Hotels in Singapore can get expensive fast, especially if you want something clean and reliable. Before booking A Hotel Farrer Park, I had actually secured a room at a different hotel. It had decent reviews, nothing exceptional, but it seemed safe and within my budget.
A couple of weeks before my trip, I decided to check other options since my original booking had free cancellation and I was still within the allowed period. That’s when I saw a deal for A Hotel Farrer Park. The original rooms were listed at around PHP 6,000 per night, but this deal brought it down to under PHP 3,500 per night. It was slightly more expensive than the hotel I had already booked, but based on the photos, it looked much nicer.
The catch? It had zero reviews. Agoda listed it as newly renovated. The photos honestly looked AI-generated or like digital mockups. When I checked Google Maps, I couldn’t find the hotel under that name. I saw another hotel at the same address, and it had terrible reviews. That definitely made me nervous.
I did more digging and searched for 'A Hotel' instead. I found that it’s actually a reputable hotel chain in Singapore with several branches. A Hotel Farrer Park was listed on their official website, but it said 'opening soon,' and the address matched the one on Agoda. I assumed they were on soft opening, so I decided to take the risk and book it anyway. Here’s how it turned out.
Location
The location turned out to be pretty good. It’s less than a 20-minute walk from Lavender MRT Station and around a 10-minute walk from Jalan Besar MRT Station. Both stations connect to the airport with just one transfer, so getting there by public transportation was easy. It’s also a short walk from Farrer Park MRT Station.
There’s a mall right across the hotel, which made things convenient. There are plenty of restaurants, food spots, and convenience stores nearby, so I never had issues finding something to eat. While it’s not right in the main tourist center, it worked perfectly for my stay. It was especially convenient for getting to Mediacorp Theater for the concert.
Amenities
This was the part I was most nervous about. When I first walked into the lobby, it looked a little sketchy. I was told they were still finishing renovations, which made sense given that it was newly opened. It didn’t bother me too much since I wasn’t going to be spending time in the lobby anyway.
When I got to my room, it was a genuinely pleasant surprise. The photos on Agoda had looked digitally rendered, but the room looked exactly like them. It was clean, new, and nicely decorated. They also upgraded me from a single room to a deluxe queen room, which was an unexpected bonus.
The room was small, as expected in Singapore, but there was enough space for my small luggage. A medium suitcase would fit too, though it might feel cramped with multiple large bags. The bed was spacious and comfortable. The air conditioning worked perfectly, which was important given Singapore’s heat. There was also a TV with Netflix and a mini fridge. The bathroom was surprisingly spacious considering the size of the room, and since everything was newly renovated, it all felt fresh and new.
Cleanliness
I had no complaints about the cleanliness. My room was spotless when I checked in, and the bathroom was very clean. The common areas were also well-maintained despite the ongoing renovations. For a newly opened hotel, everything felt properly prepared for guests.
Service
This is where the hotel really stood out. The front desk staff were genuinely kind and helpful. During my stay, I had an issue with some concert merchandise I had purchased. It was defective, and I was honestly very upset because I had spent a lot on it.
The staff were kind enough to let me use their cell phones multiple times to contact the organizers. They could tell I was stressed, and they kept checking in on me. Even though the issue wasn’t resolved during my stay, it was sorted out weeks later. I really appreciated the manager and the front desk team for their patience and support during that time.
Price
I paid PHP 7,705 for two nights, which comes out to around PHP 3,852 per night. For what I got, that was a really good price in Singapore. For comparison, during my first trip to Singapore, I paid around PHP 6,000 per night for a tiny solo room at a boutique hotel. This time, I got a newly renovated room, a larger bed, better amenities, and an upgrade for significantly less.
Taking the risk on a hotel with zero reviews definitely paid off. While the lobby still needed finishing touches, the room itself exceeded my expectations. The location was convenient, the price was competitive, and the staff made a big difference in my overall experience. I would absolutely consider staying here again on a future trip to Singapore.
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