Hyatt Regency, Johor Bahru

Simply because people said this is the best hotel in Johore Bahru (JB), I decided to stay here for a night during my short visit.

The hotel is about 30 minutes away from the Senai Airport (nearest airport to JB). My friend picked me up from the airport and sent me straight to the airport. I was told that the way he took to the airport used to be the only road going to Singapore from Malaysia.

Hyatt Hotel is up on a steep road and when I saw it from a distance, I thought 'oh no, i shouldn't believed what people have told me'. But, wait ! When I stepped into my room, I thought 'don't judge a book by its cover'. (Sorry guys, I forgot to bring my camera along - no pictures here)

I booked a single room and was given a room with twin beds. The beds are so big they could easily fit 4 people in the room. The rate I got was about RM280 (approx. £40) for the room including one breakfast.

Shower and bath are separated. The bathroom is spacious and mirrors are everywhere. The bedroom and the bathroom are separated by the sliding windows. It's a cool design.

I got a sea-view room (this is more expensive commpared to a non-sea-view room) and I could even see Singapore from my room. The view is really breath-taking and I know most people would pay that little extra to get a sea-view room in Hyatt JB.

The buffet breakfast is great. lots of choices and you would want to get up early just for breakfast. Most people I met at the cafe are tourists. The downside is that the cafe is : from the lobby you have to take the stairs - no lift - so I would advise you to leave your baggage in your room if you are checking out on the same day. Get your bags after you finish your breakfast then you don't have to carry your bags up and down a few flights of stairs.

I checked out the gym too. There's a spa in the hotel and it's about RM120 (approx. £18) for an hour's full body massage. Remember to book in advance because it's really popular. You would enjoy the sauna, steam bath and jacuzzi too. Male and female are separated. Go before 5pm and it's really quiet. Lockers and towels are given free if you are staying in the hotel.

From the hotel, you can easily get a cab to go to town. JB is not a very safe place so I wouldn't encourage you going around on your own. Try to go with someone and going with a local is always better.

The upside of this hotel is the close proximity to Singapore. If you want to save some money for your Singapore trip, you can spend your night here at this hotel and go to Singapore for a day trip. Remember that Singapore dollars is about 2:1 so for a dollar-to-dollar room rate in Singapore, you could have spent two nights in a JB hotel. Check with the hotel the easiet way to get to Singapore. It would most probably by a taxi straight to the immigration counters.

As I said earlier, the hotel is about 30 minutes away from the airport. You can get a hotel shuttle to go to the airport and it is about RM100 (approx. £16) per car - fits 8 people. Alternative way is to ask the hotel to get you a local taxi and the fare is less than half. Always ask the taxi driver to charge by meter.

Yes I would stay in this hotel again as the service and the room are great.