The Great Madras by Hotel Calmo

The stained sheets and curtains, along with mould around the shower, made the room a real disappointment for both of us. I told the front desk, but it wasn’t dealt with promptly. This wasn’t the standard I expected. Based on our experience, I wouldn’t recommend the hotel unless things improve, and I wouldn’t return. 😠😓

I can give this place one star, at least. The two women at the desk were pleasant and smiled while talking to me. The soap was free and smelled nice, and there were two complimentary waters and neatly folded towels when I arrived. It was the cheapest place I could find, though still expensive for me, so I wasn’t expecting a one-star experience. But I had cockroaches in the bed, as shown in my photo. The listing calls it a luxury room for two, which is misleading: the pictures made me think it had a private bathroom, but the sink, shower, and toilet are shared. The room is a box with just enough space for the bed, leaving no room for luggage. Maybe there’s a separate luggage area, but nobody mentioned one when I arrived. The bed had a naturally dirty-looking color that hides dirt well, and it smelled quite bad. Part of the entrance was broken, the walls were dusty and generally dirty, and there was mould on the ceiling, also in my photo. The door doesn’t lock properly, even after trying about 20 times. This advertised hotel is basically a hostel, and it needs renovation or closure. Cheers.

For a low price by Singapore standards, this place is pretty good. Our room looked a bit old and worn, but it was clean and spacious enough for two, and the bed was comfortable. The pool is a big plus, and you can use the laundry for free. The receptionists were very friendly too. It was surprisingly quiet at night, with no noise from nearby bars or anything. I think a lot of the bad reviews are probably about the hostel rooms rather than the individual rooms.

We had a great two-day stay. There are lots of good places to eat and convenience stores nearby. Liza at reception was so sweet and accommodating. She helped us with the washers, arranged a later checkout, and was friendly with the kids.