Kingston Hotel 7 at Johor Bharu

We came from Singapore and found the queen room quite spacious. The view wasn’t much, since the area around the hotel is still under renovation and looks shabby and dusty out front. The location is very good, though, about a 7-minute walk to JB City Centre. There’s a mosque and an India restaurant beside the hotel. If being woken by the call to prayer would bother you, this may not be the right place. It’s a good location for Muslims.

I only booked this place because it was a three-minute walk from my workplace, and I might do the same again for that reason. The room was quiet and clean, but the lobby smelled so bad I nearly threw up. There was a Kedai makan about a 10-minute walk away.

We checked in, saw the state of the room, and booked another hotel almost straight away. The room looked very different from the photos, the TV didn't work, and there were no disposable utensils. There was a strong sewage smell throughout the hotel. A few other guests we spoke to while they were checking in said they were similarly disappointed. I'm surprised by the high rating after an experience so far below what we expected. I would not recommend staying here.

The floors were sticky, including the bathroom tiles, and my slippers caught in the cracks a few times. There was a musty smell too. From the exterior photos I thought the hotel had just been renovated, but this was the worst hotel I've stayed in. For what it costs, you're better off with an Airbnb apartment.