8 Best Places to Stay in Kuching: Areas and Hotels

Featured image: Marufish, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr.

Quick answer: the best pick by traveler type

Choose your traveler type first, then the hotel. Each pick below is expanded in the main list.

Kuching areas compared

Four areas cover almost every booking. Old-town stays suit short city trips. Damai suits slow beach days and day trips.

Where to stay in Kuching: 8 picks by area and traveler type

Prices and hours checked November 2026. Rates change by date and room, so use each hotel's own site for live prices.

1. Grand Margherita Hotel: best for first-timers

Grand Margherita Hotel sits on Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman, the riverside strip it shares with Hilton and Riverside Majestic. It suits first-timers who want the Sarawak River outside the window and the Sarawak Museum within reach. Facilities include an outdoor pool and a well-equipped gym.

Not every room faces the water, so request a river view when you book. Travelers wanting a small, design-led property should choose another stay, because this is a large upscale hotel. More riverside options are in our waterfront hotel guide.

2. Hilton Kuching: best for families

Hilton Kuching stands on Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman beside the river. Families get an outdoor pool, a 24-hour fitness center and Toh Yuen for Chinese dining without leaving the building. Rooms face either the Sarawak River or the city skyline, so ask which side you are assigned.

Main Bazaar and the Sarawak Museum make easy short outings from here. Couples after a quiet boutique feel will find it too large, and budget travelers will find cheaper beds elsewhere.

3. Riverside Majestic Hotel: best for river views

Riverside Majestic Hotel fronts Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman and splits into the Puteri Wing and the Astana Wing. Puteri was recently renovated and has an outdoor pool plus a gym looking over the Sarawak River. Astana adds the Sky Lounge on level 17 and Suasana restaurant on level 18 for city views at dinner.

Wings differ in feel and price, so book the wing you actually want. Read recent guest reviews and note their dates before you commit, since experiences vary by stay.

4. Merdeka Palace Hotel & Suites: best for longer stays

Merdeka Palace Hotel & Suites stands on Jalan Tun Abang Haji Openg, near Padang Merdeka and the Sarawak Museum. Its fully serviced apartments make sense for stays of a week or more. Facilities include an outdoor pool, a gym and an Italian restaurant.

Sarawak Chinese History Museum is also close by. Anyone wanting a room directly on the river should look along Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman instead.

5. Lot 10 Boutique Hotel: best for design-minded travelers

Lot 10 Boutique Hotel occupies a former bank building on Jalan Ban Hock. Rooms are polished and modern with city views, and the on-site bar, restaurant and lounge keep evenings simple. Business and leisure guests both use it, so expect a mix rather than a honeymoon crowd.

A resort-style pool is not among its listed facilities, so pool-lovers should pick elsewhere. More character stays are in our boutique hotel guide.

6. The Ranee Boutique Suites: best for couples

The Ranee Boutique Suites is an all-suite hotel at 7 Jalan Main Bazaar, inside a historic old-bazaar building. Suites mix traditional and modern Sarawak touches and include a mini-fridge and tea and coffee facilities. Main Bazaar fronts the Sarawak River, and Fort Margherita lies across the water.

Tua Pek Kong Temple opens 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM daily and is easy to reach from the city center. Guests who need a pool or full hotel services will prefer the riverside towers.

7. The LimeTree Hotel and Harbour View Hotel: best for budget and food

The LimeTree Hotel is on Jalan Abell in Padungan, the area also called Chinatown. Breakfast is included, and a rooftop lounge bar overlooks the city. Harbour View Hotel on Temple Street is the cheaper-end pick when you want river-view rooms near the waterfront.

LimeTree sits a short ride from the river, so evening riverside strolls need transport. Dorm beds are covered in our Kuching hostel guide.

8. Damai Beach Resort: best for a beach and nature stay

Damai Beach Resort sits at Teluk Bandung in Santubong, with sea-view rooms and suites, casual dining, pools and a spa. Sarawak Cultural Village, Bako National Park and Kubah National Park are all named as nearby day outings. Cove 55, a seafront boutique stay with 13 rooms, 2 suites and 1 villa, lies a 10-minute drive from Damai Beach.

Drive time and cost from the city depend on your pickup point, so ask the resort for a current transfer quote. Evenings in old-town Kuching are awkward from here. More coast stays are in our Damai beach resort guide.

How much does a hotel in Kuching cost?

Third-party averages for one-week stays rank 3-star hotels below 4-star and 4-star below 5-star. No single nightly figure fits every date. River-view rooms, premium wings and festival periods push rates up at the same property. Compare live rates on each hotel's own site before you book.

How many nights to stay and which base to pick

One or two nights covers the old town. The self-guided heritage route through old Kuching takes about 2 hours and includes Main Bazaar. Add two or more nights at Damai if Bako, Kubah or Sarawak Cultural Village are on your list. Split the stay, with city nights first and coast nights last.

Mistakes to avoid when choosing where to stay

Booking Damai without planning the transfer is the most common slip. Assuming "waterfront" means every room has a river view is another, since views depend on the room and wing. Picking by star rating alone ignores location, so match the area to your plans first.

Kuching hotel price benchmarks

Use one-week averages as a rough comparison tool, not a nightly quote. BudgetYourTrip lists an average Kuching hotel cost of US$54 for a one-week stay. Its averages are US$48 for 3-star hotels, US$60 for 4-star hotels and US$86 for 5-star hotels.

Those figures show the usual gap between categories, but they cannot predict a specific room. A river-facing room can cost more than a city-facing room in the same hotel. Riverside Majestic rates can also differ between its two wings. Holiday periods and limited availability can change the result quickly.

Compare the final total for the same dates, room type and cancellation terms. Check whether breakfast, taxes and resort-style extras are included before choosing the cheapest headline rate.