Equatorial Hotel at Cameron Highlands
This was my second time staying here, and for the price I paid, it was pretty worth it as they give you back RM88.00 (US$28.00) per day in food vouchers to be spent at any of their restaurants.
*Update 2015 – The Equatorial Hotel is no longer and is now taken over by the Copthorne Hotel. The building is still there, just under the new owners/management.
Getting to the Equatorial Hotel is quite simple. As you get into Cameron Highlands, of the NKVE highway at the Tapah turn off, just drive all the way to the highest town called Brinchang, and from there, head on higher to Kea Farm.
It will be hard to miss this massive white hotel perched on the peak on reaching Kea Farm after the town of Brinchang.
Rooms at the Equatorial are pretty good and spacious. The superior room offers you an excellent view of the farms and hills. All rooms are non-air-conditioned as when nightfall comes, you will be freezing cold as the temperature here drops down to about 15 or 16 degrees Celsius. So, usually, I shut every window or door by the balcony.
And the great room view, you get to see the entire, well, almost all of the Kea Farm. On a good day with a clear blue sky, it is absolutely refreshing when you stand on the balcony and breathe in good clean air compared to the everyday city air.
The bathrooms are pretty spacious, and the amenities are complete. The only thing you need is an ironing board which you can request for. Coffee and tea with complimentary bottled water are provided together with a water kettle at the minibar.
The Equatorial Hotel is also an old hotel, built in the 80s; the design is pretty simple with super high ceilings at the main entrance. Walking inside, you feel it is dark because of the overall height, but it is very spacious.
There is one corner in the main lobby area where they actually have a fireplace. I was shocked to see a real fireplace of all places in Malaysia. Seriously, that fireplace came in handy at night, it was freezing, and I had an excellent warm seat in front of it.
The hotel also features a large ballroom with 8 meeting rooms for seminars, conferences or private parties. Sporting and recreational amenities also include an indoor swimming pool, a gym, tennis and a squash court, a children’s playground and a game room. Pool tables are available outside the reception area.
Additionally, the hotel tour desk can organise several excursions, like leisure walks, jungle expeditions to see the famous Rafflesia or Pitcher Plants, waterfall trips, the mossy forest or even the ethnic Senoi tribe village or Orang Asli as they are locally known.
Other essential trips are available like visiting the strawberry farm, butterfly and bug farm, flower and plant nurseries, and even the most famous of the Tea Plantation visits.
The apartments at the Equatorial Hotel are located in front of the hotel where they resemble a Tudor Style building which is about 5 floors. Ranging from 1 to 3 bedroom apartments, this would be perfect for families or those seeking a home-style living.
There are 141 of these apartments here built over the 13 acres of hotel land with amazing views.
With the rebate of RM88.00, we spent everything on one dinner for two at the ‘Coffee Shop’ restaurant. How the rebate works are great. From the RM198.00 you pay, RM88 is used for your food.
In the Coffee Shop Restaurant, I ordered the Beef Burger, which was perfectly done. The 160-gram burger patty came in a long plate with a side dish of fries and some garden greens.
The beef was well done as asked, and there was a crisp beef bacon strip with it. After finishing my burger, all I wanted was to sleep. My god, it was filling.
Lilian ordered the Sirloin Steak with capsicum relish, which was medium-well. Served with fresh greens and some fries, this dish was also mouth-watering. The beef was tender and easy to eat, while the crunchiness of the vegetables felt as if they had a small vegetable garden in the kitchen.
We tried the Salmon and Sole Cutlets for a side dish, which was too much for both of us. 2 vast pieces of cutlets with some cucumber salsa in a cute little glass cup and more fresh greens. Perfectly cooked and non-oily, the cutlets tasted quite good.
In the end, after our meal, the bill came up to about RM95.00, which was quickly signed for to our room. A satisfying meal leads us straight to the room. Anyway, once night falls, there is not much one can do at Cameron Highlands as all the attractions are in the day.
Well, you can visit the night markets which are on weekends at Brinchang Town.
Equatorial Hotel Cameron Highlands information:
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Check-in Time: 2:00 PM
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Check-out Time:12:00 PM
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Total Rooms: 409 rooms
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Total Floors: 13 floors
- Price of standard room: Weekday RM198++/Weekend RM228++
Copthorne Cameron Highlands address:
Kea Farm, Brinchang
39100 Cameron Highlands
Pahang, Malaysia
Tel: +60 5 496 1777
Fax: +60 5 496 1333
Web: Copthorne Hotel Cameron Highlands
If you are planning for a casual yet exciting getaway for the weekend, I would easily recommend you try out the Equatorial Hotel at Cameron Highlands.
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