Thanks to the merger between Marriott with SPG, I did a status match and got my SPG Platinum matched to the Marriott Platinum Status. With that, I booked a night at the Renaissance Johor Bahru, a Marriott property, to check out what Marriott’s loyalty program is like.
The property is not in the ideal-est of place since it is located in the suburbs of Johor Bahru. From the causeway it was a 15 minutes taxi ride with slight traffic. The exterior of the property was dull and looked like it was in need of a major paint over. However once I stepped inside, my opinion changed. The lobby had a high ceiling and there was a chandelier made with droplets hanging from the middle. There were also plenty of seats available to go around.
I booked a basic deluxe room at the property and did the online check in using the official Marriott app. I was surprised to see that I was upgraded to a Junior Suite almost immediately. But that happiness was fleeting because when I was checking in on the day itself, the room I was allocated was instead the Club room.
Located on the 16th floor, my room was just beside the Executive Lounge, so it was extremely convenient for me to pop over for drinks and bites all day. The view was average; I mean there was not much around the property anyway.
The room was contemporary yet practical. There was an easy chair in the corner for relaxing and a desk for working. I hate it when lifestyle brands, which Renaissance claims to be, removes desk in hotel rooms because they assume it is what millennials want. As a millennial myself, I can see a 101 uses for the desk ranging from having my room service meals to sending emails. Anyhow, I am thankful that there was a desk in this room. The bed was extremely comfortable. The pillows were a little soft for my liking, but stacking 2 pillows on top of each other solved the problem. There was also plenty of water, something that I feel is a prerogative for hotels to provide.
The bathroom was rather tight and did not come with a bathtub. It is definitely not something I expect coming from a 5* hotel. At 36sqm, they could have afforded to make the toilet slightly bigger. But that is just my opinion. Toiletries were from Tokyo Milk by Margot Elena, a brand that is more focused on fragrances. The bath products smelt like mandarin orange, which was lovely, but I generally do not like smelling like citrus after a bath, so thank god I brought my own toiletries.
The lounge was amazing. Breakfast, Afternoon Tea and Evening Cocktails were all served here. It literally felt like a Conrad. I tried out the Afternoon Tea and they had a decent selection of cakes, pralines and scones, which was absolutely delicious. As for Evening Cocktails, I was amazed by the selection they had. There was plenty of hot and cold food, it could definitely be a meal replacement. Best thing of all, they served free flow alcohol from 6-10pm, that is 4 whole hours, which is quite unheard of these days. I did not even have to step out of the hotel to get food or drinks and it really felt like an all-inclusive property.
I also took the chance to head to the outdoor swimming pool to take a dip. It was nothing fancy, but it served its purpose. I appreciated how they had cabanas around, which is good for people like myself who do not want to get skin cancer while lounging. I also like how they were generous with their towels. Nothing spoils the mood more than pesky pool attendants who refuse to give you extra towels.
Had my breakfast at Café BLD, and that is where all good things I have to say about the property end. The place was fully packed and I had to wait for seats for a long time. No big deal since this is something that the hotel cannot control. The buffet line was impressive and it was comparable to the ones at Le Meridien Bangkok and W Bali.
My first stop in the buffet line was for the fresh apple juice and I liked it a lot, so I went for seconds. While queuing up for the juice, I saw the staff on duty picking up apples from the box itself and putting it into the blender directly. In my head I was hoping that the apples were clean at least, but on closer inspection, I realize that the plastic labels on the apple was still present when he blended it. Needless to say, I completely lost my appetite, especially when I imagine the cup I had drank and how everyone in front of me was drinking it. The training or lack thereof of the staff here is appalling. I mean it is one thing to be fast so that there will not be a hold up, but serving food with plastic inside is no different from those China manufacturers. I have contacted management about the incident and hopefully they will prevent future occurrence of such incidents.
Overall a good stay if the incident at breakfast did not happen. I would still return, but I would be sure to inspect thoroughly everything I put in my mouth.