Fancy a night in Johor Bahru (JB) because a day trip is just too short? There are a number of hotels around the checkpoint, but we chose Holiday Inn Johor Bahru City Centre, which is just a 5-minute walk from the Woodlands checkpoint. We’ve stayed at this hotel twice now so here’s our comprehensive Holiday Inn Johor Bahru City Centre review.
In this Holiday Inn Johor Bahru City Centre Review:
Getting There
Cross the bridge from the checkpoint towards City Square and head for Komtar JBCC. The entrance is outside the entrance of the mall. Similarly, you can walk over from City Square too, as the mall’s entrance is just opposite the hotel’s lift lobby.
Check-in
The hotel lobby is on level 8 and we were promptly served once we got to the check-in counter. Like most hotels do, they will provide a room for you if there is any available when you are early. Otherwise, you will need to wait for the official check in time.
As the room was not ready on our second stay, we headed to the 2 nearby malls to kill time.
The Room
We stayed in the the Standard Room, available in King or Twin Beds. However, there’s not much of a view unless you opt for the Premium Room, Suite or a Top Floor Room. Regardless, our requirements are not very high as we are just staying for a comfortable place with a roof over our head over the night.
The room came with 2 bottles of water, bath robes, bedroom slippers, kettle and hair dryer, all the basic amenities as you would expect from a hotel.
The Bed
The bed was slightly too firm for my liking and 2 types of pillows, firm and soft were provided. However, both pillows felt very worn and provided almost no support.
The Toilet
The toilet was well lit and relatively clean. Basic amenities such as soap, toothbrushes and towels were provided. However, one of the body towels had a huge blood stain on it; it was quite gross.
Facilities
There’s an in-house restaurant, rooftop sky pool and a 24-hours fitness center.
The Pool
Though we did not use the pool, it was of a decent size and you will be able to get your dose of Vitamin D. However, there aren’t many sun chairs, so you might want to avoid heading up during peak hours.
The Service
The service was good. During our first stay, we had issues with the WiFi and they were able to provide a solution promptly. The staffs were quick to help. On my recent stay, the hotel was almost fully booked (due to Public Holiday), and they were rushing and trying their best to let everyone check-in in time. I managed to check-in on the dot.
Final Rating
We paid around SGD 100 for a night’s stay via Trip.com, which was slightly cheaper than booking directly on the hotel’s website. The hotel is relatively new, it opened in 2020. However, for something this new and pricey for JB’s standards, we expected a little more in terms of cleanliness. Besides the bloody towel mentioned, we found that the tables surfaces were not cleaned well both times we stayed in this hotel. The table surfaces were sticky.
The location is really the selling point and was really convenient with lots of food options nearby. It also easy for Grab drivers to locate us during our JB trips.
Read: The alternative JB itinerary
Overall, Holiday Inn Johor Bahru City Centre is a good option if you’re not looking for something luxurious. It is family-friendly from the facilities and its strategic location.
Cleanliness: 3/5
Price: 3/5
Ambience: 3/5
Value: 3.5/5
Remote workability: 5/5
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