Hotel prices in Singapore are generally sky high, so whenever I want to take a break and do a staycaytion, I head over to Johor Bahru, Malaysia instead. A short drive away from Singapore, the Doubletree By Hilton Johor Bahru is way cheaper than most of the offerings in here. To put things into perspective, the Hilton Singapore cost SGD$339/night for the basic room, whereas the Doubletree by Hilton JB is 3X cheaper, coming in at RM340/night. I have stayed in both hotels before and other than Hilton Singapore’s strategic location, everything about the property is inferior to that of the Doubletree. This is rather ironic considering Hilton is supposed to be catering to the upper upscale segment while Doubletree the upscale segment. But then again, this scale probably only applies to properties in the USA where Hiltons are bad and Doubletrees are even worse (since most of them are usually just converts of existing brands).
Upon check-in, I was promptly upgraded to the One-Bedroom Deluxe Suite thanks to my Hilton HHonors Diamond Status. This property really knows how to treat its elite guests well and that is what keeps me coming back to them. Coming in at 64sqm, the space was very well utilized, making the room feel bigger than it actually is. I love how the décor of the room was modern yet made use of hues of wood to make the room feel homely. The welcome amenity I received was a plate of tropical fruits and chocolates, which was extremely delicious. On the counter, there was also sparkling and soda water that I casually mentioned that I liked during my previous stay. (Ok, I am quite a frequent guest here which probably explains the preferential treatment) Simple actions like this can go a long way in improving customer satisfaction.
The bedroom featured an extremely comfortable king-sized Sweet Dreams bed, which granted me a great nights rest. The room also came with a pillow menu, which I was amazed by since this is not a 5* property and it did not have to provide such a service. Housekeeping did turndown service at 7pm and again went above and beyond a 4* hotel to provide outstanding service.
The toilet is my most favourite part of the entire room. Bright lights, a tub, and rain shower. Everything that I could possibly ask for in a toilet was present. And it did not hurt that the selfies that I took there were amazing thanks to the lighting. Amenities are Doubletree standards and were provided by Aroma Active Essentials. Nothing fancy but it served its purpose and I found it good enough for a mid range hotel.
As a Hilton Hhonors Diamond member I had access to the Executive Lounge on the 29th floor, which served breakfast (6-10am), and hors d’oeuvres and evening cocktails (6-8pm). Typical of evening cocktails at Asian properties, there was a variety of hot food as well as wine and other hard liquor, which is sufficient as a meal replacement if you are a light eater.
Breakfast was at Makan Kitchen but it was so crowded so i headed over to Tosco and had a poolside breakfast instead. If I had one gripe about the place, it would be that there was way too much carbohydrate and too little protein. I understand that they want to give guests plenty of choices, but I would rather they just cut back on some of the cuisine and provide more protein instead.
The pool was nice but received close to no sun when I was there.
Overall a wonderful stay. I have clocked close to 30 nights with them since their opening because they make such a great redemption. As a Category 2 hotel, a night here only cost a mere 10,000 points. I would definitely be back again.