Top 10 Hotels Near Istana Besar in Johor Bahru for 2026

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Our top choices for Istana Besar hotels

A Holiday Inn Express & Suites hotel with a modern design, featuring a prominent sign and a well-lit entrance.

A hotel room with a bed, a sofa, a small table, and a TV.

A spacious lobby with a curved reception desk, multiple seating areas, and a staircase leading to an upper level.

A modern cafe with a curved wooden bench, a buffet counter with various food items, and multiple pendant lights.

1. Holiday Inn Express & Suites Johor Bahru by IHG

Central District, 0.7 km from Istana Besar

Abdul Ghani

RM207

RM274 total

includes taxes & fees

24 Sept - 25 Sept

A rooftop pool area with lounge chairs, a small pool, and surrounding greenery.

A modern kitchen with stainless steel appliances, wooden countertops, and a buffet setup.

A modern hotel lobby with a reception desk, seating area, and a decorative plant display.

A modern hotel room with a large sofa, a coffee table, a TV, and a city view through large windows.

2. DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Johor Bahru

Central District, 1.2 km from Istana Besar

Natasha

RM303

RM368 total

includes taxes & fees

13 Sept - 14 Sept

An infinity pool with a view of the water, lounge chairs, and a modern building with large windows.

A modern hotel room with a large window, a sofa with colorful pillows, a yellow armchair, a small round table, and a bed with a striped rug.

A modern kitchen with marble countertops, a central island, and a herringbone-patterned floor.

A hotel room with a large bed, a chair, a nightstand, and a view of the city.

3. Holiday Inn Johor Bahru City Centre by IHG

Central District, 1.1 km from Istana Besar

Poomahdevi

RM335

RM408 total

includes taxes & fees

15 Sept - 16 Sept

A modern restaurant with a central bar, multiple dining tables, and a large window offering a view of the outdoors.

A modern hotel room with a bed, bedside table, and a view into the dining area.

An aerial view of a rooftop pool with a tiled floor, a white border, and lounge chairs.

4. Capri by Fraser Johor Bahru

Central District, 1.6 km from Istana Besar

Arnel

RM425

RM469 total

includes taxes & fees

26 Aug - 27 Aug

A rooftop bar with outdoor seating, a city view, and a bar area with bottles and glasses.

A rooftop terrace with wicker furniture, a table with a candle, and a cityscape view at night.

A modern reception area with marble countertops, decorative wall panels, and a skylight.

A bar area with a bartender, shelves of bottles, and a menu board.

5. Amari Johor Bahru

Central District, 1.1 km from Istana Besar

Noelle Jin Ci

RM222

RM272 total

includes taxes & fees

20 Sept - 21 Sept

A modern hotel lobby with a central bar area, seating arrangements, and a city view.

A swimming pool with a water feature, surrounded by lounge chairs and umbrellas, with tall buildings in the background.

A modern living room with a dining area, large windows, and a city view.

6. Sheraton Johor Bahru

Central District, 1.9 km from Istana Besar

Vincent

RM650

RM712 total

includes taxes & fees

26 Aug - 27 Aug

A modern dining area with tables set for meals, a large window offering a city view, and a potted plant adding greenery.

A modern hotel entrance with a glass facade, prominent pillars, and a well-lit exterior.

A modern living room with a sofa, a coffee table, and a TV on a wall.

A rooftop infinity pool with a wooden deck, surrounded by glass walls offering city views.

7. Shama Suasana Johor Bahru

Central District, 1 km from Istana Besar

Faye

RM244

RM264 total

includes taxes & fees

26 Aug - 27 Aug

A modern hotel lobby with a polished marble floor, a reception desk, and a seating area with sofas and a coffee table.

A modern urban street with high-rise buildings, a commercial area with shops, and a clear sky.

A modern hotel corridor with a central seating area, elevators, and glass storefronts.

A modern buffet setup with multiple serving stations, a variety of food items, and a clean, wooden interior design.

8. Ibis Styles Johor Bahru City Centre

Central District, 1.1 km from Istana Besar

Kay Heok

A hotel lobby with a check-in counter, seating area, and a 'WELCOME' mat.

A modern cafe with a central counter, multiple seating areas, and a checkered floor pattern.

A hotel room with a bed, a bedside table with a phone, a TV mounted on the wall, and a window with curtains.

A reception area with a green sofa, a red chair, a patterned floor, a ceiling fan, and a view of the outside through large windows.

9. Citrus Hotel Johor Bahru by Compass Hospitality

Central District, 1.1 km from Istana Besar

Chin Sung

RM124

RM124 total

includes taxes & fees

23 Sept - 24 Sept

A modern hotel room with a curved window, a sofa, a small table, and a kitchenette.

