An oil-rich boomtown, Miri is noteworthy on travellers’ maps due to the fact that it happens to be a major node on most routes to explore Sarawak. It’s a key transport hub for those heading to Brunei, the Kelabit Highlands and three of Sarawak’s national parks – Gunung Mulu, Niah Caves and Lambir Hills. The town centre is a labyrinth of big hotels, shops, restaurants and bars.
A popular stopover on the backpacker trail, Miri is Sarawak’s largest town and boasts a thoroughly modern vibe. Despite hosting a significant expatriate community, the town retains a strong Chinese character and it’s not a bad place to stay for a day or two. First impressions of Miri are of traffic congestion and a bursting-out-of-its-seams topography but Miri grows on you quickly and travellers often reminisce fondly of the town when they’re trekking across wild north-western Sarawak.
Miri’s got a string of budget friendly, mid range and luxury hotels – worth special mention are the inexpensive Treetops Lodge and Borneo Tropical Rainforest Resort. Meanwhile, the most lavish place to stay in Miri is the large, five-star Miri Marriot Resort & Spa.
▷ The cheerful four-star Four Points is a stylish hotel with rooms that feature Wi-Fi access and the signature Four Points by Sheraton Four Comfort Bed.
▷ Winner of a Sarawak Hornbill Tourism award in 2000, the five-star Merdeka Palace has classically cosy rooms and boasts six food and beverage outlets.
▷ The four-star Grand Margherita, Kuching's only riverfront hotel, has 288 plush guestrooms with wireless internet access and four posh restaurants.
▷ Adjacent to a five-storey shopping complex, the four-star Riverside Majestic has a pool, five F&B venues and 250 rooms with basic amenities and internet access.
▷ A four-star venture offering rooms with standard amenities (select rooms feature Wi-Fi access), Hotel Grand Continental’s facilities include an outdoor pool.
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