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4.0
#5 of 72 hotels in Kuching
Location
Rooms
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
In The Heart of Kuching's Legacy Historic District The Waterfront Hotel is a brand new 5 star boutique hotel located in the heart of the Legacy Square historic district of Kuching. Situated above the Plaza Merdeka Shopping Center and surrounded by many historical architectural landmarks, it serves as an anchor in the neighbourhood. The hotel also has a commanding view of the iconic State Legislative building (DUN) and the Governors Palace (Astana) to the North an the Merdeka field (Padang) and the historic Sarawak Museum (built in 1874) to the South. The Artrageous feature of the hotel is the mission to promote local artists, be it music to handicrafts to art. The hotel supports them by acquiring their art for its own collection, showcasing and selling their art pieces, promoting the artists online and in select cases naming select suites in honour. The Waterfront Hotel's friendly, personal service, accompanying thoughtful amenities and Artrageous theme will leave guests with a unique and luxuries experience.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Family
Business
Languages Spoken
English, Chinese, Malay
Location
68, Jalan Tun Abang Haji Openg, Kuching 93000 Malaysia
The Waterfront Hotel
515 reviews
Getting there
Great for walkers
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The Waterfront Hotel stands out for its spacious and clean rooms that offer stunning river views, though a few guests suggest they could benefit from modernization. Service at the hotel is often highlighted as friendly and attentive, particularly the breakfast team. Visitors enjoy the charming atmosphere, enhanced by unique touches like cat-shaped cookies.
While the hotel is commended for its excellent location close to various attractions, opinions on value vary, with some finding the offerings overpriced. Amenities like the club lounge and pool add to the hotel's allure.
Location
Convenient
Atmosphere
Charming
Rooms
Spacious
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Immaculate
Service
Friendly
Amenities
Well-appointed
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The hotel's location is very strategic - 5 minutes walking distance to Kuching Waterfront and the building is adjacent to the shopping mall (Merdeka mall) which make it very easy to get food and souveniers. Great hospitality from the front desk and the coffee house staff.
Hotel management to look into menu selection at the coffee house during breakfast as not many choice at the buffet counter.
Our only comment on the room is the noise came from the aircond that is very loud and irritating
Overall our stay is good!
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Date of stay: February 2020
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Book room facing the waterfront with higher level and you can watch the musical fountain at the...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from The Waterfront Hotel Tang, Guest Services / Front Office at The Waterfront Hotel
Responded 1 July 2020
Dear LinaAzlina, Thank you very much for your recent visit to The Waterfront Hotel and for having taken the time to share about your experience with us. We are more than pleased to know that you had a wonderful stay with us and that our location offers you with the convenience to a few of Kuching’s top tourist spots. It is heartwarming to know that you loved the services extended by our professional team as well. At the same time, we take note on your feedback on our breakfast spread and the noise from the air-conditioning. Our F&B team and maintenance team have been made aware of your experience and are currently working on improvements. Receiving feedback from our guests is essential for us to identify where we should do better and as such, we appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts with us regarding your stay. Our team will do our best to showcase the improvement we have made in the meantime. We hope that despite your experience during this occasion you will afford us the opportunity to serve you once again in the near future. Kind regards, Stefanie PR Manager
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Stayed here during our visit to Kuching and although there is not anything wrong with the hotel, it is not five star.
Overall the hotel is clean and the staff are pleasant, however the are areas for improvement that are needed to make this a five star hotel. 1) The selection of TV channels is poor especially for western guests. 2) The pool area needs more than just tables and chairs, I would suggest putting some sun loungers so people can relax more. There are only four sun loungers available away from the pool on a concrete balcony which is just odd. 3) The bar at the pool area should be open from lunchtime and not from 4pm onwards. 4) The breakfast selection was poor and needs be improved. 5) The safe in the room needs to be locked down into the cupboard and not just slotted onto a shelf.
The hotel itself is in the centre of Kuching and all of the sites are easily walkable.