A modern indoor lounge area with wicker furniture, a wall-mounted plant shelf, and a large potted tree.

A hotel room with two beds, a desk with a chair, a mirror, and a view of tall buildings through large windows.

A modern dining area with a wooden table, wicker chairs, and a potted plant.

10. Z Hotel Johor

Central District, 1.1 km from Istana Besar

Mona

RM174

RM216 total

includes taxes & fees

31 Aug - 1 Sept

A multi-story hotel with a prominent sign reading "Bella Hotel".

A hallway with a wooden floor, white walls, and a metal railing. There are potted plants along the railing.

A multi-level interior with a wooden staircase, white walls, and a tiled floor.

A hotel room with a large bed, a desk, and a television.

11. Belllo Hotel JB Central

Central District, 1.1 km from Istana Besar

Norridzuan

RM169

RM199 total

includes taxes & fees

4 Sept - 5 Sept

A modern living room with a sofa, a TV, and a pool view.

A modern living room with a large TV, a glass coffee table, a leather sofa, and a view of a cityscape through large windows.

A buffet setup with various food items and a counter with stacked plates.

A modern hotel lobby with a reception desk, two lion statues, and a large screen displaying an indoor golf simulator advertisement.

12. KSL Hotel & Resort

Taman Century, 3.5 km from Istana Besar

Setmar

RM201

RM227 total

includes taxes & fees

3 Sept - 4 Sept

A hotel room with a large bed, a wooden headboard, a window with curtains, and a wooden table.

A hotel reception area with a check-in counter, a wooden chair, a suitcase, and a motorcycle.

A staircase with red railings and shutters, leading to an interior space.

13. CIQ HOTEL at Jalan Trus

Central District, 1 km from Istana Besar

Hui Hui

RM126

RM146 total

includes taxes & fees

20 Sept - 21 Sept

A hotel with a prominent neon sign, large windows, and a red and white facade.

A reception area with a glass partition, a reception desk, and a door.

A buffet with various dishes and a person serving food.

A hotel room with a bed, a laptop, and a magazine on the bed. There is a window with curtains, a television on the wall, and a door.

14. T Hotel Johor Bahru

Central District, 1 km from Istana Besar

Bryan

RM99

RM127 total

includes taxes & fees

1 Sept - 2 Sept

A hotel lobby with a reception desk, seating area, and large windows.

A clean, well-lit lobby with a sofa set, a small table, a potted plant, a fire hose reel, and a refrigerator.

A hotel room with a bed, a sofa, a TV, and a small table.

A multi-story building with a colorful facade featuring diagonal stripes in red, blue, yellow, and white. The ground floor has a sign for "HOTEL SHOBI" and another sign indicating "NOW OPEN."

15. Shobi Hotel Johor Bahru Near CIQ JB

Central District, 1.6 km from Istana Besar

Daryl

RM69

RM74 total

includes taxes & fees

7 Sept - 8 Sept

A rooftop pool with lounge chairs, potted plants, and a view of the cityscape.

A modern bar area with a large window, a plant, and a counter with glasses.

A modern hotel room with a large bed, a desk, a chair, and a view of a cityscape through large windows.

16. Suasana JB Central by TPL

Central District, 1 km from Istana Besar

Farooq

RM214

RM241 total

includes taxes & fees

26 Aug - 27 Aug

A hotel entrance with a glass door, a welcome mat, and potted plants.

A hallway with a tiled floor, a fire alarm, a number 6 sign, and a 'KELUAR' exit sign.

A multi-story hotel with balconies, a red building with a 'Link Postpaid' sign, and a 'Bangunan KAHIM' sign.

A hotel room with two beds, a desk with a TV, a ceiling fan, and a window with curtains.

17. Hotel J.B.

Central District, 1 km from Istana Besar

Mohamed

RM102

RM120 total

includes taxes & fees

4 Sept - 5 Sept

A multi-story hotel with colorful window shutters and a sign reading "HOTEL CIO".

A reception area with a check-in counter, a wooden chair, a suitcase, and a wall-mounted sign reading "HOTEL CIQ".

A hallway with wooden doors, a potted plant on a tree stump, and a patterned carpet.

18. Hotel CIQ, Jalan Trus

Central District, 1 km from Istana Besar

"The room had everything that I needed. Walls were a little dirty, bathroom was also had some stains but overall cleanliness was still acceptable as this is a 3 star hotel Afterall. The hotel staff were helpful and responsive to requests. Room emenities included hair dryer, toothpaste+toothbrushes, soap, shower gel, hair shampoo, bottled water and basic tea sets. Was overall a pleasant stay for two nights."

