Category: Going Places

I was supposed to post about Hotel Boss in the last post but I totally forgot about it. This is the hotel we stayed in on our previous trip to Singapore. So, here you go. I did a short review on my Instagram a few weeks back. I will write about it in more detail in this post.

There were 4 of us. After looking around many OTAs, the only one that could fit the 4 of us in one room is Hotel Boss (500 Jln Sultan, #01-01, Singapore 199020). The price wasn’t cheap at all. After conversion to Ringgit, it’s RM3K+ for 5 days and 4 nights! Gosh! I can stay comfortably in a 5-star hotel in Malaysia with the best service provided at that rate. Then again, the key problem is with our currency because it is just too weak.

Getting There

We took a taxi from Changi Airport to the hotel. It was around SGD30 (inclusive of the airport surcharge and 25% peak hour charge). The taxi ride was not cheap but with the night-time arrival, a 14.5kg bag, our individual hand luggage, and two elderly, getting a taxi is more sensible.

You can also get on the MRT and ride to Lavender station. The station is located about 200m from the hotel.

Upon Arrival

I was expecting the concierge to greet us and help us with the luggage but no. No help was rendered. Instead, he tried to look away and avoid eye contact with me. I know you saw me, dude! I’ve stayed in many 4-star and 5-star hotels for work and leisure over the years in many countries and even worked in one before. This is not how a 4-star hotel should be. Heck! Even a 3-star hotel gave better service than this.

Was greeted with a busy lobby. In fact, it was packed the whole day. It’s a busy hotel. We made our way to the reception counter to check in. I’m so glad that the front office staffs were attentive, friendly, and patient.

The Room

We stayed on the 19th floor. The highest floor. The room could fit 4 pax. It has two queen-sized beds. There wasn’t enough space for our check-in luggage and we had to put it in between the two beds otherwise there won’t be space to walk. Luckily we only had one. Imagine 4 people traveling and each with a piece of check-in luggage.

Not only that, the room does not have a cupboard too. There wasn’t an iron and ironing board. You will have to go to the 4th floor to use it. There’s a laundry area with coin-operated washing machines, dryers, iron, and an ironing board there. Oh! There wasn’t a laundry bag in the room. However, you can request it if you need it. It’s FOC.

Bottled water, coffee, tea, sugar, and creamers were provided. There’s a TV, kettle, fridge, and safe box. In-room WiFi is included in the room.

By the way, the floor wasn’t carpeted. It was cold and there were no bedroom slippers provided. I called the operator to ask for it. They came fast. That’s good. I had a good experience with the operator and the housekeeping staff during my stay. Do take note that they don’t provide face towels. Only bath towels.

Our room had a balcony. No view though. Just balconies of other units.

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Do note that the check-out time is 11 am. If you need a place to store your luggage after check-out, you can store your luggage near the entrance. The concierge will help you with it.

Breakfast

By the way, our room didn’t come with breakfast. If there’s breakfast included, it would be even more expensive. I would say that just go to the nearby food court called Kopitiam or any food establishments along the way to the MRT or go to Bugis and have local food at the market.

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Conclusions

It’s expensive for Malaysians due to our weak currency. However, it is still high without currency conversion based on my expectations. If it’s on par with other 4-star hotels that I’ve stayed in before, then I would say it is reasonable but it’s far from that. It felt more like a 3-star but I’ve stayed in a 3-star hotel that provided more than this before.

As for the staff performance, they were good except for the concierge that night when we arrived. Meanwhile, the room was small, and everything was basic but the sleep experience was OK. Cleanliness and maintenance were good enough too.

The best part would be the location because it is very strategic and convenient.

Book the Hotel

If you would like to book this hotel, feel free to BOOK HERE.

It’s the last day of October and I didn’t do any updates since 18th October. If you did follow my social media accounts, I was away in Singapore for a quick getaway with my family for 5D4N. I’m already back for a week but procrastination got to me haha… In this post, I’m going to share what I got before travel and during the time I was there.

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First Time Flying with Scoot

It’s our first time flying Scoot. We bought the ticket back in July. Scoot has daily flight to Singapore from Kuching. However, only Tuesday has morning flight to Singapore from Kuching. It is nicer to fly in the morning instead of at night. Otherwise, you can always fly with Air Asia and come back with Scoot. We flew on Thursday night. So, one day is pretty much wasted. Also bought travel insurance that has COVID-19 coverage from AXA. Before you fly, make sure you fill in the SG Arrival Card with electronic Health Declaration.

Just like any budget airline, you’ll be charged for check-in luggage, seat selection, food, and so on. Surprisingly, the luggage’s rate isn’t fixed. It goes up and down. Throughout my ticket-hunting days, I got three different rates each time I checked which is rather amusing. By the way, the hand luggage’s max weight is 10kg.

You can check in online when you are in Kuching but you still have to go to the counter to get your flight ticket printed. That is because there is no self-service kiosk at Kuching International Airport. However, if you are in Singapore, it’s all self-service. Worry not! There are people around to guide/help you with it.

Do print out your COVID-19 vaccination certificate or bring your vaccination card or digital one along as the check-in counter staff did ask for it.

Arrive Singapore

The flight from Kuching to Singapore was about an hour plus. It’s a very short flight. The arrival was at Terminal 1. At the immigration, the officer did ask us to show the proof of electronic arrival card. I did print it out to show them. You can show the softcopy too. It’s just my habit to print every document out when I travel as a backup. You’ll never know when your electronic device might fail you.

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Singapore SIM Card

I bought a SIM card from Klook the morning before I flew. I bought the 4G SIM Card (SG Airport & City Pick Up) for Singapore (RM35.05, 7 days validity). The SIM card collection is outside the baggage claim. Once you’re out of the glass door, go to your left and head to UOB counter. Show the staff your Klook booking and they will provide you with the SIM card after keying in your passport details.

Do make sure you insert the card into your phone on the spot and check the usability before you leave the airport. I have no issue with the SIM card. It works well and I have at least 3 devices connected to my hotspot daily.

Singapore Transportation Card (EzLink)

You can purchase a transport card that can be used on MRT, bus, and monorail from the airport or any MRT station counter. The cheapest you can get from the airport is $10 (with $5 pre-loaded) from Changi Recommends. The counter is located before UOB counter where you claim the SIM card.

There is also 4G 2 in 1 Travel SIM (SG Airport & City Pick Up) for Singapore that you can get from Klook but can only be collected from Terminal 3 hence it is not so convenient if you are flying in from Kuching.

We got our transport cards from the MRT station the next day instead. The card costs $10 each with $5 pre-loaded.

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After collecting the SIM card and ensuring its usability, we took a taxi to the hotel. The cost of taking a taxi from Changi to Hotel Boss was $30+ (inclusive of airport surcharge and a 25% peak hour charge). Will blog about the hotel in the next post.