I Thought Luxury Coworking Meant Nap Rooms & Massages. Colony’s 3rd Space Proved Me So Wrong.

• Colony has recently opened up their latest coworking space in Q Sentral, Kuala Lumpur.
• Located close to KL Sentral, the new coworking space is smaller than their previous two locations, but promises to provide a more streamlined working environment.
• Unique traits include a focus on group coworking and extremely easy access from anywhere in the Klang Valley.

Over the years, Colony has cemented their status as the go-to destination for luxury coworking in Malaysia. Unabashedly upscale, each of Colony’s three locations within the Klang Valley have offered up experiences akin to those you’d find at resort spas more than at corporate offices.

Recently, Colony opened the doors to its third expansion in Q Sentral, Kuala Lumpur, officially titling it Colony @ KL Sentral. The new location is smaller than the previous two, making it their most intimate one yet, with the overall layout and design placing a strong emphasis on group coworking.

According to the team, this particular location targets the more global crowd, with expatriates and internationally-focused startups mentioned amongst the clientele they’d like to attract.

“With Colony’s foray into KL Sentral, we aim to bring first-in-class hospitality and service to this prime location for guests to have access to sophistication, accessibility, and work,” said Colony’s CEO, Timothy Tiah.

Here’s a few things to note about Colony Coworking Space @ KL Sentral:

• 15,000 square feet of space located on the 37th floor of the Q Sentral building nearby KL Sentral, Kuala Lumpur.
• At full capacity, the space is able to accommodate approximately 250 individuals.
• The space has two meeting rooms (one for up to 10 pax, and another larger one up to 20 pax), with three dedicated private phone booths also available.
• There are five private offices (or luxe suites) each equipped with a Google Home system, an LED television, a mini refrigerator, a motorised desk with adjustable height, and motorised curtains.
• The event space is customisable and is designed to be a workshop lounge. It can accommodate up to 40 individuals, with soundproofed barriers available to isolate events from the rest of the coworking space.
• Air-conditioning shuts off at 5.30PM daily, thereafter portable air-conditioners are available upon request.
• Printing services and access to stationery are DIY.
• Complimentary snacks and high-speed internet are standard for every tenant.

Straight To The Point

In terms of creature comforts, the KL Sentral space does omit some of the things that have become hallmarks of the Colony brand in their previous two locations.

For instance, you won’t find a nap room, there is no in-house gourmet restaurant or café (the one here run directly by their staff doesn’t do full meals as of yet), and there isn’t the massage therapy that you can pay for in the KLCC branch to be found here.

It felt fuss-free, without sacrificing value.

First up, the space is housed all on a single level. Doing away with the multi-level layout that was prominent in their Eco City location (and to a lesser extent, KLCC) gave it a homelier and more intimate environment (I should also mention that the views out the windows are spectacular).

The coworking space only spans 15,000 square feet, making the working spaces, cafeteria, meeting rooms, toilets, and other facilities literally within earshot of each other.

While working there over the span of a week, I enjoyed the simplicity of the space; not having to navigate long corridors or climb up a flight of stairs to access any of the facilities was something that could potentially be a huge time-saver for fast-moving companies with tight timelines to keep.

What Measure Is Luxury?

Here you can expect to find each room able to comfortably fit teams of six and above, with there even being one able to house up to 20, and another having a closed-off area that can be turned into a “boss office”.

Each room is customisable according to the needs of the tenants, as with the previous Colony locations.

For example, if you rented an entire room and wanted a small segment of it turned into a beanbag or gaming area with a couch and a TV set-up, no problem. If you want, the Colony team can have all of it sorted out for you, for a price.

For those looking at true luxury, the Private Offices that come with motorised desks and voice-activated Google Home systems are available.

As Sentral As You’ll Find

Among all of the things I appreciated about the new location was how nearby it was to everything important—rail transport, taxi stands, and bus stops were all accessible with covered walkways.

And for food options, the same is applicable—you only need to take a 10-minute sheltered stroll to the nearby Nu Sentral mall in order to find a huge dining selection.

My team collectively agreed that accessibility was one of this space’s biggest strengths, and for those wanting to get to things quickly and without hassle, this will be one of the coworking options that you’ll find extremely difficult to top.

Verdict?

All-in-all, working at Colony @ KL Sentral was smooth sailing thanks to the reasons I already mentioned above, and the quick action taken by their staff members whenever we had a request.

The only qualms I had with the space was the enforced shutting of the air-conditioners by the building management after 5.30PM, although the availability of portable AC units and fans for those needing to stay late negates that problem.

In terms of catering to the expatriate and international crowd, Colony @ KL Sentral have managed to hit the nail on the head, with this location so far the best one in my opinion thanks to its proximity to public transport and food options.

Factor that in together with a functional working environment that makes no compromises when it comes to luxury and style, and you have a very attractive option for small modern businesses that want to keep up a fast pace while doing it with a degree of prestige.

• To know more about Colony and their coworking space options, visit their official website here.