I Stayed in a 2-Star Budget Hotel in Singapore’s Red Light District
One of my biggest struggles when planning my Singapore trip was finding a place to stay that was within budget. The average price (per night) of a 3-star hotel is S$96, 4-star is S$139, and 5-star is S$314. Both hotels and AirBnBs were practically the same price and most of Singapore’s top attractions are huddled in the same area, so options on neighborhoods were limited to in or around the city center.
Tips I followed when booking Hotel 81 as my budget hotel.
I ended up booking Hotel 81 Premier Star in Geylang, Singapore for S$353 total for 5 nights which averaged out to S$70 per night per room (not including tip). For reference, I was visiting in early February 2019 around Chinese New Year so bookings were filling up fast. Hotel 81 is one of the infamous hotel chains in Singapore that offer hourly rates (rumoured for quick escort services). And although Geylang is only a short drive from the city center, this area is referred to as Singapore’s seedy Red Light District.
So what was my experience?
Customer Service (10/10):
As I do with every hotel reservation, I emailed them about a week before my departure to confirm my reservation and they responded within 24 hours. They have 24-hour check-in service, which I learned when I emailed again to let them know that I would be arriving much later than anticipated due to flight issues.
I had booked a trip within this trip to Thailand, so made two separate reservations with this hotel. I was planning on storing my main luggage at the airport for S$10 per day (because my flight to Thailand didn’t include more than one personal item), but Hotel 81 let me store my luggage in their back room for free. They provided luggage tags so I could get my stuff back upon my second check-in. This was a nice surprise since I read from other reviews that they charged for hotel storage (still cheaper than storing it at the airport though).
We also came back after our first day to find a card slid under our door from management welcoming us to the hotel.
Hotel Room and Amenities (9/10):
Inside, the hotel always smelled like soap and cleaning products (which I appreciated). The floors were shiny and spotless, and there was a waiting area in the lobby that was also always clean. They provide you with the wifi password, which had strong connection, but I had to enter in the password almost every time I returned back to the hotel.
Our standard room was small, but modern – there was a queen bed, mini fridge, safe, and two side tables on either side of the bed. The washroom was a standing shower with a glass door and toilet, and just outside the washroom was the sink. They provided 2-in-1 shampoo and body wash, toothbrush and toothpaste sets, and 4 cups. There were a few hangers for clothes and they provided slippers, complimentary water bottles, a kettle, and really delicious instant milk tea and 3-in-1 coffee.
We were able to open our suitcases completely and still had additional floor space to do some basic bodyweight workouts. There’s a window by the washroom and sink that shines natural light into the room, but don’t expect much for a view. There’s basic cable tv and the hotel was very quiet. My ONLY negative comment is that the washroom didn’t have a fan or ventilation system, but this is a very minor issue.
Location (5/10):
Hotel 81 Premier Star is located far west in Geylang, bordering Kallang and the city center. It’s not a luxurious location at all. There were a few adult clubs or bars (actually, I’m not sure what they were) directly across the street with sex workers and gentlemen talking amongst themselves, but nobody even looked your way so it still felt completely safe. Down the street were some outdoor food stalls if you were feeling hungry for authentic street food (fresh frog legs and turtle soup anyone?).
Despite the seedy location, the bus stations were steps away from the hotel and the closest 7-Eleven is only a 2-minute walk around the corner, making it perfect for quick snacks and transit pass top-ups. Getting in and out of the city was a short 30-minute bus ride (no transfers or subways required).
Overall (8/10):
It was great and I would definitely recommend it to anyone else travelling to Singapore on a budget! It was an unexpected highlight of the trip and they treated us very well as visitors and guests.
Let me know your experience at Hotel 81 below!