Johor
Bahru has long been a preferred destination for day-trips, weekends and short
holidays, and with the mid-year school holidays upon us, the city is teeming
with holiday-makers, both on the streets and within the malls.
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Sunset view of Hyatt Place Johor Bahru linked to Paradigm Mall Johor Bahru |
While
I do enjoy the sun and have been taking guests on my heritage walks through
downtown Johor Bahru, these outdoor excursions have been kept to a minimum and
were arranged with much time spent indoors in the museum and galleries.
Recently,
my sister Pearly visited from the UK (again!) and it was an opportunity for us
to take time-out to go for a sisters’ staycation.
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Pearly at the entrance to the lift lobby to Hyatt Place on Level Seven |
I
was pleased to accommodate her request to go to Pulai Springs Resort again and
to dine at Qing Palace Chinese Restaurant – one of our family’s favourite
restaurants – where we would have a mandatory photo-session at its front lobby.
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A smooth and pleasant check-in at the Reception |
Keeping to my sister’s request to
limit our travel time, I surprised her with a short drive from Pulai Springs
Resort into the Paradigm Mall Johor Bahru. While only a while ago, we enjoyed
the sun by the pool that morning, our drive was in a light drizzle that quickly
turned into a tropical thunderstorm.
I
drove into the higher levels of the mall’s carpark, following directional signs
to the carpark on Level Seven, reserved for guests of the Hyatt Place Johor
Bahru.
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Wooden key cards |
With
a department store as anchor tenant, Paradigm Mall, has a good shop mix with
many affordable fashion brands that matches with my taste and pocket – and for
this reason alone – this mall has been my regular shopping destination.
Since
the mall opened in 2017, it has set itself apart from others, not only with its
state-of-the-art 16-screen cinema and rock-climbing activities but also its
ice-skating rink – the first and only one in the city.
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Comfortable super-single twin beds |
In
2019, I had the privilege to witness the signing of the management agreement between key representatives of the Hyatt Group and WCT Holdings Berhad, the
mall owners, for the Hyatt Place Johor Bahru that was scheduled to be opened in
Paradigm Mall in 2022.
In
2024, the mall added the ESCAPE indoor adventure park to its attractions for visitors
to enjoy adrenalin-pumping fun in a safe and comfortable environment.
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Dispensers for shampoo, conditioner and shower gel in the shower cubicle |
I
wanted to share a special time in a relaxed, quality hotel experience with my
sister, who is well aware that I preferred city hotels that are linked to a
prime leisure, retail and dining hub.
We
can browse around the shops to pick and choose, try and decide on whether to
buy or not, drop off the shopping in our room and hit the mall again to find
the best-buys, not only for ourselves but also for her grandchildren.
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Pearly with Reception staff at the Ground level lobby |
We
arrived ahead of the check-in time – with the aim to maximise our time in the
mall – and when I enquired, I was delighted that our room was ready for
check-in.
I
received our room key cards and was admiring the sleek wooden cards when hotel
General Manager, Sunny Tan, came over to bid us a warm welcome to the hotel.
I
was quite sure that he did not wish to detain us a moment longer because he was
well aware that my sister and I were more than ready to hit the mall. He was
also a busy man so we fixed a breakfast appointment with him before we checked
into our room on Level 17.
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Pearly at the Ground floor entrance/exit into the mall |
The
sight of the comfortable super-single twin beds assured us of a good night’s
rest – especially after some serious shopping – and we did not waste another
moment with looking out the window at the busy thoroughfare along Jalan Skudai.
A
smooth elevator ride took us to the hotel lobby on the Ground floor which had a
porch entrance at road level and another entrance/exit that opened into the
mall.
We
read the Notice which reminded guests that this entrance will be closed when
the mall ended its business hours at 10pm, and told ourselves that we must find
our way back before that time.
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Wooden plaque displayed at the Reception |
No,
we did not have a specific shopping list but it was fun to spot something
suitable for my sister’s grandson or grand-daughter and then discover that
there was a special (good!) deal on particular clothes items.
I
liked that it was mid-week and there were not many shoppers in the department
store so we took our time to look for the best-buys. Even the sales assistant
was happy to show us and recommend a wider range of merchandise. There were no
queues at the fitting rooms or payment points, so it was a comfortable,
stress-free time of trying out clothes and picking the most suitable pieces.
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Morning view of Jalan Skudai from our room |
Back
in our room, the view from the window by night was a sea of sparkling lights.
And yes, the beds were comfortable, so very comfortable that I almost forgot
that we had a breakfast appointment with the GM.
When
we arrived at On Seven Bistro, the breakfast buffet was in full swing as
guests were helping themselves to the spread. While I was ordering my choice of
eggs from the Egg Station, GM Sunny joined us. And we had a good chat over cups
of hot coffee.
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Pearly at the breakfast buffet, On Seven Bistro |
“What
are you doing after breakfast?” he politely enquired. My sister and I smiled at
each other. No prizes for the right guess as to what we were going to do. As
long as there was still space in her suitcases, we were going to the shops
again.
Hyatt
Place Johor Bahru is located in Paradigm Mall Johor Bahru, Jalan Mewah Ria 2,
Taman Bukit Mewah, 81200 Johor Bahru, Johor. Tel: +607 – 291 1234. For more
info, visit official pages for Hyatt Place Johor Bahru on Facebook and
Instagram.