Off for a quick one-night staycation out of town! And this time, Fong and I were headed to Malacca City (in Malaysia we spell it as Melaka), which is the capital of the state of Melaka on the southwestern coast of Malaysia. When it comes to Melaka, it’s all about its rich heritage, its Baba Nyonya (Peranakan) culture, its illustrious past, and the significant role the city played in the history of Malaysia — but our holiday this time is something a little different.

We were in town to visit the resort development of Hatten City, situated along the coast overlooking the Straits of Melaka.

Day 1

The journey to Melaka from Kuala Lumpur takes about 2 hours, heading south on the E2 North-South Highway. We started our road trip in the late morning, making sure to reach Melaka just in time for lunch — because I absolutely love their…

Afternoon
Chicken Rice Balls Lunch in Melaka

… Chicken rice balls! Some of the more famous branches are located within the older UNESCO World Heritage part of town — but there is one pretty awesome one near Hatten City called Heng Hainanese Chicken Rice Balls. Our set meal for two cost us RM23 (~US$5.50) and it came with a plate of delicious steamed chicken, eight palm-sized chicken rice balls, and a plate of stir fry cabbage. Credit however, goes to that delicious bowl of chilli dip that accompanied the meal!

The development of Hatten City.

Lunch at Heng Hainanese Chicken Rice Balls, and huge bowl of chilli.

The huge lobby of Hatten Place on the 12th floor.

The meeting rooms at Hatten Place wants you to LOL, and that means Live Out Loud!

Room card, and all the little complimentary gifts from the hotel.

Arriving at Hatten City Melaka

And then it was time to head to Hatten City. The huge collection of buildings of the small ‘city’ dominates the skyline in this part of Melaka — comprising a mix of developments that range from residential condominiums and international hotels; to the Elements Shopping Mall, retails shops and an office tower. The two hotels that currently reside at Hatten City are Double Tree Hilton, and my stay while in Melaka — Hatten Place.

Hatten Place

Parking was relatively easy. We followed the signage into the carpark area at Level 6, and took the elevator up to the 12th floor, where the hotel lobby is located. Check-in was swift and easy; and we were also introduced to some of the facilities that the hotel provided to the guests — free scheduled bus rides to the Melaka Old Town from 10am to 8pm, complimentary entry into the Sky Deck @ Hatten City, and a glass of snow espresso or chocolate per room. The 12th floor is also the location of the hotel’s function rooms and boardrooms, and the multi-purpose ballroom is at Level 13.

Enjoying the living area of my suite at Hatten Place — and a bowl of fruits!

Oh look at that one-bedroom suite.

Drawing a bath, and enjoying the view from my room.

Complimentary Snow Espresso, anyone?

Loving the vibes (and wonderful coffee aroma) at Coffeevine.

My One Bedroom Suite

Hatten Place has a variety of room options to suit every traveler — there are the Superior rooms, Superior plus rooms, Deluxe rooms, as well as the 1 and 2-bedroom Suites. Options for connecting rooms are available too. During our visit, we were put up in the super luxurious 1-bedroom Suite. The 61.4sq meters suite has a separate living area with toilet; two 48″ LCD televisions; a bathtub and rain-shower bathroom with huge glass windows for sweeping views; and of course, all the usual amenities like coffee and tea making facilities, in-room safe, iron and a work-desk. Oh, and we also had a lovely fruit basket waiting for us on our arrival.

The Snow Espresso at Coffeevine

After a quick exploration of the hotel — it was then time for us to claim our complimentary “Snow Espresso” at Coffeevine. Located on the Ground floor of Hatten Place; the cafe has a really relaxed vibe that was perfect for a cuppa (and a piece of cake) on a hot afternoon’s day. I watched as the barista prepared my drink — using a small candyfloss machine, she made a small little blob of floss and placed it on top of my espresso. I had to get that perfect picture before it melted into the hot cup! And then it was back to our suite to soak in the comforts of our room, and to get ready for our evening high up in the sky.

Twirling in the wind at the Sky Deck @ Hatten City.

View of the Portuguese settlement in Melaka, and the Straits of Melaka.

Happiness is being up high!

Watching the sunset from the 44th floor of Hatten City.

A drink at the Drift while waiting for the sun to set.

Evening/Night
The Sky Deck Hatten City

Now one of the reasons for my visit to Hatten City was to visit the Sky Deck. After dressing up for a night out, we made our way up to the 44th floor of the building — just in time to wait out the sunset over the Straits of Melaka. The view from the top was lovely (and extremely windy, so my advice is to not wear a skirt like I did), overlooking the entire expanse of Melaka’s cityscape and the sea (there’s some land reclamation going on in the area, though). There’s nothing much else on the deck itself, but we got to walk almost all around it for a 360 degree panorama. The entrance fees to the Sky Deck @ Hatten City cost RM20 per pax on weekdays; and RM25 for weekends and eves of public holidays. Guests of Hatten Place (and diners at the sky-restaurants) get complimentary entrance.

Sunset and Pre-Dinner Drinks at Drift

It was a pretty cloudy evening that day; so the sunset wasn’t as perfect as it could have been. But that didn’t dampen our mood, because we got to hang out at the classy Drift — the pub/lounge on the Sky Deck. The pub has a stage area, lounge chairs and a bar indoors; and more seats on the outdoors as well. We ordered a round of pre-dinner cocktails and beers (they serve food as well, but we were saving ourselves for dinner), and enjoyed the cooling breeze as we watched the sun disappear and the sky turn dark.

