That Time Of The Year!

As the year end break is still another 3 months away, I decided to give the kids a break by doing a short getaway to Legoland during the school holiday.  I was contemplating between Legoland Resort vs. Hotel Jen.  Guess which hotel got my vote?

Booking was pretty seamless, as it was done directly from Hotel Jen’s website.  There are various room categories but being a Club Floor lover, you can guess which room I selected.  As there were 6 of us, I chose 2 club rooms with king beds.  Each room comes with a sofa bed which can be converted into a single bed to accommodate the 3^rd person (with some extra charge of course).  There are a few options that can be added to the room selection (e.g. breakfast, dinner, Legoland tickets etc.).  I chose the room only option as being in the club floor, breakfast is provided in the club lounge.  Upon confirmation, you will be contacted by the hotel staff via e-mail and they are more than happy to answer your queries.  They will also recommend you to pre-book the free hotel shuttle to Legoland if you intend to visit the theme park during your stay.

Club Room benefits

The hotel is located in Iskandar Township.  It is still a distance from Johor Bahru city but just a stone throw away from Legoland.  The town is pretty quiet as there are many new and upcoming condos being built.  The hotel itself sits on top of Sanrio Hello Kitty Town (which houses 2 theme parks itself – Thomas the Train and Hello Kitty land).  There are various restaurants within the Hello Kitty Town which comprises local and western fare.  For those not wanting to eat in the hotel, choices are available but it is rather limited.

Check in was seamless, with a separate counter for Club Floor, and Elite members.  Although check in was straight forward, room was not available despite checking in at 330pm!  We were directed to the club lounge to relax while waiting for our keys.  One hour later, our room was still not ready and I expressed my displeasure at having to wait.  They were quite apologetic and they managed to get my first room ready.  Within 15 minutes, my second room was available.  Both rooms were not large but fairly comfortable to accommodate 3 persons.  Both rooms came with King sized bed and a sofa which can be converted into a single bed.  There is a TV (which unfortunately broadcast channels in Standard Definition only), work desk and safe box in the rooms.  Bottled water and amenity kits are complimentary.  Bathroom was fairly spacious.  I paid slightly more for the harbor view and I would recommend the harbor view rooms as the differential cost is very minimal.

Harbor view from the room

Club Lounge is located on the 4^th floor.  Breakfast and evening cocktails are served here and there are drinks round the clock (with some simple snacks).  Breakfast choices are more limited than Harbor Café’s breakfast, but one gets more privacy as it is less crowded.  Evening cocktail comes with alcohol selections (which is otherwise locked).  Food selection for the evening cocktail is acceptable but they seemed a little slow in topping up the food.  There are 4 PC stations with printing facility in the lounge too.

Club Lounge – dining and lounge area

Canapes selection during evening cocktail hour

Breakfast selection in Club Lounge

Breakfast selection in Harbor Cafe

Dinner in harbor café is RM 114 for adults and RM 57 for children.  Although there are many local and international selections, I would rate the food as average.  I would give the local selections much better than the international fares.  If you drive, I would suggest that you consider having your dinner elsewhere.  Else, Harbor café is probably the easiest way to go after a long and tiring day in Legoland!

The hotel has facilities for those who intend to do a staycation without going to Legoland.  They have a very nice pool and gym overlooking the waterfront.  There is a kid’s corner behind the lobby where kids can play with computer or Playstation.  One of the most important facilities is the free shuttle bus to and from Legoland.  This service needs to be pre-booked online.  I would suggest one to be punctual (especially on the return trip) as the bus will only wait for 5 minutes before leaving without you!  (I arrived 5 minutes early before my departure and the bus left 5 minutes after departure time when another group who was suppose to leave at the same time failed to show up).

I would probably revisit this hotel in the future for a short staycation.  The hotel is fairly clean and well maintained, and the staff has been friendly and helpful.  They can try to improve on the efficiency in getting the rooms ready as having to wait one hour to check in is not the best way to spend a short break.  Same goes for the topping up of food, especially in the lounge.  For those wanting to make a trip there, do consider going for the Club Floor (and preferably the harbor view rooms) or even the Suites.

For Krisflyer members, do register for Golden Circle membership and link both accounts together as one can double dip (with bonus earning in Krisflyer Miles) for qualified stay.