More hostels in Singapore as demand for cheap stay increases

A hotel room in Singapore costs on average $261 per night. So demand for hostels in Singapore is (not suprisingly) high. As of July 2013 there are 56 licensed hostels in Singapore. There were 46 licensed hotels by July 2012. Besides the increase in number, quality of the hostel stock also changed a lot. There are many hostels now in Singapore offering much more than bunker beds in dark and far corners of the island state. There are many centrally located boutique hostels in Singapore now offering relatively luxurious stay. ABC Premium Hostel and Bunc@Radius Backpack Hostel in Singapore Little India, Wink Hostel and Adler Hostel in Singapore Chinatown are just some to name.

More gap-year travellers, flashpackers are travelling to Singapore which is driving the demand for hostels. And price is not the only reason for many to stay in a hostel. Hostel offers a communal environment and a chance to meet more people compared to a hotel. Another group of hostel dwellers are people looking for a job in Singapore and students.

If you are looking for a hostel in Singapore, you can read our articles on the topic:

• Hostels in Singapore
  
• Singapore's First Pod Style Flashpacker Hostel
  
• Backpacking to flashpacking: Flashpacking hostels of Singapore and South East Asia
  
• Tree In Lodge Singapore’s first environmentally-friendly hostel
  
• Pod Hotels getting popular
  
• Boutique hostels in Singapore
  
• Adler Hostel in Singapore offers luxury hostel stay
  
• Wink Hostel in Singapore Chinatown: Upscale pod style beds in Singapore
  
• ABC Premium Hostel in Singapore Little India: Truly a premium grade hostel
  
• Bunc@Radius Backpack Hostel in Singapore's Little India

Bunc@Radius Backpack Hostel in Singapore's Little India

Cheap stay in Singapore has become very important thanks to the expensive hotel room prices. Luckily the demand created its supply and new breed of budget hotels and upscale hostels emerged in Singapore recently to address the needs of travelers who do not like to pay a small fortune to a Singapore hotel room but wants something more than a cold, crowded and often uncomfortable military dorm style hostels.

Bunc@Radius Backpack Hostel in Singapore Little India (or simply Bunc Hostel) is one of the brand-new hostels offering a relatively luxurious hostel experience. Bunc Hotel offers 272 clean and comfortable beds in two sizes: Singles and Deluxes. A deluxe Bunc bed is twice the size of the full-sized single, and is able to accommodate two people spaciously. Each Bunc bed is luxuriously appointed with duvet covers and plush pillows. The beds are located in 6 dorm types - 16, 12, 11, 10, 8 and 6 beds. The hostel also offers 2 private rooms.

Bunc Hostel caters to flashpackers and poshpackers (backpacking with more style and money). It offers full air-conditioning, Wi-fi, kitchenette facilities, recreation rooms with gaming facilities, an outdoor tanning deck, commercial washer-dryers, a ladies-only floor alongside the custom made roomy Bunc beds.

BUNC@Radius Backpacker Hostel has been ranked and reviewed consistently as a top brand-new boutique hostel located in Central Singapore at Upper Weld Road, Singapore. The hostel, which is located 10-15 minutes walk away from Little India MRT Station, is ranked in top 10 hostels by TripAdvisors and ranked as top in overall rating by HostelWorld.com guests.

Bunc@Radius Backpack Hostel in Singapore

In large sized dorm rooms, single beds start from 40 SGD per night per bed and double bed starts from 75 SGD per night per bed. You can read hostel reviews here.

Here are some other boutique style hostels in Singapore.

5footway.inn Project Chinatown	Wink Hostel	Adler hostel	Beary Nice!

ABC Premium Hostel in Singapore Little India: Truly a premium grade hostel

If you are looking for a modern, clean, comfortable and safe hostel in Singapore, do not forget to check  ABC Premium Hostel in Singapore Little India. Located a few steps from the exit D of Farrer Park MRT station, this brand new hostel is well located to easily access everywhere in Singapore through public transport. The ABC Premium Hostel has collected very good reviews up to now. It is, for example, ranked #24 of 122 Speciality lodging in Singapore (including hostels and serviced residences) in TripAdvisor and has a Fantastic (8.4) in Asia focused online hotel booking site Agoda.com.

Each bed in ABC Premium Hostel comes with a security key card which gives you access to your own personal locker, personal luggage storage and personal shoe storage. The hostel also provide complimentary, stable high speed internet access, use of their PCs, daily breakfast and fully air-conditioned rooms. The beds options are The Solo (single bunk bed) and The Duo (queen sized bunk bed). The hostel has an  8 Bed Female Dorm, 10 Bed Mixed Dorms, 14 Bed Mixed Dorms and 28 Bed Mixed Dorms. The prices in the hostel starts from 29 USD per solo bed per night.

