Friday 12 September 2014

Johor Bahru Hotel - Hotel in Johor Blog - Hotel in Johor Blog

<b>Johor</b> Bahru <b>Hotel</b> - <b>Hotel in Johor</b> Blog - Hotel in Johor Blog


<b>Johor</b> Bahru <b>Hotel</b> - <b>Hotel in Johor</b> Blog

Posted: 13 Aug 2014 11:22 PM PDT

Renaissance is a brand of unique hotels by Marriott. A 5-star hotel, Renaissance Johor Bahru is one of the best hotels in Johor Bahru.

The hotel is outside JB city centre and a taxi ride between CIQ and Renaissance cost us less than 30RM. When our taxi arrived at the hotel, the bellboy opened the door for us. It was slightly after 12 noon.

Opened about a year ago, the lobby looks new, grand and modern. The ceiling was of a good height and the centre piece and mirrors dramatised the grandeur.

Hotel lobby

I particularly loved this chair in the lobby.

We walked towards the reception area where there were two staff talking to each other. When they see us walking towards them, they greeted us with a smile. The lady left to get us a welcome drink each, while Taufik attended to us.

Apple juice

I really loved service given to us by Taufik. He tried to converse with us, without being too intrusive. He first asked if we have stayed with them before and when we said no, he welcomed us warmly. When he knew we were Singaporeans (through our passports), he asked if we drove and if there was a jam. After filling in my particulars on the form, he saw that I live in Bedok. He started telling us that his mum also lives in Bedok and is working for SATS. We were pleased to hear that and started to ask him a little more about his mum. We found out that he visits his mum on his off days. I particularly liked how he stepped away from the reception desk to be beside us when he showed us a brochure of all the places around the hotel. He did the same when he passed us the room keys. All the time he addressed me as Ms Choo. Before we went up to our room, he told us his name – Taufik – and that if we needed help at anytime, we can approach him. He told us he was working till 7pm that day.

Taufik really made us feel important and we really appreciated that he added his own personal touch. His service was a pleasant start to the stay.

Lift lobby

Lift lobby

And… our room!

The bathroom also has a two-sliding door concept.

Basically, if you sit on the bed, you will be directly looking at the W.C.. Which is to say that, if there's another person sitting on the W.C., well, both of you will be staring at each other. That's not just awkward, it is so wrong! Yarh, that's why that sliding door is closed at all times.

Sofa with ottoman and coffee table

Work desk with a rocking chair

Bathroom

Bathroom amenities

Bathrobes and slippers

Ice bucket, expensive water and kettle

Coffee and tea

Mini bar items

Bedside clock/radio. Yups, we were listening to 92.4 (Singapore radio channel)… And the clock is 12 hours behind. Or ahead.

View from our room

See that black building with the microphone? We tabao (takeaway) some horfun for dinner from that coffee shop because we thought there was nothing much at night in this area. We were so wrong! More about it later…

We tested out the pillows. They were down pillows. Andy likes down pillows but I always find them too soft. So I was complaining about the pillows and Andy asked me to call and ask for the pillow menu. But I was lazy and thought we can ask Taufik when we are going out for lunch.

Just as we were exiting the lift, we met this extremely charming Caucasian hotel staff. He greeted us and asked if we were going out. We said we were. He asked if we needed a taxi. We told him there is no need to because we were just going to walk around to check out the area. He asked if we have an umbrella. Andy replied that he has a small one. He was about to leave to get us an umbrella when I asked him about the pillows. He didn't seem to know too much as to what type of pillows they have, just hard or soft. I said I want a hard one and Andy copied me to ask for one too, even though I thought he likes soft pillows.

Did I mention the Caucasian guy was extremely charming?

Oh yes, I did.

The way he walks, he can just melt any girl…

Ok, but I didn't. Almost.

I couldn't really make out his accent though. He didn't sound American or English or Australian.

Anyway, he came back with an umbrella, asked for our room number and we left.

First place we went to was Grandpa Kopitiam just behind the hotel.

We had the usual breakfast set, though it didn't come in a set and we had to combine the items. The price is similar to Singapore coffee shop price, so it wasn't cheap.

Next, we went to this duck rice shop near Grandpa's. It is really delicious! Highly recommend!

Andy's roasted pork

My roasted duck

We wanted to eat some more, because there were so many food shops around the area. But we were very full. So we walked to the Aeon nearby.

Looking at the sky, we thought we were going to get caught in a heavy rain. But it never did. Lucky!

Ok, back to the story about the hor fun. We didn't think that there was going to be food around the hotel at night. So we packed the hor fun. As night falls, we could see from our room that tables and chairs start to be set up outside the shops. More and more cars came. There were many people at the tables. There was also a large screen near the tables.

