Featuring a premium Mont Kiara address, Colony’s latest and largest branch in The MET Corporate Towers goes the extra mile to bring patrons that luxurious touch the coworking brand is known for.
A coworking and event space company in Malaysia, Colony is also present in KLCC, Star Boulevard, Eco City, and Mutiara Damansara. The hospitality-centric brand offers a range of solutions such as private offices, serviced offices, virtual offices, enterprise offices, hot desking, and meeting rooms.
In our recent visit to its new Mont Kiara location, we made an office out of their Luxe Suite for the day. The room feels like a part of a hotel suite with a plush green sofa, a mini fridge, storage cabinets, two smart desks, a bar counter that seats two, and a Google Home.
Waiting for us in the room were two pitchers of lemon-infused water, as well as snacks ranging from gummy candy to Ruffles chips.
The fridge was stocked with much-needed cans of coffee and juice too. We were told that they did furnish it a little more for us, but that the room does usually come with some snacks, albeit lesser than what we got.
Aside from spaciousness, one of the biggest pulls of our suite was the fact that it has floor-to-ceiling windows looking out into the neighbourhood, providing us with ample sunlight. But fear not, there are blinds too if it gets too hot.
Aesthetics
As they say, first impressions can be lasting, and here, that lasting impression is made at the concierge. Immediately, the space evokes a luxe, swanky ambiance, akin to the check-in desk at a hotel.
Although our room was quite vibrant with its jade sofa and mustard chairs, the common areas are kept minimalistic with a black-and-white palate and geometric patterns, though the addition of rattan and faux foliage keeps things warm and welcoming.
The common area comprises an array of seating, including some couches, wingback rattan chairs, and ottomans. Then there’s the kitchen with a double-door fridge, a water dispenser with cool and hot water, sink, and a pantry area stocked with plates, cups, bowls, and more.
There’s also an island that seats four. We chose to have our lunch here, but you can always opt to eat in your room. The only thing is you might lose out on socialisation opportunities, which is a key part of coworking spaces.
On that note, we were told that guests could also work in the common area via hot desking solutions. But in our opinion, the space doesn’t look too conducive for working on a laptop, since the coffee tables are a little low.
On the bright side, there are one-person private rooms available too if you need a proper desk.
In terms of facilities, there’s a variety of event spaces and meeting rooms available. There are a couple of standard meeting rooms on the 10th floor, but one level down on the 9th, there are The Boardroom and The Sun Room for more unique meeting spaces.
Fitting up to 30 pax, The Boardroom features a round table with a sand-filled centre and stone décor. As per the name, this seems catered to business-focused events or product launches. Meanwhile, The Sun Room has a more relaxed vibe with plush sofas, which we were told were ideal for intimate weddings, bridal or hen parties, and more.
For those looking to host bigger events, there’s The Lounge, The Glass Box, as well as the Rooftop Terrace.
The Lounge, which fits up to 40 pax, is also suitable for intimate events. It comprises a bar and dining area as well as a hall with modular furniture so clients can switch up the seating as they wish.
From what we know, The design inspiration of the spaces aims to invoke tranquility and zen with the sandy colours, wooden and stone decor, and floaty white canvas as ceiling drapes or curtains (symbolising clouds).
Meanwhile, The Glass Box is the largest event space here, able to accommodate 450 pax with its sprawling 5,400 sq ft space. This makes it optimal for big functions like parties, corporate events, weddings, and the like.
And The Rooftop Terrace is, of course, an open space. Fitting up to 250 pax, it’s an ideal spot for more relaxed and casual events.
Amenities
One thing about Colony is that, unlike its no-frills sister brand Jerry, it’s all about the frills.
Frills include things like the stationery corner. This was a nice and helpful touch, with not just your usual office supply such as hole punchers and staplers, but also cute, sparkly washi tape.
There’s also an area with a printer, laminator, binding machine, and a paper shredder. To print something, though, you need to email it to the concierge. The staff will then print out the necessary materials.
While the service is appreciable, this exchange of data does pose an issue of security, especially for corporates with strict protocols that prohibit sharing private details. With this in mind, it would be good if guests have a way of printing their own materials in the future, within reasonable limits.
Aside from that, the staff unfortunately did not notice the body of my email requesting two copies in colour, and only printed one black-and-white copy. If you have specific instructions, it might be better to tell them in person.
There are smaller frills, too, such as the condiments stocked in the kitchen pantry, the extra jugs of water in the fridge, a provided marker and tape to label your food in the fridge, and the toiletries in the bathroom.
Audience
All in all, we had a rather productive day in the suite. The smart tables are particularly nice, providing some ergonomic options as well as a cool wireless charging dock. While we didn’t make use of the lush couch, it was nice having it there just in case we did need it for a break.
There aren’t a lot of food options in walking distance from The Met, though, so we had to order some delivery. It’s not a bad thing, but I can imagine this might become unsustainable if it’s your day-to-day, unless you bring food from home.
Do note that the operation hours for the space are 9AM to 5:30PM, which might not work for everyone, especially those with odd working hours such as entrepreneurs or companies working with international partners.
The Colony team checked in on us before clocking out, and when we told them we needed a bit more time to finish up, they were accommodating. In any case though, it’s not recommended to stay late as the AC will automatically be turned off and it could get stuffy.
Colony @ The Met’s coworking space is especially fitting for those looking for private offices for small to medium-sized teams that want a premium business address and setting. The pricing for private offices starts at RM2,390, but plans can be customised based on the client’s needs.
Other plans include the Prepaid Time Pass, which is RM338+ for 100 hours (roughly 11 to 12 days if you work regular hours). For hot desking, it’s RM410 per month.
All things considered, for the average worker or digital nomad, I do think Colony @ The Met is a little overkill. But if you’re looking for a luxe workplace complete with hospitable service, look no further than here.
And of course, if you need a gorgeous event space, Colony @ The Met is ready to host.
All Image Credits: Vulcan Post