Where to Stay in Singapore - Singapore and Malaysia - page 75

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computer for Internet access. Upstairs, the rooms are equally small, with barely room to
move around a queen-size bed, only a narr ow closet for clothes, and a tiny TV hanging
from the ceiling. King-siz e rooms have space for a small desk, while family r ooms have
one queen and one slightly o versize single bed squeez ed in. M any of the r ooms had a
basic refurbishment in 2008, with new carpets and more modern decor. Small bathrooms
are newly tiled as well but are already beginning to show some age. Don't expect views or
creature comforts—the Bencoolen is a good, clean place to sleep befor e hitting the city
again. The hotel has a rooftop restaurant.
47 Bencoolen St., Singapore 189626. & 65/6336-0822. Fax [phone]. w ww.hotelbencoolen.com.
74 units. S$178 double (US$119/£80); S$228 (US$153/£103) family . MC, V. 10-min. walk t o City Hall or
Dhoby Ghaut MRT. Amenities: Restaurant; sauna; smoke-free rooms. In room: A/C, TV.

Perak Hotel This pretty budget hotel on the edge of Little I ndia has real charac-
ter. Its location in a row of white and blue shophouses gives it charm, and there are nice
decorative touches, with local fabrics and simple wooden furniture. As with most conver-
sions, guests need to accept a few quirks as well: The atmospheric wooden floorways can
be noisy, and the guest r ooms, though clean and tidy , ar e small, with tiny and basic
bathrooms. Superior r ooms are pleasant, with shutter ed windows, but many standar d
rooms rely on skylights instead. I t's popular with the friendly backpacking cr owd who
gather in the lobby and cafe to chat and make use of the fr ee Internet.
12 Perak Rd., Singapore 208133. & 65/6299-7733. Fax [phone]. www.peraklodge.com. 34 units.
S$148 (US$99/£67) double; S$228 (US$153/£103) triple . Rates include br eakfast. AE, DC, MC, V. 5-min.
walk to Bugis or Little India MRT. Amenities: Cafe; high-speed Internet. In room: A/C, TV.
Strand Hotel The Strand is definitely one of the better backpacker places in S in-
gapore. The lobby doesn't look or feel like a budget hotel, with marble floors, a smar t
bellhop, and a long reception desk. There's also an inviting cafe to one side, plus a small
gift shop. Guest rooms are the largest I've seen in a budget hotel in S ingapore—in fact,
they are larger than a lot of mor e expensive rooms as well. Rooms are simply furnished,
but decoration is exuberant (the r ooms with purple walls and leopar d-skin headboards
may not be to ev eryone's taste). Unless you're a bona fide exhibitionist, don 't go for the
“special room,” with the bathtub/sho wer separated fr om the main r oom by only a thin
glass wall. Anybody for a fr ee show?
25 Bencoolen St., Singapore 189619. & 65/6338-1866. Fax [phone] units. S$100 (US$67/£45)
double; S$120 (US$80/£54) 3-person sharing . AE, DC, MC, V. 10-min. walk t o City Hall or Dhob y Ghaut
MRT. Amenities: Restaurant; room service. In room: A/C, TV.

5

2 CHINATOWN

EXPENSIVE
Amara Singapore Amara, located in the S henton Way financial district, attracts
primarily business travelers, so if y our vacation includes a little business, too, this hotel
puts you closer to the action. If you're simply in town for a vacation, Amara doesn't offer
the best location or envir onment, but the focus on business trav elers means ther e are
some excellent value weekend rates available and a two-room suite that's useful for fami-
lies. The top eight floors of this hotel are reserved for the corporate set; not only do they
have better vie ws, but also modern decor and ser vices attractiv e to business visitors.