As affordable as some hotels can be, hygiene and comfort is the most important factor to me when it comes to booking a stay. Paying a minimal price for a room does not mean it should hinder your relaxing staycation experience. But that being said, always get the best deal and price from a trusted platform.
Believe it or not, some of my top favourite hotels are not even 5-star branded ones!
And one of them is none other than the iconic, Hotel Soloha.
Hotel Soloha is located in Chinatown, more specifically near to Keong Saik Road. I’ve fallen in love with that area one too many times! Not only are my favorite hotels there, even Potato Head bar is there too. It’s a great area if you’re into the nightlife. Every corner of the street is bustling with bars and cafe, the options for food and drinks are endless.
I absolutely love Hotel Soloha, no doubt.
‘Soloha’ combines ‘so’, an expressive adverb that emphasizes the idea of ‘to such a great extent’ and ‘aloha’, the catchy Hawaiian greeting that is about living life.
Hotel Soloha
The effort that was invested into making the hotel unique and quirky is really what you should look out for and admire. The fact that every wall of the lobby is Instagram-worthy made me fall head over heels with this property.
Plus! The research and hardwork that went into designing both the exterior and interior of the hotel is just top-notch amazing. It was built within a repurposed, restored shophouse which explains the intricate and nostalgic design and features. Notice how most of the architecture remains unchanged, breathing new life into something quaint and vintage.
When I arrived, the queue for check-in wasn’t that long despite having only one counter open but what amazed me was not the swift check-in process but how beautifully designed the lobby is! First of all, it’s not just a normal, boring reception you see in normal hotels. The frontdesk here is literally a bar, a fully-functioning bar.
Very extraordinary! On one side is where check-in procedures are done and on the other end, is where people order drinks and hang out. Just beautiful! Although, I’m not really sure how that works out efficiently during a very busy, peak period.
Besides being hip and funky, the hotel displays amazing amount of art too. Not just as framed artworks, but on wallpapers, ceilings and to the carpeted floors. If you love pop-arts, you totally should book a stay here! I don’t really know how to appreciate art, but I love anything cute and colorful.
I don’t consider myself an artistic person, but I am fair.
When you enter the elevator, the exterior walls are also painted with the amazing artwork by Ethrisha Liaw! It’s super cool, it feels that every corner of the hotel immerses you in a totally artistic dimension. Multi-verse, anyone? It’s just full of life and I’m living for it!
Our room this time was a standard one. I heard and read great reviews even for their smallest room and honestly I wasn’t even afraid to book it, unlike some other hotels.
The room was modern and chic as I expected, maybe even better. Normally I’ll get claustrophobic when rooms are too constraint, but not here! It’s amazing how lighting and dimmers can make a room so inviting and serene. Right when you open the door, you’ll have the comfortable queen-sized bed, placed right in front of the large flatscreen television on the wall. Pillows were amazingly soft! The only negative feedback I have for this one is, only two pillows were provided. I need 500 to sleep peacefully! However, the cushions that have imprinted designs on it were super cute.
The television was large enough for a comfortable session of Netflix! Or Disney Plus? The best part about it was that there was a screen-mirroring feature, so you don’t need to go through the hassle of bringing your own HDMI cable like I always do.
The cool and interesting part about the room is the customized lighting! From the switches on the side of the bed, you can choose four different moods of lighting; party, romantic, cozy and night mode. Not sure which one is my favorite. Maybe all of them!
Two USB slots are also placed there for your convenience! If ever the screen-mirroring function is faulty, there is a HDMI slot for you to connect your device to the television screen as well.
On the other side of the room is where the work desk, vanity area is. Notice how the wall is mirrored, making the whole room appear larger and spacious! An old but very practical trick.
The space also doubles as an open wardrobe, hangers are provided for your usage.
The telephone, mugs and a kettle are also placed on the desk. A little sad that a coffee machine isn’t provided in this hotel. But what got my attention was the beautiful, rounded golden container. It looks like the traditional bamboo pau steamer, but in gold. Like a treasure chest too right? Guess what’s inside!
Treasures! Amenities like tea and coffee sachets are placed inside. It’s remarkable how something so simple, can seem really out-of-the-box at the same time. I just admire how small details like these literally show how much effort is placed, in making the experience for guests staying here really unique and out of this world.
The attention to detail is just incredible. The fact that they put in the extra effort to label their bottled water with the hotel’s logo is something to appreciate too.
Speaking about the fine touches, the furnitures used in the room are also super vintage and cute. Just look at this chair, with the rattan seat and beautiful nordic elements. The combination of modern and old, literally genius. I want them in my own bedroom!
The bathroom is elegantly white, designed with marble tilings and furnished with amazing rainshower system.
Every single Hotel Soloha bathroom boast high-end European sanitaryware, and are equipped with patented Hansgrohe Raindance technology that will pamper you in the shower.
Hotel Soloha
I am obsessed with skylights or ceilings that have windows on them. Just like KēSaHouse, they have it here too but only at the shower area. It’s also fully operated by a switch on the side! So if you feel the sun is shining too bright, you can just close it fully.
Toiletries are also provided, with the shampoo, body wash and condition placed in pump bottles. Just a little tip! If you have sensitive skin, avoid using the toiletries provided in these bottles because it’s hard to determine what brand or what ingredients are used in them. I bring my own toiletries most of the time, I’m sensitive everywhere babes.
One thing I don’t bring on my own is my toothbrush.
It’s provided in all the hotel rooms I stayed in and I personally feel it’s more hygienic to use the disposable ones provided by the hotel? It’s more efficient too. I always avoid to re-pack anything wet when it’s time to check out. I ever stayed at Fullerton and after a swim, my trunk was still wet and I just left it aside in the bathroom before I leave. Consider it a parting gift?
The room attendant who cleaned my room was probably like:
The only issue I had with the bathroom here is the absence of a bidet.
The shower hose was too far to reach the toilet bowl too, so you can imagine how frustrating it was for me to do my brownie business. The fact that the toilet bowl is placed right beside the half-opaque door didn’t help either. If you shine a light on the door, you could probably see a free show production of Wayang Kulit. Starring, me. Directed by, me.
Other than those minor negatives, the hotel itself was nothing but amazing. My range of positive vocabulary is that limited, I think I used almost all of them. I regretted telling my english secondary school teacher that her classes were boring, now I need them. Ms Teo, if you’re reading this, hope you’re doing great. Love your hair.
I truly recommend this hotel if you want somewhere hip, funky and just unique. With the affordable price point, it doesn’t get any better than this. The room may seem small but I love how every corner is made practical, so it feels uncluttered and not even a bit claustrophobic.
Even more fun if you have a group of friends to chill and hang out with, this could be the perfect spot. But! I too, imagine myself having a solo staycation here. It’s really ideal, just the right amount of space for one and with that huge TV? Imagine how many reality shows I can watch!
I’ve never done a solo stay in Singapore though. It’s ironic cause I am fearless doing solo trips to other countries. I went to great cities like Perth, to skeptical places like Manila on my very own (the casino behind my apartment was attacked by ISIS prior to my arrival) but for some reason, I feel uneasy doing so in my own country. It’s just awkward! I get creeped out sleeping alone too. I guess I am more afraid of ghosts than terrorists!
Taliban who? I only know Teletubbies.
What hotels in Singapore do you recommend for a solo staycation?
Aliff Daniel 