The ABC Hostel group manages 3 hostels: ABC Hostel (3 Jalan Kubor Singapore 199201), ABC Premium Hostel (91A, 93A & 95A Owen Road Singapore 281903) and ABC Hostel Hamilton (7A Hamilton Road Singapore 209178). So if you are going there by taxi do not forget to mention which hostel you are going to or better give the hostel address to the taxi driver.

ABC Premium Hostel in Singapore Little India

How to get to ABC Premium Hostel

The most convenient budget access from Changi Airport to the hostel is to take the train (MRT):

• Board the MRT train at Changi Airport Terminal 2. This car will go to Tanah Merah MRT station.
• Alight at Tanah Merah, board the train towards Joo Koon (you will see the "To City" sign). 
• Go all the way to Outram Park MRT Station on Green Line.
• Board the train towards Punggol and alight at Farrer Park.
• Exit D from Farrer Park. 

You can also take taxi from the airport to the hostel directly but this would cost $20 - 30 SGD. The taxi driver may ask PIE or ECP. Both are fine.

Wink Hostel in Singapore Chinatown: Upscale pod style beds in Singapore

In Singapore's expensive hotel market, it may look like you need to choose among two options: Either pay expensive prices to stay in a Singapore hotel or pay less but stay in a typical army-style bunk bed type dorm of a hostel. But if you want something between what would you do? Enter Singapore's recent phenomenon to address this issue: Capsule hotel inspired boutique hostels. These new breed of hostels can feel the gap between hostel and boutique hotel. This type of hostel is first introduced by Match Box Concept Hostel at Ann Siang Road of Chinatown and there are now several hostels in this class like Bunc Hostel in Little India, Adler Hostel and Wink Hostel.

The cost of one night stay in a capsule or pod style bed starts from $40 at Bunc Hostel and $45 at Match Box Concept Hostel. This is significantly lower than the nearest best class of accommodation  a budget hotel with a box style room. For example room prices in Porcelain Hotel, which is in the same street with Wink Hostel, starts from $100 while a capsule bed can be rented for $50 in Wink Hostel.

Making its debut in October 2011 in a nice Sino-Portuguese style Singapore shop house, Wink Hostel became one of the best hostels in Singapore. The hostel offers 72 "pod" style beds each built with sound resistant walls, closing doors, dedicated ambient lighting, anti-glare LED reading lights and complimentary WI-FI access. Wink Hostel also stands out with its great location in the middle of Singapore's Chinatown and surrounded with very authentic streets, activities, shopping options and food plus its proximity to public transportation (almost right next to China Town MRT Station).

"People want to stay in a nice, decent and clean place" says Cheryl Ou, co-founder of Wink Hostel. "They do not want to pay exorbitant prices to stay in a hotel and neither do they want to stay in a typical army-style bunk bed type space".

Ms Cheryl Ou had considered other popular locations such as Little India and Lavender before choosing Chinatown. The 29-year-old, who ran the now-defunct Habitat Hostel in Devonshire Road, says: “Here, it’s safe and you get a good mix of tourism and residential parts. That really reflects the Singaporean culture. Being in a shophouse – that’s something we can show from our past.”

Prices range from $50 for a single pod bed to $90 for a double pod bed. The hostel also offers Smart Cards enabling the guests to access only to their rooms and lockers. And when a guest enters his/her room, only his/her assigned pod is illuminated.

And do not think these hostels are only for backpackers who do not mind to pay $20-30 more to stay in a nicer hostel. Hostels like Wink Hostels get great reviews in online hotel booking sites such as agoda.com. For example, Wink Hostel has 251 reviews in agoda from business to solo travellers which sum up to an 8.8 (fantastic) review point. For example in a review "if they could have the actual capsules from Japan, this place will rock" says a solo traveler. "But it is as good as it gets in Singapore. Strangely enough I wasn't the only business traveller in this place."

And these type of hostels are not for holiday goers: Wink Hostel provides a great place to stay for the student or adventurous business executive trying to find work in Singapore during the transitional period of looking for more permanent housing in the area.  "An alternative to Singapore’s infamously expensive apartments, these long term guests can enjoy high-speed wifi to get their work done while paying a modestly discounted rate of  5-12% depending on the length of the stay" says Alex Ung in notatourist.sg.[2]
[1] - New Age Hostels
[2] - Upscale backpacking at The Wink Hostel

Adler Hostel in Singapore offers luxury hostel stay

Hostel in Singapore was a rarity just until a few years ago but thanks to increased number of budget travelers and runaway cost of renting a simple hotel room in Singapore, many hostels emerged in the past few years. With the opening of  The Matchbox Concept Hostel and Wink Hostel, we have also started to see increasing number of relatively luxurious hostels offering some privacy to its guests in the form of cabins or pots.

