The Empire Brunei Hotel: Travel Guide To The 7-Star Luxury Hotel

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The Empire Brunei Hotel

The Empire Brunei is Brunei’s premier hotel.

It’s one of the world’s few 7-star hotels (along with Dubai’s Burj al-Arab and Milano’s Galleria Vik). The Empire is one of a few Bruneian architectural marvels, including the country’s national mosques and Istana Nurul Iman (the world’s largest residential palace).

In this travel guide, we’ll cover the Empire Brunei Hotel.

We’ll explore the hotel’s layout, amenities, things to do inside the hotel (free entrance for all visitors!), how to arrive to the hotel from central Bandar Seri Begawan, how to book a room, and the best ways to find and book lodging in Brunei (if you’ll stay elsewhere).

*Agoda.com provides a wide selection of steeply-discounted hotel rooms. To see today’s deals on hotels in Brunei (or any other destination), click here.

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Table of Contents

• Layout And Amenities

• The Empire Brunei's Interior

• The Empire Brunei's Exterior

• How To Get To The Empire Brunei

• Prices And Booking

• Other Accommodation Options

• Conclusion

• Best Way To Find A Hotel In Brunei

• About The Author (Taz Zaidi)

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Layout And Amenities

The Empire Brunei Hotel has been one of Southeast Asia’s most luxurious hotels since its grand opening in October 2000. Yet, and luckily, it’s reasonably priced and accessible to all visitors. The hotel (officially the “Empire Brunei Hotel & Country Club”) sits on a massive property featuring many amenities for its guests and visitors. In fact, guests can be entertained for a full weekend without even leaving the premises.

The property contains a theatre, five swimming pools, squash courts, tennis courts, bowling alleys, a grand reception hall and a private beach. Perhaps the hotel’s most notable feature though, is its 18-hole golf course, called the “Empire Country Club”. The course was designed by famous golf legend, Jack Nicklaus, and is widely regarded as one of Asia’s best courses.

The Empire Brunei and South China Sea - AzriSuratmin/Shutterstock

The hotel has more than 500 rooms, including nearly 50 suites and 16 villas. Its most “exclusive” room is called the “Emperor Suite”, which has hosted many celebrities and world leaders over the years. Emperor Suite’s 600 square feet of lavishness include a private pool and cinema. Hotel guests can actually request a staff-led tour of the suite, provided it’s unoccupied.

The Empire Brunei offers a wide variety of tours and activity packages to its guests, including hiking, scuba diving and organized trips to Kampong Ayer and Ulu Temburong. There are seven restaurants within the property, providing a range of international cuisine and high tea options. Visitors (non-hotel guests) may visit the Empire Brunei during the day, free of charge.

The Empire Brunei offers multiple dining options - cherry-hai/Shutterstock

*For today’s deals on hotels in Brunei (or any other destination), click here.

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The Empire Brunei’s Interior

As a visitor, you’ll be greeted by a colorful mosaic-style tiled floor as you approach the hotel’s entrance. Upon entering, you’ll notice the massive golden chandelier centerpiece, which is said to be worth about 1 million USD. From there, you’ll enter the lobby. The walls, columns, arches and ceiling are constructed of brightly colored marble and granite, accented in gold.

Tropical sun rays peer through the unobstructed glass walls, further emphasizing these bright colors. The lobby is airy and uncluttered, gifting you views of the six floors above and the swimming pools and South China Sea just outside. Visitors can take the escalators up from the lobby or walk the crafted staircases.

Glass walls allow sunlight to highlight the fine marble

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The Empire Brunei’s Exterior

There’s much to do in the hotel’s outer yards. You’ll notice a relaxed, easy-going vibe that only a coastal luxury hotel can provide. Because the Empire Brunei is located in Jerudong (which is a suburb of Bandar Seri Begawan), it’s never too overrun with visitors.

The first thing you’ll notice outside is the massive swimming pool - stretching from the building to the coast. From certain angles, the pool appears to curve into the South China Sea behind it, offering a truly breathtaking first impression. A coastal walking trail fringes the perimeter. The trail is short, calming and one of the best spots to catch a Bruneian sunset (along with Pantai Seri Kenangan and the Billionth Barrel Monument). Signposts will help you orient yourself.

Beach in foreground, walking trail in background

*For today’s deals on hotels in Brunei (or any other destination), click here.

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How To Get To The Empire Brunei

The Empire Brunei Hotel is roughly 20 kilometers from the Bandar Seri Begawan city center, within the Jerudong suburb (near Universiti Brunei Darussalam). All taxi drivers know the hotel. If you have a car, the drive from Bandar Seri Begawan to Empire Brunei is fairly straightforward and can be a convenient stop on your way to Tutong or Belait (Western Brunei).

Taking a bus from the city center would be the most budget-friendly option. Just find the green Northern Line buses inside Bandar Seri Begawan Main Station. The bus passes Brunei International Airport and can drop you off at the Empire Brunei’s grand entrance. Your third transport option is to take Dart, Brunei’s ride-sharing app (Uber and Grab are unavailable in Brunei). To learn about or download Dart, click here.

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Prices And Booking

As of this guide’s last update (January 2023), nightly rates of a room in the Empire Brunei range from 300 BND for a Superior Room to 980 BND for an Executive Suite. You may find the Empire Brunei’s rooms listed at a lower price on Agoda.com than on the Empire Brunei’s website. Agoda is well-known in Brunei (and Southeast Asia) for offering great deals on hotel rooms. For the Empire Brunei listing on Agoda, click here. For the Empire’s official site, click here.

Inside a room in the Empire Brunei - cherry-hai/Shutterstock

*For today’s deals on hotels in Brunei (or any other destination), click here.

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Other Accommodation Options

• Most foreign visitors choose to visit the Empire Brunei for a few hours as part of a day trip from the Bandar Seri Begawan city center. Whether for budget reasons or you prefer to be centrally-located (most of Brunei’s major attractions are in or near central BSB), you’ll easily find lodging.

  • As mentioned above, Agoda.com is one of the best sites for finding hotels in Brunei.

  • Airbnb.com also offers wide-ranging and unique lodging options in the city.

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Conclusion

Hopefully you found this guide helpful.

It’s not everyday you have the opportunity to step foot into a 7-star luxury hotel. The Empire Brunei Hotel is a short drive or bus from central Bandar Seri Begawan and it’s well worth the effort. To learn more about Brunei, explore our other guides below.

Enjoy your travels!

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Other Popular Attractions In Brunei

• 7 Marvelous Mosques To Visit In Brunei (Incredible mosque architecture)

• Gadong Night Market (Best place to eat in Brunei)

• Istana Nurul Iman (World’s largest residential palace)

• Ulu Temburong National Park (The “Green Jewel of Brunei”)

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Here are some 5-star customer rated tours of Brunei, organized by Viator and run by locals!

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Best Way To Find A Hotel In Brunei

Agoda.com is well-known in Brunei (and Southeast Asia) for providing amazing deals on a wide range of accommodation options. You’ll find luxury or budget hotels, resorts, villas, hostels, apartments, guesthouses, bed and breakfasts, and unique/alternative types). Use the widget below or click here to search in Brunei.

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