A space for all travel lovers

Play! Coshtel is part of a larger project called Play! Klang. It came from the concept of co-working space and backpackers hostel. This combined concept hopes to foster interaction between those who come to use the co-working space and those who come to stay the night. Play! Coshtel not only offers comfortable beds to rest and travel-friendly facilities, but also an inspiring co-working space to meet new people and exchange ideas. Backpackers come with many priceless stories that may inspire your next adventure. Some of these stories may also resonate home for those who have been away for a long time.

Play! Coshtel welcomes people from around the world who have a passion for travel – backpackers, digital nomads, journalists, photographers, programmers, designers, artists, Youtubers and bloggers – to share your experiences and co-work where anything is possible.

Play! Coshtel is a space with no border. We believe that given this space, the experience of travel – especially in Klang – can further be explored, innovated and promoted.

Southeast Asia is known to have the lowest cost of living and offers colourful experiences which attracts many digital nomads and backpackers. Klang is a historical township in the state of Selangor and is within an hour drive from Kuala Lumpur. We trust that Play! Coshtel will bring them closer to Klang and to Malaysia.

You are in luck! We are currently looking for like-minded partners to support Play! Coshtel. As a supporter you will be generously rewarded. You can learn more of Play! Coshtel through this 5-minute video and below narrative.

The kid from the block

I am Jomy from Klang. I completed my tertiary education in Taiwan, and went on working holiday in New Zealand. These past years I have managed tour groups, written articles, given talks, and made videos to share my overseas’ travelling experiences. While abroad I was often being asked “Where are you from?”. I always struggled to describe Klang while others have no difficulty describing their homeland. This got me interested to learn more of where I come from. I decided to backpack in Klang in search of what little I know of this place that I grew up in. Klang is not just a town an hour away from Kuala Lumpur. Klang has a mountain of historical and traditions that is unique yet slowly forgotten. Few came to Klang over the years and those who came only for that one food – Bak Kut Teh. It’s a pity that Klang has lost its former glory. Together with 4 other partners, I am determined to bring back the beauty of Klang to people’s eyes, mind and heart. I have started the fire, with your support I can keep the flame burning.

Play! Coshtel aims to gather resources to make this happen – attracting travellers to Klang to experience a different side of Malaysia.

Play! Coshtel

The establishment of Play! Coshtel will bring new life to an old building located near Klang KTM station. This building has a beautiful architecture that was once a blooming business landmark for people in Klang. This building still houses some traditional businesses. Many of its lots are left vacant. Due to new development, businesses have moved to newer part of Klang. We hope this refurbishment will give a chance to others to appreciate its former glory and trigger interest in preserving other similar forgotten buildings in Klang.

First floor of this old building has four sections of which the main hall will be for co-working space, while the centre and back halls will be for hostel space. The building also comes with the traditional air well design which is Instagram-worthy.

Play! Klang

Over the years, other groups like Warisan Sungai and KCR have actively promoted Klang. We hope to do the same with Play! Coshtel, by contributing to Klang’s sustainable development. Klang KTM station first opened in 1890 and brought about development in Kuala Lumpur. To date, you can still see the forms and structures of post-British colonization in many buildings in Klang. You will also find the double decked truss girder Kota Bridge built across the magnificent Klang River in 1961. With the construction of MRT in Klang expected to be completed by 2020, this will reduce the travel time to Klang.

If you googled “attractions in Klang” you will be surprised to find that the list is a handful. Besides the Palace of the Sultan of Selangor, Klang also houses a sizeable Indian community and the famous Little India. Although the origin of Bak Kut Teh is unclear, this dish is popularly associated with Klang. In Klang, you will find stories of how it came about and the lives of Chinese immigrants in the early 20th century. A 2-hour guided tour of Klang’s old streets will allow you to understand the colourful stories of multi-racial and multi-cultural of Malaysia.

These stories and many more will be narrated on the walls of the old building, allowing people who visit Play! Coshtel to appreciate about Klang.

Play! I-site

Play! Coshtel will offer free-of-charge travel information service about Selangor to backpackers. Klang has great potential to be a tourist destination. Sadly there is no tourist information centre located near the Klang KTM station that offer useful tips on how to travel around. Many are unaware of free shuttle service like Bus Selangorku operating in Selangor state including Klang. If you stopped at the station after Klang – Port Klang, you can take a boat ride to Pulau Ketam. While a station before Klang – Shah Alam, you can visit I-City, National Botanical Park, and the famous blue mosque. Klang is accessible to Jenjarom where you can visit the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple, Kuala Selangor where you can watch fireflies, Sekinchan where you can walk along paddy fields, Tanjung Karang where you can walk along the seaside. Klang also has a direct airport shuttle service to KLIA.

One of the partners, Loosin had hosted at least 50 backpackers and cyclists from 20 countries. Many of them have returned to Klang after their first visit. Besides the richness of Bak Kut Teh that captured their appetite, their travels in Klang and Selangor have been more meaningful with the exchange of local knowledge by Loosin. Such information has allowed them to better understand the places they visit.

Play! Crossover

Play! Coshtel will collaborate with other local partners like Jalan-Jalan Klang, Louis Gan Photography, Artsense Studio, Madiqlous, Happy Gan, Staged by Yi Hui, App TraveChat, Rock your Journey, and many more. We hope to explore more local collaborations in the future.

Play! Support

Whenever we travel abroad, we play our part in promoting Malaysia to those we met, inviting them to visit our homeland. There are many more places in Malaysia that many tourists and Malaysians are unaware of. We hope with your support Play! Coshtel can further innovate local tourism.

Other information

January 2018 – Jomy started Play! Klang Project of which Play! Coshtel is part of. Four other partners joined in.

February 2018 – Conceptualization and the search for location for Play! Coshtel.

March 2018 – Location identified. Interior design and other resourcing (including crowd-funding) in place.

April 2018 – Renovation started.

May 2018 – End of first round of resourcing. Reward funders.

June 2018 – Renovation completed. Commenced Play! Coshtel.

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Voucher for single bed per person per night can be used on Normal Season. Extra charges may apply for Peak Season and Public Holidays. Advance booking required. The voucher expires on 30 June 2019.

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Jalan-Jalan Klang guided tour requires advance booking. Each guided tour voucher is eligible for one person, exclusive of meals. The voucher expires on 30 June 2019.

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Voucher for Louis Gan Photography requires advance booking. The voucher expires on 30 June 2019.

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Voucher for Mardiqluos is limited to RM500 and requires advance booking. The voucher expires on 30 June 2019.

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First Edition Travel maps will given to travellers who travel to Klang for free, 

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The above vouchers are not refunded in cash. Each voucher is single use. Any unused vouchers past the expiry date will not be refunded. The management of Play! Coshtel reserves the rights to make changes to the above-mentioned terms and conditions.