One of these luxury hostels offering much more than basic bed + shower combination of a standard hostel is Adler Hostel in Chinatown. The hostel calls itself "The First Luxurious Hostel in Singapore". I have doubts about that they are the "first" but the property is really luxurious for a hostel. In fact, Adler Hostel has been at the top of "the best value for money" accommodation in Singapore list in Asia's leading hotel booking site Agoda.com with a rating of Fantastic (9.0).

Adler Hostel occupies a newly renovated traditional shop-house which is conveniently located in Chinatown, just behind the Temple Street. It is a short walk away from Chinatown MRT Station. The hostel features cabins dorm beds separated by panels from each other. The beds in Adler Hostel are housed in two 16-bed dorms. Add these dormitory beds a curtain that can be pulled, they provide a lot of privacy while sleeping. The comfort level it provides to its guests in its class has also put the hostel in the best room comfort/standard list in agoda.

He could have actually squeezed in 46 beds in the Chinatown hostel but Adler Hostel’s young founder, Mr Adler Poh, 25, decided to have a conservative 32 beds. This decision provides extra space for the hostel guests with more privacy and quiet environment:

"Adler Hostel is not your usual hostel, and it is our aim to create a niche that other hostels cannot replicate. Adler Hostel is deliberately kept small to offer a boutique feel. Differentiation also lies in our guest services. For instance, we have a concierge that will recommend off-the-beaten-track attractions and activities in Singapore, tailor travel itineraries and offer attraction tickets at discounted rates" says Adler Poh (source : Adler Hostel makes debut in luxury scene).

Adler Hostel in Singapore provides private cabins with curtains. In this photo the Ivory Room at Adler Hostel 

Daily rates are S$60 (US$49) per night, which is higher than what other hostels in Singapore are charging but since no-frills budget hotels in Chinatown can easily fetch 100++ SGD per night per room, if you really want to stretch your dollars and save on accommodation in Singapore while not downgrading so much, Adler Hostel provides a very good alternative for you in Chinatown.

"For instance, there’s a hostel in this area that charges S$50 per night. Despite the higher rate, occupancy has been very good. We welcomed our first guest on November 12, and up till (mid-December) the hostel is running at 70 per cent occupancy" says Adler Poh (source : Adler Hostel makes debut in luxury scene).

Here is how to get to Adler Hostel

• Take MRT Purple Line and alight at Chinatown MRT Station.
• Exit from Exit A (towards Pagoda Street).
• Walk straight out to the main road of South Bridge Road 
• Turn right when you see Temple Street
• Adler Hostel is on the left.

Customers book direct with the property or through OTAs such as Agoda. “Due to the demographic of our target market, it is natural that we work more closely with OTAs,” says Poh.

Adler Hostel is one of the nicest hostels in Singapore with a great location, classy facilities and value for money. You can read some reviews of the hostel here.

Here are some other boutique style hostels in Singapore.

5footway.inn Project Chinatown 2	Wink Hostel	Bunc hostel	Beary Nice!

Fernloft City Hostel - East Coast

I met Fernloft City Hostel on East Coast with a very absurd twist in my accommodation in Singapore. We had to stay with some distant relatives of my wife for a month when we were in between two rental apartments. And just during this time, a friend of mine came to visit me in Singapore. He was staying short and was on budget so I have decided to place him to The Matchbox Concept Hostel for a few days before heading to Bali. But unfortunately, just for that week, Matchbox was closed so I have decided to check this small hostel at a very nice location on East Coast. I see its sign while going to work by bus so I have just dropped by and checked.

The hostel is just ok with basic facilities you would expect from a hostel. The place is 20 minutes away from the Singapore Changi Airport and 15 minutes away from the Singapore downtown. Other than standard dorm rooms, it also provides two double rooms with a little bit more privacy (no attached bathroom). I have paid (yes I was the one who couldn't provide a bed to friend so I have paid) 20 SGD per person per night. The hostel is quite small but has a very friendly environment and I liked the warm meeting space to chill out.

Fernloft hostel group has 4 hostels in Singapore and Malaysia: Fernloft Chinatown, Fernloft East Coast and FernLoft Liddle India are in Singapore and Fernloft Kuala Lumpur is in Malaysia. Fernloft City Hostel on East Coast is the original Fernloft, where it all started.

