Peninsular Malaysia has many great hotels and I believe many of us Singaporeans have enjoyed staying at one of them during short breaks up north. But most of the more luxurious ones tend to be located further up in Kuala Lumpur or tourists hot spots like Langkawi or Penang.
If you talk about great hotels in Johor Bahru, you can only use your fingers on your palms to list those of substance. With the heating up of investment opportunities in the Danga Bay and Iskandar area, the hotel scene looks set to change.
Quite recently, the Renaissance Johor Bahru at Permas Jaya opened to rave reviews while the Traders Hotel (Puteri Harbour) by Shangri-La is coming on strong, tapping on the proliferation of famous branded leisure activities.
It’s the Traders Hotel that I am writing about in this journal, having stayed there recently (this is NOT a sponsored post). With the level of sophistication and service that this hotel offered, I felt that I should share this gem of a hospitality establishment.
The gorgeous hotel lobby. Designed by local interior design house ACID Sdn Bhd. The aesthetics were really soothing and comforting. But what’s equally amazing is the room reservation process. You can simply log on the hotel website portal, key in what you want and within seconds, an SMS confirmation iD will be send to you.
Just show the front office staff the SMS and it’s done. No need to print any hotel voucher. The check-in is just as smooth. Any of the service counters can handle your check-in/out without delineation. There’s also Apple Mac worktops at the corner of the lobby to should you need to log on the internet.
The carpeted pathway to the adjacent marina facing block. The ergonomics and colour scheme works well to carry on the lovely lobby setting. Going back to your room after a day out is made more pleasant here.
Frequently, the walkway to the rooms at most hotels can be rather dim and or even dingy at older establishments. But it’s just about right without being bright at Traders Hotel. No worries about shady characters hiding around corners here. (^___^)
Our room (deluxe marina-facing) was just as tastefully designed and laid-out. The size was a tad small at 32sg.m2 but the ergonomics ensure that it felt bigger than it really is. The bed linen and pillows are one of the most comfortable I have come across. Plenty of power sockets too, for charging all your electronic stuff.
The writing desk and the day bed were a nice touch. It should appeal especially to the business travellers. And the day bed is comfortable enough to sleep one adult (max height 1.78m though).
Great view from our marina-facing room (block 2) Level 1. It’s not quite the same as in a marina-facing room, say in Cannes, but can’t complain really.
A nice feature of the room : Motorised day/night curtains ! Great to have. Hope the motors stay in good shape. My grouse is that the curtains must be fully Up or Down, not somewhere in between. But still, it’s swanky to have this. And the room get transformed from day to night within seconds with the 100% blacked-out day curtains.
The surprises don’t stop at the motorised curtains… even the close-up vanity mirror has a built-in ring light. Awesome ! There’s even individual wrapped hair-band for ladies in the bathroom. Thoughtful ain’t it? They must have engaged female consultants here.
The view of the hotel facade from the marina.
Sleek and modern architectural design. Here a section of the concrete meet glass…Cool !
The hotel pool at the roof top (level 3A… 4 don’t sounds nice). It may not be Olympic sized, but it’s sufficient for a nice swim or kids to play.
Have a splashing great time !
The infinity edged pool. Looks out to the marina.
The view of the marina from the roof top, at present. But not for long, construction is slated to commence for a classy Pinetree Marina Yacht Resort to be built at the left side. It will be hotting up to the No.1 Iskandar address in the future.
Tastefully laid out table setting by the poolside for a business dinner. Corporate clients will do well to hold their function here.
The path to our breakfast venue at Harbour Cafe. Such nice decor means nice food too :-9″ Of course, the cafe serves more than breakfast, it’s an all-day dining restaurant.
The colourful pickles decors by the the wall of the cafe, wonder do the chefs use the pickles ?…
Breakfast is one of the highlight at the hotel, wake up early and enjoy it slowly. I can only say “Four Thumbs Up !”… wide range of tasty dishes meant you will eat more than your usual share. But that’s the beauty of a great hotel breakfast. And no appetizers are needed.
Cooked ala minute and steaming hot. Irresistible part of the breakfast line-up.
Dim sum , anyone ? Not quite Tim Ho Wan, but quite good, really. And definitely better than those you get on cruises dinners.
Above all, remember your fibers ! (^___^)d
For a taste of Shangri-La closer to home, be sure to check out Wei Ling’s post at Traders Hotel Singapore where they are having a Penang Favourites Buffet till 31st October 2013!
The Puteri Harbour Family Theme Park , housed in the Little Red Cube building. Just side by side The Traders Hotel. For those looking for a short weekend getaway to meet Hello Kitty and sit on Thomas the Train Traders Hotel at Puteri Harbour is the natural choice.
Be sure to check out my Hello Kitty Land blog too!
Thanks for coming along with this pictorial journal (^__^)//.
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