Underwater world in city
Posted On Friday, December 5, 2008 at by Faizal Ehsanhttp://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/TravelTimes/article/TravelNews/20081201154904/Article/index_html
For a feel of life under the sea, just walk into the Piccolo Hotel. SHANTI GUNARATNAM is spellbound by Dr Kurt Svrcula’s stunning pictures of marine life
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IT was an “ugly duckling” amidst the many beautiful buildings in Kuala Lumpur’s Jalan Bukit Bintang. And it took great passion by its present owners to turn it into a hip boutique hotel.
Everything at the 168-room Piccolo Hotel Kuala Lumpur is about addressing passion – the passion of two people in love with our rich marine life.
For businesswoman Suzianna Wong-Svrcula and her husband Dr Kurt Svrcula, underwater photographer, diver and author, showcasing Malaysia’s underwater beauty at the hotel was as important as getting it opened for business in May this year. And this is brought to life through the many pictures that hang in the lobby, the rooms and corridors.
“This is our dream. We have not only thought about it for a long time but also worked very hard to get to where we are today,” says Suzianna.
One difficult task was selecting the pictures as there was a huge collection of 40,000-50,000 images to pick from. “Believe me when I tell you that we had many fights and just as many sleepless nights before coming to an agreement,” she adds.
“Opening a hotel is no joke. The stress is tremendous and getting the furnishings and bedding to suit our concept was another uphill task”
Since its opening, the hotel has enjoyed good occupancy rates, considering that it is a boutique hotel that does not have a swimming pool or provide some facilities offered by bigger hotels, such as a round-the-clock cafe or room service.
New Landmark
Piccolo Hotel is situated at the former Wisma Peladang and has become the newest hip landmark in Jalan Bukit Bintang, standing alongside classy neighbours like Lot 10, Starhill Gallery and The Pavilion mall.
Diners at the swanky Ristorante L’Opera on the ground floor can watch the world go by at Bintang Walk.
The hotel is also surrounded by many eateries offering a wide variety of cuisine – from Middle-Eastern and French to Italian and Chinese.
Suzianna says they first opened an eatery in Wisma Peladang in 1998. Three years later, they were offered the lease to take over the entire building.
Not wanting to miss the opportunity to run a business in such a prime location, they took up the offer. Piccolo Hotel Kuala Lumpur is owned and run by Absolute Prestige.
Underwater Treasures
The images on display are so outstanding that guests often enquire about buying them. “The younger set, in particular, are always asking where they can buy the images and now, we are thinking about selling the many pictures we have in our collection,” says Kurt.
He had taken pictures on his many diving expeditions in places like Pulau Tenggol (Terengganu), Layang-Layang and Sipadan (Sabah). The marine life at these dive sites are truly outstanding as can be seen from his pictures. Kurt says Malaysia is considered one of the top five dive destinations in the world.
The Svrculas plan to build a similar hotel in Kota Kinabalu in Sabah as there are many internationally renowned dive sites there. Every year, thousands of divers descend on Sabah to explore Sipadan and Layang-Layang as the waters there have a diverse marine life, with many species not found anywhere else in the world.
Room Facilities
The hotel offers, among others, free wi-fi, telephone and voice mail facility, separate living and dining area in studio and suites, satellite broadcast, non-smoking rooms, catering and limousine service, laundry and dry cleaning and foreign currency exchange.
Its Ristorante L’Opera serves Italian cuisine and the Clique Bar offers drinks and snacks.
Deluxe rooms (RM250++), premier deluxe (RM280++), and studio (RM330++). For details and reservations, call 03-2303 8000. Fax: 03-2303 8008. Email: reservation@the piccolohotel.com or go to www.thepiccolohotel.com
Everything at the 168-room Piccolo Hotel Kuala Lumpur is about addressing passion – the passion of two people in love with our rich marine life.
For businesswoman Suzianna Wong-Svrcula and her husband Dr Kurt Svrcula, underwater photographer, diver and author, showcasing Malaysia’s underwater beauty at the hotel was as important as getting it opened for business in May this year. And this is brought to life through the many pictures that hang in the lobby, the rooms and corridors.
“This is our dream. We have not only thought about it for a long time but also worked very hard to get to where we are today,” says Suzianna.
One difficult task was selecting the pictures as there was a huge collection of 40,000-50,000 images to pick from. “Believe me when I tell you that we had many fights and just as many sleepless nights before coming to an agreement,” she adds.
“Opening a hotel is no joke. The stress is tremendous and getting the furnishings and bedding to suit our concept was another uphill task”
Since its opening, the hotel has enjoyed good occupancy rates, considering that it is a boutique hotel that does not have a swimming pool or provide some facilities offered by bigger hotels, such as a round-the-clock cafe or room service.
New Landmark
Piccolo Hotel is situated at the former Wisma Peladang and has become the newest hip landmark in Jalan Bukit Bintang, standing alongside classy neighbours like Lot 10, Starhill Gallery and The Pavilion mall.
Diners at the swanky Ristorante L’Opera on the ground floor can watch the world go by at Bintang Walk.
The hotel is also surrounded by many eateries offering a wide variety of cuisine – from Middle-Eastern and French to Italian and Chinese.
Suzianna says they first opened an eatery in Wisma Peladang in 1998. Three years later, they were offered the lease to take over the entire building.
Not wanting to miss the opportunity to run a business in such a prime location, they took up the offer. Piccolo Hotel Kuala Lumpur is owned and run by Absolute Prestige.
Underwater Treasures
The images on display are so outstanding that guests often enquire about buying them. “The younger set, in particular, are always asking where they can buy the images and now, we are thinking about selling the many pictures we have in our collection,” says Kurt.
He had taken pictures on his many diving expeditions in places like Pulau Tenggol (Terengganu), Layang-Layang and Sipadan (Sabah). The marine life at these dive sites are truly outstanding as can be seen from his pictures. Kurt says Malaysia is considered one of the top five dive destinations in the world.
The Svrculas plan to build a similar hotel in Kota Kinabalu in Sabah as there are many internationally renowned dive sites there. Every year, thousands of divers descend on Sabah to explore Sipadan and Layang-Layang as the waters there have a diverse marine life, with many species not found anywhere else in the world.
Room Facilities
The hotel offers, among others, free wi-fi, telephone and voice mail facility, separate living and dining area in studio and suites, satellite broadcast, non-smoking rooms, catering and limousine service, laundry and dry cleaning and foreign currency exchange.
Its Ristorante L’Opera serves Italian cuisine and the Clique Bar offers drinks and snacks.
Deluxe rooms (RM250++), premier deluxe (RM280++), and studio (RM330++). For details and reservations, call 03-2303 8000. Fax: 03-2303 8008. Email: reservation@the piccolohotel.com or go to www.thepiccolohotel.com