Located at the central of Kuching city, Crowne Plaza Hotel is one of the newest hotels in this city. It is situated along Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman, one of the main streets in Kuching and has an excellent view of the river front. In terms of accessibility and convenience, one cannot ask for a more strategic location - it’s just within 10 minutes walk away from the pub district, 2 minutes to river front, 3 minutes to the famous seafood centre - TopSpot (also covered in this journal), 20 steps from Holiday Inn Hotel and next to the Hilton.
We took a corner room which came with an excellent view of the river and Fort Margherita across the river. It was spacious and tastefully done although it had the feel of a business hotel more than a tourist hotel. The standard business hotel facilities are available - mini bar, coffee/tea facilities, phone, writing table, iron and Internet access. It has a clever little nook behind the wardrobe for its writing table, away from the distraction of TV. Actually, what we liked most about this hotel was its convenience of being right next to a 5-story shopping mall, complete with Cineplex and bowling alley!
The hotel comes equipped with a mid-size swimming pool and gym on the 4th floor. There are three restaurants in the hotel, although we did not have the chance to eat in either of it. There is also a lady wellness centre where a one-hour facial starts from RM100. All rooms come with a complementary buffet breakfast which offers a wide spread of continental and Asian variety. I'll recommend you to have breakfast in one of the many coffee shops next to the hotel. Just walk to your right from the main entrance of the hotel; there are at least 4 coffee shops around within 500m radius. Have a bowl of the famous Sarawak Laksa as opposed to the halfheartedly cooked omelette offered by the hotel.
From RM 250 a night (prices vary depending on seasonality and standards) I think Crowne Plaza is worth it. At least it's newer, compared to Hilton or Holiday Inn.