Hotel Review: Holiday Inn Singapore Little India – Premium Loft Room

Holiday Inn Singapore Little India is a recently rebranded hotel just by Exit A of Farrer Park MRT Station. As a rebranded hotel, the property inherits the look and feel of its predecessor brand but will undergo a renovation of its public spaces some time in 2022.

Location / Getting There

As mentioned previously, the location is among the most convenient in Singapore if proximity to an MRT station is the sole measure. The hotel has an entrance near the escalators leading to Exit A of Farrer Park MRT. At the time of my stay however, this entrance was closed and I had to walk on a counter-clockwise direction towards the main drop-off point of Holiday Inn Singapore Little India.

As an IHG property, one can expect the trappings that come with this chain, including a dedicated check-in section for IHG Rewards Club members and fuss-free connection to WiFi.

Premium Loft

For this particular stay, I was at one of the hotel’s Premium Loft (still marketed as Family Loft in certain booking websites) rooms. Measuring 27 square meters and spanning two levels with an extremely high ceiling, this is the highest room category at Holiday Inn Singapore Little India. 

My loft featured a relatively long walkway which totally isolated the living space from the main door – good for guests who prefer more privacy. As I was staying in a corner room, my loft featured floor-to-ceiling windows across two sides. I found that the room had a balcony as well, but this was closed off to guests.

The living area was situated at the lower level of the loft. Here, one finds a sofa, table, minibar as well as the bathroom. Guests won’t find a traditional work desk here. Instead, the center coffee table is made to be considerably higher than conventional ones to allow for both lounging and working.

The lower level also features a TV which can’t be said for some of the hotel’s other loft rooms which only have the TV on the upper level by the bed. The SMART TV featured plenty of channels as well as the ability to watch Youtube, browse the internet, etc.

I have stayed in quite a number of loft hotels in Singapore before and what I like about the one at Holiday Inn Singapore Little India is that the gap between steps on the staircase is relatively small – not high unlike in other places even though the loft here is actually of a taller height.

The upper level is safely guarded from the lower one through glass panels. It is tall enough for standing and here, one finds a queen-sized bed. 

A bedside table, lamps, switches and another TV complete the scene at the upper level. It makes for a cozy spot to lounge in bed and to watch a movie or two. The mattress is comfortable without being too soft nor too firm. I had previously read some reviews of guests complaining about the super thin pillows when the hotel was under the previous branding but I did not find such problem when I stayed. The pillows were super fluffy, in keeping with Holiday Inn and IHG expectations. I suppose the pillows might have been changed when the hotel rebranded into Holiday Inn Singapore Little India.

Complimentary coffee (Nescafe) and tea (Dilmah) are offered in-room with a kettle for boiling water. Mineral water bottles are also provided. There is no minibar. The refrigerator is empty to allow for guests to store refreshments of their choice.

The bathroom of the Premium Loft is directly located on the whole “block” that supports the upper level bedroom and as such, it is a bit smaller than what one would expect. However, it’s a well-appointed affair with marble tiles from floor-to-ceiling as well as sleek granite tiles for the sink. Plenty of towels were provided and I loved how thick they were – felt soft and smooth to the touch.

In keeping with newer hotel concepts, toiletries at Holiday Inn Singapore Little India are of the dispenser type. They use toiletries from Soak, a brand which prides itself in using herbs and vegetables for their skincare products. For instance, the body wash found in the bathroom contained parsley stems.

Facilities

This being one of the newer-gen Holiday Inn, the property does not have a club lounge and they turned the former club lounge into the gym. This resulted into the gym here being among one of the more unique hotel fitness facilities in Singapore. The gym also boasts of a loft layout and looks a bit grand for a gym with chandeliers and wooden parquet floors in certain sections.

The swimming pool is located on the 5th floor just next to Blue Jasmine. I remember noting how expansive it was during my past visits to the Thai restaurant given that the hotel is not too big. There are plenty of seats to lounge around. The main aesthetic element of the pool is the wide cascading waterfall feature across one side. 

Restaurant – Blue Jasmine

Holiday Inn Singapore Little India has one dining outlet – the Thai restaurant Blue Jasmine which is a legacy from the hotel’s previous management. It’s a good decision to have retained Blue Jasmine given the relatively good recognition it has garnered from diners over the years. I have personally loved dining here ever since I discovered them a couple of years back on eatigo. I had not returned since 2020 so I was curious to see how the food has evolved after they got a new chef onboard.

My stay in April coincided with Blue Jasmine’s Songkran menu where the restaurant featured dishes from all over the country. While I did not get to try their regular menu items this time, I enjoyed their seasonal dishes such as the Khao Soi Gai and Crab Curry. The Sweet Potato Balls for dessert was another highlight. I found the courses – especially the Khao Soi Gai to be quite authentic and close to what I had in Chiang Mai. I would be curious to see whether their regular menu is still of the same quality as before. Maybe that’s something for me to find out in a later visit.

Breakfast

The morning meal is served in the Thai restaurant Blue Jasmine. At the time of my visit, they already had buffet stations in place for breakfast but they practiced an assisted buffet format with staff members helping guests scoop individual dishes from the buffet. During my time there, I spotted the usuals such as eggs, vegetables, hash browns, bacon as well as fruit and pastry selection. This being Little India, I also noted a relatively generous selection of Indian items such as vadai, prata, etc. Guests have the option of dining inside the restaurant or at the vast outdoor space, with some seats quite near the pool. In the morning when it’s not too hot, I thoroughly recommend dining outside.

Verdict

My stay at Holiday Inn Singapore Little India occurred just before the hotel is due to undergo some renovation. The refurbishment will cover mostly the public areas and is due to launch sometime in the 3rd quarter of 2022. The new look of Holiday Inn Singapore Little India will see the hotel sporting a vibrant identity, including a new dining and workplace concept. The Premium Loft where I stayed at might be subject to changes as well and I would be interested to find out how that new look could turn out. 

Reservations: Check the best prices for Holiday Inn Singapore Little India here