Renai Hotel Kota Bahru (formerly known as The Grand Renai Hotel)
10/10 Excellent
"This hotel is absolutely gorgeous! Bed comfortable and clean. Staff very friendly. Food exceptional! The Billion Mall is connected so you don’t even need to leave the building to shop for fresh foods, clothing, electronics or sweet treats. There is a bowling alley on the fourth floor which was really fun as well. Really enjoyed this hotel. Be aware that there is no airport shuttle as the website advertises though, however the staff will arrange a taxi, make sure to have cash to pay the taxi if you choose that route. We ended up just doing Grab instead. Don’t expect a mini bar or soft drinks as advertised either. Lighting the room is a bit tricky, but once you figure it out the room lighting is great. "
"I feel this place has had some unfair and harsh reviews in the past. I can of course only base my review on our experience with the room we booked, a triple room with AC. Yes it is a bit of a walk from the long beach jetty and there is a bit of a broken up path with a small incline to the reception but from coral beach the hill is steep. We were greeted at reception by a friendly host and a bottle of water. We found our room to be clean and as the pictures stated, we had a fan and air conditioning and the room was quickly cooled after a hot walk. Our room was unfortunately at the top of another hill but can't be helped given the landscape of the property. The bathroom was acceptable the shower could have been slightly better as it didn't have much pressure but was enough to wash. There was no wifi in the room and the mobile reception is minor and patchy at best but this IS a remote island paradise. If you need entertainment in your room you'd be best to download a series or two but generally browsing internet and social media just about worked on mobile data. The property is a short and fairly easy walk from long beach and its restaurants, shops & bars about 5 mins. It's also a 5-10 minute walk from coral beach which is great for watching sunset but the steep hill is short but sweaty. I think the price of this room is more on the expensive side for basic accommodation but the AC is worth the upgrade as the jungle island is hot & humid. All in all we were happy with the stay"