In Malaysia I usually stay at the Coronade hotel in Bukit Bintang. This is the best area to stay if you are on holiday since the hotel is located slap bang in the middle of the shopping and entertainment area. The hotel is very good (a 3 star or more I think) and very reasonably priced and you can book online at the following links.
I would recommend a booking basis of B&B (maximum) since there is plenty of good food just outside the hotel. Half or full board would be a waste of money. There is only one problem I have faced in this hotel and that is the pool. The pool of the hotel is on the roof top (together with the gym) and is under cover and thus does not get any sun. The water tends to be very very cold (freezing sometimes) because of this. If the you are not too keen on the pool this would not be an issue. In any event you guys will be doing water parks that should negate the need for a pool at then hotel.
The hotel is located at Bukit Bintang in the heart of Kuala Lumpur's Golden Triangle which is the premier tourist area in KL. There is an excellent hawkers street which serves about 10 to 12 different kinds of food at very reasonable prices and plenty of restaurants just outside the hotel.
If you are going to KL on the train from Singapore, the train stops at KL Sentral (the last stop) and from there you can get a cab. Print out the address of the hotel and show it to both the booking counter and the cabbie. The first time I went to KL the cabbie dropped me off at the wrong hotel. If the cabbie is confused, tell him that the hotel used to be known as the Fariline hotel earlier. All cabbies speak English.
There is an alternative way which is faster and very much cheaper. That is to take the monorail to the hotel. If luggage is not too much of a hassle go to the monorail station at KL Sentral and buy tickets to BUKIT BINTANG station. The hotel is about 30 meters from the monorail station at Bukit Bintang.
Things to do in KL
For shopping the location of the hotel is ideal. Right opposite the hotel (other side of the road) is the Sungei Wang Plaza (http://www.sungeiwang.com ) and the BB plaza which are interconnected and you wouldn’t know which one you are in most of the time. This is a huge mall. On the right (same side of the road) is a mall named Lot 10 (http://www.ytlcommunity.com/lot10/index.asp) and behind that is the KL Plaza. The Berjaya Times Square Mall (BTS) (http://www.timessquarekl.com) is a mere 3 – 5 minutes walk (about 300 meters away) and is another huge mall with over 1000 outlets. Sungei Wang and BB are mid market malls whilst Lot 10 and BTS are slightly more upmarket. Quality in all these malls is excellent and the prices very very good.
Another shopping destination is the Petaling Street (PS) market at China town. This is a street market with all kinds of goods for sale. PS is away from the area of the hotel, but getting there is easy, just get into a cab and say Petaling street market. PS is a very touristy place and I have found that some times goods tend to be slightly more expensive compared to the malls like Sungei Wang. Bargaining is a must and don’t be shy to ask for deep discounts. If the vendor does not oblige, move on. Most likely the vendor will call you back or you might find better quality and price in the malls.
Another place that may interest you is the Low Yat Plaza which is near the hotel. The latest in gadgets, computers, software, video games, computer accessories can be found in abundance here.
Cosmo’s World Theme Park
The nearest theme park is the Cosmo’s World Theme Park which is located at Berjaya Times Square Mall and is the largest indoor theme park in Malaysia. (http://www.timesquarekl.com/). This place has among other things a very nice area of activity for the smaller children.
Sunway Lagoon (http://www.sunwaylagoon.com/attract/attract.asp)
SL is a large outdoor theme park with accent on water parks. Sunway Lagoon won 2007 Asian Attractions Award beating Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand and The Philippines. They have just added an interactive zoo and extreme sports section. This is a great place where you can easily spend a whole day. SL is closed on Tuesdays.
Desa Water Park (http://www.desawaterpark.com.my)
I have not been here but it is supposed to be quite good and has the longest uphill water coaster in Asia. This place is closed on Wednesdays.
Genting Highlands theme park (http://www.genting.com.my/en/themepark/index.htm)
Genting theme park is a part of the genting highlands mountain resort which also includes hotels, entertainment, casino’s etc. It’s a lovely place to go to as the weather is on the colder side and in fact some times pleasantly misty. It’s about 1 hour from Bukit Bintang. The easiest way is by taxi just ask your hotel to organize it. A cheaper way would be to go to the genting taxi stand in KL and take a genting taxi. An even cheaper way would be to take the monorail to Titiwangsa and go across to the bus station and take the bus to the theme park. The bus goes right into the theme park and is very comfortable. This may be a bit of a hassle though if you are with kids. Coming back you have the same options. This would be a whole day trip. You can book your tickets online at the above website and there is an extensive FAQ too. They have listed several travel options on the website that you may want to see. (http://www.genting.com.my/en/eg/g_there/index.htm).
Make sure you take a change of clothes to all the theme parks as you are sure to get wet (except Cosmo’s). Also, most theme parks do not allow food to be brought in (especially sunway lagoon) as they serve/sell food inside the park.
Bird Park, Butterfly Park, Deer Park and Orchid Garden at the lake gardens
Really nice place to be especially Kids, who will love the bird park where they can feed the birds and photos taken with the birds. This is on the outskirts of the city and takes about 20 mins to get there.
Petronas Twin Towers
The 88-storey Petronas Twin Towers, otherwise known as KLCC the world's tallest twin structures. Located in the heart of the capital city, the crown of the Kuala Lumpur contains a complex of office buildings, conference halls, a sprawling park and an upmarket shopping complex. Visitors are allowed to go up to the sky bridge between 8.30 am and 5.00 pm from Tuesday to Sunday. Though they say till 5.00 pm, they have an allocation on the number of visitors that they allow and hence its best to get there early.
Soaring to 421m, and considered a main feature of the city skyline, the KL Tower is the world's fourth tallest communications tower. To experience the exhilarating view from the KL Tower, you can go to the 335-metre high observation deck on a high-speed lift. From here, you get a birds eye view of the entire city.
The Bukit Nanas Forest reserve, also known as the 'Green Lung' of KL City, is located just beside the KL Tower. This uniquely 'real' plot of ancient rainforest offers a walking trail and has flora and fauna indigenous to Malaysia. Here, you get the frankly surreal opportunity to see colourful butterflies, insects, monkeys, squirrels and exotic birds in their natural habitat - all within earshot of the hum of downtown traffic!
The latest attraction at KL Tower and Bukit Nanas is a reverse bungee called The G-Force. Not for the faint of heart, your ride will be recorded and given to you on a DVD.
On top of the KL Tower is the Seri Angkasa revolving restaurant where you can sample an international buffet spread while watching a continuously revolving view of the Kuala Lumpur skyline.
Take a taxi if you are going here since there is a very steep walk upto the entrance of the tower.
Cheers and have fun
Other Tips in Kuala Lumpur