Hotels in Johor Bahru

Johor Bahru sits at the southern tip of Peninsular Malaysia, separated from Singapore by the narrow Johor Strait, and for decades it has functioned as Singapore's cheaper backyard: a place to fill up on petrol, eat well, and sleep for a fraction of the price across the border. The city itself has real substance beyond that role, with the Sultan Abu Bakar mosque, a revamped waterfront, and malls built specifically to catch weekend crossings from Marina Bay and Gardens by the Bay day-trippers looking for bargains.

JB's traffic at the Causeway checkpoint can be brutal, especially on weekends and holidays, and much of the city's newer development is generic mall-and-condo sprawl rather than anything distinctive. It's well served by Senai International Airport for onward budget flights, and only about an hour or so from Singapore Botanic Gardens if you're doing both cities in one trip. With 16 hotels listed here, stay near the city centre or the waterfront for easy access to the checkpoint and JB's actual food and market life, rather than out by the highway.