CUBE Boutique Capsule Hotel @ Chinatown

The front desk staff were very nice and helpful, but I wouldn’t expect a hotel experience here. Despite the “Boutique Hotel” name, it’s simply a hostel. It’s among the cheapest places in town, and the quality feels noticeably lower than other stays. The carpets were stained and smelled, and the ceiling leaked when it rained. The wall sockets only worked if we wiggled the plug to a particular angle. The pods are private, but the walls are so thin you can hear neighbors as if they’re right beside you. Shared bathrooms and some grime come with the low price, so it may suit someone focused on saving money.

For a few days on a budget, this is a decent hostel to consider. The location is convenient, and the room is comfortable enough. If you’re not too picky, it should work. Thanks for everything, and for the friendly staff.

The cubes are roomy and the bedding is comfortable, though you can sometimes hear muffled voices next door through the thin walls. Breakfast is basic, toast with coffee or tea and cereal, but it’s included and tasted fine. The hostel is clean and well kept, and the staff are friendly. It’s about a five-minute walk from the MRT, with plenty of restaurants and shops nearby. I’d stay again as a solo backpacker.

I booked the wrong dates and canceled within minutes of noticing, then immediately made a new booking for the correct dates. The hostel charged the full amount for the canceled reservation, around $600 SGD, and wouldn’t move that payment to the new booking, change the dates, or offer any credit or goodwill gesture. They kept the money without providing a stay. I asked them to show some understanding toward a student traveler who’d made an honest mistake. The reply was copied corporate wording about “policy.” Applying the payment to my corrected booking would have been easy: same guest, same hostel, dates just one day apart. They chose not to. No flexibility, empathy, or customer care. I’ve traveled a lot and no accommodation has treated me this poorly. Book somewhere else.