Pulai Spring Resort , Johor Bahru

Hello folks,

Before I start travelling again next week, for 2 weeks, I feel that I should at least update all the hotels I have stayed this year....when I started this blog, I wanted to do a posting, after every hotel stay, but caught up with work, family blah blah blah blah.....

So, I went to this hotel on a job trip before, and even though I like the hotel when I first arrived, I left feeling very itchy....yes...I GOT THE BED BUGS !!!! It was so horrifying, kept scratching , at the hotel, in the transfer to the airport, on the plane and etc....I was so pissed off..... I must say it was an unfortunate incident. So happened that the bed / room I got was infected by bed bugs.....*sigh* 

Anyway, please have a look at the pictures below....place is quite nice...honestly, could you less bugs, but honestly........

Btw, I stayed at the 2nd category, which is the 01 Bedroom Suite 

The Resort for the weekend

Comes with a kitchenette but no cooking

They should have more sofas, I felt.

One and only sofa.....

Separate bedroom which is small but acceptable,and you can see the living hall from here.

Huge toilet

They have a movie place at the clubhouse, across the hotel's block but within the same resort !

This is how the movie theatre looks like :)

Kids' playroom in the clubhouse itself

That has this scary looking tree ??

Nice looking library for some quietness

One of the pools at the club house

Changing Room for the pool ~ If you can read, the sign says No Female allowed :p

And this one....no men allowed . :D :D :D

They do have a pool at the main hotel's complex...very nice looking as below :

The Pool at the Hotel itself

So apart from staying at the hotel and play Golf....I just had to go and look for the followings:

Drive like 8 minutes out of the resort to Tmn University, in front of the market, you would be able to eat the locals tea time favourite. Goreng Pisang and sambal kicap

If you go to Johor, you must eat Nasi Ambang ! Its rice with salted fish, fried long beans + tempe, some beef floss, curry chicken, fried noodles...all in one plate !

Healthy Deep Fried Spinach ???

 So .....do I like this resort ? Well, what I can say and give my 02 cents worth of thoughts as below :

1. Definitely the only resort there is in Johor Bahru that fits the word resort.
2. There is another resort nearby the airport, but I would think twice
3. Rooms are spacious, especially for domestic market 
4. A bit far from the town, but then, that's the beauty of it...you still get the quietness of a resort, but drive out 20 minutes, it is already the noisy city
5. Could be full with Singaporeans especially during weekends
6. Fit for all level of travellers, the MICE , for conventions, single travellers, golfers, family, honeymooners, serves all well
7. Have a huge sports complex that can be used for hotel guests too
8. The only thing that I don't really like is the service of the coffee house. While they really serve local food ( like salted fish with coconut to be eaten with glutinous rice i.e. pulut ) , the waitress / waitresses could be more attentive and since they do cater for the cheap charlie travel agent business, you may see that the quality is quite low in compare to the name they want to bring. 
9. Don't come for breakfast early morning, do so after 8am, because the china groups they have from the travel agents would have their breakfasts early and you wouldn't like to be there....honestly. 
10. Children would love this place........My children did :) 

Now, these are all my thoughts....you may like the place, or you may just don't.... but with the newly opened Legoland....perhaps you should give this hotel a try too.

Enjoy peeps !

xoxo

Cameron Highlands Resort - Cameron Highlands Part III

And yes....we have come to the the hotel I like the most at Cameron Highlands...
 I simply like the hotel, I went there for work actually, so was basically all alone....

The hotel was the Merlin during those days, situated in front of the only Golf Course at Cameron Highlands, even though just by the main road, but the serenity of the place , is just so overwhelming. 

I also like the fact that it is white colour furnishing in the bedroom with the four-poster bed.... It was so relaxing for me. 

Come see some photos I have taken :

Walk into the room with this....can you feel it ? 

So comfy bed & pillows !!

Let's relax at the seating area

Bathroom is quite small but adequate

Another view of the room

So inviting !!!

