Tag: budget hotel

  • Hotel 81 Tristar Geylang Singapore

    Mirror, Mirror On The Wall.

    Hotel 81 Tristar Geylang Singapore
    Hotel 81 Tristar Geylang Singapore

    To have quick access to the Singapore Ramadan Bazaar, I stayed at a hotel on the doorsteps of the street bazaar known as Geylang Serai. I tried to recall the name of the hotel but there are like a dozen 81 chain hotels in the Geylang area!

    The one I stayed was Hotel 81 Tristar and only thing I didn’t like was that the room had no windows except for a big wall mirror. Kind of like a love hotel except it can spook you at night when you are staying alone and you noticed something moving that was your own reflection. Credit to the receptionist for telling me in advance. Some hotels don’t tell you and it may be a good idea to ask when checking in.

    For a budget hotel (in the Singapore context – over RM 200), it has an outdoor pool on one of the floors and a minibar in each room. There is a convenient 7 Eleven downstairs to fill up the minibar (mini fridge). To recall the hotel’s name, I was lucky to have taken some pictures at a mamak or Malay restaurant downstairs. The restaurant’s name Al Wadi was captured and it allowed me to do a Google Street View walk to find the name of the hotel next door.  Kind of nostalgic because I used to take long exploration walks as a 7 or 8 year old kid from Everitt Road nearby, where we once stayed.

    Book Hotel 81 Tristar here (Booking dot com) or here (Agoda)

    Address: 1 Onan Road.  Singapore 424780

    Find over 470 hotels in Singapore here

    Map:

  • Muo Boutique Hotel

    Time to introduce another local hotel. Muar has an exciting new boutique hotel in town. Muo Boutique Hotel is a new hotel that opened a few days ago. Tastefully refurbished from an old shop house, it appears classy, painted in white.

    Muo Boutique Hotel.
    Muo Boutique Hotel.

    I was introduced to the new hotel in Muar, Johor by my long time Muar friend Yusof Noi or Ms Noraini, the former headmistress of Muar Convent. She spent a night there and had only good things to say. Guests can go the rooftop which will be an alfresco cafe when ready. One can view Muar River from up there. Norani is seen here in a selfie on the roof with the Muar River behind.

    Selfie On The Rooftop
    Selfie On The Rooftop

    The hotel has a mamak restaurant downstairs serving local fare. The famous Muar breakfast satay shop and famous 434 coffee outlet is not far if you venture out on foot.

    I first thought MUO is an abbreviation but it is not. According to Noraini, Muo is how Murians say Muar. Haha. I like Muar as it is charming small town with nice food, people and many places of attraction. Noraini was one of my local guides when I visited the last time. The other guide being Christine Yeow Cher Yuin. I stayed at the Elite Hotel, opposite Sam Kee. Happy to know there is now another accommodation option in Muar.

    Address: 1 & 1A Jalan Petri, 84000 Muar City Center, Johor.

    Check price, room availability and book Muo Boutique Hotel.

    Other hotels in Muar include:

    Bei Boutique Hotel,
    Muar Traders Hotel,
    Remember Hotel Bukit Gambir,
    Tropicana Boutique Hotel (above PappaRich),
    Inn Home Hotel Muar.
    Citizen Hotel Muar,
    Elite Hotel Muar (above OldTown White Coffee)

    Map/Peta:

  • SR Inn Simpang Renggam

    Now to introduce a local small town hotel. I had a photography assignment in tiny Simpang Renggam town in Johor at one time and I stayed at a small budget hotel. The town is as small as one can get.

    Sr inn from outsifde
    Sr inn from outsifde

    The other alternative was to stay in Kluang and take a daily half hour drive each way.  It is not the only act in town but I am happy with SR Inn for several reasons. It is centrally located in the middle of town though don’t expect any action or entertainment after 8pm.

    The biggest attraction, for me, was the hotel is next to a coffee shop that sells Chinese lontong and porridge in the morning. While the hotel included some rudimentary breakfast in the lobby, I liked the convenient eatery next door.

    Book or check rates at SR Inn via Booking.com or Agoda

    SR Inn Lobby
    SR Inn Lobby

    Other nice thing was they gave me and crew rooms on the ground floor so we needn’t lug our camera and lighting gear up and down a staircase.  More for safety of the equipment at night as it was street parking with no guards.

    Rooms were clean, with reliable air conditioning and hot water supply. Am surprised to see the tariffs are now cheaper than the walk in rates I paid. The take away is one should book rooms online and it may be cheaper.

    Thousands of small town hotels can be found online if you search at MyCen Hotels. Better start booking now if you are going back to your hometown this coming Hari Raya festival. Many families are planning to stay in hotels because their pampered urban kids can’t sleep without air conditioning and in granny’s mosquito nets or to bath without hot water showers.

    Book or check rates at SR Inn via Booking.com or Agoda

    Address; 1, Jalan Pelangi, Pusat Perniagaan Pelangi, 86200 Simpang Renggam, Johor, Malaysia.
    Tel: 07 755 3388

    Map/Peta: