Hailed as Kuala Lumpur’s ultimate urban retreat, the Villa Samadhi is nestled within a quiet upscale residential enclave behind Kuala Lumpur’s Embassy Row just ten minutes’ drive away from the city centre.
This Asian-inspired boutique hotel comprises 21 individually designed ‘villa-in-a-room’ accommodation clustered around its swimming pool called the Lagoon. Well-hidden behind a tall bamboo fencing and wooden gate, only the thatched roof of Villa Samadhi is visible from the street.
Salvaged timbers and components are used for the interiors in combination with polished concrete floors, and white plastered walls. Greeting guests at the entrance to the lobby are timber doors featuring some of the most intricate and delicate lace-like carvings. Chinese symbols on the lower panels of the doors suggest that they probably once adorned an opulent Chinese mansion. Beyond these doors is a haven built with old recycled timbers such as Chengal, Balau, Merbau, Teak and Meranti.
All of Villa Samadhi’s rooms come with a unique layout and spacious living areas measuring from 600 to over 2,000 square-feet. The prevalent use of timber, combined with polished concrete and bamboo creates a distinctively raw yet refined interior. Displays of exquisite Asian antiques add an eclectic yesteryear touch to the ambience.
Another interesting feature of Villa Samadhi is the exclusive hexagonal-shaped all-day-dining restaurant called Mandi-Mandi, which sits by the edge of the Lagoon. Mandi is the Malay verb for ‘bathe’. It sports a polished concrete floor with a hexagonal bamboo floor finish in the centre. The ceiling is an interesting play of folded plywood panels which echoes the polygonal geometry of the restaurant’s structure.