10 Best Hotels in Kuching, Sarawak — Waterfront + Cat City (2026)

The Waterfront Hotel Kuching is the city's only independent 5-star, and it sits directly above the Plaza Merdeka mall — ride the lift down and you are among restaurants and a supermarket without stepping outside. Reviews land around 8.7/10, which stands out in this town. The signature feature is the semi-indoor rooftop pool with a clear view of the Sarawak River and the Darul Hana Bridge, plus a rooftop bar where you can sit out for the evening light show across the water. Rooms start around $51 a night, and it is a 200 m walk — roughly three minutes — to the Kuching Waterfront, putting you next to nearly every main sight. It suits couples and families who want the highest room standard in the most central spot in town.

Riverside Majestic Hotel Astana Wing is the newer wing of the long-standing Riverside Majestic chain, sitting right on the Kuching Waterfront in the heart of the tourist district. Reviews average around 8.4/10. The standout is the top-floor Sky Lounge with outdoor seating that looks straight down the Kuching river — best in the half hour before sunset, when the water goes gold. Rooms in the Astana Wing run spacious and the building connects directly to the Riverside Shopping Complex, so food and shopping are a two-minute walk without stepping outside. Step out the lobby and you are on the riverwalk, a few minutes from the Cat Statue, Tua Pek Kong Temple, and the tambang ferry pier across to the Astana side. Rates start around $57 a night. Good for couples and families who want a central riverside base with a real view.

Pullman Kuching is an Accor-group 5-star sitting on a hill in the city center, which is exactly why the high-floor rooms get a wider sweep of city and the Sarawak River than some hotels built right on the water. The review score sits around 8.2/10, with the Location and Staff categories rating especially high. What you are paying for is the reassurance of an international chain — clean, spacious rooms, friendly service, and a setup that matches Pullman anywhere in the world. It is close to malls, restaurants, and downtown sights, and it is about 500 m (a 7-minute walk) to the Kuching Waterfront. Rates start around $51 a night. It suits couples, families, and business travelers who want a global-brand hotel in a central spot.

Grand Margherita Hotel is a 4-star on the Kuching Waterfront known for being good value, scoring around 8.4/10. Its calling card is the ground-floor outdoor pool facing the Sarawak River, plus an in-house spa and gym. The location lands you right in the middle of the tourist district — walk out the door and you are on the riverwalk, and the hotel connects to the Riverside Shopping Complex for food and shopping without stepping into the heat. Carpenter Street and the Cat Statue are a few minutes away on foot. Rates start around $49 a night, which is what makes it stick around: riverside footing on par with the 5-star next door, at a 4-star price. It is an older building and room standards vary, but for families and couples who want a central river location on a sensible budget, it is the best-value pick on this stretch.

Harbour View Hotel is the 3-star that travelers pass around by word of mouth in Kuching, and it earns it on location and value. It sits a 300 m walk from the Kuching Waterfront and the old Carpenter Street Chinatown, and the river-facing rooms look straight out over the Sarawak River and the riverwalk. The review score lands around 8.1/10, with the same two notes turning up again and again — rooms that are genuinely clean and staff who actually help. Rates start near $40 a night, which is the headline here: you are paying small-hotel money for a view and a position that the 5-star towers nearby charge a lot more for. It suits couples, solo travelers, and small families who want the river and a central base without the price tag.

The LimeTree Hotel is a 3-star boutique with a bright, lime-green personality, planted in Padungan — Kuching's newer Chinatown of old shophouses turned cafes. Review scores sit around 8.4/10, and the headline feature is the LimeLight Rooftop Lounge, where you sip a lime-flavored signature cocktail over city and river views. Rooms are clean and comfortable with rain showers, and the free breakfast buffet changes its menu daily, a detail reviewers keep bringing up. It is a small place with no pool or gym, so what you trade in facilities you get back in atmosphere and a walkable food district. From around $29 a night, it is about a 10-minute walk to the Kuching Waterfront — a little farther than the riverside hotels, but in a livelier neighborhood. Best for couples and solo travelers who want style over a big-hotel checklist.

Abell Hotel is a 3-star hotel in the middle of Kuching, parked right next to the Cat Statue — the city's own mascot — and about a 5-minute walk from the Kuching Waterfront. It reviews at roughly 8.1/10, and the thing guests come back to again and again isn't the room or the facilities — it's the staff, who get called friendly, polite, and genuinely helpful. Rooms are clean and well kept, and you're close to both the malls and the riverfront, with Carpenter Street old Chinatown a short stroll away for food. Rates start around $29 a night, which is what makes it work for couples and small families who want a central base they can walk from on a tight budget. It is more a comfortable, well-located stay than a polished design hotel.

Merdeka Palace Hotel & Suites is a 4-star hotel sitting close to Padang Merdeka park and the Sarawak Museum, with a guest score of about 7.6/10. The headline here is space: rooms and suites run large, and some sleep up to 5 people, which makes this an easy call for families. You get a pool, a gym, and a sauna on site, and rates open from roughly $26 a night — striking value for a big 4-star room. It's about a 7-minute walk to the Kuching Waterfront, so the old-town riverside is right there. Best suited to families and groups of friends who care more about floor space and a low bill than about the newest finishes. The trade-off is age: the building has been around, and a few rooms show it.

Kingwood Hotel Kuching is a 3.5-star, 90-room hotel in the city centre that scores about 7.8/10. The draw is simple: spacious, clean rooms, an outdoor pool, and free parking, which makes it a strong fit for anyone driving themselves around Sarawak. It rates well on value, with rooms starting around $23 a night, and the location sits roughly 2 km from the Kuching Waterfront, a few minutes by car. It is best for budget travelers and families who care more about floor space and price than a riverside address. You trade the walk-everywhere convenience of the waterfront hotels for a much lower rate and a parking spot, which is exactly the deal self-drivers come here for.

QuiikCat is a cat-themed boutique hostel in central Kuching, all bright bold color to match the Cat City, with both private rooms and dorm beds. Reviews land around 8.5/10, which is high for a hostel, and the single most-praised thing in them is the staff — genuinely helpful, and they know the city and the local buses in real detail. Self-service breakfast runs 24 hours, dorm beds start near $9 a night, and it is about a 6-minute, 400 m walk to the Kuching Waterfront, putting the Cat Statue, Tua Pek Kong Temple and Carpenter Street all within an easy stroll. It suits backpackers, solo travelers and budget-minded couples who want a colorful, social base rather than a quiet, full-service hotel.