KSL Hotel & Resort

Split across two towers, the KSL Hotel & Resort is a sprawling urban escape that's attached to a popular shopping mall, KSL City. When you first arrive, navigating your way through the complex, up and down escalators, can be confusing. However, once you get the hang of it things are simpler. This is a big and busy property no matter the time of day, and you're likely to spot a mix of hotel guests and other tourists hanging around spots like the Starbucks near reception or heading to the water park upstairs. The hotel’s decor is pleasant, if unremarkable, with lots of marble, white tiled floors, and textured surfaces found throughout. Warm lighting is used sparingly to create strips of soft gold-colored details that pair nicely with classy touches like the chandeliers that hang from the high ceilings in the lobby area. There's a main lounge area in the lobby with a number of seats, along with booths that provide information and arrange tours for nearby attractions. Because the hotel has a wide variety of features and amenities, it’s often frequented by families who want to use the water park as well as shoppers staying for the weekend. 

The property’s location in Taman Century, Johor’s city center, is great. Plus, since it’s attached to the KSL City shopping mall, guests may find that there’s no need to venture out (or too far away) for shopping, dining, and entertainment. However, if travelers want to visit other areas, like Johor’s business district, places like City Square and Komtar JBCC and its surrounding offices are both no more than a 15-minute-drive away. Theme parks like Legoland and Puteri Harbour are less than 30 minutes away by car. Budget about 30 to 60 minutes to reach Singapore via the Woodlands Crossing and using the Johor-Singapore Causeway. The JB Sentral train and bus station is 20 minutes by car. Getting to Senai International Airport takes about 40 minutes by car, and it's about an hour's drive to Changi Airport in Singapore.

Rooms here are simple, with straightforward decor that features dark brown and gray drapes and carpets. Big windows have nice city views, especially from higher floors. Space can feel like it's at a premium, but that’s because many units have two beds that can sleep up to three people. There have been reports about maintenance issues and inconsistencies in housekeeping (missing items like soap for toiletries and sheets that aren’t changed often enough). Even so, for travelers who aren't fussy and just want a place to spend the night after busy days, it can fit the bill. The marble-tiled bathrooms are as simple as the guest rooms. Some feature walk-in showers and others have tubs, plus standards like wall-mounted hairdryers and extendable magnifying mirrors. Standard amenities across all room categories include air-conditioning, Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs with cable channels, safes, irons, mini-fridges, and coffee- and tea-making facilities. 

For a hotel in Johor Bahru, the list of features here is quite extensive. On-site, you'll find facilities like a well-equipped fitness center that has cardio machines and free weights, and there’s a large outdoor pool on the rooftop (including a separate shallow kids’ section). There are more than enough lounge chairs scattered all around the area so it doesn’t feel too crowded, even for a property with over 800 rooms.

The restaurant, Infusion, is where the daily buffet breakfast is held. Note that arriving early is a good idea in the morning as lines can get long, and the crowds can get overwhelming. Lunch and dinner are served as well. The hotel’s lounge, Twilight, serves up drinks and has a little stage for performances, plus a pool table in a corner. The hotel may not have its own spa, but with the many massage parlors found in the vicinity (particularly around the shopping mall), guests won’t have trouble finding a spot to get whatever treatments they'd like.

The hotel has several entertainment outlets that are ideal for families, including a dinosaur-themed water park on the rooftop that has water slides and water guns (it’s free-to-enter for guests, but is also open to the public for a fee); a golf simulator (fee); and a games room with arcade games and a pool table.

KSL Hotel & Resort also draws business travelers and has meeting rooms and ballrooms on-site. Wi-Fi is free throughout the property.