Yuh-Shan

RM96

RM103 total

includes taxes & fees

9 Sept - 10 Sept

A hotel room with two beds, a desk with a kettle and water bottles, and a large mirror above the beds.

A reception desk with a sign indicating "RECEPTION," a glass partition, and a small table with a chair to the right.

A room with two chairs, a small table with a vase of flowers, a shelf with jars and containers, and a wall-mounted air conditioner.

A modern hallway with wooden paneling and white walls, leading to a door at the end.

19. Hotel CIQ @ Wong Ah Fook

Central District, 1.1 km from Istana Besar

Yap

RM78

RM92 total

includes taxes & fees

26 Aug - 27 Aug

A modern pool area with lounge chairs and planters, surrounded by glass buildings.

A modern dining area with a large table set for four, a sofa, and a city view through large windows.

A modern living room with a sofa, coffee table, and a dining area with chairs and a table.

A modern dining area with a wooden table set for four, a TV mounted on the wall, and a large window with curtains.

20. Suasana Suites by Subhome

Central District, 1 km from Istana Besar

"The 3-bedroom property was not sufficiently clean - there were trails of ants crawling all over the place. Ants would crawl up on us when we were on the bed and sofa. The common shower had no hot water despite us switching on the water heater. Our repeated messages to Subhome regarding the water heater issue were ignored and the issue was not resolved during our 2-days stay (6 of us ended up sharing one bathroom). There were also no toiletries except two bottles of cheaply-scented body shower...

Anonymous traveller

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Compare popular hotels close to Istana Besar

Property	Property class	Guest rating
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Johor Bahru by IHG	8.6 Excellent 331 reviews	View
Amari Johor Bahru	8.8 Excellent 1,002 reviews	View
R&F Princess Cove by FUJU & 5mins to ClQ	9.4 Exceptional 173 reviews	View
Holiday Inn Johor Bahru City Centre by IHG	8.8 Excellent 771 reviews	View
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Johor Bahru	9.0 Wonderful 1,003 reviews	View

Top Istana Besar Hotel Reviews

R&F Princess Cove by FUJU & 5mins to ClQ

8/10 Good

"The room is in excellent condition."

Sheraton Johor Bahru

8/10 Good

"Everything was great, except that the room type had a connecting room. The soundproof was not that great as we had guest on the other room. It wasn’t bad but do take note that if you are sensitive to noise you could hear some noise next door."

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Johor Bahru by IHG

10/10 Excellent

"The room was clean and inviting. Car park entrance was from another road that was different from the drop off area."

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Johor Bahru

8/10 Good

"Free parking, staff service excellent. Surrounding hotel under construction so location messy not so nice"

Holiday Inn Johor Bahru City Centre by IHG

10/10 Excellent

"Just next to CIQ. Will be glad that you are so close to the customs and can just dump the bag before going to shop in KSL or Southkey. In July 2026 the City Square is undergoing renovations so there is not much to shop so take note of that. Everything should be back to normal when the new MRT station opens that links to Singapore. The hotel is modern, new and very welcoming. Did not have breakfast at the hotel but went to the old town to have my nasi lemak and hainanese coffee."

Suasana JB Central by TPL

10/10 Excellent

"Breakfast at level 34 was nice. highest cafe in all of JB"

Citrus Hotel Johor Bahru by Compass Hospitality

10/10 Excellent

"Comfortable stay."

CIQ HOTEL at Jalan Trus

8/10 Good

"Night can get quite noisy"

T Hotel Johor Bahru

8/10 Good

"Nearness to train station"

Other attractions near Istana Besar

A pelican standing on a railing by a green body of water with trees and buildings in the background.

Johor Zoo

7.0/10 (15 reviews)

Hang out with the animal kingdom to encounter a rich variety of wildlife at one of the oldest zoos in Malaysia.

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A long corridor with a blue floor, white walls, and yellow doors.

Sultan Abu Bakar State Mosque

6.4/10 (8 reviews)

Visit the state mosque of Johor, a beautiful old building that was commissioned by a sultan and boasts a mix of architectural styles.

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A red colonial-style building with white trim, ornate balconies, and traditional lanterns.

Tan Hiok Nee

Find out about the history of Bandar Johor Bahru when you spend time at Tan Hiok Nee. While in this family-friendly area, find time to visit its shops.

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Royal Abu Bakar Museum

You can spend an afternoon exploring the galleries in Royal Abu Bakar Museum in Johor Bahru. Wander the area's picturesque gardens or simply enjoy one of its top-notch restaurants.

