We were fortunate to be able to stay at Hatten Hotel Melaka on our second visit to Malacca (we had stayed at a much cheaper backpacker hostel on our first trip, which was also charming in its own way). The Hatten Hotel Melaka, a luxury business hotel, consists of Junior and Deluxe Suites. 
The hotel is located above Hatten Square shops, directly opposite Dataran Pahlawan, Malacca’s largest mall, which is connected by a walkway on the 3rd floor. It is easy to walk to all of the major tourist attractions in Melaka, such as Jonker Walk, Menara Taming Sari, Chinatown, Little India and all the museums. Although the hotel reception and lobby is on the ground floor, the restaurant is located up on the 11th floor, the pool and gym are on the 12th floor, and all the rooms are above that.
Our Suite
We had a Deluxe Suite on the 20th floor with a view down to the swimming pool and out across the city of Malacca. I was relieved we didn’t get one of the rooms down next to the pool because that would be really noisy. I was also relieved we didn’t get a room with a view of this atrium.
Our spacious suite was nicely decorated, very clean, and felt comfortable to stay in. Upon entering the suite there was a small sitting room area with a chaise longue, flatscreen TV, tea/coffee facilities and a minibar (stocked only with soft drinks – this is Malaysia!). This smaller room was separated from the main bedroom by a large window.
The bedroom had a kingsize double bed, which was really comfortable, with bedside table and lamps on both sides, another larger flatscreen TV (yes, every suite has two televisions!), a desk and chair, another chair and coffee table, as well as a wardrobe with hanging space and drawers. I was impressed by the extra facilities in the room, which not all hotels provide, such as bathrobes, slippers, a hairdryer and weighing scales. 
The bathroom, which could be entered from both of the other rooms, had a spacious shower, with a handheld sprayer and a “rain” shower. As seems to be the trend for new hotels now, there was no bathtub. 
My favourite aspect of the suite, however, was the view across Malacca city. A massive window, almost floor-to-ceiling, meant I could spend hours just gazing across the city, even from in bed. As well as the swimming pool, directly in view were many of Malacca’s most famous tourist sites, such as the Porto de Santiago fort, the Independence Monument and Museum, the Sultan’s Palace Museum and St Paul’s Church. It was a perfect view of this historic city! 
Hotel Facilities
The hotel swimming pool, on the 12th floor, is actually larger than it looks in the hotel photos, which meant that although it was very busy at times, it didn’t feel too crowded. Unfortunately it was very windy in the pool for most of the time I was there, and the water was so cold! There was nowhere nice to sit and relax by the pool without getting wet; the only sun loungers are in the shallow part of the pool, not somewhere you’d want to read a book, let alone use a phone or a tablet.
Due to wind and the cold temperature of the water, the pool was better suited to swimming lengths, rather than hanging out, and it seemed to be mostly children who wanted to spend a long time there. So I didn’t spend as much time in the pool area as I had expected. At least I could enjoy the same view from my room; the pool also looks out across the city.
Also on the 12th floor is the Hatten Hotel gym, which is very well equipped, and has the sea view. It was easily the best view I’ve ever seen from a treadmill and could definitely motivate one to work out!
Breakfast was served in the restaurant on the 11th floor. It was the first time I’ve had to queue to get in at a hotel breakfast, because the hotel was full for the beginning of our stay. Although it is a buffet breakfast, after queuing up, we were actually shown to a table by staff, not in the usual grab-a-table style. There was a wide range of food, with Chinese options such as yam cake to cater for the majority Chinese hotel guests.
The hotel lobby, down on the ground floor, was very spacious and I really liked the décor, with sitting room areas and an amazing chandelier that filled a large part of the ceiling. Service was excellent, with an efficient check-in and check-out. The concierge staff were also helpful in booking our taxi. 
Overall, I loved staying at Hatten Hotel Melaka, largely because of the amazing view across the city and the luxurious room where I was happy to spend time. Clearly, some of the other rooms are inferior, being next to the pool or without a view. I suggest, therefore, that if you book a room at this hotel, you should specify that you want a room with a view.
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