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Date of stay: March 2020
Value
Rooms
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from The Waterfront Hotel Tang, Guest Services / Front Office at The Waterfront Hotel
Responded 1 July 2020
Dear TallPaulLondon, Thank you for your recent visit to The Waterfront Hotel and for having taken the time to share about your experience with us. We are pleased to know that you had a pleasant stay with us and that you enjoyed the convenient location. At the same time, we take note on your feedback and suggestions. Please rest assured that they have been raised to our management and they will serve as our guide as we continuously work to improve our service and products for the betterment of our guests. We appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts with us regarding your stay and we will continue to do our best in delivering great service to all our guests. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you to our hotel once again in the future. Kind Regards, Stefanie PR Manager
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The Waterftont Hotel is in a great location, very close to the River & historic district with many eateries, and a decent mall right next to it. However, the Service really needs to be improved! 1. Only 1 towel in the bathroom when we checked in the room. The House keeping man not friendly at all when asked for more bottle water & 2 more towels, he looked very upset and only gave me to me begrudgingly. 2. Breakfast room super crowed in the morning around 8 to 9 am. I had a hard time finding a table for me and my wife. I had to clear the dishes from the previous guests myself and to set my own table. Quite short staff apparently. The ladies at the egg station not smiling and not responding when I said Good morning to them. All these can be improved easily if Management gives them better training and gives them good motivation to provide warmer service. After all, it is a Service industry. 3. Worst of all, I had a bad experience with the lady staff (perhaps a manager) at the front desk sitting on the extreme left hand side at the evening shift on a Friday night. I asked for change from a RM100 bill. Without counting she gave me back 9 RM10 bills & without blinking an eye. Something inside me told me to count the changes in front of her. Sure enough I was short changed RM 10 which on one hand is no big deal, but on the other it is not not acceptable. She did not even apologize for her “inaccuracy”. Very sad. Overall, it is a good hotel, but the Services in the above mentioned areas REALLY need to be improved. I hope Management takes what I write seriously and put forth improvements.
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Date of stay: November 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from The Waterfront Hotel Sam, Guest Services / Front Office at The Waterfront Hotel
Responded 6 Dec 2022
Dear New World Adventurer, Thank you for your visit to The Waterfront Hotel and for having taken the time to share about your experience with us. We are pleased to know that you enjoyed the convenient location. At the same time, we are sorry to hear about your experience with our guest service and please accept our sincere apology for the less than satisfactory experience, which is not our usual standard. The team works hard to deliver and we apologize for missing the mark on this occasion. We have shared this with our Front Office and F&B team for review and they are currently working for improvement. Once again, thank you for your input. Receiving feedback from our guests is essential for us to identify where we can do better and as such, we appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts with us regarding your stay. Our team will do our best to showcase the improvement we have made in the meantime and we look forward for another opportunity to better serve you. Kind regards, Sam Group MarCom Manager
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Chinese New Year Eve dinner was an important annual event for our family. We travelled from different continents to get to this reunion dinner. For the past 3 consecutive years, we celebrate our reunion dinner in this hotel. However this year was a big disappointment. The hall was crowded with no ventilation throughout dinner. All of us was sweating and suffocating for air. When we made it known to their staff, they cannot do anything about the high temperature. I noticed their air conditioner reflected 28 degrees on their wall panel. To make matters worst, their food was degraded. Prawns were not fresh, it was actually mushy. Their steam fish was over cooked and was served luke warm. Dishes in their menu were mainly made up of cheaper ingredients. There wasn’t even a simple dish of chicken.
Overall experience : DISSATISFIED N NOT RECOMMENDED
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Overall, I really enjoyed my stay at The Waterfront Kuching. Being the only 5-star boutique hotel in the area, The Waterfront Kuching is able to provide top-notch service, at the same time maintaining a pretty affordable rates. It’s location is very strategic and if you are looking to explore around Kuching city area.
IG: Travelfoodie.my Website: mylostvoyager.com
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Date of stay: August 2022
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:Get the room with the view of the Sarawak River!
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from The Waterfront Hotel Sam, Guest Services / Front Office at The Waterfront Hotel
Responded 31 Aug 2022
Dear @Travelfoodie.my, Thank you very much for your visit to The Waterfront Hotel and for having taken the time to share about your experience with us. We are grateful for your patronage in addition to the very nice compliments extended. We are more than pleased to know that you had a wonderful stay with us! It is heartwarming to know that you loved the services extended by our professional team and that you enjoyed the convenient location. Our team will be delighted to read your compliments on their hospitality. Thank you for the recommendation, we truly appreciate it! We are all humbled by your praise which helps to motivate us in giving our best on a daily basis. It is a pleasure to have you as our guest and we look forward to welcoming you back to The Waterfront Hotel in the near future. Kind regards, Sam Group MarCom Manager
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What a disappointment this hotel was! The standard of maintenance and above all cleanliness in what is a newish hotel was just appalling. We booked online & from the published hotel photos, were expecting a quality hotel. Boy were we in for a surprise. First the positives, room size good, location excellent, view ok. Bed comfortable. Now functionally speaking it’s a difficult room, NO drawers at all for clothes, the bathroom has no drawers either or any towel racks, just one small hook for your towels and bath robes. So the hotel towels are just left on the bathroom cosmetics area. The windows are not double glazed and the noise from outside is horrendous, very loud indeed, traffic and night clubs etc. Cleanliness wise it’s terrible. The bathroom sink had a huge crack through it, didn’t drain properly and gurgled loudly all the time, waking us up at night. The shower recess was moldy, the glass badly cleaned. Just gross! The walls in the bedroom were dirty and the carpets in the room felt like they needed a good steam clean!