Fernloft City Hostel on East Coast

If you choose to stay here, do not forget to visit the area where East Coast Road and Joo Chiat Road intersect. This area is one of the most beautiful and authentic places in Singapore with peranakan style shop houses and is famous for its peranakan cuisine, countless eateries and colorful nightlife. The bus number 14 can directly take you from the hostel to the area.   The East Coast are itself is also known as a multicultural food paradise and you can find a belt of eateries nearby, offering the best of local cuisines such as Chinese, Indian, Malay, Peranakan and best of local exotic seafood.

As it is written in travel fish blog, with a backpacker budget, Fernloft City Hostel on East Coast is the best choice for people looking for a hotel/hostel near Singapore Changi Airport.

Here is my friends review of the hostel: Fernloft: A cheap option to stay in Singapore

You can check the room and bed rates in the hostel for some bargain deals here.

[1] - Hotels near Singapore’s Changi Airport

Boutique hostels in Singapore

As traditional hotel prices went to roof in Singapore, a new breed of upmarket boutique hostels started to mushroomed in the past few years. These hostels, with their pod-like bunk beds, relatively luxurious facilities and many more bonuses, cater to both traditional backpackers who are looking for more than no frills bed to sleep and flashpackers, a new breed of backpackers who require more from their hostel stay.

Matchbox The Concept Hostel

39 Ann Siang Road, Singapore, Singapore

Located in one of the best places in Singapore, Matchbox The Concept Hostel offers boutique-style accommodation to those on a backpacker's budget in comfortable pods. It has been featured in The Independent as one of The Big Six: Capsule hotels.

Bunc Hostel

15 Upper Weld Road, Little India, Singapore 207372
This new generation boutique hostel, located in a 3-stories shophouse in Little India, offer full air-conditioning, Wi-fi, kitchenette facilities, recreation rooms with gaming facilities, an outdoor tanning deck, commercial washer-dryers, a ladies-only floor and most of all. With custom made beds which comes in 2 sizes, Singles and Deluxes,  Bunc Hostel offers a clean, neat and value for money stay in Singapore. The hostel provides key card access to guest rooms, oil-based air fresheners and bug-resistant pillow and mattress covers

Guests in Bunc Hostel Singapore - Photo: Relax.com.sg

Wink Hostel

A Mosque Street, Chinatown / Tiong Bahru, Singapore 059488
Housed in a 3-storey historic shop house, Wink Hostel offers designer pod-beds and high-tech dormitory rooms which can be accessed by a personal key-card. Each pod at Wink Hotel is equipped with sound-resistant walls in between the pods, an orthopaedic mattress, a reading light, and a power socket, amongst other features.[1] Lockers under the beds are locked and unlocked with personal key-cards.

5footway.inn Project Chinatown, 5footway.inn Project Sultan, 5footway.inn Project Chinatown 2

63 Pagoda Street, Chinatown / Tiong Bahru, Singapore 059222
8 Aliwal Street, Bugis, Singapore 199901
227 South Bridge Road, Chinatown / Tiong Bahru, Singapore 058778
There are three branches of 5footway.inn: One is located in Chinatown at Pagoda Street and named 5footway.inn Project Chinatown, one is off Beach Road at Aliwal Street and called 5footway.inn Project Sultan and the newly opened 5footway.inn Project Chinatown 2 is on South Bridge Road, Chinatown / Tiong Bahru.

Singapore's China Town
Photo - 5footway.inn

[1] - New breed of hostels in Singapore

Pod Hotels getting popular

Standard hotel rooms in New York are very expensive yet they are very small. But with the introduction of pod hotels in the city, which are inspired by Japan's capsule hotel, hoteliers now may have very small but at least relatively cheaper hotels.

Capsule hotels first appeared and are highly popular in Japan but they did not have the same popularity in other countries. On the other hand, they have inspired small cabin style hotels which are larger and often comes with their own private bath in first European airports and then other parts of the world. For example a standard cabin of the Yotel Hotel Gatwick Airport in London (Ground Floor Arrivals Concourse South Terminal Gatwick Airport)  is designed as a first-class plane cabin. Yotel has also 2 more pod hotels in Europe (Yotel Schiphol Hotel Amsterdam, Yotel Heathrow Airport London) and a hotel in New York at Times Square West.

