10 SEPTEMBER 2021
After so many lockdowns in Malaysia, I’m absolutely missing the freedom of being able to just pack my bags and head off to a hotel or a lovely apartment for my staycations. Fortunately, the restrictions are being loosened this week. So, this feels like a good time to release my hotel review of Komune Living, a rather unique place to have a staycation.
I’ve been curious about Komune Living for quite some time because I’m a regular browser of Agoda website and I keep seeing the hotel pop up. It caught my attention because it was cheap, about RM100 per night, and I wondered why this was so when it looked like a very comfortable three to four-star hotel.
Komune Living is actually a co-living complex.
Co-living is a rising trend around the world, catering to people who want to work where they live. Think of it as a giant, fancy hostel and a co-working space in one. Digital nomads often gravitate towards co-living establishments because they offer one-stop solutions for their needs: a comfortable, well-equipped place to work and live where they don’t have to deal with the hassle of landlords, utility bills and jumping from cafe to cafe using unreliable Internet connections.
Location
The hotel is located in Kuala Lumpur’s Bangsar South (or Kerinchi) near the KL Gateway mall and the office complexes of Bangsar South, which also has a lively restaurant scene. Pre-lockdown, that is.
I took the train down to Kerinchi LRT station, where I walked about 2km to the hotel. It’s not a convenient route, to be honest, and it took me a while to find the path leading to Komune Living. You have to walk into another building and emerge from behind it to get to the coliving place. I ended up huffing and puffing up the road in the hot sun.
The Room
The self-check-in kiosk was interesting. Key in your booking number, insert your IC, follow the instructions on the screen and then it’ll spit out the key.
I booked Thinker Studio, the cheapest room. It had a minimalist, industrial look, and was very comfortable and clean with a view of the busy Federal Highway. There was a bathroom with a shower cubicle and even a little kitchenette where I could wash dishes. But there was nothing else provided, not even cutlery or a microwave, though there was an electric kettle and a fridge. I landed myself in a bit of a fix on the first day there when one of my food orders arrived without cutlery and I had to go downstairs to beg for a spoon!
The Thinker Studio didn’t have a good workspace setup. The desk was more like a strip of wood that put me way too close to the TV (it was inches from my face as I worked, and quite distracting) and my chair was a hard stool. I figured they would make the workspace as uncomfortable as possible so you’ll work downstairs in the coworking space!
On the whole, the studio was tiny, but I didn’t mind it because I wasn’t going to spend a lot of time inside except to sleep. Komune Living has a few other types of rooms which I may check out in the future. I’m thinking of getting the Dreamer One Plus One day because it has a separate space for the living room and is more like a small apartment than a room.
Families may opt for Thinker Type studios where they have more than one room and if you feel like splashing some serious cash, there are the Artist Studio Lofts, which are duplex studios.
Facilities
I really like the facilities at commune living. There is a diminutive but serviceable infinity pool overlooking Kuala Lumpur city, a spacious gym, a gaming room, a laundry room, a kitchen where you can prepare your meals and a spacious dining area. There are also lovely spaces where you can just hang out or read a book – one by the pool and an alfresco area near the dining area.
But my favourite facility of all is the co-working space. Because I was staying in the hotel, all I had to do was pay RM10 per day. It was a quiet place with Scandinavian-aesthetics, equipped with lockers, pantries and little rooms where you can use for video calls. All in all, I really loved the co-working space and it’s a big selling point for me to stay at Komune Living.
The commune cafe downstairs, by the way, served a very reasonably priced buffet. The food isn’t awesome, but for the price, it was decent. (And I sure made full use of the coffee machine!)
Final thoughts
Komune living is a great place to work and live, especially if you’re a digital nomad wanting a convenient place as a home base in Kuala Lumpur. With its proximity to the Kerinchi LRT station, you can easily travel around Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya. No shortage of Grab cars either.
If you want to get away from the tedium of working from home, it’s a great place to escape to. Komune Living has packages for long stays, so you can stay there for a month or two at packages that are noticeably cheaper than the daily rates.
One thing to note: Due to its price, it’s a favourite staycation spot for many families on the weekend. So, if you are planning to chill and relax, weekends may not be a good time because it gets noisy and crowded then, turning the work haven into a packed family resort.
Elizabeth Tai 