From the many times I’ve gone past Hotel G on a bus or in a car, I formed the impression that this was quite an interesting hipster hotel. I’d always be craning my neck to see what was happening in the hotel’s restaurants on street level as they’d usually be buzzing with people. Even though it is clear from their website that their rooms are terribly small, Traveloka released a Glam Your Gram package deal at a fairly acceptable price, so I decided to satisfy my curiosity and try it out.
However, there was a sudden cessation of dining-in due to heightened covid measures, so I cancelled this initial booking as I really wanted to visit Ginett restaurant! This turned out to be a blessing in disguise given that subsequently, I managed to get this same package at a much lower price (yay).
- Inclusions:
- 1-night stay in Great Room
- Set breakfast
- $50 dining voucher
- Late check-out 2pm
- Complimentary parking
- Spent: SGD$82.72
Check-in
Stepping out of the car at the drop-off point, we were greeted by a blinding display of lights welcoming us to Hotel G. It was a stark contrast inside as the reception area was poorly lit, giving the place a low-key dodgy feel.
Thankfully, Howard, the staff checking us in, made us feel right at home with his jovial demeanour. I mentioned wanting to pay for an upgrade to a Greater Room (this room category is almost double the size of a Great Room!) but he regrettably informed that they were all fully booked. He empathized with our predicament and offered us one of the larger Great Rooms, which was a really nice gesture. Later on, when we bumped into him at Ginett restaurant, he remembered us and asked us how the room was. Loved the personal touch and follow-up, he was the sure highlight of our stay (:
Room
Having seen photos and reviews of this hotel, I thought my expectations of the room size were already quite well-managed. Alas, upon entering our Great Room on the 9th floor (out of 16 floors), I was still a little taken aback, especially by the tiny bathroom (but it did come with a rainshower, if that’s something that matters to you). Counter space was scarce, there was no wardrobe for clothes (only 4 hangers on a wall-hung metal rack) and no fridge.
On top of that, cleanliness was a slight concern. There was a sizeable black-brown sediment on the shower ledge and multiple black spots along the tile grout lines. I also chanced upon a blue-dyed strand of hair on the towel while I was using it (goodness gracious), as well as random hairs on the sheets. Soundproofing was an issue too. If guests along the corridor raised their talking volume slightly, we could easily hear them through the walls.
I put in a request for a firm pillow but the staff shared that all their pillows were the same. What was really commendable was that instead of simply saying “sorry we don’t have that”, she tried to think of different options to address my request. Eventually, we settled on extra towels as my pillow substitute. Even though it wasn’t the most effective alternative, I honestly appreciated her effort in helping to problem-solve. Delivery of requested items was also very prompt (within 5 minutes).
Facilities
Armed with a hard copy $50 dining voucher, we headed to Ginett restaurant for dinner. Initially, we were told that our voucher could be stacked with the 15% discount that all staying guests receive at the hotel’s restaurants. However, when the bill came, another staff informed that we could only use one or the other. Miscommunication much.
Well, at least the food was pretty good and portions were filling. I had the vongole tagliatelle while my husband had the scottish salmon. If you snap a photo of the guest lift door and spot the differences, bring it to the reception staff and redeem wine vouchers! Since we don’t do alcohol, they offered us their signature mocktails instead. My husband liked it because it reminded him of our refreshing welcome drinks at Swiss-Belinn Legian Hotel in Bali. I, on the other hand, found it too sweet.
Do note that if you’re looking to soak or swim, there is no pool here. There is only a gym located on level 3.
We came down to 25 Degrees Burger Bar for breakfast the next morning. There was the option of bringing breakfast back to the room but we chose to have it there since there wasn’t much space upstairs to begin with. They had a few different mains to pick from – we ordered the American breakfast and eggs special. Every guest is limited to only one set that comes with a serving of croissants, fruits and coffee or tea, anything more would require a top-up fee (yes, they were strict about this).
You’d expect that given the limitation of one main per pax, they’d at least make it a good one. Unfortunately, the food was really forgettable. The eggs were bland, the croissants were rock-hard and the sausages had an unpleasant texture. There were also tiny annoying flies that hung around our food so we had to periodically swat them away. It didn’t help that service here was icy, with the staff giving off the vibe that they would rather be someplace else.
My overall rating of the experience: 2 out of 5 stars. Our stay here solidified just how important room size is to me. Having the bathroom practically in the same space as our sleeping area and needing to crawl over another person to get to the other side of the bed was super uncomfortable. Cleanliness was rather questionable too. It was also the first time we left a hotel before our designated check-out time, which says a lot. As for the food, dinner at Ginett restaurant was enjoyable but breakfast from 25 Degrees Burger Bar was appallingly unmemorable (you might not want to top up for this if your package doesn’t include it). Like the food, service standards were similarly inconsistent. Some staff appeared to be mentally checked out and simply going through the motion of their duties. Others, like Howard and our lovely phone operator lady, were incredibly helpful and made the effort to connect with us. Sadly, these few shining positives aren’t enough to entice us back for a return stay here ): Perhaps this hotel might appeal more to a different target audience, those who aren’t looking to spend that much time in the hotel itself.
Dania Experiences 