I started 2023 with a bang and went for a trip across the border right on the second day of the year. This is just a short hop over the causeway. I have been looking to go to JB for a long time but the rates were scary during the year-end holidays. It had been quite some time since I reviewed this property despite staying numerous times since my last review. The Doubletree by Hilton Johor Bahru is a popular property among Singaporeans across the custom. It is amazing how a 5 mins train journey makes things so much more affordable, especially hotels. That is if you can get train tickets. This is one of the best hotels for a mattress run or to clock nights. I will be doing a room review and sharing the One Bedroom Suite at the property since I have not reviewed them before. This property is gracious with Diamond benefits especially if you are staying on the weekdays and avoiding school holidays. I have been getting suite upgrades several times here.
Booking Process & Pre Arrival
I book the stay directly from Hilton and paid 345 RM for my one-night stay. This includes taxes for the base-level room. You got to love weekdays, and non-school holidays stays over the causeway. The peak for this property is always weekends and Singapore holidays. You can see rates of almost 500, 600 RM on the weekends and holidays at times. I will also be early double points for this stay with the promotion currently. I got an automatic upgrade 3 days before my stay to the One Bedroom Suite. The One Bedroom Suite would have cost around 908 RM if booked directly. This is a common upgrade for Diamond members on low-peak dates. I am kick-starting my 2023 on the right foot. Not all the rooms here come with a bathtub so do make sure to take note if that is a factor. The Doubletree by Hilton Johor Bahru features 333 rooms and suites spread across 9 categories.
| Rooms | Executive Lounge Access | Bathtub | Room Size | No.of Rooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accessible Room | No | No | 31 Sqm | 2 |
| Guest | No | No | 31 Sqm | 52 |
| Deluxe High Floor | No | No | 31 Sqm | 124 |
| Deluxe Pool View | No | No | 31 Sqm | 46 |
| Executive | Yes | No | 31 Sqm Sqm | 59 |
| One Bedroom Suite | Yes | Yes | 64 Sqm | 29 |
| One Bedroom Deluxe Suite | Yes | No | 64 Sqm | 17 |
| Two Bedroom Deluxe Family Suite | Yes | No | 93 Sqm | 3 |
| Presidential Suite | Yes | Yes | 156 Sqm | 1 |
Checking In
I arrived at the hotel at around 1.30pm after lunch. I love how this property always drops guests an SMS informing them that the room is ready. It is such a great touch from the hotel. I wish more properties could do this. I was immediately helped upon arrival at the hotel and the bellboy came over to get my bags. There was a brief wait for check-in given that only two people is working the reception despite there being a priority line for elite members. I was thanked for being a diamond member and warmly welcomed. As with DoubleTree, I was offered a signature warm cookie.
One Bedroom Suite
I selected a suite during online check-in and specifically choose one on the same floor as the lounge. This will make things very convenient! I got suite 2921 on the 29th floor. It is located all the way at the end of the corridor. You enter the living room straight, there isn’t an entryway here. The living room is rather rectangular in configuration and spacious. This suite measures a spacious 64 Sqm and is perfect for gathering. It can also be connected with an adjacent room to make it into a Two Bedroom Suite.
The minibar area is located in the right corner after entering. It is equipped with a kettle, coffee machine and a mini fridge. I appreciate that they have provided a proper coffee machine in the room. Nothing of the instant crap here. Plenty of drinking water is provided and these are replenished during daily housekeeping and turndown service. There are also some complimentary soft drinks in the fridge. This is provided for executive-level rooms and suites. I appreciate them offering it.
Towards the left, you can find the working desk. It is spacious enough to get some work done and outlets are within reach. The Wi-Fi is easy to connect to and fast in the room.
Soon after checking in, the staff brought over a fruit platter as well as a box of chocolates. I’m always so pampered by this property. They are one of the more generous ones.
The living room is spacious and perfect for gatherings especially if you are coming over to JB in a huge group over the weekend. It comes with a sofa set and an armchair on the side. The TV is pretty high quality and comes with a good number of cable and local TV channels. They aren’t much of a view from the suite. The view isn’t great in JB. Given that this is a full suite, I am surprised by the lack of a half bath.
The bedroom and the living room are separated by an actual door. That is nice because you can prevent disturbing your partner or family that is still resting in the bedroom if you need to get some work done or something.
The bedroom is squarish in configuration. It is quite cosy and not overly spacious. The king-size bed is in the middle of the room. It is comfortable and comes with plenty of pillows. I appreciate that the pillows are not paper thin and offer pretty good neck support. On both sides of the bed, you have nightstands. Power outlets and controls for the lighting can be found. I would love for the curtains to be electronically controlled.
In the room, you can find another television and it faces the bed directly. I would love it if it has a setup that allows you to cast content from your devices to the TV. Along the wall, you can find a luggage storage area which is on the smaller side. They also provided portable racks for bigger suitcases. The room comes with two spacious wardrobes. One in the room and one in the bathroom side. You have everything that you might need for the stay. You can find bathrobes, ironing kits, hangers and also the hairdryer inside.
The bathroom is one of my favourite areas. It is super spacious and comes with both a separate bathtub and a standing shower. As usual, the toiletries provided are from Crabtree and Evelyn and they are generously provided. The standing shower comes with both a handheld shower head and a rainforest shower head. Water pressure and temperature control are good. I did wish that they had installed double sinks here given the amount of space available.
Conclusion
Coming here for a weekday stay at this rate is unbeatable! It is amazing how prices are so different when compared to Singapore. Paying only around 100 SGD is such a great deal and things are even better when you are a Diamond member. Space is available for suite upgrades, breakfast and lounge access. It is unbeatable. The breakfast is very good at this rate and at a Doubletree. I do wish that they can improve on the lounge offering. Looking forward to being back soon when I am in JB or needed a mattress run! I am also looking to check out and review the Holiday Inn JB and Renaissance JB to do a side-by-side review of the three major chain properties in JB.
Seeing The World In Steps 
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