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One of the top hotel resorts in all of Asia, The Empire Hotel is a five star luxury hotel located 20km north of Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital city of a tiny Southeast Asian nation called Brunei.
As a die-hard budget traveller, visiting The Empire Hotel during my trip to one of the richest countries on Earth was probably the most boujee and luxurious thing I’ve ever treated myself to, but bare with me fellow backpackers, as I promise this experience deserves a place on your Brunei itinerary as well. It won’t break the bank and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by what’s on offer here on the cheap, just like I was!
The building is big… and when I say big, I mean BIG. The grand architecture and fancy surroundings are sure to be a shock to any backpacker’s system as the display of wealth in Brunei is seen in all its glory.
Tourists can visit the Empire Hotel for free to use its awesome facilities without having to stay the night, and in this guide I’ll show you what to do with an afternoon (or entire day… oops) at the country’s most popular resort.
- Language: Malay
- Capital: Bandar Seri Begawan
- Population: Brunei’s population is only about 445,000!
- Currency: £1/$1 = $1.60/$1.30 BND (Brunei Dollars)
- Visa info: Brunei offers 14-day visas on arrival to some countries but more commonly they offer a 90-day visa on arrival which costs 20 BND ($18 USD). Look for your country’s requirements for Brunei here.
Where is it
Check it out on the interactive map below.
How to get there
Getting to the Empire Hotel from Bandar Seri Begawan is extremely straightforward.
First, you’ll want to download Dart which is Brunei’s version of Uber. Getting this App really is a no-brainer when visiting the country as regular taxis are infrequent and inconvenient. With Dart you can simply pin your desired destination and know how much it’ll cost before you get in. You can usually pay by card so you don’t need to fumble around with cash too.
The 20km journey to the Empire Hotel is only around $11 BND (£7 or $8.30 USD), and from there you can hail a ride for the return journey later.
Staying in Brunei for a while? Check out hotel prices on Booking.com here!
When to visit
The temperature and climate in Brunei can be pretty extreme so its good to know when to visit to avoid the sweltering humidity as best you can.
There are two monsoon seasons from November to December and May to July, with the high season (dry season) being between January and May. February and March are the driest months of the entire year and are super-duper humid.
I visited Brunei in March and the humidity outside was borderline unbearable. Short walks were okay, but at some points I genuinely felt like I was in a sauna. I’d never experienced humidity like it and I really recommend not visiting at that time of year.
Aim to visit in the shoulder season in January or May to get the best of both worlds.
How long to allow
Opt to spend the day chilling by the sea or alternatively just come to sample the amazing afternoon tea for a reasonable price (more on this later!). Either way, I recommend spending at least a few hours here.
Thinking of visiting Southeast Asia soon? Don’t miss these essential guides to help planning your trip:
4 Awesome Things To Do at The Brunei Empire Hotel
It’s easy to spend your entire day in the sprawling hotel complex, which is what I ended up doing and highly recommend after you’ve seen the sights of Bandar Seri Begawan.
With five swimming pools, private beaches, lagoons, a golf course and a cinema, there’s plenty to keep you entertained today!
1. Relax at one of its five pools or beaches
Yup, the hotel has five pools!
Go for a dip or just kick back on a lounger by the pool before the heat of the day arrives. With any purchase at the poolside bars you’ll receive complimentary orange slices and iced water which is just what you’ll want on a hot day! This also makes the higher prices of food and drink slightly more bearable. For reference, I paid $6.50USD for an iced coffee.
The complex also has many beaches, lagoons and small headlands which are great for a wander and cool perspectives of the hotel.
2. Have an entire cinema to yourself
Heading to the Times Cinema is a great way to avoid the hottest part of the day, and at just $8 BND (£5) for an adudlt ticket it’s very affordable too.
There’s an extremely high chance that you’ll have it all to yourself, like I did, as Brunei is a quiet country for tourism and most people who stay at a hotel like this probably won’t be interested in the cinema during the day time. I watched a movie for about £7.60/$9.30 including popcorn and drinks, which was just far too tempting an offer to refuse.
Enjoy a private cinema screen until its time for afternoon tea!
Stay at The Empire Hotel!
3. Have an afternoon tea you'll never forget
I think I can safely say that my first ever afternoon tea will also be the fanciest I’ll ever have, because damn.
Having afternoon tea at the most expensive hotel in the Brunei is definitely not something I thought I’d be doing while backpacking through Asia, but I’m so glad I added it to my itinerary.
Afternoon tea is served between 2-6pm for a fee of BD$24.20 (£15). For this, you receive a colourful and delicious selection of cakes, sandwiches and scones which can be all be refilled upon request. As well as that you’ll get tea or coffee and a non-alcoholic champagne because alcohol is banned in Brunei.
The best part is you can have unlimited refills on everything and the super attentive staff will be waiting eagerly to top it all up.
4. Watch sunset
Spend the remainder of your time kicking back and watching sunset over the South China Sea from one of the many grassy spaces or pick a spot on the shoreline before heading back to Bandar Seri Begawan in the early evening.
My experience at the Empire Hotel
When I visited the Empire Hotel with my partner in March 2020 we ended up spending a total of 8 hours there, from late morning to sunset!
After nearly 3 months of non-stop travel it was quite nice to have a touch of luxury and have a day of doing nothing in particular. On arrival we walked though the front door and headed straight down the 3 escalators to the pool area, unquestioned by anyone. I wasn’t sure if we’d get stopped, but we didn’t. Being people who usually stay in hotels or Airbnb’s with a max budget of about £20/$25 per night, walking inside here was a total ‘wow’ moment.
After walking around the hotel grounds, relaxing by the pool and checking out every nook and crannie we found the cinema. After the cinema we lazed by the pool before getting afternoon tea which was well worth the reasonable fee of £15/$19 per person.
If you have a spare day in Brunei then I highly recommend finding some ‘affordable luxury’ at The Empire Hotel because, at least for me, it’s probably the only time I’ll consider an experience like this.
Where to stay in Brunei
Brunei’s capital city, Bandar Seri Begawan, is the only logical option when it comes to choosing where to stay. The country is very small so all attractions can be easily visited from there, plus it’s also where you’ll find the best choices and deals on accommodation.
The best resources for finding good accommodations in Bandar Seri Begawan are Booking.com and Hostelworld, but you could also try Airbnb in Brunei too.
I stayed at EZ Lodgings which was in a great location and is one of the best rated and most affordable places to stay on Booking.com at around $20 USD for a private room.
Best tours in Brunei
Thank you for reading this travel guide – I hope you found it helpful! Feel free to leave a comment below if you have any questions and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible 
Happy travelling!
HELPFUL RESOURCES FOR PLANNING YOUR TRIP
Accommodation: Booking.com, Hostelworld
Tours: GetYourGuide, Viator, Klook, TripAdvisor
Transport: 12Go, Omio, Trip.com, Rome2Rio
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