Miri is a coastal city in southeastern Sarawak, East Malaysia. Known as the location of the first oil well drilling in entire Malaysia, it wasn't a surprise to see some rapid development in the city.
With its location that is relatively not so far from Bruneian, Bruneian also often make it their short getaway for either doing groceries or just spending some time to enjoy the nightlife in the city. Other than that, Miri has got some places to offer in the suburb like Niah Caves or Tusan Beach.
Based on my experience making a stop in Miri, it's fair to say that Miri is just a typical transit city. Everything worth visiting is quite a distance from the city center.
I got a chance to stay in Miri for a couple of nights before heading to Bario as a part of my Borneo trip, and I want to share my review of one of the best hotels in Miri, Sarawak in this post: The Room Hotel.Â
Hotels in Miri are relatively affordable in terms of rate, and it's super comfortable for a short stay. In my case, I didn't travel much around Miri before going off to Bario and The Room Hotel exceeded all my expectations for accommodation.
Pretty much like Lehdo Inn, The Room wasn't initially my first option to stay in Miri.
However, unlike Lehdo Inn that I booked when I was already on the trip, I booked a single room in The Room Hotel a few days before I went off to Pontianak.
And the reason why I canceled the booking for my previous option was that I just found out the existence of this gem in Miri. Not to mention that the price is only slightly higher than my first option.
For the single room, I only paid $22.40 USD for 2 nights. Pretty affordable, now that I know it's pretty much the best accommodation that I've got during my Borneo trip as a whole.
Single room at The Room Hotel, Miri.
Early Check-In Procedure
TV is also available in the room.
So, pretty much like my journey from Kuching to Sibu, I also took a night bus from Sibu to Miri. I was expected to arrive at around 7 AM. Fortunately, there were some constructions on the way to Miri that I touched down the city at around 9 AM.
I notified the hotel that I might have to check-in early through Agoda, but I got no response. So I literally just showed up at the hotel around 10 AM. But then, they served me really well that I could check-in directly. It was really nice after 10 hours sitting on the bus.
Upon check-in time, the receptionist asked the deposit for 50 MYR in which they would return after I checked out. In addition to that, the tourism tax for 10 MYR per night was also applied. So in total, I paid 70 MYR up front.
The receptionist gave me the receipt, as well as the password for wifi connection in the room. And I was totally surprised when I entered the room!
Single Room at The Room Hotel in Miri
See how spacious the room is! 😀
It was such a pleasant way to find out that the room was superb!
I mean, with slightly more than $10 USD per night, I was expecting to have a smaller room. But then it was really, really nice. Not to mention that the elevator was also provided so I didn't have to worry about carrying my big luggage to the third floor whatever.
The room was quite spacious, and they even provided 2 pillows on the bed.
At some point, I kinda hope that all the hotel rooms would be like this: affordable, spacious with elevator available and also super clean!
As if it wasn't enough, because they also had hairdryer attached next to the counter where you could do makeup with a big mirror. Everything in barely $12 USD, could you imagine?! 😀
No wonder though, I spoke to my Grab driver from Pujut (the bus station in Miri), and he said that The Room is a brand new hotel. The right place in the right time, indeed! 🙂
Review
As I spoke to some others on the rest of my Borneo trip, they said that most accommodations in Miri are quite comfortable as it is indeed a transit city. Even for me, I think I wouldn't consider staying in Miri for a couple of nights if it wasn't because I went to Bario after that.
However, I'm glad that I decided to stay in Miri for a while though. 2 nights I spent in Miri, I used it for some kind of chill period in which I took as many naps as I could.
They provide hairdryer in the room, yeayyy!
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The location is quite nice, in which it's close to some eateries, as well as walking distance from some cafes. My first night in Miri, I spent my night at Ming Cafe. It was only around 10 minutes walking from the hotel.
The hotel room and facilities are amazing, given the fact that its night rate is below $12 USD. It has everything you need for in a hotel room!
The room is spacious, even for me who booked the single room. Can't speak for the standard room though.
The wifi connection is really great. I could work without any problem in the room.
The hospitality of the staff is outstanding! 🙂
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They don't provide any toiletries, so please mind that you should at least have your own toothbrush and toothpaste. They have a 2-in-1 soap and shampoo in the soap dispenser though.
They were pretty much uncontactable through Agoda, where I booked the hotel for my stay.
A glimpse of their toilet and shower.
Would I Stay at The Room Hotel Again?
If I got a chance to visit Miri again, then absolutely!
Although to be fair, Miri was a bit ‘dry' as a city. Like I wrote in the first paragraph of this post, everything worth-seeing in Miri, it was far distance where you need to rent a car and everything.
But if you're seeking for some kind of bar-hopping or just a nice hotel to have a staycation with a tight budget, then this is it!
The Room Hotel is totally recommended. I mean, it's rare to find a hotel room within the budget with such nice facilities like this. You can book it easily through Agoda or any other booking sites for such an affordable rate.
So, if you happen to plan out transit in Miri on your way to someplace else like Bario or Gunung Mulu, maybe you should consider The Room Hotel to stay next time.
Have you been to Miri? Tell me what's the best thing you could do in the city, and cheerio! 😀
Marya The BeauTraveler
I am the founder and main editor at The BeauTraveler. I spent 4 years working in the aviation industry but ironically got to travel more right after quitting the industry in 2015. Born and raised in Indonesia, I started working remotely in 2017, and while I stay at home most of the time, I also regularly spend 2-3 months living a semi-digital nomad life elsewhere every year.
