Holiday Inn Johor Bahru City Centre
by the TopOfHotel team
Holiday Inn is the IHG hotel closest to the border, with a sky pool looking out over the city.
Holiday Inn is the IHG hotel closest to the border, with a sky pool looking out over the city.
In-Depth Review
Rooms and decor
Rooms follow the newer Holiday Inn standard: roomy, clean, modern, with sizes you can pick by how many of you are travelling. The overall read from reviews is that nothing here is remarkable, but there is nothing to complain about either.
The honest thing to flag before you book is that the beds run firm — reviews use the word hard. If you like a soft mattress, brace yourself. A few rooms also catch noise from the construction still going on around the hotel, so ask for a room on the side away from the site and it helps a lot.
Food and amenities
The real draw here is up on the roof: a sky pool with panoramic views over the city. A lot of guests book on the strength of that pool alone. Go up in the evening for the best light and fewer people than midday, and you will get good photos easily.
The gym is open 24 hours, there is a steam room, and the shared spaces are new and modern. Reviews call the breakfast solid — not fancy, but complete enough for a family travelling with kids.
Location and getting there
What makes people pick this place again and again is the walk from your room to the border: 5 minutes, suitcase and all. Anyone who has sweated out the morning traffic crossing the border will understand what those five minutes are worth. The downtown malls and food are walkable too.
The warning is the same one: the construction site around the hotel is still active, and traffic gets very heavy when crowds are crossing the border, so leave extra time in the rush. LEGOLAND, over on the Iskandar Puteri side, is about 30 minutes by Grab.
Things to know before booking
Three things to weigh. Beds are firm and some rooms pick up outside noise, so request a quiet side. Construction nearby means both noise and dense traffic at border-crossing peaks — budget extra time. And rates climb over weekends when the border crowds are heaviest, so book ahead if your dates fall then.
Our take
This is for people who cross the border often, for work or for travel — it takes the traffic gamble off the table. Families who want a sky pool with city views on a 4-star budget will be happy here too.
If you do not need to be that close to the border and would rather sit in the middle of the shopping, Amari or DoubleTree are nearer the malls. But if closest to the border is your first condition, nothing else on this list matches it.
Score Breakdown
Assessed by our editorial team from data and real guest reviews
The Honest Verdict — pros & what to know
- Closest of this group to JB Sentral and the CIQ checkpoint, a 5-minute walk that makes crossing into Singapore genuinely easy.
- A rooftop sky pool with panoramic views over the city, the feature reviewers single out most.
- A 24-hour fitness centre, a steam room and modern shared spaces.
- Part of the IHG group, with attentive staff that reviews praise for being helpful.
- Rooms are roomy and clean with a varied breakfast, a good fit for families.
- There is construction around the hotel, and traffic gets heavy at the times when crowds are crossing the border.
- Some reviews say the beds are on the firm side and a few rooms get outside noise.
- Rates climb over weekends when border-crossing crowds peak.
Who It’s For
Match Score by travel style
Amenities
Location & Nearby Spots
Things to do near Johor Bahru
Day tours, attraction tickets and experiences around Johor Bahru — book ahead on Klook with mobile e-tickets.
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Insider Tips
- If you have to cross the border before dawn, this is the easiest place to walk straight to the CIQ checkpoint.
- Head up to the sky pool in the evening, when the city views look best and it is quieter than midday.
- Ask for a room on the side away from the construction site to cut the noise.