Don’t be late…

One reason why I hate early morning flights is that I would be worried the whole night through that I would oversleep and wake up late and miss the flight even though I would have requested for a morning call and I have set the alarm on my hand phone…and I would not be able to sleep a wink!

Well, thankfully, none of the above happened during my recent trip…but since I was up early, I went to the airport hotel restaurant, the Melting Pot, for breakfast…

Melting Pot 1

This is the only hotel that I know that serves breakfast so early. Most would start at 6.30 or 7.00 a.m. and if one is staying in KL and has to catch a cab to KLIA for the early morning flight to Sibu, he or she would have to give it a miss – there will not be time for that.

Here, they start at 5.00 a.m. or is it 5.30…and there will be quite a number of people already…

Melting Pot 2

I guess they’re all taking off pretty early like me including Annie-Q‘s mum who was flying off to Taiwan with her friends. You can see her in the above photograph enjoying the food served.

They have this coffee machine now…

Coffee machine 1

…so you can have freshly-ground and brewed coffee…

Coffee machine 2

…at the press of the button. Last time, they had those stainless steel canisters with the little golden-coloured copper taps but if no one bothered to refill the coffee, you might have to get someone to do so in which case, you would have to wait a while. In case anyone is interested, I think I saw them at the hotel lobby to the right of the reception counter where the concierge is. I guess you can have free tea or coffee while waiting to check in or check out of the hotel. This is another thing that I do not find in other hotels – some may give you a welcome drink voucher but you will have to go to the coffee house or lobby lounge to make use of it. I suspect that this is yet another business tactic of theirs to get you to go there and while you’re having your drink, you may be tempted to order something – a cake or a sandwich perhaps.

I had this, initially…

Breakfast - round 1

– some char kway teow, macaroni and corned beef hash, one deep-fried gyoza, a grilled sausage and some slices of smoked beef.

I liked the sausage, so I went back for some more…

Breakfast - round 2

…and with those, I had a waffle with butter and syrup and a fried egg, sunny side up. That was all I had for breakfast, all washed down with two cups of coffee and a glass of fresh orange juice.

Well, if anyone is interested, these are their current food promotions for the month of August…

August promotions

I do not think they have the Β buka puasa buffet anymore as Ramadhan had come and gone but at RM55++, I must say that it is a whole lot cheaper than the other hotels and restaurants in KL, Selangor and elsewhere. When I checked in late afternoon the day before. I caught a whiff of them roasting the lamb and it smelt really good and I would certainly have gone for it had it not been for the fact that I had been eating the whole day first in Seremban and then in Malacca. Anyone interested in the Merdeka Day Hi-Tea Special? It’s RM35++ only and that’s not very expensive, don’t you think? As a matter of fact, I went for their hi-tea buffet once before – you can check my posts on it here and also here.

Well, that morning, I did not want to dilly-dally and linger around to have a bit of this and a bit of that as I did not have the luxury of time. I had to go and settle my bill and check out of the hotel quickly and hop on the shuttle…

Shuttle to KLIA

…to KLIA for my flight home. As you can see in the photograph, there were a lot of quests taking the complimentary hotel transport and some had to stand but the airport is just a couple of minutes away so it’s no big deal really.

All things considered, despite some slight hitches that I had mentioned in my previous post, I certainly would consider staying at this hotel again, as and when necessary, should I go travelling again in future.

Author: suituapui

Ancient relic but very young at heart. Enjoys food and cooking...and travelling and being with friends.

28 thoughts on “Don’t be late…”

  1. hahahaha!! i think i have the same problem like you.. i won’t be able to sleep well if i am going to take an early morning flight.. i don’t know why but it always happen to me, and that’s so irritating!! most probably worry that i will oversleep and miss the flight, or perhaps too excited?? πŸ˜€

    …and I would always say, never mind…I’ll sleep on the plane and then I find that I can’t sleep on board either… I’m a bad traveller – will be so very tired by the time I get home and only then will I sleep like a log.

  2. it is great to dine so early at the buffet line in hotels. Betul-betul can eat in peace compare to time like 9am-10am.

    Here, you can come at 9-10, more people but not crowded and no need to queue…not like many hotels I’ve been to in KL or Penang or Kuching and they take so long to refill, you end up eating whatever is left over. 😦 That’s one thing about this hotel – very relaxing – you take it really slow and easy…spend hours enjoying your breakfast, sit around, enjoy your coffee, read a newspaper, browse online, no problem at all. Plenty of tables for everyone…no need to hurry to vacate so others can have their breakfast.

  3. wah you really enjoy the food there ah …lol

    Before I retired, I travelled a lot…and got so sick of the hotel buffet breakfast, more or less the same everywhere. So everytime on holiday, I would ask my missus and daughter to go (bf for 2 only) and I would give it a miss. Now that I do not travel and stay in hotels with buffet breakfast often, I quite enjoy it whenever I get the chance.

    The food here is good and the last time I went to Melting Pot at Concorde KL, it was good there too. Went to the Chinese restaurant at that one as well for dim sum with Quay Po the first time I met her… Nice, very nice!

