Considering the high cost of living in Singapore, it is still a challenge for a budget traveler to get a comfortable stay in Singapore city with a 4-5 star rating yet still affordable.
Having been in Singapore for almost six (6) years since 2012, I have booked and stayed at numerous affordable hotels and hostels in different locations in Singapore. Especially in the areas of Lavender, Geylang, and Bugis— home to cheap accommodation.
I used to go to Singapore for business trips, particularly to Jurong. So we chose a hotel that’s pretty close to the workplace. The company always had a room reservation for me at the Genting Hotel also in Jurong. It’s located a few meters from the office.
After a couple of trips, I finally had the opportunity to present my personal review of this “garden-themed” hotel in the heart of Jurong.
General Information
Genting Hotel is the first “garden-themed” hotel in the Lake District that offers modern-style rooms and has become a secret gem in the West.
Genting Hotel Jurong features an in-house restaurant, garden-themed rooms, an outdoor swimming pool, and free WiFi within the property.
Location
The main thing I liked about this hotel is the proximity of this hotel to our office. Genting Hotel is conveniently situated within 1.5 kilometers of Jurong East MRT Station. It’s an easy 7-minute walk to the MRT station and a 10-minute walk to the Vision Exchange where I worked.
Complete Address:
Genting Hotel Jurong
2 Town Hall Link, Singapore 608516
Jurong Bird Park, on the other side, is roughly 5.3 kilometers away, while Singapore Changi Airport is 35.4 kilometers from the hotel.
Genting Hotel is also surrounded by large commercial services such as Business Parks, Hospitals, and a variety of recreational facilities.
It’s a nice place to shop, too, since it is surrounded by large shopping centers and department stores with major brands. Shopping centers like JCube, Big Box, JEM, and Westgate are also walking distance from the hotel.
I’d still have tended to head to some of these local malls during my free time. I even walked for a few minutes to go to IMM where major clothing brands are located, such as Timberland, Lacoste, Under Armour, Nike, Adidas, and many more.
If you’re going to pursue this kind of extravagance, make sure to prepare your credits. You’re certainly not going back to the hotel empty-handed.
Room
The beds are fairly comfortable and the bedding is tidy. Clear glass on one side of the wall is also mounted to provide a perfect panoramic view of the Lake District, particularly early in the morning to watch the sun rising (depends on the room location).
On most of my business trips, I’ve been flying alone. And I’m curiously granted a superior room with two different beds in this hotel. That I didn’t bother to complain about or demand a room change. Since most of the time, I’ve been out of the hotel anyway.
There’s a hanging rack available with four hangers. And good spaces for small luggage and shoes beneath.
They clean the room and refill the consumables on a regular basis unless you leave a note to restrict any entries.
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Amenities
It is a fully air-conditioned room with a card door system. The room is also equipped with a personal safety box, tea/ coffee making equipment, a small refrigerator, and a 15-inch flat-screen TV.
It’s not a smart idea, but I’d still use the safety box to keep my passport secure.
The private bathroom has all of the usual facilities. It includes 2 sets of face & bath towels, hot & cold shower, liquid soap, shampoo & conditioner, dental kits, hairdryer, and complimentary toiletries.
Hotel slippers are available on request. I’ve always made sure to request one pair when I checked in.
Some free services which can be used include a fitness center, a rooftop garden, an outdoor swimming pool, and a drinking water dispenser.
Drinking water dispensers are available in the hallway on each floor, but it’s somehow hard to locate. And a paid self-service laundry machine is also accessible on the ground floor of the property, near the elevators.
Restaurant & Food
Genting Hotel has an in-house restaurant called the Festive Café on the left side of the concierge. They offer a range of local Singaporean, Malaysian and Indian dishes.
I haven’t yet tried their fusion ala carte foods, but I tried their breakfast buffet with a coupon.
And I’d say that all of their breakfast foods are fairly decent. For SGD18, you will enjoy a wide variety of food choices such as salads, Prata, curry veggies & chicken, bread toasts, omelets, corned beef, hotdogs, and more.
Drinks are fairly ordinary, like coffee, tea, and juices.
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Services
Guests can get to the front desk for ticketing and concierge services 24 hours a day. They were all friendly and eager to help.
On one of my trips, I had frozen food, I deliberately asked the concierge where I could keep it for a while. Without a second thought, they helped me!
Customer service has also been attentive to my concerns through an internal telephone network. I had a problem with their internet last time, and they solved it swiftly.
There is also a hand-washing service on the ground floor. The price is per kilo, depending on the type of clothing.
If you’re in the city on a leisure trip, you can also take advantage of their 24-hour free shuttle service to chosen Sentosa Island locations.