Tucked in a vibrant corner of Keong Saik street, was an old and quaint shophouse that is now restored and converted into a beautiful, elegant boutique hotel; KēSa House, The Unlimited Collection by Oakwood.

Consisting of 60 rooms, KēSa House has 5 different types of rooms you can choose from. Not only you can book them for staycations but also for long-term stay if you’re looking for a cute place to rent. I specifically chose the deluxe room as it has the rooftop skylight on the ceiling, which is pretty much the most beautiful feature I’ve ever seen after checking out so many hotels in Singapore.

When I first stepped in into the hotel lobby, I was greeted by the beauty and elegance of the hotel design. Simple, yet so beautiful. The check-in process was a breeze. The ambience was perfect, what made the experience better was the smiling faces of the staffs. Here, they call themselves the KēSa House Kurators.

Now, isn’t that the cutest thing?! I gotta say though, the service here doesn’t feel transactional at all. You instantly feel at home. Everyone treats you like a family of their own. From the front desk, to the room attendants. You can really feel their service is straight from the heart! I didn’t had the time to ask for their names, but staffs of KēSa House, if you’re reading this, if you’re working on the day that I checked in, all of you are simply the best. I could only remember a staff named Firdaus, who attended to me in my room.

You know how I’m good with faces but never with names? I somehow recognised Firdaus from somewhere and I actually asked him if he finds me familiar. We ended up staring at each other in confusion. We just laughed it off.

I really should stop asking people if I look familiar to them. So much of being humble?

*coughs in embarrassment*

What intrigues me the most about my room was the controllable skylight. Pardon me, but I have always want a huge window on the ceiling.

It’s really ideal if you’re into sunsets and stargazing, this will really work for you! I know it did for me. Sadly though, it was cloudy during the night I was there. No stars! But who needs stars when I’m there. I AM THE STAR.

The skylights in the hotel brought in natural lighting into the hotel, making the whole space feels bright and airy. It doesn’t feel suffocating at all. One of the reasons why I prefer boutique hotels than bigger-branded ones, is simply because the former has more character and uniqueness.

*awkward smile*

I saw the moon though and it was equally amazing.

I also love the fact that a sanitisation kit is provided during our stay. Ever since the pandemic started, I have an obsession of wiping everything I touch with the sanitising wipes. From the remotes, to the key cards. From the door handles, to the switches.

After obsessively playing with the skylight control switch for 5 hours, I then decided to check the bathroom. It’s really important to me that the bathroom isn’t too big. The issue for me is that, most hotels don’t provide bidet by their toilets. And KēSa House is no exception, unfortunately. I hate using tissues because I don’t feel clean after. I always have to waddle from the toilet to the shower area just to get myself… cleaned? Thankfully for me, the bathroom wasn’t that big. Not that it was small, it was just nice for a petite boy like me. I really wished a bidet is installed near the toilet though. Or those automated ones that are installed inside the toilet bowls where you can control the water pressure by pressing the buttons? Oh, I love that. Greatest invention ever.

The amenities used in the bathroom are from Ashley And Co. I really love the aesthetics! To be honest, I’ve never heard of them. But it smelled good! And that is all that matters. For me, at least.

Unlike bigger-branded hotels, certain amenities isn’t provided. There weren’t any slippers or bathrobes provided in the room. Definitely a plus to have that included, if you ask me. I like to snuggle in bed with my robe on and wear slippers if ever I need to get something from the 7-11 downstairs! Because yes, I will get hungry at 4am in the morning. The butter chicken briyani from 7-11 is the best.

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Anyways! My room was on the 3rd floor which was the highest in the hotel. Right by the lift lobby is the laundry area where you can wash your clothes in the washing machines provided. On the 2nd floor, there’s a lounge for you to chill with your friends. A kitchen/ pantry area is also available to use! There’s a kitchenette for you to do some light cooking and a microwave for heating up of food. You can check out the photos here. However, due to the recent heightened pandemic restrictions, the kitchen area is out of bounds until further notice.

So! Will I recommend my friends to stay here? An absolutely, definite yes! If you’re looking for somewhere scenic and comfortable, this hotel is definitely for you. Perfect for couples, even more perfect if you have large groups of friends. KēSa House is for everyone! Also remember, book the deluxe category if you want a skylight in your room.

Visit their website here to book a room but if you’re into discounted prices, I would always recommend you to use a third-party hotel booking app to reserve your stay. My personal favorite is Agoda and sometimes Trip.com. What I love to do is compare the prices from both and plan accordingly. It’s always nice to have a relaxing getaway, yet be economical at the same time. Do whatever you can for your mental health during this uncertain time. It’s little things like these that gets you through difficult times. I got chu!

If you’ve been to KēSa House, tell me all about your experience! Let’s support the economy together, and have fun while at it. If you know of any boutique hotels that I should stay at next, just holla!

I am thinking of Hotel Soloha next… what do you think?

Time for me to close my skylight… and hibernate. See you very soon!

Aliff Daniel.