New Singapore hotel option - Doubletree Johor Bahru, Malaysia

[moa999]

Some photos of room and EL. Only two hot choices (Sing noodles and Spring Rolls) but then again only 4 ppl in lounge.

 

[moa999]

And from room. From bottom to top.

Pool Deck
Shell service station
Komtar Mall (new upmarket mall)
JB Sentral (train station)
CIQ (Malaysian immigration)
Water
Singapore

 

[moa999]

Makan Kitchen in the morning was actually better than KL (and that's difficult). Only counted 3/20 rooms with newspapers on the HH floor so light loads - that said a bit of new development in the area so expect the hotel to grow into its location.

Asked at the desk and they said quite safe to walk from hotel to Komtar (which connects via overpass to the older CitySquare mall and to JB Sentral which itself connects to CIQ). Did however recommend a taxi back, albeit I didn't see any undesirable elements during the very short return journey

Taxis from CIQ - signage directs you towards JB Sentral and just before you enter it are escalators down to bus/taxi rank. Manned rank with a fixed MYR10.90 fare to Doubletree - despite being close this area is in the middle of a number of freeways and it is about 1km north, 1 km west, then wind through back streets back to DT.

I would almost recommend continuing through JB Sentral, take the escalators down cross over to Komtar and down to the main entrance and get a taxi from there (although you could almost walk although pavement a little narrow in places)

Leaving hotel in the morning taxi took a while (reportedly difficult in the morning and it was 1-way north onto highway for a km, before exiting doing a u-turn to return to JB Sentral - only 7 myr by meter

 

[Major]

Has anyone stayed at this hotel yet ? It is still incredibly cheap.

 

[moa999]

Has anyone stayed at this hotel yet ? It is still incredibly cheap.

My posts above were photos from the hotel. A quick search would show prices are generally still under myr300 (about a$100) roughly 1/3 the price of Singapore

 

[Major]

I was thinking in terms of points. Doubletree is 10,000 HH points against Hilton and Conrad in SIN at 60,000 per night

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I was thinking in terms of points. Doubletree is 10,000 HH points against Hilton and Conrad in SIN at 60,000 per night

You could look at it the other way.......when I first started this thread, my memory has it that the point redemption was only 5000.......so it's doubled in price!

 

[Major]

You could look at it the other way.......when I first started this thread, my memory has it that the point redemption was only 5000.......so it's doubled in price!

I am looking at accomm. in Jan for 3 nights but I don't think the PITA commute from JB is worth it. I will probably pay the extra for SIN, but not necessarily at Hilton/Conrad

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I am looking at accomm. in Jan for 3 nights but I don't think the PITA commute from JB is worth it. I will probably pay the extra for SIN, but not necessarily at Hilton/Conrad

That was my conclusion as well. I ended up booking a club room at the IC and the cash price was OK at the time, rather than expending the points. I've marked SIN as one of those places where cash is possibly preferable to points, but YMMV.

 

[moa999]

Suspect it depends on where in SIN you are going.

If you have kids for example staying at JB and going to Legoworld might be a great option, equally if doing business in Singapore but closer to the causeway

 

[Austman]

I have crossed the causeway dozens of times. And it's only late at night (eg after midnight) that it's reasonably quick. At other times you need to allow 1 to 1.5 hours. It really is that slow, unfortunately. A share taxi is probably the cheapest solution where you don't have to get out of the vehicle.

 

[citrusb]

stayed at DT JB last saturday...10000HH points... assisted with earlier check-in and up-graded to suite on 27th floor. All diamond benefits advised in welcome letter, and even received bowl of fruit and handwritten card of welcome as 1st time guest. Pressed 3 items of clothing and generally could not have been more helpful. Easy clear directions to Komtar shopping centre and found no problems walking in either direction.
Boarded Trans Boarder Bus TS1 from Singapore Airport Saturday at 8.15am terminal 3 and got to Woodlands in probably about 1 hour....check-point and next bus to CIQ is a bit of a head spin and CIQ passport control like MCG grand final crowd...anyway then got taxi to DT and arrived about 11.15am. All in all once you've done it, no problems next time when you have a better idea of the procedures.... I believe the hotel and staff more than make up for any cross border journey issues..... The return journey the next day Sunday took less than 2 hours from hotel to TPR in SA airport. I travelled alone with HLO

 

[Austman]

The return journey the next day Sunday took less than 2 hours from hotel to TPR in SA airport. I travelled alone with HLO

That's pretty good going! A private car would not be too much faster. It must have been rather quick over the causeway.

 

[moa999]

I believe the hotel and staff more than make up for any cross border journey issues.....

What was the vote of room/ el / breakfast?? Was el any better than my comments from earlier this year

 

[citrusb]

What was the vote of room/ el / breakfast?? Was el any better than my comments from earlier this year

the upgrade room was 10/10, the E/L as per your earlier posts was average but a nice quiet place for cuppa or cool drink, didn't have any food, and for Sunday breakfast we were directed to level 13 Tosca restaurant near swimming pool 8/10...

 

[citrusb]

That's pretty good going! A private car would not be too much faster. It must have been rather quick over the causeway.

On this return journey ...taxi to CIQ,(quickly through customs) bus to Woodlands checkpoint,(remember to fill in new Singapore arrivals card) then downstairs to bus-bays and caught TS1 from there straight back to airport.....no where near the amount of people on this particular Sunday, and most of those seemed to be heading to Malaysia....left hotel 9.25am and in airport TPR by 11.20am....

 

[JessicaTam]

Well I stayed at DT JB last week and enjoyed it.

The causeway was a headspin! I caught the TS1 from Changi and had a pleasant drive to Woodlands. I got off the bus and headed upstairs for emigration. It took about 20 minutes included a minute or two for the agent to ask me if it was really me! I know my passport photo is seven years old, but really?

I then headed back downstairs to wait for the bus. And wait. And wait. My impression was that the bus we arrived on would be the bus that would continue across the border. I waited with a family who had been on the first bus thinking 'safety in numbers'. After an hour I spotted a TS8 and approached it. The driver was happy to take us as long as we had a ticket - which we did from the previous bus.

So lesson learned. Don't wait for the same bus to continue the journey.

As I was still with the family, we shared a ride from the JB side to the hotel. It was about 9.30pm by this stage so couldn't be bothered walking. Even though it is not far.

On the return I walked to the CIQ, went through emigration and then caught the 170 bus to the Singapore side. Through immigration and then on the next 170 to Kranji station where I jumped on the MRT.

Now I have done it once, it would certainly be easier next time.

 

[moa999]

Interesting. On my previous TS1 journey the non-MY pax were cleared more quickly so I only waited about 5min on the bus (which was hidden near the front of the queue) but had a distinctive Tiger Airlines advert

I understand that for those on the public buses and using ez-link you can take any service

 

[JessicaTam]

Interesting. On my previous TS1 journey the non-MY pax were cleared more quickly so I only waited about 5min on the bus (which was hidden near the front of the queue) but had a distinctive Tiger Airlines advert

I understand that for those on the public buses and using ez-link you can take any service

It was the Tiger bus, but was nowhere to be seen on the other side. Are you saying it 'crossed over' and was waiting?

 

[moa999]

It was the Tiger bus, but was nowhere to be seen on the other side. Are you saying it 'crossed over' and was waiting?

Not sure, but given you mentioned a 20min wait, i do wonder if it did cross over and left without you