These less than 100 sq ft hotel rooms comes with bare minimum to shower, sleep and rest but provides a very budget alternative to the typical hotel room of larger size. According to the New York Times, they are now gaining popularity in New York. New York Times report that the first entry in New York was the 345-room Pod Hotel in east Manhattan, which opened in early 2007 with room rates that start at US$ 89 a night. And it must be popular. The developer of the Pod, BD Hotels, plans to open another in Manhattan  some time this month and plans to open other Pod Hotels in other US cities like Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and Washington.

Yotel Cabin - Source : Telegraph.co.uk

In Manhattan New York city, there will also be 2 more pod hotels by 2014; Pod36 and Pod51 which offer tiny rooms with stylish, smart design. Unlike original Pod rooms, these will offer private bathrooms for each rooms. Both hotels will have bunk beds:

There are also several pod style accommodation options in Singapore, where hotel prices are the most expensive in Asia. One of them, Matchbox the Concept Hostel, provides pod-style dormitories in a very good and central location for only around SG$40 (US$31) per night. Another one is Wink Hostel, which also offers  “pod” style beds; from SD$50 (US$38) for single pod and SG$90 (US$70) for double pod per night. In Changi Airport, for transit passangers, there is also Ambassador Transit Hotel (Terminal 1, Terminal 2 and Terminal 3) which provides budget rooms with only TV and bed (shower and toilet common) for SG$47 (US$36) per 6 hours.

Tree In Lodge Singapore’s first environmentally-friendly hostel

Tree In Lodge, Singapore’s first environmentally-friendly hostel located at Tan Quee Lan Street in Bugis, offers green hostel experience such as filtered water to fill up guest's water bottles as an alternative to buying bottled
water and a station where guests can give away or exchange unwanted items. The hostel, which has opened more than a year ago, has hosted more than 2,500 guests. It costs around 27-29 SGD (21-23 USD) to stay in one of the dorms but globetrotting cyclists passing through Singapore are entitled to 50% off the rates for each night’s stay (owners are cyclists themselves).

“I’ve been backpacking for quite a long time, and there are not many places that try to educate their guests like this place does. To find people that are this passionate is really rewarding to the guests as well.” says Canadian travel writer Ian Ord.  

“There are a lot of signs and exhibits on what you can do to save energy and water, and what you can recycle. Just walking around the hostel and seeing those little things, it just raises awareness,” said Mr Marco Eder, a guest from Germany.
Source : A green hostel stay

Tree In Lodge Common Area - Source : Tree in Lodge

The hostel is in the center of Singapore city; within 3 minutes walk to Bugis MRT Station (so you can reach the hostel from Changi Airport via MRT train). Tree In Lodge has recently won TripAdvisor's prestigious "2012 Certificate of Excellence" by travellers consistently commend the hostel with the highest praise and give on average 4.5 rating. This is important because according to TripAdvisor, only the very best in the business are awarded a Certificate of Excellence.


Tree In Lodge's co-onwer Tan Swee Kian, said: "Rather than building a new building out of featuring a lot of green features, we use an old building, fit it in with some facilities for going green and build in practices to make it a habit. I think it's more important because this goes back to the basics." An avid traveller himself, Mr Tan said he drew inspiration from cities in Europe, Japan and Taiwan that are known for their green lifestyles.

Providing filtered water for guests to fill up their own bottles as an alternative to buying bottled water and setting up stations for guests to give away or exchange unwanted items are among the many green practices they embraced in the hostel. To reduce its carbon footprint, the hostel's interior decoration is kept to a minimum.
Source : Green backpackers hostel provides eco-friendly accommodation for tourists

Backpacking to flashpacking: Flashpacking hostels of Singapore and South East Asia

Backpacking is a developed industry with a long history now and something more sophisticated is emerging from the concept: flashpacking. Flashpackers are still budget travelers but requires some more from the hostel they stay like more privacy even in a dormitory room. So new flashpacker hostels offering something between hostel and hotel. These hostels offer more central locations, better customer service and a clean and modern place compared to classic backpacker hostels.

Here are some cool flashpacker hostels from Singapore and South East Asia:

Matchbox The Concept Hostel - Singapore


We have written about Matchbox before. Founded by Magdalene Wan, this first flashpacker hostel of Singapore is located in one of the most beautiful streets in Singapore, Ang Siang Road. They offer private pods for $45 SGD per night which is a quite reasonable price in Singapore where hotels are the most expensive in Asia. The place is just next to Club Street and is walking distance away from China Town. The main luxury Matchbox Hostel offers is a great privacy in a dorm by pod style beds.

