Nightly rate: MYR 153 nett (S$50)
Nightly rate after Citi Prestige 4NF rebate: MYR 117 nett (S$39)
Length of stay: 4 nights
Membership level: Diamond
Capri by Fraser Johor Bahru opened in early 2019 in a towering, skinny white building that is quite prominent in Johor Bahru’s cityscape. It is located right behind Johor Bahru’s Immigration building (CIQ)
Walking from CIQ to the hotel takes around 6 minutes but there is no pavement and you will be walking on the road; not recommended, especially if you have kids. Instead, book Grab car for about MYR 5 (S$1.65).
Fraser World Diamond
I got my Fraser World Diamond status for free with a World Elite Mastercard (Citibank Prestige) offer last year but never felt the need to stay in a Fraser property till now. I am not going to bore you with all the details of the benefits of being a Fraser World Diamond member because it is not a very rewarding hotel loyalty program that you should probably stay away from.
But hey, I’m not arguing with my free status. Besides, paying MYR 153 nett before a further Citi Prestige 4NF rebate is crazy cheap! This stay just made me appreciate Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy even more.
I only opted to stay here because it happened to cost about 50% cheaper than DoubleTree Johor Bahru on my preferred dates.
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Arrival
As a Diamond member, I was not offered any room upgrade even though occupancy was extremely low. When asked, the receptionist had to make two phone calls to upgrade me to the Studio Executive King room. I knew beforehand that Fraser World Diamond members do not get complimentary breakfast but the staff were not going to make any exception for my stay, when asked. I had to try, right? 😛
As a Diamond member, I was given a gift bag with mini versions of Malin+Goetz toiletries.
Drop-off area
The lobby
Waiting area and business centre in the lobby
Diamond member gift bag
Corridor outside the room
The room
The studio apartment made me feel at home the moment I stepped in. Nothing much else to say about it though. The kitchen area only had a sink, a microwave and a kettle. No kitchenette or washer and dryer included in this room category. Looking at the official website, it seems like only the one-bedroom Deluxe and Executive apartments have kitchenettes.
I always prefer modern furnishings of new hotels and this one is no exception.
View from the door
Kitchen area
Beverage area in the kitchen
Work desk
King sized bed near the window
View out the window
The bathroom
The bathroom
Club Lounge
This property has a lovely Club Lounge near the top of the building (which is one of the tallest in Johor) and the views are pretty amazing. To access this Club Lounge, you’ll have to be a Fraser World Diamond member or book a room with Club access. Happy hour starts at 5.30pm and ends at 7.30pm.
It’s a pity that it was closed (understandably) while I was there. I managed to get a couple of photos of it though.
Club Lounge
View from Club Lounge
Restaurants
Breakfast at Caprilicious costs a reasonable MYR 40 per person but I chose to sleep in a little longer and ordered brunch through GrabFood for all 4 days.
Delite cafe is another dining option on the same floor as the lobby, near the elevators.
Caprilicious
Delite
The Pool
The pool is located on level 1 but offers a fairly unobstructed view of the surrounding. There is a kids pool right beside the main pool.
The pool
Kids pool beside the main pool
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Self-service Laundry
There is self-service laundry on level 1. You need MYR 1, 5, 10 or 20 notes to exchange for coins that can be used on the washer and dryer. There are a total of 3 washers and 3 dryers. I think it is great that the hotel cared to included a waiting area with a TV in the laundry room!
Self-service laundry
Self-service laundry
Coin exchange machine
The gym
The gym is fairly large and has brand new equipments, as expected. There are also towels and complimentary bottles of water near the entrance to the gym.
The gym
Complimentary bottles of water and towels
Ratings
Breakfast: Did not purchase
Service: 7/10
Location: 7/10
Room: 8/10
Facilities: 8/10
Executive lounge: Closed because of the pandemic
Elite member recognition: 3/10
Value: 8/10
Bottom line
Because of its young age, this is probably the second best hotel/apartment in Johor Bahru after the DoubleTree nearby. Request to stay on a higher floor for better views.
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