Dinner with a view in Gales at the Sky Deck @ Hatten City.

The delicious array of dishes that was served to us.

Wanna share my desserts?

Night view of Melaka from the Sky Deck.

Dinner at Gales Restaurant @ Sky Deck Hatten City

And then… time for dinner! We were to dine at the semi-fine dining Western fusion restaurant, Gales. Located on the 44th floor at the Sky Deck @ Hatten City, the restaurant has the highest kitchen in Melaka and offers the most spectacular views of the city from the top. We enjoyed our meal in the most romantic ambiance (think soft music, and pretty twinkly lights) — our 4-course meal included soup and tapas for starters; I had the pan-roasted Japanese scallop for mains and Fong had the Wagyu beef cheeks; and then we shared the delicious desserts of cheesecake and chocolate fondant. Gales opens for lunch and dinner, and a smart casual outfit is required.

The Night View at Sky Deck Hatten City

After dinner, we decided to walk about the Sky Deck to further admire the night view and bright lights of Melaka city. It was pretty crowded with locals and tourists by then — I guess the most popular time to visit is when its dark! But because the wind was too strong that night (and my dress didn’t stand a chance), we didn’t stay out too long. We took a couple of pictures, and were back in our room at Hatten Place for the night.

Morning breakfast at Hatten Place’s Thyme All-Day Dining.

Congee for breakfast?

A little walk around the infinity pool.

Wind in the waters.

Can’t resist a dip in the pool!

Day 2

Such comfortable bedding at Hatten Place that we were pretty reluctant to wake up for breakfast! But I guess the thought of a delicious buffet breakfast spread won that battle of wills within my head — so out of bed we got, and down we went to the 12th floor of the hotel, where breakfast is served.

Morning
Breakfast at Thyme All-Day Dining @ Hatten Place

Buffet breakfast at Hatten Place’s Thyme All-Day Dining is served from 6.30-10.30am. Walking in at 9am, the restaurant was packed with people (and our first table got stolen, so we had to shift to another table). There was a pretty good variety of choices at the buffet spread — local, Asian and Western; but most importantly (for me), there was an egg bar. The restaurant opens till 11pm at night, and they have really awesome private dining booths as well.

The Hatten Place Infinity Pool

We lazed a little bit more in our suite after breakfast, and then decided to head to the pool for a dip before check-out time at 12pm. The infinity pool at Hatten Place is located on the 13th floor of the hotel, and overlooks the Straits of Melaka. There’s also a fitness room, and a sauna and steam room on the same level. We spent about an hour or so splashing about and lounging on the few sun-beds around the pool — and because the sky started getting a little dark (and becoming super windy again), we left for shelter.

Chinese cuisine, and dim sum lunch at He’Feng.

Our specially order dim sum spread.

So where should I start?

Aromas Coffee Club on the 43rd floor of Hatten City.

Perhaps we’ll have a coffee with a view.

Afternoon
Lunch at He’Feng Chinese Cuisine @ Sky Deck Hatten City

It was raining by the time we checked-out and made our way to the Sky Deck @ Hatten City again — this time we were going up for a dim sum lunch! He’Feng Chinese Cuisine Restaurant is located on the 43rd floor, one level below the Sky Deck. Dim sum is served from 10am-2.30pm everyday except Monday — and we had a lovely meal of steamed chicken and prawn dumpling (siu mai), homemade fish balls with bean curd, steamed green tea buns with salted egg custard, deep fried yam dumplings, carrot rice cakes, rice noodle rolls with prawns (chee cheong fun), and a bowl of boiled almond cream. Yum!

Aromas Coffee Club @ Sky Deck Hatten City

Before leaving Hatten City, we made a quick stop at the Aromas Coffee Club just next to He’Feng on the 43rd floor. It’s a pretty chilled place to just hang out, read or even work — especially if you want to sit next to a full-length window that offers more views of Melaka city. If we weren’t as stuffed as we were after our dim sum lunch, we would have stayed for a cup of coffee.

Entrance to my staycation — Hatten Place.

Look! I’m on the 44th floor overlooking the Melaka city!

Views all around at the Sky Deck @ Hatten City.

Why is it so hard to get him to take a decent picture?

A picture with the lovely Farah from Hatten City. Thanks for having me!

The Hatten City Experience

We had a lovely time at Hatten City Melaka on this two-day trip — the luxurious suite stay at Hatten Place, as well as the panoramic views and gastronomical delights on the top of the city at Sky Deck. I’ve been to Melaka many many times before, but I have never taken the time to explore beyond the UNESCO World Heritage site of Melaka’s old town; so I have to say that it was nice to see a different side of what the city has to offer. The only thing that bothered me was the land reclamation nearby that was a little bit of an eyesore.

That being said, I noticed that there are many things still in the plans at Hatten City, so let’s wait and see what else it will have to offer in the coming future!

At the highest point of Melaka at the Sky Deck @ Hatten City.

Blowing bubbles in my tub at Hatten Place!

HATTEN CITY
Where: Jalan Melaka Raya 23,
Taman Melaka Raya,
75000 Melaka, Malaysia.
Book with AGODA

*She Walks the World stayed at Hatten Place and visited the Sky Deck @ Hatten City as a guest; and as always, all opinions stated here are my own.
*All information shared are correct at time of writing, but for up-to-date details on prices, promotions and events; please head to the hotel’s website here.
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