Speaking of something out of the ordinary, I stayed in a bus recently instead of a hotel like we usually do and I had the best time ever. Unique experience? Checked!

The Bus Collective is a resort (kinda?) hotel in Changi, built from 20 decommissioned public buses that have been refurbished into guest rooms. It’s noted to be the first such idea in Southeast Asia. They should also turn Jetstar’s planes into hotels too since they stopped operating in Singapore, that would be so cute.

I never thought I would be on the driver’s seat of an SBS Transit bus but here we are. I’m literally re-living my childhood memories here because I loved playing bus drivers when I was a kid. I would take my mum’s pots and ladles to make them into steering wheels and gear sticks, and just pretend to be a typical bus driver from Bukit Batok, making a decent living for my four (imaginary) wives.

Now?

I still do not have a driver license. Not planning to! I just protest about the increase of public transport fares on social media here and there. It’s so frequent now! I should be the next Minister of Transport, what say you?

I was particularly excited about staying in The Bus Collective because one, it’s such a unique experience! Sleeping in a bus? I usually do that after work and on my journey home so this adds a different twist! Two, it’s actually a birthday celebration for my younger brother and I love organising birthday surprises so nobody in my family, apart from my sister, knows that we chose this venue. We just got a limo to fetch them and told the driver to hush hush. We love Limogenie.

Because we’re a family consisting of seven people, my sister and I decided to choose the largest bus that could cater to our group size, and the “Pioneer North” category was just perfect. It has a comfortable king-sized bed plus bunk beds, which is literally so convenient and bussing (hehe) for us.

When we reached the location, it felt really nice because we’re so away from the city. There wasn’t any noise pollution from the busy roads and the sky was so blue and clear. I could see planes flying by frequently which I really, really adore. I love planes.

Seeing all the decommissioned buses lined up next to each other was surreal. Before I got there, I imagined it’d look like a boring parking lot, but it actually looks incredible.

The reception area was a little quirky, it’s not what you would see in the normal, usual hotels. I kinda felt like I was in a busy meeting room. The space wasn’t that big and there were minimal seats for you to sit and wait, so my sister had to wait outside in the heat.

The room (or the bus?) wasn’t ready when we arrived but we proceeded to went ahead and set up our own birthday decorations while the staff cleaned the bus.

Once the cleaning is done, I immediately entered because I was too excited to check out the space. I really thought I would feel claustrophobic but the space was well-designed, so it never felt tight or confined.

I went straight to the driver’s seat because that was the coolest part of the bus. I sat and was really impressed that most of the equipments and buttons are still preserved there, of course it was non-functional. All buttons, including ones that used to control the entrance and exit of the bus is still there. This definitely adds up to the experience, because which hotel in Singapore could give you something like this?

Right next to the driver’s seat, there’s a little setup with a television and a coffee and tea-making station. A minibar is tucked in there too, which is super convenient if you bring in snacks or drinks like me. You’ll also find the essentials like a kettle and couple of bottles of mineral water here. It’s a small corner but again, everything’s laid out so thoughtfully that it doesn’t feel squeezy at all.

“Pioneer North” is only one of the few buses that has bunk beds, so if are bringing a large group, this choice will be great. If they’re staying overnight, this category can comfortably fit four adults.

Apart from the bunk beds, a king sized bed is placed at the very last section of the bus too.

The quality of the beds is as great as any other 5 star hotels, which again, is a surprise to me. The standards here? Just stunning.

Speaking of stunning, just look at the bathroom. I have been to some hotels and they’re not even as pretty as this. Perfect lighting, great design and the amenities? Just incredible.

The bathroom amenities are from Ink & Water, an Australian brand. Do I wish they had gone with a homegrown one instead? Maybe! But honestly, this is just too good to complain about. The quality is excellent and the scent of honey and vanilla beans is absolutely beautiful. It feels incredibly soft on the skin and is easily one of my favorites.

My mum actually requested for more hand soap and they gave her the whole bottle. If you’re into the same scent, you can actually buy them from here.

Over by the king bed area, there’s another television which is super cool if you like your Netflix-and-Chill sessions comfortable and cosy. An umbrella is also provided on the bus which is such a thoughtful touch, especially because the bus doesn’t have any sheltered area around it.

Since we’re staying on a bus, you won’t find the usual hotel perks like a gym or swimming pool here but here’s the fun part. Something most hotels in Singapore don’t have?

A patio where you can fire up your own barbecue. Take note that there’s extra charges for this!

You can contact the hotel directly for the updated halal barbecue menu and their package prices.

And honestly, this was exactly what I wanted for my family.

I wanted a space where we could hang out, socialise, all while doing our own barbecue. Chalets? Perhaps not! They’re usually dirty, never properly maintained and not exactly private since they’re so close to the neighbours.

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The Bus Collective is just perfect.

I can’t lie, I’m fully on board (hehe) with this place. Every detail goes the extra mile and it makes me realise a hotel doesn’t need a gym or a pool to be memorable.

All in all, staying at The Bus Collective was an absolute ride. From the moment I stepped on board, it felt like this bus had more personality than most hotels I’ve stayed in. The staff is just efficient and simply amazing at what they do.

Definitely the only bus I don’t mind riding on.