so that there are even articles written about it. 



During my weekend stay there, I went in search for these beautiful spots and I was amazed by how each photo turned out so well. The rooftop itself provides an endless avenue for instagrammable locations, be it over the pool, looking out over the skyline, by the stairs, or even the tiled walls as a backdrop. 



 Heading down to the lower levels of the hotel, the spiral staircase evokes a memory of a time gone by, while Tiffin carriers brings us back to the time of our ancestors. There were so many beautiful photos to choose from, I had a hard time whittling it down to only a few. 



Indeed, this place is the perfect place for a staycation, having a balance of city life, as well as escaping the hustle and bustle of the fast-paced life.


If you want to take a trip down to the hotel and experience it for yourself, be my guest and book a room at this picturesque location:

KL Journal Hotel 
No. 30 Jalan Beremi,
Off Jalan Sultan Ismail Bukit Bintang,
50200 Kuala Lumpur
Tel +603 2110 2211

Map click here.


Travel Journaling


While we were there, the friendly folks at Traveloka arranged workshops for everyone, and there were four workshops to choose from; Watercolour Wreath Painting, Passport Making, Bath Bomb Making, and Travel Journaling.


The workshop I chose was the travel journal workshop. It was a no-brainer for me as I loved to journal and I wanted to learn new tricks of the trade. 



We were all required to bring with us at least five travel photos that we wanted to add to our journal. Unsurprisingly, I chose some of my trips with Tammy, my latest Cambodia trip, UK trip and also trips I made with le bb. 



Our workshop was led by Corrine (you can look her up @orangeberry17), of orangeberry crafts. She had a set of craft paper, string, stamps, tapes, and even an empty TN sized notebook made for each of us! 


There was an abundance of magazines that we could cut out to our hearts’ content, and she taught us how to make pockets from old book pages, simple pockets using photos, and even flipable (I forgot what they’re called!) photos so that you could utilise the space in your journal as best as you can.

I brought home my Travel Journal and added a few other embellishments of my own

Now, what is having a getaway with Traveloka if we didn't even try the app out for ourselves?


The Traveloka app is available for download on iOS and Google Play Store, and is free for everyone!

So, what is Traveloka? Unless you've been living under a rock, Traveloka is a platform that makes hotel and flight booking a breeze. They offer a multitude of flights, hotels, international hotels, and even promotions, especially for Traveloka members!


Overall, the app itself gave off an informal look and feel, and this was what drew me in in the first place. The design of the app, as well as the terms and words used resonated with me, and I found myself exploring it more, sometimes even drowning out their spokespersons' presentation (sorry Traveloka!)


It is an app that boasts itself as the only travel app you need. They focus a lot on the convenience aspect of things, essentially making it easier for people to travel.


There are so many different deals on offer, and every now and again they will team up with different airlines and offer deals that are only allocated for those who use the Traveloka platform.

These trips are not limited to only domestic locations, but are also available for exotic destinations such as Bali, Taipei, Jakarta, Surabaya, etc.


If you're a Traveloka member, you are privy to these Special Fare Deals and promotions whereby booking via the platform will give you more bang for your buck than if you book the exact same room or flight on another platform.


For me, one of the features that caught my eye was the 0% instalment plan, where you buy now, and pay back over a few months. However, this option is only for MBB card holders and valid for cards issued in Malaysia only. One of the terms and conditions is that this offer is only for personal credit cards, and does not extend to corporate credit cards.

So what are the other T&C? This plan is only available if you purchase RM500 and above. If you purchase RM500 - RM999, you are entitled to a 6-month plan. If you purchase more than RM1,000, then you can opt for a 12-month payment plan.


Apart from that, if you are not a MBB card holder, don't fret as there are other payment options available. You can pay via credit card, Online Banking, and PayPal.

BUT WAIT! There's more!

You can even pay by cash right now, and that is by heading to your nearest 7-11 store! Just choose the cash payment option after you book online, and then head over to your nearest 7-11 outlet and pay by cash!


One of the things that I was impressed with is the Price Alerts. All you need to do is key in your destination, dates which you want to fly, and your budget of how much you are willing to pay. Then, all you need to do is wait, because when the right price comes along, Traveloka just sends you a notification, and you can then proceed to purchase the flight tickets and hotels! No searching for the flights every day and getting frustrated over the costly fares. 


Currently as I understand, Traveloka is trying to make your trip anywhere in the world a tad smoother, by partnering with Uber or Grab for ground transport arrangement. However, these are all pretty early in the day as though there are plans for this, they were not able to give us a definite answer at this point.


All in all, it was a wonderful weekend for me as I got to spend it with beautiful people. Thank you once again Traveloka for making this such a memorable experience for me, and I will be back!

What are you waiting for? Head over to Traveloka today!

Til the next time, stay beautiful!

xoxo,
yin

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