DoubleTree by Hilton Johor Bahru

Rooms and decor

Search "Johor Bahru hotels" on just about any site and DoubleTree by Hilton Johor Bahru lands near the top, and not for the brand alone. A 9.0/10 combined score is a number that is very hard to find in this city. What pushes it that high is not the room or the pool, it is the staff, and reviews repeat that point until it reads like a pattern. Open the door and you get what you expect from Hilton: wide, clean, soft bed, soft pillows. Plenty of reviews end on the same note — they slept well. Room sizes scale to the number of people in your party.

Food and amenities

One thing to say straight before booking: the building has been through a lot of years and is not newer than the latest openings in town. To get your money's worth, ask for a high floor on the city-view side — the view is better and it helps you escape the noise from the construction still going on around the hotel. The breakfast buffet is the full big-chain spread — Malay, Chinese, Indian, Western, all on the table. The brand signature every DoubleTree shares is a warm cookie at check-in, a small thing that nonetheless lands as "okay, I've arrived." The outdoor pool is large and the fitness center is modern. One small tip: get in the pool before 10 a.m. while the sun is still soft, though if you like baking until the afternoon, go ahead.

Location and getting there

It is in the city center, an easy walk to Komtar JBCC and City Square. The CIQ checkpoint and JB Sentral are 1.5-2 km away — a short ride, not a problem. Traveling with parents and kids who want to storm LEGOLAND? The park is on the Iskandar Puteri side, 20-25 km out, about 30 minutes by Grab. Use this as your base for the city and buy a one-day ticket out to LEGOLAND — that works fine.

Things to know before booking

The building shows its age next to the newest hotels in town, so if a spotless brand-new room is non-negotiable, weigh that. There is active construction nearby in stretches, which means some noise and heavier traffic around the hotel — a high floor on the city-view side helps. And high-season rates climb a fair bit, so lock in your dates ahead if you are traveling at a busy time.

Our take

This is for families and couples buying the peace of mind of the brand — a Hilton is the same standard anywhere on earth — in a central spot that is easy to drive in and out of. If you are picky about rooms being brand new, you might prefer Amari, which is newer and whose breakfast buffet reviews even better. But if it is the steadiness of the service you are buying, DoubleTree is still number one.