Lodging in Singapore can be expensive if you don't know where to look. Tony found this hostel on the 'net, and was intrigued by its quaint name - 5footway inn. It's a chain of hostel-type inns across Singapore and now, even Macau. We had never stayed in a hostel before, so we were thrilled, curious and a bit scared before we went.
We chose the Chinatown branch, or Chinatown Project, as the owners call it, and it was a wise decision as it was only a few steps away from the Chinatown -Pagoda St. exit of the MTR. Very, very convenient!
The inn starts on the second floor, and the stairs from the street level may be hard to find because it's behind souvenir stalls, but all the store clerks know where it is. Great location, alright - it's in the heart of Singapore's Chinese heritage area, and naturally, the shopping and dining area, too.
Don't you just love the view from our bedroom window?
But location is not the only attraction of 5footwayinn. It has a lot more to offer.
There were seven of us, and we chose a room with 8 beds. We opted to pay for the extra bed because we didn't want a stranger sharing our room. True, the front desk is small, but they have nice decorative touches like that green furry wall, the lighted counter and the old-fashioned telephone at the end of the counter...
The corridors were narrow, but who cares to lounge in a corridor, anyway?
What it lacks in space, it makes up for in cleanliness and neatness. All rooms are fully airconditioned. Our room had four sets of bunk beds.
Each bed was equipped with privacy curtains, very clean sheets and towels, a reading light and two power outlets (behind Nancy). It was our first time to stay in bunk beds! Girls on the lower bunks, guys on top. And yes, the guys negotiated those ladders really well!
And while our room did not have an en suite toilet and bath, there were several toilets and shower rooms down the hall, all very clean.
What we loved best was the breakfast area on the open terrace.
The room rate includes an unlimited continental breakfast... bread, cereal, jam, peanut butter, fruit, milk, etc.
There are standard kitchen utensils and equipment, a coffee machine, microwave oven, water heater, toasters and a fridge. You need to wash your used plates and utensils.
The terrace even features a small vertical garden.
On the third floor, there's a cozy lounge with tables, laptops and free wifi, and comfy beanbag chairs and floor pillows, and interesting paintings and objets d'art.
Can you see we how much we loved this place?
Lazing at the lounge after a long day of touring
The hotel is very close to heaven ;-) ..foodie heaven, that is...
..and more heaven...
Since our first stay, 5footwayinn has opened other branches all over Singapore and Macau. The Bugis Project even has single rooms,and rooms with en suite bathrooms.
Room rate was a little over P700/person/day (SG$23 or so), with free breakfast and all these conveniences. For accessibility, cleanliness, convenience, value for money and friendliness of hotel staff this hotel tops our list.
"It's better to see something once than to hear about it a thousand times." - Asian Proverb according to Fodors.com
For inquiries and booking, you may check out their website and/or FB page:
http://www.5footwayinn.com/
https://www.facebook.com/5footway
Disclaimer: This is not a paid ad for 5footwayinn...we paid our own way, and they don't even know we're writing about them, but we've recommended the place to many friends and they've enjoyed their stay there.
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