At first we were thinking that it could be some event. But as more cars leave and come, we were starting to think it might be a big food place. So I was eating my hor fun, which was pretty nice, and thinking about all the other food that I could be eating. Such a glutton right? So I told Andy that we really need to check that place out, even though I had already showered and my hair was smelling so nice.

Indeed, it was an equivalent of Singapore's hawker centre, but with some tables in the outdoors. (Think Bedok 85 at night.) There were so many stalls that we didn't really know which to choose. End up we walked around to see what other people ordered and copied them. Haha. Typical Singaporeans ah?

So, we figured that the oyster omelette and salt grilled tilapia were the most popular. So we got them too! Hee!

Oyster omelette

Salt grilled tilapia

Our verdict? Going with the crowd will never be wrong! They were so yummy we regretted eating the hor fun, which was already considered pretty good. We especially liked the tilapia, firstly because we have never eaten anything salt grilled before and secondly because it was very fresh and didn't have the freshwater taste.

And that was how we overeat. Again. We always overeat.

In the middle of the night, Andy woke up sweating. Because he was buried in the pile of pillows!!

Let's do some math.

The bed originally had 4 pillows. Andy took an extra pillow out from the cupboard. And we had 5. The hotel staff delivered 2 more aromatherapy foam pillows. Then we had 7. All on the bed. And I was sleeping with just one, which was under my head.

No prizes for guessing where the other pillows were. I should really have taken a photo of Andy hugging numerous pillows at once while he was sleeping. Absolutely greedy!

The next morning, we were so excited about the breakfast because we read awesome reviews about it. It is like a Marche-style buffet.

Smoothie and juice

Cheese and ham

Porridge with condiments

Dim Sum

Noodle station

Nasi lemak station

Omelette station

Indian food station

Watch the prata man in action!

Bakery

Bread

Bread and muffins

Pastries

Cereal

Yoghurt

Fruits

One walk round the stations and we were very sure we couldn't and wouldn't try everything. The variety is just too much!

Here's some of the food that we ate:

Juice

Porridge

Nasi lemak with sambal prawns

Omelette

Pancakes and french toast

Once again, we overate.

Dining area

What can I say? The ambience was soothing, the quality of the food was good and the staff was attentive. There wasn't anything we ate that wasn't nice.

After breakfast, we checked out the pool.

View of the pool from the top

Rooms with pool access

View of the rooms from the pool

And we have come to the end of the stay. Sob sob.

In conclusion, we felt that the price was really good for a 5* hotel, especially when breakfast is included in the rate. Taufik remembered my name and addressed me as Ms Choo throughout the stay. There was once I thought he called me Ms Chang, but Andy says it is ok because at least he got the "CH" part correct. When we were checking out, he also checked if we had a good stay and said his goodbyes. It really felt very intimate, as if we were staying at his house!

This is definitely one of our most memorable stays!

Next up… we have booked Traders Hotel Puteri Harbour, Johor Bahru. So watch this space!

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<b>Johor</b> Buffet - Cafe BLD in Renaissance <b>Johor</b> Bahru <b>Hotel</b> in <b>...</b>

Posted: 31 May 2013 06:09 PM PDT

Cafe-BLD-Renaissance-Johor-Bahru-Hotel

With the Grand Opening of Renaissance Johor Bahru Hotel by YAM Tunku Idris Iskandar on 28 May 2013, Johor Bahru now has more exciting dining choices.

International-Buffet-Cafe-BLD-Renaissance-Johor-Bahru-Hotel
Cafe BLD is the cafe at the newly opened Renaissance Johor Bahru Hotel. I am fortunate to visit this exciting new dining option in Johor Bahru twice recently, once at Renaissance JB's Grand Opening and again today during lunch at the invitation of Ervina. Two days, and yet not enough stomach space to try everything. All I could do was to eat to my heart's content, and the rest, I can only take photos and feast with my eyes only.
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Inside Cafe BLD, everything is spanking new, squeaky clean, yet the decor is warm and has rich welcoming tones. Seating is comfortable and spacious at Cafe BLD.

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The food is prepared on order in a central island, open concept kitchen - the first and only such kitchen in Johor Bahru at the moment. We can enjoy watching the chefs prepare our food :)

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I went round and round the four sides and corners of this kitchen, hunting for the best food and photo opportunities. I seemed to discover new, interesting things with every round.

