This was published 14 years ago
Tune Hotel, Malaysia review: Travelling on a budget? Try a 20-cent hotel room
No-star hotel ... Tune's rooms are small but clean and modern.
If you're into swinging cats around - this hotel's not for you.
But with rooms from as low as $A0.20 cents a night (in a package), it's worth leaving the puss at home.
The new low-cost Tune Hotel, which is a hop, step and a jump away from Kuala Lumpur's Low Cost Terminal, is the brainchild of AirAsia boss, Tony Fernandes.
And just like another famous discount airline chief, Sir Richard Branson of Virgin fame, Malaysian entrepreneur Fernandes moved from music exec to low cost airlines and into hotels and more.
The no-frills hotel, one of a slew popping up across Asia, is the definition of budget digs and anything above the basics will cost you.
Despite having a no-star rating, a standard room comes with a 5-star queen bed, a hot "power shower" and a ceiling fan.
But the room is small - to say the least - albeit clean and modern.
Tune communications manager Biresh Vrajlal says most Aussies who have stayed in the hotel describe the size by saying: "You can't swing a cat in the room."
There is no television, refrigerator or kettle and any extras such as towels, a kettle and airconditioning, will cost you.
And airconditioning is a must for the small room, which can quickly heat up in the hot steamy Malaysian climate.
All hotels have free internet available in the lobby and the chain of hotels have retail shops connected to them where you can buy breakfast from about $RM6 ($A2).
Tune hotels, similar to low-cost airlines, employ a self-service online booking system and the rates are kept low by offering limited service.
The hotels cater to those on a budget, and tourists who spend most of their time sightseeing, not sitting around a hotel.
The rooms are also available for three-hour stopovers, which the hotel calls its refresher pack.
The refresher packages cost $RM60 ($A20) and are for travellers who want to freshen up and have a break in between connecting flights.
Chief executive of Tune Hotels, Mark Lankester, describes their guests as savvy, active travellers who are out most of the day or on business.
"They appreciate being able to spend less on a room they will only really spend a few hours in, while still having peace of mind that they'll be getting a good, safe night's sleep at the end of a full day," he said.
The 222-room hotel is just metres from the low-cost terminal.
If you are struggling under the weight of luggage and don't want to walk to the hotel can collect you from the terminal and deliver you to the hotel for $RM1 ($A0.30).
Tune hotels encourage their guests to book online and the further ahead you book your stay, the cheaper the room.
The average price of a room starts at about $RM10 ($A3) but if you take advantage of some promotions you can get a room for as low as $A0.23 a night.
If you book through Go Holiday, which is the holiday portal of AirAsia, you can book a room from $RM80 ($A25) with airconditioning.
The first Tune hotel opened in May 2007 in downtown Kuala Lumpur and the chain now operates in Bali and throughout Malaysia, with one set to open in India.
The company plans to have 150 hotels around the world by 2012 and Australia and the UK are in their sights.
IF YOU GO:
Bookings: www.tunehotels.com
Budget airline: www.airasia.com
Holiday packages: //goholiday.airasia.com
The writer was a guest of Air Asia, which operates Tune Hotels. All prices were current at the time of publication and based on exchange rates, but rates and prices will vary.
AAP
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