Hotel Bencoolen @ Bencoolen Street

The hotel is in a very strategic spot, with an MRT station opposite. The room was quite small, just about fitting the number of single beds we ordered, and there’s no bidet in the bathroom. Breakfast was pretty good, though there wasn’t much choice. The caesar salad was delicious. Room service was very good: towels were washed daily, the room tidied up, and supplies replenished. There was enough shampoo and soap, and we could take as much drinking water as we wanted from the dispenser. The receptionist said a GST refund was possible, but it turns out hotels, meals, and similar expenses don’t qualify. It’s only for purchases of items above S$100.

The location made getting around easy, right in the city center and just steps from Bencoolen MRT (DT Line). Breakfast was included, housekeeping came daily with free bottled water, and the hot shower worked fine. The front desk was responsive and easy to talk to, especially about room upgrades, and they let us leave our luggage before check-in. There’s a small window in the room, which was a little win. The drawbacks: no bidet, old-feeling furniture, and the Standard room is tiny. Two people with suitcases felt cramped and stuffy. Soundproofing was zero, so you could hear everything next door, even someone snoring clearly. The elevator was small and slow. If you're Indonesian, don’t expect Indonesian 3-star standards, okay 😁🙏🏻 You really need to manage your expectations.

The location was the only positive for me, and it didn’t make up for the stay. For the price, the quality fell short of what I expected. The staff were unhelpful and inattentive, and compared with hotels in Japan, the customer service and hospitality were very poor. The room was in unacceptable condition: the hair dryer didn’t work, the washroom tap was broken, and cleanliness was below standard, especially in the bathroom, which didn’t feel properly cleaned. Hotel Bencoolen seriously needs to improve its maintenance, cleanliness, and customer service.

It’s close to the mrt, a bus stop, and some tourist attractions, and they did let us check in early. But the service was the worst. On our fourth day, the power was out from 7:30 am to 7 pm. The elevator was very slow and unreliable, and the rooms weren’t clean enough.