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This is the friendly Executive Chef Foong making cotton candy for us :) Chef Foong who hails from Ipoh has a wealth of experience in international cuisine having worked in restaurants and hotels in London, Osaka, Shanghai, Perth, Jakarta and Singapore.

In case you wonder, and some of you might have already guessed it, Cafe BLD stands for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Follow me and let me take you around Cafe BLD.

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There are lots of Western and local appetisers - this is the succulent smoked duck, my personal favourite :)

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The seafood station during the Grand Opening - I tried only the oysters and they were plump and fresh. I could literally taste the sea - went two rounds on this one :P

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Chef Foong is very proud of his signature Nasi Goreng Kampung. The prawns and scallops were fresh and well executed. The fried rice was savoury. That sunny side up quail egg was a interesting touch and the fried keropok were crispy and tasty. The nasi goreng kampung is served with a couple of sticks of satay. Available from the a la carte menu.

Satay-Johor-Bahru

I didn't take the satay - saving it for another day but from the looks, charred bits at the edges and the meat grilled to golden brown, they must be delicious.

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The chef was frying thick chunks of fish with a spicy looking sauce.

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Sushi from the Japanese station.

Roast-Duck-Johor-Bahru

Roast duck lovers - look out for this roast duck, it is one of the best that I've tried. This roast duck is one of the signature dishes at Renaissance's own Cantonese restaurant, Wan Li.

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The roti canai station - everything is freshly made.

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Shaolin pizza by Chef Yap at the pizza station.

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Crispy, thin crust pizza.

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Fire works at the pasta station.

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I can't help myself catching another flambe at the pasta station - this spectacular one by Sous Chef Thana who was visiting from Marriott Singapore, helping out at the Grand Opening.

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The Briyani station during the Grand Opening. The lamb was gamey, tender, succulent and infused with spice fragrance. I had two helpings :P

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Tom-Yam-Noodle-Soup-Johor-Bahru

The spicy tom yam noodle soup from the noodle station.

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We were spoilt for choice for dessert, both Western and local.

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Cafe-BLD-Renaissance-Johor-Bahru-Hotel

For cake lovers, the Western desserts are made at Renaissance's own Chocolate Cake Company. 

Cafe BLD changes its menu regularly, so you can expect to see something different during different visits.

Here are the prices for the international buffet at Cafe BLD.

 

Breakfast Buffet : RM 42.00++ (Monday – Sunday)
Lunch Buffet : RM 55.00++ (Mon- Thurs)/ RM 60.00++ (Fri – Sun)

Dinner Buffet : RM68.00++ (Mon- Thurs)/ RM80.00++ (Fri – Sun)

 

· 50% for children below 12 year old – 7 year old

· FOC  for children below 6 years old

 Renaissance-Johor-Bahru-Hotel-Permas-Jaya

Restaurant name: Cafe BLD (in Renaissance Johor Bahru Hotel)

Address: 2, Jalan Permas 11. Bandar Baru Permas Jaya, Masai, Johor

GPS: 1.495097,103.812786

Hours: Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner

No pork, no lard, no Halal cert

Date visited: 28 May 2013, 31 May 2013

8 Days Boutique <b>Hotel</b> in Taman Impian Emas, <b>Johor</b> Bahru |<b>joHoR</b> <b>...</b>

Posted: 01 Apr 2014 07:01 AM PDT

8-Days-Boutique-Hotel-Stay-Taman-Impian-Emas-Johor-Bahru

I stayed a night at 8 Days Boutique Hotel in Taman Impian Emas during one of my 2 days 1 night food trails in Johor.

This is the facade of the 2 storey, 30+ rooms boutique hotel. Free parking is available at the front and the hotel security guard at the front entrance keep an eye on the guests' cars round the clock.

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The hotel reception, right at the entrance. The reception is manned 24/7.

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The hotel lobby is clean, bright and spacious with comfortable plush seats. A public access computer with internet connection is available at the lobby.

8-Days-Boutique-Hotel-Stay-Taman-Impian-Emas-Johor-Bahru

The hotel has two levels. Access to the second floor rooms is via lift and security key card. This is the only 2 storey hotel in Johor Bahru equipped with lift and key card access for better security.

8-Days-Boutique-Hotel-Stay-Taman-Impian-Emas-Johor-Bahru

The corridor at the second level. Brightly lit and with over head security CCTV cameras. The floor is carpeted to keep footstep noise down.

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I stayed a night at a Platinum Jacuzzi with King Size Jacuzzi room (RM188 nett per room night promo rate).

The room is spacious with ample room to move about. It had none of the claustrophobic feel of many boutique hotels. 

If I were brought into the room blindfolded, I wouldn't have guessed that this was a shop lot, boutique hotel.

