The Fragrance Hotel (Joo Chiat)

The Fragrance Hotel is set on a block of charming and colorful heritage shophouses, and it too, tries to maintain the look of the other buildings with a jolly yellow exterior and charming white windows. Inside, this budget hotel is clean and modern thanks to a renovation completed in July 2016. The lobby has an elegant design. Think: glossy floors with Art Deco designs, a glass chandelier, and trendy purple velour chairs with silver accents. There are no other public spaces beyond the lobby, making for a less than ideal place for travelers to interact beyond their rooms. Though the rooms are small, this hotel surprisingly enough attracts families as much as it draws couples -- mostly for the affordable prices. 

Located in the Joo Chiat district, The Fragrance Hotel is best suited to budget travelers who’d rather save money on a hotel stay and don’t mind a commute to the main attractions. Sure, there’s plenty of dining options and bars on surrounding streets and malls that take 10 minutes to reach on foot. However, there are very few places of interest to walk to besides the East Coast Park that runs along the bay (a 25-minute walk) or to Geylang, the red light district (a 20-minute walk away). It’s a 10-minute drive to the city center, or travelers can opt to take a train with a stop that’s about a 20-minute walk from the hotel. Changi International Airport is a 15-minute drive away. 

Like at many budget hotels in Singapore, the rooms here are tiny, an effect that’s made all too clear in rooms without windows. Decor is modern and clean, with soft purple or yellow walls, wood laminate floors, cheery floral or landscape art pieces, and a mix of either brown streamlined or white Victorian-inspired furniture. Every room has air-conditioning, free Wi-Fi, kettles, bottled water, and flat-screen TVs. All rooms, besides Standard Twin Rooms, are also equipped with mini-fridges. The bathrooms are modern and small with glass showers, toiletries (including a toothbrush and toothpaste), and hairdryers. Take note that there have been some complaints about bothersome noise due to thin walls. 

This budget hotel offers little value in terms of amenities, as it doesn’t even offer breakfast, much less a restaurant, bar, or gym. However, this isn’t too uncommon for budget hotels in Singapore, as many offer only the basics. The Fragrance Hotel does have free Wi-Fi, free parking, and a laundry facility on-site, but that’s the entire extent of the amenities.