Bencoolen hotel @ Hong Kong Street is a nice hotel that is a 3.5 star rating in our opinion located at Clark Quay area. The name of the hotel can be a bit confusing as they have a sister hotel with the same name located at Bencoolen street and taxis may bring travelers to the wrong location. The surroundings have several swanky and vibrant restaurants. Boat quay and Clark quay are also minutes away making it very convenient to explore Singapore's colourful nightlife.
The exterior of the hotel does not get one's spirits up with the design dated which brought down our expectations of the hotel. The small lobby which have nice seats and provides all day refreshments. To our surprise, it will also be the "restaurant" for breakfast the next morning. Checking in on the other hand was fairly quick but we felt that the staff could be more hospitable with more smiles.
The hotel seems to be in the phase of a soft launch and still has quite a bit of missing details. There was no direction signs to point guests to places in the hotel. Lifts did not provide signs to the outdoor jacuzzi pool which we only found out because we stayed in the same floor. We did not know about the launderette room till we decided to explore around. There is also a pantry located in the same area (level 2) which I believe guests can utilise to do simple cooking. The outdoor garden terrace also did not have much to offer and seems to be a waste of space. Without any signs of such facilities existing, it will be very helpful for the staff to point out but such consideration was unfortunately not present.
Towels were provided for guests perusal when entering the jacuzzi pool and Missus and I had some fun soaking our legs in the water before heading to our rooms. The roof top at the 5th level did not tower above many buildings in the vicinity but it was still enjoyable to look out from higher ground.
We were very pleased to find out that our rooms are attractively designed and quite spacious at 19sqm. The only annoying part of our room was the pillar which took up some space and a it was not like it can be used for some pole dancing :p
There was individual controlled switches for the lighting and the air conditioner which is nice. A open styled wardrobe provided sufficient space to hang your garments. Business travelers will also be pleased to know that iron and ironing board is provided to get your attire up to speed for the important meetings that your may have. A small safe is provided that is sufficient to hold valuables.
A small fridge was there to chill any drinks that you may have. Complimentary bottled water and tea making facilities was adequate and nothing out of the ordinary. The desk was big enough for 1 but half of it was covered. A decent size television sits in the middle of the room provided sufficient entertainment with its various cable channels. A chair seats at the corner and is a comfortable addition in the room which can be useful to do some reading.
The restroom was a good size and provided nicely packaged amenities that appeared to be of decent quality. Rain shower was available but we found that the water pressure is slightly on the weaker side. The extendable face mirror is a nice touch for the ladies during the make up process. Curtains were available to shield oneself from any embarrassment as the restroom was housed in see through glasses.
Our bed is very comfortable and the flowery backdrop created a nice mood. We were rather satisfied with our rooms and had very good quality sleep. Every item was very clean and pleasant. We tried to test their housekeeping service as usual but we found it to be close at 10pm and we are unable to request for anything until the next morning. It was the first time we encounter such a situation!
Breakfast on the other hand was rather disappointing with limited variety. All the items were placed at the small counter behind the lobby area. No yogurt was found and no rice or noodles available. It was quite a sad looking breakfast. The breakfast area also had limited seating spaces and guests had to share their tables when the eating area is full which was not such a good experience. I will recommend arriving early to avoid the breakfast crowd.
Overall, I will recommend a stay in this hotel for its well furnished rooms and wonderful location that is minutes away from Raffles Place MRT and Clark Quay MRT Station. The rooms are comparable to 4 star establishments but their services was bit of a let down. For business travelers, it is in close proximity to CBD and it is also walking distance to touristy places like the Marina Bay area and also Chinatown. I will skip the breakfast and head to cafes in the vicinity though. Wifi speed is also one of the fastest that was available in the many hotels that we have stayed at.
Check out the video review below:
Check out time: 3 min
House keeping service response time: 4min 30sec
Wifi Speed: 13.17mbps
Location:
47 Hongkong St, Singapore 059685
Tel: +65 6460-4933
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