Unique – that’s exactly the word can be used to describe Kuching. Being the capital of the largest state in the country, the is a lot to discover in Kuching itself from its history to their magnificent range of food.
Kuching’s city centre is well preserved and very compact but it also acts as a gateway for the visitor to get to another city of Sarawak as well and it is the popular tourist destination in Borneo. Packed with hotels and resorts, there are so many options available within the city centre.
One of them is the one that we want to highlight; Ariva Gateway Kuching.
Ariva Gateway Kuching is conveniently located in the heart of the city, with several facilities for business, entertainment and shopping just a stone-throw away.
Connected to famous a seafood centre and surrounded by shopping complex, convenient stores, fresh market, coffee shops and bars. There are 34 units of serviced residences with either Two (2) or Three (3) bedrooms await the guest and they are in great demand for a daily or long-term stay.
This affordable 2 or 3 bedrooms in a fully furnished apartment are suitable for families, couple or even for a group to a maximum of 5 persons, washer and dryer and complimentary car parking bays at the basements, subject to availability.
On top of that, Ariva Gateway Kuching has revealed a fresh look with enhancements to its 34 Superior Rooms, designed to reflect the property’s homely and inviting ambience for business and leisure travellers.
Modern touches include the bathroom which features a refreshing optional hand-held Rainforest shower. Guestrooms are equipped with 32” LCD flat-screen television with Astro channels, in-room safe, mini-fridge, large glass top working desk and coffee/tea-making facilities.
According to Tripadvisor, the hotel ranked number 23 in Kuching with 3.5 ratings from 311 reviews. 4 out of 5 points received for location and 3.5 points each for cleanliness, services and value.
Another things to highlight are the full marks of 100 points and labelled as ‘Great For Walkers’. This places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
There are 92 restaurants within 0.5km and 18 attractions within 0.5km from the hotel.
Our Personal Experience
Regardless of the Tripadvisor rating, we have our ‘own rating’ system which we will use to give our verdict on the hotels. The rating is based on a Netflix show called ‘Instant Hotel’ and is based on the appearance, value for the money, the quality of the guest’s sleep, and the hotel location and proximity to local attractions and sightseeing.
Each category, the hotel will be given 1-5 points based on our experience there.
This is our view of Ariva Gateway Kuching
#1. Appearance – 3/5
Since they situated in the Gateway Kuching, they shared lift (at least to the lobby) with other tenants.
Do take note that their lobby is on the 4th floor; after that guest will need to use an access card to access to the hotel floor lift.
There are swimming pools, gym, sauna room and other facilities at the top of the hotel and the view from up here is quite satisfying actually.
We stayed in a two-bedroom apartment with full equipt for cooking such as stove, electric kettle, cutlery, rice cooker, dishes and etc. This is a plus point if you are staying in with families or for a long stay.
#2. Quality Of Guest Sleep – 4/5
Let’s talk about the arrangement, with two rooms, one with a single bed and one with king-size bed (or queen) you can easily fit up to 4 or maybe up to 6 guests in the unit (if you are staying the same 2 bedroom apartment unit as us) because the room is spacious enough for everyone. Even you can add-on a bed in the living room or in the room itself.
We are quite surprised and in awe when we test the bed, and honestly; every day we are looking forward to being sleeping on the bed because it is super comfortable!
Oh, we love the view! We can clearly see the cat statue and Mount Santubong from afar. The sunrise and sunset view is quite amazing from our room itself!
Pro Tips : Try asking for higher ground for nicer view and the noise from the road might not disturbing so much. p/s : Always, request a room that is at the other end of a lift (in any hotel). Although you will need to walk far but trust me, your sleep won’t be disturbed by the noise of people walking towards the lift.
#3. The Hotel Location – 5/5
Although some might feel that the hotel location is quite a distance from the attractions nearby but for us, it is very convenient.
For instance, there is a bank (OCBC Bank) at ground floor; eateries and bar less than 100metres, convenience store (local and 7-Eleven) located at the opposite side from the UG entrance, you just need to walk across a parking lot around 100metres.
The nearest attraction is the Cat Statue which is 5 minutes walking; there is McDonald's beside it, a shopping mall that currently has a DIY store, pharmacy and a few cafes operating.
Apart from that, if you want to walk; well, you can actually explore most of the city attraction like the Tuo Pek Kong temple, the waterfront, Carpenter Street, and others.
#4. Value For Money – 5/5
The services we received and from what we see while staying there for one whole week make us decide to award Ariva Gateway full marks and we are very satisfied with our stay and the services we received.
Do note that you need to use their UG entrance if you come on the weekend or after 6 pm since the main door are locked during weekends and after 6 pm on weekdays.
Overall: 17/20
In short; Ariva Gateway Kuching is perfect for couples, families of all ages, business travellers, travellers that don’t mind walking or you have your own car to get around.
Some other rooms available at Ariva :
Superior Double Room
2-Bedroom-Apartment-Premier
If you’re bound for a trip to Kuching next time and considering Ariva Getaway for your stay; you can check their rates below.
Ariva Gateway Kuching
9, Jalan Bukit Mata Kuching, Bukit Mata Kuching, 93100 Kuching, Sarawak
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