Singaporeans love visiting our neighbouring country during the weekends and during holidays. Some might even take this opportunity to have a staycation after a long day of shopping and eating all the delicious food. Here are three hotels to consider booking during your visit to Johor Bahru.

Holiday Inn Johor Bahru City Centre

Accessibility is very important to me when I search for a hotel. This hotel is just a few steps away from the Woodlands Checkpoint. Besides that, you are in between two shopping malls.

Holiday Inn Johor Bahru City Centre is located right at Komtar Shopping Mall. Booked via Trip, the King Bed Standard City View Room cost me $153.14. The view was mediocre since the area around it is full of roadworks. I appreciate the sofa at the side where you can take time to enjoy the abundance of food bought at City Square Shopping Mall and Komtar. I wish there were more television channels other than the basic ones but fret not, the WiFi is good so you can stream your favourite shows on your own personal devices. For a basic room and a night stay, I am satisfied.

Hopefully, the next time, I will have the chance to visit their infinity pool. Do take note if you are keen to book this hotel, make sure to book the right one. There is another hotel named Holiday Inn Express & Suites Johor Bahru.

St. Giles Southkey Johor Bahru

When I first step foot in the lobby, I was impressed by the decor and design. The lobby has a café, Gigi Coffee, which is definitely a welcome for avid coffee lovers.

The room is spacious and comes with a sofa at the side. It will be better if it is coupled with a nice view. Booked via Trip, the Urban King Room cost me $118.88. I enjoyed my deep sleep that night. The bed was not too hard nor too soft, just perfect for me. What I am thankful for are the pillows. There is a mixture of soft and firm pillows.

The only downside is that the cleanliness can be improved. I found a strand of hair on the toilet’s wall and there were some stains on the bedsheets, which I found out later, were wash stains.

Will I come back to St. Giles Southkey in the future? A resounding, yes! For my next stay, I will ensure to check the room’s cleanliness before unpacking.

Hyatt Place Johor Bahru Paradigm Mall

This hotel is new on the market and officially opened last November. A new hotel has its advantage as the furnishings are still new. Booked via Trip, the King Room cost me $113.80.

I love how spacious the room is. There is a sofa that can fit two to three persons, a table and a chair. You will be spoilt for choice because there are numerous eateries that you can choose from at the Paradigm Mall.

Thankfully, I got a great view and it’s of the swimming pool. Personally, good view is a bonus. What matters more to me is the hotel itself. The only downside for this hotel is that the television is quite a distance from the bed, and it does not help that it is on the smaller side. However, there are more variety of channels that you can enjoy.

If you appreciate the convenience of having your hotel connected to a mall, check out these hotels when you are planning your next short trip across the causeway. It is really a good feeling to have your hotel nearby after a full stomach of delicious treats and rounds of shopping.