Sheraton Hotels in Johor Bahru

I had planned to stay at my usual 5 star hotel choice in JB City centre during my recent hop over to JB. I had chanced upon the Sheraton on trip.com, and therefore decided to experience it on a sunday evening, since there would be less crowds and a chance of a better stay experience. The hotel is located near the future RTS Link and attached to a mall, both of which are not open yet, which means that currently as of writing the hotel lags far behind its competitors in terms of location. I managed to check-in immediately upon arrival, unlike some of the other reviews here, which could be due to the fact that it was a sunday. The receptionist was friendly and polite and had professionally explained all the hotel facilities to me. Our room was on the 10th floor, we did not book a skyline room since (JB has a skyline?😂). The room smelled and felt new, since it had only been 12 days then since opening. I was impressed by the size and spaciousness of the room(35sqm large), and the large size of the work table. The toilet was also spacious, with nice Grohe branded shower and taps, giving me the premium feeling. The rain shower was amazing. The room doesn't hold after close inspection however, as correctly pointed out by my friend, there is a strong plastic taste in the water supply when u hold it up with your hands to wash your face/while showering. Toiletries were from Sheraton's brand Gilchrist and Soames which were okay and acceptable, but I preferred Marriott's ThisWorks. The bigger issue in the room is the issue of workmanship. As I walked over to close the curtains, upon stepping on one vinyl floor panel my foot sank into the floor. I had initially thought that I needed to lose some weight but upon closer inspection there was an obvious dent and crack in the floor panel, which is odd for a newly opened hotel. Hopefully the hotel has rectified this. There was also some (paint?) splattered on the floor near the dent. No other issues with the room however, and I understand the hotel is still in a soft-opening stage. The aircon was also cold and strong unlike some other hotels I had stayed in recently. The hotel facilities were definitely 5 star, with a large chic pool surrounded by trees, poolside chairs and cabanas. I had a relaxing stroll around it. Good for a staycation. The gym was also large and nicer than the other JB hotels. It was missing a smith machine though. I did not try the breakfast but I was told it was just alright, nothing remarkable. The lobby bar had a delectable range of pastries and sandwiches, at acceptable prices for a 5 star hotel. The latte was alright, but the dilmah tea was horrible. I was shocked that a bottle of water (Acqua Panna, 500ml) costed 28rm, it feels like highway robbery. I remember being charged 20rm for the same product at a marriott bonvoy property in Penang. The cake on the other hand is really good though. I wish that hotel management reviewed this tripcom listing however, since there is no mention of the Unspoken Bar still being closed, as mentioned by a hotel staff upon inquiry since they are yet to receive the liquor license. Even more puzzling is the listing of this hotel as 4 star on tripcom. Based on my understanding, all Sheratons are branded as 5 star hotels, and a 4 star one would be branded as Four Points by Sheraton. This mistake just amazes me. I don't think I would recommend this hotel just yet to a friend since it is clearly still in a soft-opening stage, but I would return again once the soft-opening stage has passed and the issues have been resolved.