This is the view of the bed from the room entrance.

8-Days-Boutique-Hotel-Stay-Taman-Impian-Emas-Johor-Bahru

The King size King Koil brand mattress was firm and comfortable. The pillows and linen were clean and free of smells. I slept well on it. I also like that cushioned head board.

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8-Days-Boutique-Hotel-Stay-Taman-Impian-Emas-Johor-Bahru

All the essential amenities like LCD television, electric kettle, mini fridge and basic furniture are provided.


Free wifi is provided. I wrote and published a blog post from this room without a hitch during my stay.

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Basic complimentary mineral water, instant coffee and tea bags. The room is equipped with universal power sockets, which are very convenient.  

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The mini fridge is empty, so we can stock it up with our own drinks and food.

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There is a wardrobe and a safe box with digital lock.

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There is a King size jacuzzi bathtub in the bath room.

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I love the rain shower head - it's so refreshing to wash under a cascade of water.

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Clean bath towels.

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The wash basin and mirror. Basic toiletries like toothbrush, toothpaste, etc are provided.

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I am glad 8 Days Boutique Hotel provided two pairs of rubber slippers for guests, as I dislike walking barefoot in hotel rooms.

8-Days-Boutique-Hotel-Johor-Bahru-Permas-Jaya
Click on photo to watch video

Here's a fun video I made with 8 Days Boutique Hotel :D

8 Days Boutique Hotel offers value for money accommodation with premium facilities at affordable prices. 

I am happy with my comfortable stay at 8 Days Boutique Hotel and would recommend it to my friends.

8 Days Boutique Hotel
Address: Jalan Impian Emas 5/2, Taman Impian Emas, Skudai, Johor Bahru (Note: 8 Days Boutique Hotel also has branches in Taman Mount Austin and Permas Jaya)
Maphttp://goo.gl/maps/nTEzm
GPS1.544003,103.684638
Contact number:  +6016-771-1688, +607-554-5125
Website: www.8dayshotel.com
Email: booking@8dayshotel.com

Date visited: 30 Mar 2014

(Disclosure: My stay is sponsored by 8 Days Boutique Hotel.)

11@Century <b>Hotel</b>, <b>Johor</b> Bahru - Travel & Living Journal of DT

Posted: 07 Jul 2014 06:30 AM PDT

I've been to Johor quite number of times but most of the times, either I stayed at my friends' house or mainly just for stopover to Singapore. So when I about to go Johor for Legoland, I asked my sister, who is currently working in Singapore and she always went to Johor for weekend trip, asking her which hotel would she recommend me to stay and she suggested me this - 11@Century Hotel, Johor Bahru
11 @ Century Hotel 01

#1: Overview of 11@Century Hotel

11 @ Century Hotel 02

#2: Standard queen size room


The size of the room was moderately spacious and it looked very modern and descent. The room was pretty simple which equipped with a queen size bed, LCD flat screen, free WiFi internet access and in-room safety box. There is no mini bar, table and chair provided within the room and in case you need hairdryer, iron and ironing board, you need to request from the housekeeping or counter desk, which I found it's kinda troublesome.
 

11 @ Century Hotel 03

#3: Bathroom with standard toilet amenities provided


When we looked into the bathroom, we were quite surprised with the huge size of the bathroom. Like I mentioned above, there is no hairdryer within bathroom and they will provide you upon request.

11 @ Century Hotel 04

#4: Complimentary coffee and tea making facilities

The room was adequate comfort but there still need a room for improvement when comes to cleanliness. We spotted quite number of small cockroaches not just inside the room, but also in the bathroom. Well, of course we weren't afraid of those cockroaches but somehow felt kind disgusting seeing them crawling within the room.


11 @ Century Hotel 06

#5: Complimentary breakfast buffet

Throughout our stayed here, we were entitled for complimentary breakfast buffet every morning. The buffet spread was pretty simple with the range from Asian to western meals such toast bread, eggs, nasi lemak, fried noodle, baked bean and fruit juices.


11 @ Century Hotel 05

#6: The main plus point of this hotel was it located very near to KSL City Mall


Travel Tip

If you plan to go to JB Sentral for entering Singapore Woodlands customs, it took less than 10 minute drive and the taxi fare mostly cost less than RM10.

Date Stayed: 24 January 2013 - 27 January 2013 (3 nights)

Rate We Paid :  RM115.00 per night for a standard queen size room inclusive breakfast (Booked via Agoda.com)


Disclaimer:
This review is truly based on my own personal experience and is my genuine and honest opinion of this hotel, and that I have no personal or business relationship with this establishment.
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