Matchbox The Concept Hostel in Singapore

Matchbox Concept Hostel - Singapore

Five Stones Hostel - Singapore


Five Stones is another centrally located hostel from Singapore. this boutique hostel is only 3 minutes away from Clarke Quay MRT and very near to Boat Quay and Clarke Quay riverside nightspots. Prices start from 30 SGD for a bed-night in a 14 bed mixed dorm. The hostel also offers private rooms: a standard private double room costs $100 SGD per night and a deluxe private double room costs $105 SGD per night. Quite expensive for a hostel room but still very competitive with the hotel rooms you can find in this central location.

Five Stones Hostel in Singapore

Wink Hostel - Singapore

This flashpacker hostel also offers pod style beds, double pod beds and single pod beds. The hostel is founded by Heng Chong Boon, a private investor, and Cheryl Ou, who was previously operating a small backpacker hostel named Habitat. Like other flashpacker hostels this hostel is to satisfy the need for an accommodation budget, backpacker oriented but still private and a little luxury. The hostel is housed in a three-storey historic shophouse with a Chinese baroque façade in Chinatown just right next to Chinatown MRT station.

Wink Hostel in Singapore

Wink Hostel - Singapore

HQ Hostel - Bangkok, Thailand

HQ Hostel Bangkok is a boutique budget accommodation for backpackers and budget travelers located in the middle of Bangkok's city center. The hostel offers great variety of accommodation options from beds in 10 bunk bed rooms (380 THB - 12 USD) to a room with a queen size bed for 2 people with bathroom (1700 THB - 55 USD). The hostel is founded by four like minded young travellers and designed by Knot. The location is quite nice, near Silom and Sala Daeng Station.

Ryokan@Muntri Street- Penang Malaysia


Ryokan Chic Hostel at Muntei Street is Malaysia's first flashpacker hostel which was opened in April 2010 in Penang’s Unesco World Heritage Site. This Japanese-themed hostel is in Jalan Muntri, George Town. The hostel offers four-bed dormitory, four- and six-bed mixed dormitories and a luxury double room ensuite. The rooms and public areas such as bar and business centre offer free WiFi connection.

The group will open two new boutique flashpacker hotels this year — Ryokan@Damansara Utama and Ryokan@Ipoh. Unlike the sister property in Penang, these will not have dormitories though they will maintain the Japanese-fusion look and hi-tech features.(Source : Flashpacker lodgings)

Backpackers Hostel Ma May - Hanoi Vietnam

Ma May is located in the heart of Hanoi's Old Quarter and is close to Hoan Kiem Lake, delicious street food stalls, cheap Bia Hoi (fresh beer) shops, around the corner from all the late night bars of the Old Quarter. The founders have previously converted a diplomat's house to Vietnam's first international-style hostel on Ngo Huyen Lane and has one more hostel in Huey. Ma May offers a wide range of accommodation options from mixed dorm double bed for $9.00 / night to private room with a super-sized double bed for $40.00 / night.

Source : JetStar Asia Magazine

Matchbox The Concept Hostel is open

We have written last month that Singapore's first pod style flashpacker hostel, Matchbox The Concept Hostel, will be opened in August. Matchbox Hospitality officially launched this only boutique flashpacker hostel with pod-style dormitory in Singapore and Southeast Asia in August and on August 16th 2011. They were very kind to invite Asia Singapore to media open event.I will write a larger first hand review of this new hostel soon. Below is from the press release:

"Singapore, 16 August 2011 - Responding to the calls of a new generation of travellers, Matchbox The Concept Hostel appeals to flashpackers who have vastly different ‘wants’ from the typical backpacker. The only one in Singapore and Southeast Asia to feature exclusive custom-made pod-style dormitories, Matchbox is also the only hostel in the world to feature couple bunk beds within a dormitory."

The hostel offers three rooms, Sunkiss is 2 single bed mixed dormitory, Flamingo is 12 single bed Ladies’ dormitory, and Spring Mist is 18-bed mixed dormitory (2 double beds and 16 single beds). As I have written before in Singapore descent hotels prices range between expensive and very expensive, and hostels like The Matchbox are great to spend less on a bed and more on everything else. It is indeed better for young people to share a dorm with travellers from around the world even they can afford to lock themselves privately into a hotel room.

Matchbox The Concept Hostel Facade

So with its 45 SGD per night per pod, this hostel is flashpacker, affluent backpacker who is backpacking with a bigger budget. With this extra prices comes extras, a more luxury than an average space, cosy location with a soul and history, free all day breakfast, Wi-Fi, laundry facilities and custom designed pillows. Below photos would give you more idea about the hostel. What I will add for now is I especially like its location, Ang Siang Road, greeting you with its elegantly restored shophouses (Matchbox is in one of these shop houses) at the end of gentle slope of Ang Siang Hill is a very nice place to stay in Singapore.

