Photography by Yong Keen Keong
In the words of Guido Farina, General Manager of The RuMa Hotel and Residences:
For us, everything starts from our name – from the Malay word for ‘home’. We want this place, eventually, to be your home away from home. When a guest steps into the hotel, we want him or her to be embraced by our philosophy of ‘hostmanship’. Just like when you visit someone, we want to open our ‘home’ to you, offer you great service and make sure you enjoy all the comforts we can offer.
Taking this ‘home’ concept further, we offer guests flexible 24- hour check-in and check-out. Our rooms’ minibars are fully stocked and complimentary, while breakfast is served anywhere you like in the hotel.
We want to take service to another level, one that is intuitive of the guest’s needs based on, for example, body language. We want to anticipate their needs in a way that goes beyond just classic or standard operating procedures, and we believe that this philosophy of ‘hostmanship’ will have a major impact on the hospitality industry in Kuala Lumpur.
This is a busy year for the hospitality industry in Kuala Lumpur, with so many luxury brands debuting, many of them around the same time. Having worked in Malaysia before, I’m not surprised they want to be here. It’s a growing and maturing market, and a beautiful and exciting destination. It’ll be very competitive in the luxury segment of the industry but each brand will bring something different. We won’t be the choice of all luxury travellers but that’s fine – we are a young brand but we believe we offer something unique that will definitely be attractive.
We’re planning to officially open in September and we will have 253 rooms of various categories, starting from 43 sq m to 167 sq m, offering different views of KLCC and the Petronas Twin Towers. We only have one restaurant, ATAS, a modern Malaysian eatery that will offer a fresh perspective on local flavours and present them in unique and contemporary ways. We believe ATAS will capture the imagination of local foodies, especially those looking for a new experience.
We have a lobby lounge, SEVEN, which takes its name from our address – 7 Jalan Kia Peng. SEVEN will offer a very straightforward beverage menu that goes back to the very basics of the cocktail. Our aim at SEVEN – as well as in the rest of the hotel – is to do things very simple. We’re not looking to reinvent the wheel; we want to do the basic things but at the very highest of standards. I believe that simplicity is the ultimate sophistication and, believe me, simple things are the hardest to get right.
Our sixth floor is a place for both wellness and relaxation. The 25m outdoor infinity pool and sundeck is cantilevered from the building and overlooks the city’s landmarks. You can relax here while enjoying a drink at SANTAI pool bar and lounge. You will also find our spa, UR SPA, which has five treatments room, one of which is a double, and a men’s grooming area by Truefitt & Hill here. The spa will offer treatments that range from whole-day rituals to 30-minute express massages.
The interior décor of The RuMa has been crafted from Malaysia’s rich and colourful heritage. When you first enter the hotel, you will see a dramatic birdcage, a reference to the country’s tin-mining history, made from interlaced glazed and non-glazed terracotta. This rotunda leads you into the grand salon, which is dominated by a grand double staircase that appears to penetrate and ‘drill’ through the copper-tiled ceiling – another reminder of Malaysia’s mining past as well as a tribute to the spiral staircases of old colonial houses.
The black stone on the floor comes from a province China and is the same stone used in the Forbidden City in Beijing, and it pays tribute to the Chinese travels who come here all the way back in the 15th century. If you look closely at the lights on the corridors, you will find they resemble rubber trees, and you will find details like this everywhere in the hotel – all of them tracing the story of Malaysia.
This is all part of what we want our guests to take away when they stay at The RuMa – our story of Kuala Lumpur that is reflected in both the design of the hotel as well as the exceptional service and experience they have with us. After they leave, we want them to tell their family and friends that, when they go to Kuala Lumpur, they have to stay at The RuMa. This is exactly the case with our sister hotel, The PuLi in Shanghai, and we have very high standards to live up to.
