Travelling to Singapore can be expensive for Malaysians, what with the currency exchange from ringgit to Sing dollar. So even though it would have been nice and convenient to stay on the island, we instead chose to travel from Johor Bahru into Singapore on day trips — which helped us to save a tonne of money.

Since there were five of us, booking a homestay seemed like a better option versus a hotel. Found one called Twin Tower Residence Johor Bahru by Stayrene via booking.com, which I frequently use since I think it’s safer / better than agoda, which uses third party agents.

We chose this location as it’s close to the JB CIQ ie the immigration checkpoint, which is about 5-10 minutes away on foot.

The check-in process was smooth: I parked my car near the lobby, collected the keys from the mailbox, then proceeded up to the allocated parking bay. This was one of the reasons why I picked a homestay, so I didn’t have to worry about where I could park my car while we were daytripping in SG.

Our unit was spacious and clean, with three bedrooms. There’s a kitchen area where you can do light cooking, and it’s equipped with utensils like pots, an electric kettle, as well as a refrigerator. The living area was cosy too and we could surf Netflix / Youtube using the Wi-Fi.

N and I shared the master bedroom which was basic but comfy, with sufficient power points. They also provided towels. There was a closet / cabinet in one corner to store clothes / luggage, and an ensuite bathroom. There is another shared bathroom along the corridor.

Pretty standard amenities, but the most important thing in my books is that it’s clean. Toiletries are provided.

We stayed here for three nights but since we were out most of the time, we couldn’t avail any of the facilities such as the swimming pool, gym, and sauna. The pool area has reclining chairs for guests to chill on and a couple of vending machines for snacks. Located on the same floor is a small garden and a well maintained playground for children.

A stay in Singapore in a clean budget hotel would have easily cost us S$100 (RM300+) per room, while a 4D3N stay here cost RM1,000, which comes up to about RM66 per pax per night – a steal if I ever saw one!

That being said, I only recommend this for younger travellers: if you’re taking public transport, the journey through the Malaysian-Singapore checkpoints can be extremely tiring / time consuming (it took us about 2 – 3 hours each way to get to our destinations). Newfound respect for Malaysians working in Singapore who commute everyday.

Stayrene manages over 20 rental units within Twin Towers Residence JB, and the units are randomly assigned once you’ve made your booking. They also manage other properties in Johor and Melaka. Book directly at their website or through a trusted platform such as booking.com.

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PS2: All expenses are out of my own pocket unless otherwise stated. Views here are my own and are based on my personal experience. They are not meant to endorse or disparage businesses/ establishments in any way.