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Masjid Negeri Sultan Abu Bakar

Learn about the local history of Johor Bahru when you spend time at Masjid Negeri Sultan Abu Bakar. Visit the shops and top-notch restaurants in this family-friendly area.

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Sultan Ibrahim Building

7.4/10 (3 reviews)

After visiting Sultan Ibrahim Building, make a plan to see the other sights and activities in Bandar Johor Bahru. Wander the area's picturesque gardens or simply enjoy one of its top-notch restaurants.

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Johor Bahru Chinese Heritage Museum

You can spend an afternoon browsing the exhibits at Johor Bahru Chinese Heritage Museum during your trip to Bandar Johor Bahru. Make time to visit the area's shops or simply enjoy its top-notch restaurants.

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Sri Raja Mariamman Temple

After visiting Sri Raja Mariamman Temple, make a plan to see the other sights and activities in Bandar Johor Bahru. Visit the area's shops or amble around its picturesque gardens.

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Frequently asked questions

What's the area like around Istana Besar?

Istana Besar is located in a welcoming area of Johor Bahru known for its array of dining options and bird watching. If you're looking for a convenient place to stay, take a look at the 128 hotels and other accommodation options you'll find within a mile.

What's the best hotel to stay close to Istana Besar?

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Johor Bahru is one of the top choices for your stay based on our traveller data, and this hotel offers a full-service spa and 3 restaurants. It's located just a short 0.7 mi (1.2 km) from Istana Besar. Other good options close by include Holiday Inn Express & Suites Johor Bahru by IHG and Holiday Inn Johor Bahru City Centre by IHG.

How many hotels are there close to Istana Besar?

Expedia has 128 hotels and other accommodation options within a mile from Istana Besar.

If I need to cancel the hotel reservation for my stay near Istana Besar, will I receive a refund?

Yes! You'll find that most room reservations are fully refundable as long as you cancel prior to the accommodation's cancellation deadline, which in most cases is within 24 or 48 hours of your check-in date. If you have a non-refundable reservation, you might be able to still cancel and get a refund within a 24-hour period of booking. Enter your dates, click on "Search", then use the "fully refundable" filter to review the best deals available near Istana Besar.

What can I see and do near Istana Besar?

You'll want to browse the exhibits at Sultan Abu Bakar Royal Palace Museum and Johor Bahru Chinese Heritage Museum. Sights like Tan Hiok Nee and Sri Raja Mariamman Temple highlight some of the local culture. Spend some time wandering around Woodlands Waterfront Park, Taman Merdeka and Danga Bay Park.

How can I get to Istana Besar?

To see more of the larger area, hop aboard a train at JB Sentral. There might not be many public transport options to choose from near to Istana Besar so consider renting a car to see more of the area.

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Flights to Johor Bahru

Hotels near Istana Besar

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Be picky

Check prices for these dates

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Our top choices for Istana Besar hotels

1. Holiday Inn Express & Suites Johor Bahru by IHG

2. DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Johor Bahru

3. Holiday Inn Johor Bahru City Centre by IHG

4. Capri by Fraser Johor Bahru

5. Amari Johor Bahru

6. Sheraton Johor Bahru

7. Shama Suasana Johor Bahru

8. Ibis Styles Johor Bahru City Centre

9. Citrus Hotel Johor Bahru by Compass Hospitality

10. Z Hotel Johor

11. Belllo Hotel JB Central

12. KSL Hotel & Resort

13. CIQ HOTEL at Jalan Trus

14. T Hotel Johor Bahru

15. Shobi Hotel Johor Bahru Near CIQ JB

16. Suasana JB Central by TPL

17. Hotel J.B.

18. Hotel CIQ, Jalan Trus

19. Hotel CIQ @ Wong Ah Fook

20. Suasana Suites by Subhome

Compare popular hotels close to Istana Besar

Top Istana Besar Hotel Reviews

R&F Princess Cove by FUJU & 5mins to ClQ

Sheraton Johor Bahru

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Johor Bahru by IHG

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Johor Bahru

Holiday Inn Johor Bahru City Centre by IHG

Suasana JB Central by TPL

Citrus Hotel Johor Bahru by Compass Hospitality

CIQ HOTEL at Jalan Trus

T Hotel Johor Bahru

Other attractions near Istana Besar

Johor Zoo

Sultan Abu Bakar State Mosque

Tan Hiok Nee

Royal Abu Bakar Museum

Masjid Negeri Sultan Abu Bakar

Sultan Ibrahim Building

Johor Bahru Chinese Heritage Museum

Sri Raja Mariamman Temple

Frequently asked questions

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