Matchbox Lobby - Source : Hostels.com

Dormitory with pods  - Source : Hostels.com

Here are some other boutique style hostels in Singapore.

5footway.inn Project Chinatown 2	Wink Hostel	Bunc hostel	Adler Hostel

Singapore's First Pod Style Flashpacker Hostel

In a place like Singapore where descent hotels prices range between expensive and very expensive, hostels are good options to spend less on a bed and more on everything else. Many backpackers on tight budget prefer hostel and hostels are also very good places to make friends. Instead of locking yourself into a single room it may be more fun to share a dorm with strangers from around the world even if you can afford to live in a hotel.

With the increase of budget travelling option as well as the appetite for adventure among youngster, more and more backpackers are coming to Singapore. In the last 2 years, the number of backpacker hostels increased 1 every month showing the increasing interest for cheap accommodation, something not very readily available in Singapore.

The price difference between hotels and hostels has a large room for hostels to spread into, and some backpackers hostels in Singapore are charging more, sometimes  40% more than the usual price in exchange of additional comfort and services.

For example backpacker hostel Rucksack Inn 2 in Hong Kong Street provides private double room with cable TV for 95 SGD per night. This price is still cheaper than many hotels in Singapore and comes with a friendlier environment of a hostel.  In the Lavender Street outlet of this hostel, backpackers can borrow netbooks for free.

Who would pay for these extras? An emerging type of backpackers called flashpackers. A Flashpacker is basically an affluent backpacker who is backpacking with a bigger budget.  And next month, a concept flashpackers hostel will open its doors at Ann Siang Road: Matchbox the Concept Hostel. Already at a good location (a Chinese shop house just right next to Club Street and China town) it offers more than location. This new hostel will have capsule-like dormitory beds priced at 45 Singapore Dollars per night. According to MyPaper Matchbox hostel will be the first hostel in Singapore offering pod style accommodation:

“It will feature 3 types of pod dormitory: a woman only boudoir, a premium two bed dorm and a 17 bed mixed dorm. Prices will start from 45 Singapore Dollars per pod per night and includes an all-day breakfast.”

Pod Style Beds In Matchbox The Concept Hostel Singapore

For August 2011 there is a promotion and the prices will start from 35 Singapore Dollars per pod per night. It is good to hear that there are more accommodation options and competition in this end of the hospitality market with boutique hostels. But no worry if you need to count for every dollars throughout your holiday, no frills type of hostels are going nowhere and actually increasing in number and capacity.

Here are some other boutique style hostels in Singapore.

5footway.inn Project Chinatown	Wink Hostel	Bunc hostel	Adler Hostel

Hostel In Singapore - Cozy Corner Guesthouse

Cozy Corner Guesthouse is a centrally located hostel on the North Bridge Road, just opposite of Bugis Junction. Today I had a chance to visit this centrally located hostel. This hostel occupies second and third floors of a traditional chinese shop house and its address is "490 North Bridge Road | 2nd Floor" (telephone +65 63396128 or 62246859).

If location is everything for you this hostel is one of the best hostel choices in Singapore. Its location is really central and convenient. You can even arrive here from Changi Airport by merely MRT (leaving the green line train in Bugis station). It is just on the opposite of Bugis junction and within walking distance to the tip of Orchard Road, Suntec City, famous electronics heaven Sim Lim Square and Little India. But since it is very closed to an MRT station, it is actually near to anywhere on the island.

The staff on the counter was very cold and was really indifferent to me when I checked for the prices. She looked like a person who can be very rude if you push. That face is not good for a service business.

The hostel looks like you will get what you pay for. A dorm bed within an air conditioned room for 6 pax would cost you 15 SGD per night and for 4 pax will be 15 SGD per night. This hostel also provides private rooms without bathroom or windows. A double room with aircon, free breakfast and all day free internet access is 50 SGD per day and a twin room with aircon, free breakfast and all day free internet access is 50 SGD per day. Check both the aircon and internet before checking-in.

Cozy Corner Guesthouse

The hostel offers broadband internet access, laundry (10 SGD per load) and luggage services, lockers and travel information on Singapore and South East Asia. In their brochure they have mentioned that they provide a rooftop garden equipped with a color television to relax. I seems like hostel occupies all 3 stories of this chinese shop house.





Below is a photo of this hostel. Sorry for the resolution I lost details while trying to have a large cover of the surrounding. The hostel is the third shophouse from the corner in this photo.

