Holiday Inn Express & Suites Johor Bahru

Rooms and decor

Plenty of repeat guests still call this place by its old name, the Swiss-Inn — but it's now the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Johor Bahru, part of the IHG family and squarely in the Express lane: clean, modern, good value, no gimmicks. The review score sits around 8.0/10. Open the door and you get the look every Express shares worldwide — a bright palette, wide floor-to-ceiling glass, and a room that reads roomier than its actual footprint. It's tidy and orderly in the way IHG drills into every property, and the bed is soft enough without being mushy.

Two things are worth knowing before you book. First, the rooms run small — two adults plus one child is about the limit before it starts to feel tight. Second, the walls are thin, and more than a few reviewers mention hearing the room next door. The fix is simple: ask for a room set away from the corridor, the lifts, and any rooms with small kids.

Food and amenities

The clear selling point is that breakfast is included in the rate — nothing to think about, nothing extra to pay. Reviewers describe the spread as solid and good value rather than lavish, with enough variety to set you up for a day out. One small tip: get down before 8am, when the crowd is still thin and everything is freshly stocked.

Beyond that, there's a fitness room and free Wi-Fi throughout the building, but no pool or spa — this is a 3-star that knows exactly what it is. Service is where it quietly over-delivers: the front desk draws warm reviews for being friendly and helpful even when things get busy.

Location and getting there

You're in central Johor Bahru, a 12-15 minute walk from the big malls and the CIQ checkpoint, which makes it an easy base if your trip mixes in shopping or a crossing into Singapore. Walk over to JB Sentral to grab transport in either direction.

The catch — and this matters on a Legoland list — is that the park is out west in Iskandar Puteri, a 25-30 minute drive away. Like most of the city-centre hotels here, this is a base you sleep at and day-trip from, not a stay where you roll out of bed into the park gates.

Things to know before booking

The honest downsides are clear-eyed. The thin walls mean noise carries, so request a quiet room if you value sleep. The compact rooms rule it out for big families — there's no suite-style space here. And the 25-30 minute drive to Legoland means you'll be commuting on every park day. None of these are dealbreakers for the right traveler; they just tell you who this hotel isn't for.

Our take

This is the safe, sensible pick for couples and small families who want a trusted international chain at a low price — and who'd rather not gamble on a hotel they've never heard of — with breakfast already covered. Rates start near $40 a night, which is genuinely hard to beat for what you get. If you need a bigger room or proper suite space, step up to Mutiara or Shama Suasana instead; the Express earns its place on the word compact and cheap, and it delivers exactly that.