St Giles Southkey Johor Baru is now opened!

 

On a recent visit to the Mid Valley Southkey Mall, I discovered that the much-anticipated St Giles Southkey Johor Baru was already opened and did not hesitate to wander in for a look-see.

 

The hotel entrance from the Ground floor
level of Mid Valley Southkey Mall, Johor Baru

[Incidentally the name, St Giles was heard in the news quite frequently after September 8 when Queen Elizabeth II had passed.

 

Her remains were brought from Balmoral Castle to St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland, as part of the ceremony in the nation’s mourning.]

 

The weather was overcast that day but it did not dampen the cheerful ambience in the ground-floor lobby at St Giles Southkey JB where I was met by two helpful staff, one of whom was non other than hotel General Manager, TeeKay Goh.

 

A section of the Reception
at the hotel lobby

I must confess that I am a fan of hotels opened within a mall because it was the ultimate pleasure of shopaholics (like me!) who enjoy exploring the mall (Read: shop-till-they-dropped) and return to their rooms to deposit the best buys before going out to shop again.

 

This was doubly fun when the mall had a good shop-mix of quality merchandise that matches with my tastes so I could browse around at leisure, knowing that I could take my time to pick and choose, to try on any items before making a decision to buy.

 

My hotel stay experiences within massive malls were most memorable, not only for the good shopping and comfortable stays but also for my most unforgettable parking experiences.

 

Double-bed in a well-appointed room

I chatted with Goh while standing in the hotel lobby and my eyes were riveted to a door nearby which opened for guests to enter. I realized that the door led in from the mall carpark.

 

As thoughts flashed to my own carpark experiences, my concern increased for fellow car drivers who might have travelled a long way to reach the hotel and what they did not need was another challenge to find their way to the hotel lobby from the carpark.

 

This prompted me to share with Goh about my own hotel-carpark-experiences-within-massive-malls and the absolutely essential need of clear signage inside the equally massive mall carpark to help hotel guests with directions to park near the hotel lobby entrance.

 

Twin beds in a comfortable room

When Goh heard about my Human GPS experience, he agreed with me about the importance of proper signage for such directions in the carpark because it would serve to enhance the guests’ hotel experience, which starts upon their arrival.

 

I hoped that by sharing my experience in a complicated (and unfamiliar!) carpark to reach a hotel within a massive mall, it would help the hotel in its effort to welcome guests and give them a better stay experience from the very start.

 

A section of the Causeway Cafe 

As I was escorted on a brief tour of the hotel facilities, I was reminded of travel writing assignments when I worked in partnership with new and established hotels in various destinations and how I enjoyed sharing my Traveller’s Tales published in the Travel Times that were funny, quirky or annoying but true tales.

 

When I stepped out of the hotel – back into the mall – I was pleased that this was only the beginning for St Giles at Southkey and there was much more to explore and experience here.

 

Renowned for the St Giles quality standard of service in their properties opened in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Sydney and New York, I am looking forward to my own experience of the same in Johor Baru.

 

St Giles Southkey Johor Baru is located within Mid Valley Southkey, No. 1 Persiaran Southkey 1, Kota Southkey, 80150 Johor Baru, Johor. Tel: +607 – 336 8818

 

For more information, visit website: www.stgileshotels.com