Welcome fruits, consisted of the fresh local fruits 

Add caption

Turn Down Service with a stalk of rose on the bed 

Strawberries with choc dipping for nightcap 

Koi Ponds surrounding the hotel

That's the Japanese Restaurant

View from my Balcony early morning...with the misty mountain

Had my morning coffee here...at the balcony. So nice ! 

The next few photos, I took from the Internet, but I vouched that they are like what it was at the hotel..... It was hard to take photos at the common areas, without bothering other guests.

We had pre-dinner drinks here....was all classic 

The Library , where I had to sit to get the Wifi ( no free wifi in the rooms ) 

And the view of the 02 stories resort.....

And now, I gladly, give my 02 cents thoughts or review on this hotel.

1. First of all, I love this hotel..not just like, but love too.
2. Service was exceptionally fantastic !!! Amazing. I guess, having only 50 odd rooms would give you more attentions. 
3. Did I mention about Service ? Yes....good service
4. Romantic and nice for honeymooners. 
5. They also have spa village there, the same one like the YTL hotels 
6. Not so friendly for kids, limited suites like 02 or 3 .
7. Do have a small kids room with videos etc
8. Nice F&B.
9. Super duper expensive... minimum RM500 a night. 
10. For Singles, you would just love the quietness for a good rest and read ???

Wow...I have given so much review on this hotel alone....but seriously, it is a very nice property, nice hotel, nice room, if you feel like having a restful weekend or few nights at the cooling Cameron Highlands, then, this is the hotel.

So there, I like...and I love this hotel, for you, you may just like it....or somehow, I find it hard for you to dislike........

xoxo

Strawberry Park Hotel ~ Cameron Highlands Part II

Hi All,

As mentioned in previous posting, I will post up the hotels I have stayed recently at Cameron Highlands. Please mind any dates or times on the pictures as I didn't know how to set the camera :p 

So, we will start with Strawberry Park Resort.... this place is in between the towns, Tanah Rata ( where Starbucks is, also banks etc ) and Brinchang ( where the Pasar Malam / Night market is ) . First of all, you have to drive into the resort, meaning, its not by the road side, where you can just stroll out and walk down or up Cameron. Meaning, just walk around the resorts if you want...... 

They are apartments concept and the time I went there, was with my office mates, so we opted for 02 + 02 bedroom apartment called Shasta. Other apartments have been refurbished , the lead in categories, unfortunately, not for this category. So please bear with me on the decorations :p

Shasta has 04 rooms, Master bedroom comes with 1 King size bed and also en suite bathroom....the 2nd room comes with a queen size bed. 3rd room, a single bed and what happened then was that, they have since changed or converted the kitchenette into a single bedding room too !! Other 3 rooms have a common bathroom. So there you go, 04 rooms in the apartment but with a total of 06 occupants. 

Look at the pictures as below......again, I need to mention, they didn't renovate this category yet, others they have :- 

The apartment blocks

Reception

Living hall...

2nd bedroom with Queen Size Bed

3rd & 4th Bedroom comes with Single Bed

Master Bedroom en-suite bathroom

We were there just for a night, wanted to try out the hotel...we had dinner there, a nice steamboat, and the breakfast was not bad....we opted to sit on the terrace , with the cool morning breeze.

Well, here comes my not so famous 02 cents worth of thoughts :- 

1. First of all, it is a common knowledge that the resort is "dirty" . So be prepared. 
2. It is very much a family concept resort, as they offer from a Studio Unit till 04 rooms unit...meaning if you have 5 kids, you can still put everyone in one unit !
3. Honeymooners would like it here. You can be on your own, and just walk around....*sigh*
4. Nice concept, low rise, walkabouts
5. Can be pretty cheap during weekdays or non-peak season 
6. The unit we stayed was pretty old, so a major reno is needed. 
7. Still need a car to go either town, or to go anywhere ( like buy strawberries, vege etc ) 

Now basically that's all I should or rather just say. Please do not be scared with my thought #1. It is a common knowledge , but just pray as you go in the room, you should be fine. It is up to you , I quite like the resort, acceptable for me, but then again, you may like it....you may don't :) 

xoxo