North Bridge Road

Demand must be high because I have checked for a dorm bed (Sunday) at around 3 PM and there was no bed left for rent. The woman at the counter told me to come around 11 AM in the morning to find a bed.

I have also checked the trip advisor for the comments on this hostel. Over 21 comments 13 of them are "poor" or "terrible"! It did not look that bad to me but I cannot say anything before staying there. I have also checked the toilets and the showers and they looked OK. I will probably stay in a hostel on next wednesday and I am flagging this hostel to be considered but will check others and share my experience here in this blog.

See also Singapore Hostel Choices articles for other hostels in Singapore.

Hostels in Singapore

Just a couple of years ago, you had very limited choices in terms of budget short term accommodation in Singapore. I only knew two hostels and directed friends there (back then I was in a studio with no place for guests).

Since hotel rates in Singapore are quite high the demand for hostels are also high. And now it looks like supply is catching up the demand for this type of accommodation and there are many hostels in Singapore. And there is a wide range of hostels now from traditional dorm and shower only no-frills hostels to relatively luxurious boutique hostels. Many of them provide single bed, double bed or even family rooms to rent for about 60+ SGD per night (although bathrooms are still shared). Here is a complation of my favorites (not in any order).

Wink Hostel
Housed in a 3-storey historic shop house in Chinatown, Wink Hostel offers one of the best flashpacker accommodation in Singapore with sound-resistant pod beds, contained lighting and private nooks.  Communal spaces like café, entertainment lounge and kitchenette are quite clean and modern. Location, which is very closed to Chinatown MRT Station, is very convenient.

Matchbox The Concept Hostel
Matchbox The Concept Hostel is not your typical hostel. It is the first pod style hostel in Singapore opened in August 2011. It offers capsule like beds in its dormitories. These capsules give guests more privacy. The hostel offers single bed capsules and double bed capsules. The hostel is in a conservation shop house in Ann Siang Road, right next to the Club Street and China town. Beds priced at 45 Singapore Dollars per night. Backpackers who are looking for a little luxury and convenience, this hostel is a must check.

A Beary Good Hostel

A Beary Good Hostel is one of the newest hostels in Singapore. I is opened just less than a year ago (April 2010) but they have already opened their second facility just a few weeks ago. Both facilities are in Chinatown and one facility is just next to China Town MRT. It is referred in Best Hostels In Singapore article of CNNGo as below:

Cheesy name aside, A Beary Good Hostel is good value for money if you don't mind the overly generous placement of stuffed bears throughout. The conservation shophouse exterior belies a homely and relaxed interior in primary color tones that is surprisingly more uplifting than annoying. The unbeatable location on Chinatown's Pagoda Street also means a wealth of photo-ops and authentic Chinese food.

It's location is great. It is just next to an MRT station so commuting around Singapore is not an issue (as they mention it in their web site "hostel is located just 10 sheltered steps away from the MRT (a.k.a. subway/tube/metro/MTR/LRT/sky train/U-Bahn… ok you get the point) - your gateway to all other attractions in Singapore i.e. Sentosa, Orchard Road, Clarke Quay, Little India, Marina Bay..."). This one only offers dorm style rooms with 10 to 12 beds, 26 SGD / night.

Bunc Hostel
Bunc is a brand-new 233-bed, 3-stories hostel located at Upper Weld Road Little India Historical District. The hostel offer full air-conditioning, Wi-fi, kitchenette facilities, recreation rooms with gaming facilities, an outdoor tanning deck, commercial washer-dryers, a ladies-only floor and most of all, the custom made, roomy Bunc beds that maximizes personal space and privacy.

Bunc Hostel

Bunc beds come in two sizes: Singles and Deluxes. A deluxe Bunc bed is twice the size of the full-sized single, and is able to accommodate two people spaciously. Each Bunc bed is luxuriously appointed with duvet covers and plush pillows. Singles and Deluxe Bunc beds are designed in conjunction and share a dormitory-style arrangement.

Rucksack Inn@Lavender

Rucksack Inn@Lavender is at 280 Lavender Street with a lounge area decorated with a comfortable sofa, 40-inch TV set with Xbox 360 Kinetics and a DVD player: more like someones living room than a hostel lounge. Hostel offers a reading corner, 3 computers to surf the web for free. The hostel provides free all day breakfast. The rates start from 28 SGD per night, a little more expensive than a typical hostel but well paid.

This one in Lavender is the third location of the hostel chain. The other two are in Hongkong Street.

Here are some relatively luxurious boutique style hostels in Singapore.

5footway.inn Project Chinatown 2

ABC Premium Hostel

5footway.inn Project Chinatown 2

Adler Hostel