Celebrate Merdeka 2026 at The RuMa Hotel and Residences
Lifestyle · 30 August 2026
A celebration of Malaysia through stories, flavours, and traditions.
In the eighth and latest iteration of The RuMa Hotel’s annual Merdeka celebrations, it curates unique dining, wellness, and hospitality experiences for everyone to enjoy. The foundation of The RuMa Hotel itself, located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, is built on Malaysia’s unique identity and heritage of language, culture, food, and diversity of people. A stay at this prestigious hotel gives a distinctly Malaysian experience, especially in the décor, which pays homage to traditional elements of Malaysian architectural features. In fact, the hotel derives its name from the Malay word for house, ‘rumah’, cementing its intention to ensure a stay at The Ruma Hotel feels like home.
The RuMa’s belief in Malaysian hospitality also extends to its in-house, award-winning restaurant ATAS. Currently, ATAS has invited GU:UM, a modern Korean steakhouse by Michelin-starred chef Louis Han to join them for a four-month residency, offering guests a taste of different cultures and cuisines at a local table. The RuMa x GU:UM package pairs a night at The RuMa with dinner for two at GU:UM, daily breakfast at ATAS and a stocked minibar.
Discover all the unique Merdeka-themed experiences at The RuMa Hotel.
Chapters of RuMa Afternoon Tea
Going for afternoon tea is a colonial-era tradition that Malaysians made their own. The RuMa Hotel offers its interpretation of the beloved practice at The LIBRARI. The afternoon tea experience begins with a congkak board, handcrafted by a local artisan, with each hollow holding a selection of Malaysian-inspired flavours. The experience is brought to life through a fortune-teller-inspired interactive menu, a nod to a childhood game many Malaysians grew up with–each bite is an immersive journey.
And if guests wear traditional Malaysian attire, they can enjoy a 10 per cent discount on their afternoon tea.
Chapters of RuMa Afternoon Tea will run until 15 September with two sessions daily at 1:30pm and 3:30pm, starting at RM168 per person.
ATAS x The Chow Kit Kitchen and Bar
One of the biggest source of pride for Malaysians is their incredible, unparalleled cuisine, which draws from Malay, Chinese, Indian, and indigenous influences. The RuMa Hotel and The Chow Kit Kitchen & Bar have come together to pay homage to Malaysia’s unique gastronomical identity with The Towkay Table, a curated two-course set lunch inspired by the way towkays, translated from Hokkien Chinese to English as a colloquial term for a group of business owners, gather over food to talk shop. The menu, dishes from which can be ordered à la carte, comprises Johor Laksa, Ikan Assam Pedas and Nyonya Kari Kapitan.
This collaborative culinary experience at ATAS will run until 15 September between 12:00 to 4:30pm, every Monday to Saturday.
UR SPA: Dusun Inan Body Therapy and Urutan Malaysia
Its award-winning Dusun Inan Body Therapy is a deep tissue massage with links to the ancestral techniques of the Lotud Dusun community of Northern Borneo. Tried and tested by the BAZAAR team, this treatment begins with the signature Tranquility welcome ritual, a gentle botanical inhalation and a Kabat stretch, and slowly finds a way to release the tightly coiled tension in the back and shoulders, accumulated from hunching over a desk all day. The fluid motions of the masseuse’s palm–a technique originally honed to relieve pains and strains of working the paddy fields in East Malaysia–are rhythmic and hypnotic. When paired with the calming ambient sounds and serene interiors of the spa, there is no other option but to surrender to rest and relaxation.
Other treatments, including the Silat Stretch and Urutan Malaysia, also incorporate age-old practices. Each is tailored to ensure a holistic wellness experience, which could result in a combination of indigenous massage techniques, stretching and grounding exercises, and qi gong breathing rituals.
