Crystal Crown Hotel (CCHJB) - Walking Distance to KSL @ Johor Bahru [Malaysia]

Those taking a GRAB or driving to KSL City Mall from the causeway would likely notice this towering building at the corner of a busy junction that borders Tebrau Highways and Jalan Dato Sulaiman.

Housing the 3-star Crystal Crown Hotel, I finally got to staying there after noticing it for so long, even before KSL Mall was built! Back then, Singaporeans love to visit Holiday Plaza, which is said to be a ghost town now. 

Just for information, the hotel started operations in 1993 and from the lobby, I bet Crystal Crown Hotel was likely quite grand in the old days. 

Like reputable hotels in the past, you could also find some shops on the ground floor; like a tailor, a convenience stall and even a hair salon. There's even a pretty highly rated Japanese restaurant on level two. 

While awaiting for our room key cards, I noticed this QR code which served as a digital concierge, which was really convenient given the importance tied to mobile phones nowadays; there's a higher risk of me losing my wallet than my phone. 

Bright lighting along the corridor on our floor; I requested for high floor in my request through the booking portal and was pretty disappointed with the 6th floor that was allocated. Oh well, there's always the caveat that they would try their best to accommodate. The lowest level for rooms was the 5th floor. 

Room 603

Come, let me indulge you with the pictures of our Superior Twin Room that looked quite minimalist, and maybe just a tad boring, without even any painting! By the way, would you prefer carpeted flooring? I do! 

The said to be newly renovated room wasn't equipped with USB sockets, which would be quite a norm in new / renovated hotels nowadays. What's rarer to find is USB-C sockets. 

More photos, including complimentary bottled water, electric kettle. I didn't notice an in-room safe whereas a mini-fridge was found hidden in the cabinet next to the wardrobe. Basic stuff. 

Even though there's no balcony, I was in awe of the spectacular sight! On second thought, I guess it would have been even more impressive if I was on a higher floor....

There's a direct, unsheltered path leading to KSL City Mall; just cut across the road flanked on both sides by private housing! p.s. My Malaysian friends could never understand why Singaporeans love KSL mall so much. 

Did you notice the two retro looking chairs that looked out of place? I must say they could have been here for the last few decades, judging from the stains. Our wet towels would usually be thrown over such chairs; not this time. 

I am so loving the white and black concept of the washroom; it appeared so bright and sanitized. Favourite feature had to be the mirror with the backlight. Only issue? The toilet roll holder was loose and toilet roll kept falling off! Oh yes, another one, no bath mat! 

WiFi password. 

Not very strong signal. 

If you are too lazy to travel to KSL City Mall for the massages, you can consider having them in Crystal Crown Hotel instead; at RM88 for an hour of traditional Thai massage, the price was competitive. 

Swimming Pool

Even though the hotel was said to have undergone a renovation in 2020, elements of its age can still be noticed, like the above super dated signage. 

After walking past the wooden door, I was under the impression the path would lead me to a service and maintenance area. Thankfully, I am checking it out in the daytime. Should it be night, it would have been a harrowing experience. 

Nice yet pretty basic pool.

And just so you are wondering, there is no gym. 

Buffet Breakfast

I only paid S$60.29 for a night stay at Crystal Crown Hotel and was surprised that buffet breakfast was included for two persons at the Chatter Cafe on level two!  

For your reference! Relatively simple yet limited variety; you do get salad, bread, porridge and local delights like roti canai and nasi lemak. 

Nasi lemak sambal was not bad but there wasn't any fried chicken. Roti canai was fluffy although it lacked the crispiness I always looked forward too. Nevetheless, I am not complaining for things that were complimentary. 

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Most important question: would I stay here instead? To be frank, I don't mind if the rates were cheaper than KSL Hotel & Resort since the latter had an irresistible benefit of being connected to KSL City Mall! 

One of the reasons for choosing Crystal Crown Hotel was the bridge that would have connected us to Taman Sri Tebrau where there were plenty of food choices like Hai Kee Seafood etc, but it appeared to be have been closed off for an extended period of time! p.s. 芙蓉烧蟹 is just next to the hotel. 

Address

117, Tebrau Hwy, Taman Century, 

80250 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia

Map

As above.

Website

https://www.crystalcrownjb.com/

Pricing

Superior Twin Room - S$60.27

(via Trip.com)