Since we were arriving late night then departing early the next morning, it was imprudent for us to venture into Kuala Lumpur or even outside the airport. Totaling the costs of getting an Uber both ways plus the cost of a decent hotel room, it made more practical and economic sense to simply stay at Sama-Sama Express KLIA2—which was perfectly located airside, meaning we didn’t have to wake up too early to clear immigration and walk a great distance for our 7:00 AM flight.
Landing from Penang, I had to fetch my friend from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Main Terminal, since he was landing aboard a Malaysia Airlines flight. We went back to the departures concourse of KLIA Terminal 2 (KLIA2), and presented our boarding pass. Technically, it was still the day before (around 10:30 PM), and our subsequent AirAsia flight for Luang Prabang was leaving the next morning at 7:00 AM, so the security personnel had to scrutinize our intention in getting into the pre-departure too early. But presenting a hotel voucher, I explained that we had a transit room booked at Sama-Sama Express klia2, and we were already waved through to immigration.
Sama-Sama Express klia2 is located in the plaza between the P and Q international departure concourses adjacent to the food court, meaning it’s in the back of the terminal. Those departing from the L concourse (typically used by Cebu Pacific), must not proceed through final security yet to access the hotel.
Once we arrived at the hotel, we had our reservation and our boarding pass checked. The friendly staff verified if we had checked luggage—which we didn’t—since the airlines, especially AirAsia, cannot hold them for too long, and we’d be disallowed to check into the hotel if we didn’t make the necessary arrangements (i.e. check them in for the next flight). Once the formalities were done, we were escorted to our Superior Room, which was quite a haul from the front desk.
About the size of a room in a standard hotel, the room didn’t feel cramped at all; in fact, we were able to put our luggage and backpacks down and still have space to move around freely. I instantly liked it because it exceeded my expectations for a transit room—it felt like I was in a hotel in the city.
The room was minimally but tastefully decorated and furnished, using a combination of neutral and vibrant colors proving to be attractive for my taste. It came with what travelers would need: a double bed complemented by quality sheets and pillows, a desk, coffee and tea making facility, luggage rack, electronic safe, a closet, bedside universal power points for laptops and gadgets, and an LCD TV synced with the airport’s flight information display system (FIDS).
The bathroom, meanwhile, was immaculately clean. Aside from the refreshing hot and cold shower perfect after a long flight, it had a suite of bath amenities by Kudos Spa.
The room came a view—not of skyscrapers but of the actual airfield. Imagine yourself in the middle of the action on the tarmac, with aircraft taxiing, landing, and taking off—it was an amazing sight that delighted the aviation geek in me. As for the noise, well, the soundproof windows kept the rumbling from outside at bay, and the aircraft activity became limited as the night went on.
As a stay-in guests, we had access to the second major component of the hotel—the elegant airport lounge. Passengers of any airline may also pay a minimal fee for access, which is inclusive of a buffet meal, beverages, comfortable seating, and workstation use.
The buffet, I believe, is available 24/7. When we arrived, we were offered supper from the buffet and from an a la carte menu, while in the morning as we checked out, we had our breakfast. The buffet had a number of hot and cold dishes, which were a mix of Western and Malaysian. The refreshments bar had canned soda, juices, coffee, and gelato.
Note: When transiting through or departing from KLIA2 to access the hotel, passengers must hold a boarding pass for an onward flight, so it would be best to do web or mobile check-in in advance. AirAsia allows point-to-point passengers with an onward flight but without checked baggage to use their transfer desk even when flying on separate tickets (i.e. without purchasing a fly-through ticket), long as the boarding pass had already been printed through web or their kiosks. Those transiting on separate tickets or airlines must consider their checked baggage, as most airline policies do not allow the storage of these before the prescribed check-in time.
SAMA-SAMA EXPRESS KLIA2
L3 Satellite Building, Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 2 (KLIA2), Selangor, Malaysia
Telephone: +60 3 8775 6600
Email: reservations.sseklia2@samasamahotels.com
Website: www.samasamaexpressklia2.com
Social Media: Facebook and Instagram
