The Scarlet Singapore

Chinatown was only a couple of minutes away on foot, the one genuinely great part of the stay. From outside the hotel looked good, and the foyer had a groovy feel, but the rest was very disappointing. We booked two rooms for four adults. Our rooms were on the mezzanine, with an outdoor spa right outside that was being repaired and couldn't be used. The rooms were much smaller than the photos suggested, and at the back of the hotel our view was a huge car park. The recommended rooftop bar was a joke: inattentive staff, no beer available, and when we wanted food they said it would need to be ordered in, with about a 45-minute wait.

The windowless rooms are very dark. That may work if you only need a place to sleep, but it's hard to spend time in the room. I won't return and can't recommend the hotel. At check-in my bathroom was dirty, with drain flies coming out of the shower grill. Staff moved me to another room without a problem. But I'd confirmed a 2pm late checkout, as stated on the hotel website for direct bookings, and was then told I had to leave by noon. That was inconvenient and forced me to change my plans for the day, especially since staff had said at check-in that 2pm would be fine.

I booked The Scarlet Singapore well ahead of time and received official confirmation, but the hotel cancelled the booking without explaining why or apologizing. I found that disrespectful and highly unprofessional. I had chosen it for a very busy period, so now finding a suitable alternative will be difficult and may mean paying more or settling for less. For a hotel marketed as a high-end boutique property, that customer service is unacceptable. I won't book here again and don't recommend it.

The staff were really friendly and helpful, and the rooftop bar upstairs had a great view. The lobby also had snacks and fruit. I liked that they didn't nickel and dime you like most U.S. hotels: I could borrow a power adapter for free, the minibar items were complimentary, and there was a bottle of red wine I never got around to opening. The location is convenient for markets, antique stores and a subway station just down the street. I'd stay here again if I come back to Singapore.