The Centrepoint Hotel
by the TopOfHotel team
The Centrepoint Hotel is the mall-connected family base of Gadong — ride the lift down to shop, drive two minutes to the night market, and let the kids splash in their own shallow pool.
The Centrepoint Hotel is the mall-connected family base of Gadong — ride the lift down to shop, drive two minutes to the night market, and let the kids splash in their own shallow pool.
In-Depth Review
Rooms and decor
Picture a 4-star hotel built into the Abdul Razak Complex in the heart of Brunei's Gadong district — a 12-storey modern-classic tower that has run long enough to know its family guests, linked straight into the area's biggest mall from inside the building. That's The Centrepoint Hotel, a name almost everyone who has visited Brunei has heard. The roughly 217 rooms and suites lean warm, in brown-and-cream tones with thick carpet and dark wood furniture. Open the door and you meet a king bed that reviewers agree is soft and easy to sleep on. Deluxe grade and up add a bathtub separate from the shower, good for a soak after a day out. What we like most is the room size, larger than the city norm, with space for an extra bed without feeling cramped. High floors facing the main road catch the Gadong skyline, where at night the gold dome of the Jame'Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque glows in the distance. The overall design isn't brand-new, but it feels like a family holiday home rather than a cold business tower.
Food and amenities
The heart of staying here is that you never have to leave the building to find what you need. The hotel connects directly into The Centrepoint mall, one of Gadong's largest, with Japanese, Korean, Indian and Middle Eastern restaurants, cafes, souvenir shops, a supermarket and a pharmacy. Ride the lift down and you're shopping, no fight with Brunei's humid heat. The breakfast buffet runs in a bright, airy dining room with local Brunei-Malay dishes every day — nasi katok (rice with fried chicken and spicy sambal), local-style omelette, stir-fried vegetables, colourful cakes and tropical fruit — alongside Western fried eggs, sausage, bacon and pastries, so even picky eaters are covered. Up top sits an outdoor pool whose selling point is a shallow kids' pool kept clearly apart from the main one. Families with young children are grateful for it: the kids splash safely while parents actually rest. Next door are the gym and the Centrepoint spa, open to guests, with Brunei-ASEAN massage treatments priced better than hotels in other districts.
Location and getting there
Location is The Centrepoint Hotel's strongest card if you want a smooth Brunei trip. It sits in Gadong/Kiulap, the busiest shopping and dining district in Bandar Seri Begawan. Step out and you're within a short walk of malls like The Mall and Yayasan Gadong. The one everyone asks about is Gadong Night Market (Pasar Malam Gadong), about a 2-minute drive or a 10-15 minute walk, where each evening brings fragrant satay, grilled chicken, ambuyat and local fruit at gentle prices — a dinner not to miss. Central BSB, with the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque, the Royal Regalia Museum and the Yayasan Complex, is a 10-15 minute drive. The 29-dome Jame'Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque, Brunei's largest, is just 5-10 minutes away, and Kampong Ayer, the historic water village you tour by boat, is about 15 minutes out. From Brunei airport (BWN) it's roughly a 15-minute drive too.
Things to know before booking
Straight talk to make the call easier. The most common gripe is the age of the decor. The building and interiors are warm classic styling that has seen enough use to show wear — carpet in some rooms, woodwork and bathroom hardware are starting to date. Anyone who wants sharp, brand-new modern design may find it a touch tired, so if newness matters more than function this won't top your list. The second trade-off is the location: it is not central BSB. If your plan is mainly the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque, the Royal Regalia Museum and the old-town waterfront, you'll drive or Grab 10-15 minutes in, and non-drivers who dislike waiting may feel stuck — check the hotel's shuttle times or rent a car. On Wi-Fi, some reviewers report shaky in-room signal on high floors, worst in the evening when everyone's online; for an important meeting, work from the lobby where it's stronger. Finally, a few rooms near the lifts or common areas catch passing footsteps, so if you sleep lightly, ask for a high floor set deep along the corridor.
Our take
After reading hundreds of real guest reviews and comparing it with other 4-star hotels in Bandar Seri Begawan, The Centrepoint Hotel is the best fit for families and shoppers who want to wake up, shop and eat without leaving the building, splash in the kids' pool, then drive 2 minutes for satay at Gadong Night Market after dark. That's the trip this hotel delivers, and it does it well for $70 to $120 a night. If you're in Brunei to relax with the family and value being next to the food over a grand balcony view, it pays off. But if you mainly want to soak up the old-town charm of the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque and Kampong Ayer every day, or you crave a sleek new-build, it may not be your first choice. Overall we give it 8.6/10 — ideal for families with kids, couples who love to shop and eat, and business travelers who want to stay close to the city's commercial heart.
Score Breakdown
Assessed by our editorial team from data and real guest reviews
The Honest Verdict — pros & what to know
- The Gadong location links straight into The Centrepoint mall from inside the building, so you ride the lift down and walk to multi-national restaurants and shops without stepping into Brunei's hot, humid air.
- Rooms run larger than the 4-star city standard. Plenty of reviews praise the soft beds, clean rooms and the bathtub from Deluxe grade up — handy for a long soak after a full day of sightseeing.
- The pool has a clearly separated kids' zone that is shallow and safe to splash in, so parents can genuinely unwind beside their children. Family reviewers score this highly.
- The breakfast buffet serves local Brunei-Malay dishes alongside Western options daily — nasi katok with fried chicken, colourful local cakes, stir-fried vegetables, plus eggs, sausage and pastries, so even fussy eaters find something.
- It's only a 2-minute drive to Gadong Night Market, the famous night bazaar lined with satay, ambuyat, local fruit and street sweets at gentle prices — a stop you shouldn't skip in Brunei.
- The interior is warm classic styling rather than freshly renovated. Some reviews note the carpets and woodwork are starting to show their age, so anyone who prizes sharp modern design may find it ordinary.
- It sits a fair way from central BSB and the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque — about 10-15 minutes by car or Grab. Travelers who don't drive themselves may find it less convenient to get into the old town.
- In-room Wi-Fi can be patchy, especially on high floors during busy evenings. Several reviewers suggest working from the lobby or near the lifts, where the signal holds up better.
Who It’s For
Match Score by travel style
Amenities
Location & Nearby Spots
Things to do near Bandar Seri Begawan
Day tours, attraction tickets and experiences around Bandar Seri Begawan — book ahead on Klook with mobile e-tickets.
See activities in Bandar Seri BegawanAffiliate link — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Insider Tips
- Ask for a room on floors 9-12 facing the main road — at night you can see the lit gold dome of the Jame'Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque glowing in the distance, and it photographs beautifully.
- Eat dinner at Gadong Night Market rather than in the hotel — it's a short walk or a 2-minute drive, and plates run barely a dollar or two each, which is cheaper and far more fun.
- Use the hotel's scheduled shuttle into central BSB instead of calling a Grab on weekdays — Brunei has little public transport and Grab waits can run long at peak hours.