To top it all off the in room dining was inedible! I wrote to the management to let them know as I thought they may want to improve their maintenance but to date I’ve had no response.
A 4.5 star hotel it is not! I have given 2 stars only because of the location and the comfortable bed.
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from The Waterfront Hotel Tang, Guest Services / Front Office at The Waterfront Hotel
Responded 1 Mar 2020
Dear Amsteis v, Thank you for your recent visit to The Waterfront Hotel and for having taken the time to share about your experience with us. We are deeply sorry to learn of your experience during your stay with us and that your impression towards our feedback response level is unsatisfactory. Our management team and I are truly apologetic for the poor experience you had with several aspects of your stay which resulted in your disappointment, and an overall poor impression of the hotel. Our management is taking your feedback very seriously and we require more information to further investigate on these issues. We will reach out to you via the TripAdvisor’s private message function to understand the situation and to clarify on the correct room details as we are unable to trace your room booking at the moment. Unfortunately, we have not been successful either in tracing the said feedback which you have put into writing and we would like to communicate with you to understand how the feedback was delivered to us. We appreciate your feedback as they are immensely valuable and provide us the opportunity to improve our facilities, maintenance levels and service levels that reflect the true standards of The Waterfront Hotel. Our team will do our best to showcase the improvement we have made in the meantime and we hope that you may afford us another opportunity to better serve you in the future. Kind Regards, Stefanie PR Manager
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The location of the hotel is extremely convenient for tourists who would like to explore the historic city centre. It is also adjoined to a mall (The Plaza Merdeka) where there are fast-food restaurants, some shops and a supermarket.
The staff are extremely hospitable with pleasant dispositions all around.
The rooms were above average and probably my only gripe in this review. The rain shower head sputters in all directions, cracked tiles in the toilet and I couldn’t change the temperate for the air-conditioning.
I appreciated that their gym was well maintained with a weights rack, multi-purpose machine and a few cardio machines.
If I were to visit Kuching again, I will most likely come back to stay at The Waterfront Hotel.
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Travelled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from The Waterfront Hotel Sam, Guest Services / Front Office at The Waterfront Hotel
Responded 6 Aug 2023
Dear Kenneth L, Thank you very much for your visit to The Waterfront Hotel and for having taken the time to share about your experience with us. We are glad that you enjoyed the convenient location and that the services met your expectations. At the same time, we take note of your feedback on the bathroom issue; what you have experienced is not our normal practice and we apologize for the less than satisfactory experience you had. Rest assured that your feedback will serve as our guide as we continuously work to improve our service for the betterment of our guests. We look forward to welcoming you back to The Waterfront Hotel in the near future. Kind regards, Serene MarCom Manager
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Stayed 4 nights. The staff were friendly just like many of the people I meet on the streets of Kuching. I had a room facing the river and was able to see the nightly musical fountains from the room on the 9th floor.