  4. I hate morning flights and I hate when Simon has to do the morning flights too… I have to get up in the morning to send J to school.. Hehehe. Can’t sleep well throughout the night and even if I do sleep, I still can’t get up in the morning.
    Will you be staying there again in December?

    I probably would. Can’t afford PanPac…and the others aren’t that close to the airport…plus I don’t think they’re as good. Hmmm…you want to employ a chaufFeur? I’m available…and I can help cook and clean too! I hear they pay a lot for such services overseas. Hehehehehehe!!!!!

    1. Minimum wage is NZ12.50 but Asian employer pays so much less to immigrants.You would be lucky if you get 8 bucks. It’s a very hot topic now in NZ. You want kah?Drive, cook and clean.. can mandi the 4 legged kids, hand feed one of them and do gardening too?… oh, ironing too.Still interested?.. Muahahaha

      Oh no!!! Cannot mandi your babies!!! I’m so meaty and juicy and absolutely delicious, sure they will ngop me…thinking that I’m their dinner!!! No, thank you! LOL!!! πŸ˜€ Gardening’s out…but ironing’s ok – no need to spray water or use iron with that, I’ve automatic sprinkler – my sweat dripping on the clothes as I iron. Hehehehehehe!!!!

      So low the minimum wage there? Around RM1,000 plus a month…how to survive – the standard of living is so high. Here, it’s RM800…though I wouldn’t know how many are abiding by that ruling. 😦

      1. Now you make me missed my Pakcik (driver), the Uncle Pokok, my Wati and Sri and Sam’s Uncle Krishna. Life was good in Malaysia!!

        That’s for sure! East, west, home is best…

  5. LOL, i am a bit different from you, i won’t sleep at all the night before i catch a plane because i know i will have plenty of time to sleep xD, anyway, you really can eat a lot in early morning !

    You think that’s a lot too kah? You should see how many rounds I would go if I had the time…LOL!!! πŸ˜€

  6. Seems like this hotel is not bad oso. Breakfast served so early…at least ppl who are on early flight can get a quick breakfast too. Moreover shuttle bus is provided as well. Hope no more door knob issue next visit. Hehe…..

    Yes, it is good – 3-4 star class for 1-2 star rate, can’t ask for more. Ya…will be there again in December, I think…and hopefully, they’ve fixed the door knob by then…if I get the same room! πŸ˜‰

  7. Yeah, I’ve stayed there too – mostly when there’s a party in Sepang and it’s safer to just book a room with a couple of friends and crash there instead of driving down drunk. I like the place too although I never had their breakfast – none of us woke up in time ever. Haha.

    It looks good though, seems like I’m missing out, thanks for the photos, I’ll make it a point to eat breakfast next time! πŸ˜€

    Hah!!! We did not get the chance to meet when I was over in KL and I was thinking whether I should call you and get you to come over – there are nice eating places at Downtown KLIA a stone’s throw away…and also at nearby Dengkil plus the hotel restaurant, the Melting Pot, but in the end, I did not. It’s just too far out of the way.

  8. Looks like you really love the sausages hor!

    Anytime better than those that we buy in frozen packs at the supermarts… I do love those German ones a lot!! Yummmmm!!!!!

  9. I also worry missing my flight if it is too early in the morning. So I make sure that I reach the airport earlier than the usual. Sometimes I sacrifice breakfast and eat some biscuits to avoid being left behind by the airplane.

    I used to do that – bought cupcakes and biscuits, ate in hotel room before catching a cab to the airport…and then grab a bite at the airport after checking in and everything was settled. But eating at the airport here can be quite expensive. 😦 And then I would have another round of breakfast inflight on board the plane. LOL!!! πŸ˜€

  10. Benefits of airport hotels or hotels near airports … coffee houses and restaurants opening early. They should have 24 hour ones too for those taking flights at godforsaken hours. I remember landing at Dubai a long time ago at 1:30am and starving and nothing was opened and my transit flight was at 7:45 in the morning. Had to puasa til they opened for breakfast. I’m guessing it’s better now. As long as they have good coffee … I’m happy πŸ™‚

    I think it is open 24 hours, if I’m not mistaken…but a la carte…and there’s always room service too but you will not be able to get your complimentary breakfast till around 5…or you can just help yourself to the tea or coffee at the lobby beside the reception counter. That should be available… πŸ˜‰

  11. I’ll do all I can from taking such an early flight. I’ll end up not sleeping at all. I usually go for those 9-10am flights. Just nice..

    No choice…if you’re flying MAS to Sibu via KLIA. ONE flight per day…but if you’re taking Air Asia, there are more options – 3 flights a day, I think.

  12. I’ve never taken any early morning flight before. Prefer after lunch hour flight. Whereas for my son he usually has to take the early flight (no choice) cos 1 flight only from Penang to Kuching (7am) so in order to reach the airport on time, he needs to leave SP at 4.30am.