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Date of stay: January 2020
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Travelled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from The_Waterfront_Hotel, Public Relations Manager at The Waterfront Hotel
Responded 13 Jan 2020
Dear ibnubatutta, Thank you very much for your recent visit to The Waterfront Hotel and for having taken the time to share about your experience with us. We are more than pleased to know that you had a wonderful stay with us and loved the services extended by our professional team. At the same time, we are grateful that you enjoyed the convenient location that offers you the amazing view of the Sarawak River and the Darul Hana Musical Fountain show. We truly appreciate your kind post and compliments! We are all humbled by your praise which helps to motivate us in giving our best on a daily basis. We look forward to welcoming you back to The Waterfront Hotel in the near future. Kind regards, Stefanie
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My husband and I enjoyed our 5-night stay here. The hotel is in an excellent location, being attached to the Plaza Medeka Mall which has a number of restaurants available as well as just a short walk to the waterfront area, Chinatown, Carpenter Street, and India Street. Our room was clean and quite spacious, but unfortunately it lacked a dining table. We prefer to get takeaway food and eat in our room, so the lack of a dining surface made this awkward. There was a large chaise longue that wasn't really necessary. Overall, the furniture is dated and a bit worn down. The chaise had some visible stains on it. The bed was very comfortable. The bathroom was spacious with a large shower that had both a rainfall showerhead and handheld sprayer. On several occasions the handheld sprayer and its base came off of the wall and we had to put it back on. The shower's temperature and were pressure were very good. The sink drained somewhat slowly. One other issue was the room's landline phone. We could not get it to work to make a local call nor were we able to phone the front desk. Although most of these issues are minor, they should not occur at a five-star hotel. We did not try the hotel breakfast, so I can't speak to its value. The hotel staff were all quite welcoming and friendly. We also enjoyed the unique touches of the cat-shaped cookies served with the complimentary tea/coffee/infused water service provided in the lobby and interacting with the hotel's resident kitty. Overall, this was a good place to stay in Kuching.
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Date of stay: May 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Plaza Merdeka, the mall next door, is open from 10 AM to 10 PM daily and is accessible from the...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from The Waterfront Hotel Sam, Guest Services / Front Office at The Waterfront Hotel
Responded 29 May 2024
Dear MmeReverie, Thank you very much for your visit to The Waterfront Hotel and for having taken the time to share about your experience with us. We are more than pleased to read that you had a wonderful stay and that our location offers you with the convenience to a few of Kuching’s top tourist spots. At the same time, we take note of your feedback on the hotel facilities, in particular the room condition and we apologize for the less than satisfactory experience you had. However, we are glad to read that the service provided by our staff left you feeling satisfied. Rest assured that your feedback will serve as our guide as we continuously work to improve our service for the betterment of our guests. We look forward to welcoming you back to The Waterfront Hotel in the near future. Kind regards, Serene MarCom Manager
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Had a staycation for my mother's birthday. Check-in was smooth and fast. Room 901 was better than anticipated. My parents especially my mother was pleasanted happy with the clean room and the marvelous view that was overlooking the DUN, Astana and the S-bridge. The other side of the window was the Electra House and old State Mosque which is not always seen from bird's eye view. At night we were surprised by the Hotel with a simple but warm-hearted cake slice from the friendly and joyful staff after the nightly fountain show. Thank you to Andrew and Wandy for, the birthday wishes and cake. We appreciate the kindly gesture. God bless and happy new year!
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Date of stay: December 2019Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from The_Waterfront_Hotel, Public Relations Manager at The Waterfront Hotel
Responded 6 Jan 2020
Dear Richard L., Thank you very much for your recent visit to The Waterfront Hotel and for having taken the time to share about your experience with us. We are grateful for your patronage in addition to the very nice compliments extended. We are more than pleased to know that you had a wonderful stay with us and loved the attention to details and personal gesture extended by our professional team, in particular Andrew and Wandy who exceeded your expectation. It is always heartwarming to know that you enjoyed the convenient location that provides the amazing view. We truly appreciate your kind post and compliments! We are all humbled by your praise which helps to motivate us in giving our best on a daily basis. We wishes you a very Happy New Year too and we look forward to welcoming you back to The Waterfront Hotel in the near future. Kind regards, Stefanie
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Hello.. Not so sure abt that. But Im sure the concierge can assist but it can get a bit costly. The information counter of the shopping mall next door should be able to provide the necessary info too.
Bu then, taxi and Grab drivers are available nearby and plentiful. So you have more varieties to choose from. Good luck!
As previous replies have said.....the pool is fairly small and shallow. Not good for serious lap swimmers. it is also undercover, but has good views across the river. Showers and toilets are available as is a pool attendant (sometimes) and pool towels. The pool is on level 4 andis open from about 8am. a small number of tables and chairs are available as well as two lounges.
Other than the pool, I'm not very sure what other activities are provided by the hotel. But no worries because the hotel is attached to a modestly fancy shopping mall next door with lots of choices.
There are more places to choose from in the Kuching area.
PRICE RANGE
AU$117 - AU$158 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
MalaysiaSarawakKuching
NUMBER OF ROOMS
208
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect total costs of the stay, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
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