    My daughter does that too as she has to share a taxi with her friends. Some of her friends take that flight to Kuching and then catch a bus to Sarikei or Binatngor. She has to fly MAS at around 6 plus to catch the 8.50 flight from KLIA to Sibu, so she needs to be there early as well. The Air Asia flight to Kuching does not connect the one in the morning from Kuching to Sibu – have to wait the whole day at Kuching airport, I think…unless they use MASwings. Very poorly timed, their schedule…that AA!

  13. I also prefer night flights, cos usually morning flights, i can’t sleep the night before, and i will feel very tired the next morning, by the way the sausages look so tasty.

    Ya, they were good. I did not like the ones they had the last time I stayed there…so that time, I feasted on the beef slices. For me, all the same, even when I fly by night, I will not be able to sleep on board the plane. 😦

  14. Wow it was a big breakfast…
    I m ok on morning flight but not too early…
    Around 10 am is perfect…

    Last time, the MAS flight to Sibu was earlier – had to leave KL before 6 and had to pay the 50% midnight surcharge. Now, departing at 8.50, so it isn’t too bad…can leave around 6.30 but will have to skip the breakfast at the hotel. Staying here, I can go for breakfast and take the free shuttle, no rush at all. That’s why I like it.

  15. I don’t like morning flight and that’s the reason why I always book either noon or afternoon! πŸ˜› Wow! they served breakfast so early?! @.@ First time to know about this. Not bad at all! πŸ˜€

    KLIA to Sibu, no choice. 8.50 a.m. only one flight a day… 😦

    1. Yup, I have always thought of you being a really early person too. Hehe.

      Regarding the hard rock, I guess I was lucky enough to not encounter Aircond issues both times I was there. It was ok for me as I just lepak there with my parents, sponsored by the hotel this round.

      Can’t thank you enough for still dropping by my humble blog STP. ❀

      Now why wouldn’t I want to drop by your blog to comment? As long as I get to see there’s an update, I’d hop over right away. Ya…I’m always early, would sacrifice my sleep to be early…not late. Hmmm…lucky you! Sponsored stay at high class hotel – I always have to pay out of my own pocket…and yet, I still give them free promo… 😦

  16. I super dislike early morning flights too, afraid i’ll overslept.. or lazy to wake up.. or will curse myself for buying such tix. ha.ha.ha.

    KL to Sibu, no choice…only one flight but apart from that, usually the super early flights are the cheapest so like it or not, have to wake up early. LOL!!! πŸ˜€

  17. wow what a hearty breakfast. There’s always an alarm and snooze function!

    Somehow or other, I would keep waking up the whole night through. I’m such a worrier… 😦

  18. Me too! I may as well have a late night flight because an early morning one means I don’t sleep worrying that I’ll not wake up to catch the plane on time.

    Looks like I’m not the only one then… Hehehehehehe!!!!

  19. breakfast looked mighty fine! oooo…i have phobia catching early morning flights. same fear as the yum list. i ever woke up slightly late for an early morning flight. i think i was lucky to be able to get a MAS flight at a discounted price. The plane waited for me. I was running for my life!

    It did??? So good!!! I would not want to be late for a flight! I can imagine the moment boarding the aircraft, the HUNDREDS of passengers on board waiting for me…fuming mad and cursing me a thousand million times in their hearts. Eyewwwww!!!!

  20. Oh, they start breakfast at 5am? That is good, at least for those who catch early flight, they can have some light breakfast before depart to airport. I always like hotel breakfast, but if i go holidays i so lazy to wake up early to have breakfast.

    How much is your room rate on your recent visit? I got a very good deal for my mum..check online RM220, and i got some point on my online hotel booking, after minus, i only paid RM 110 for two persons and two breakfast. Very good! hahahha

    Hmmmm..i can see my mum, really enjoy her breakfast very much till she didn’t notice you secretly took her picture!! She read! She told me, AH!!!! I look so fat in the picture!!!

    Hahahaha!!! Is she back in Sibu already? RM110, so cheap. My government rate RM160 per room (single or double the same, breakfast for one or two…and I think if three also, they do not care – just walked in, they did not even bother to ask for room number and things like that), last year was RM150. I am always up early, so no problem…but if Melissa, she would rather sleep and skip breakfast.

  21. Wow, excellent breakfast. The sausage looks good, no wander you went back for second helping. LOL

    Thanks for sharing with us. Nice picture!

    Yup…the last time I stayed here, I didn’t like the sausages at all but this time around, they’ve changed. These that I had that day were very nice.

  22. That’s a nice hotel to stay in since it’s close to the airport. Tried booking a room there during the Super GT but heck, it was full with the Japanese crew members staying there.

    Breakfast was early so that people could sahur during Ramadhan?

    No, sahur is a little bit earlier than breakfast. 4.00-4.30, I think. It has always been early there…all the times that I’ve stayed at this particular hotel.

  23. I don’t like early morning flights. I can’t finish what I need to do before I leave the house. I hate using the public toilets for big business. hehehe

    Oh dear!!! Lethargic bowel movement kah? Eat lots of papayas or bananas the night before…or prunes LOL!!! πŸ˜€

All opinions expressed in my blog are solely my own, that is my prerogative - you may or may not agree, that is yours. To each his/her own. For food and other reviews, you may email me at sibutuapui@yahoo.com

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