Need help with Singapore hotels...
Feb 15th, 2007, 11:57 AM
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YMCA International House Hotel 1,Orchard Rd. at Dhoby Gaut MRT(subway) station. It's in a great,convenient location and is clean, has a pool, breakfast is included in the price, and there's an internet cafe on the premises that's reasonably priced. I've stayed there regularly since the 90s. Happy Travels!
Feb 15th, 2007, 12:28 PM
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Thanks Kathie and Guenmai! Guenmai, I do have a few more questions. Do they have a website to make a reservation? Do you know their current rate? And lastly, do the rooms have their own bathrooms with showers? Thanks again!
Feb 15th, 2007, 05:19 PM
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They do have a website. www.ymca.org.sg
and [email protected]. However, I would just pick up the phone and call them if I were you. When they started the on-line reservation site, I found it confusing and a pain. Maybe they've improved it though. But the phone number is 011.65.6336000. I always just call them. They are quite efficient. The place gets booked solid though as next door there is a church and in back of the Y is a huge Baptist church, so there are international church conferences from time to time. Other guests are really friendly and at breakfast other diners will chit chat with you and many even invite you to eat at their table if you're a lone traveler.
Ask for a room on the 8th floor. Those rooms have safes. And I think all rooms have refrigerators. I've always had a fridge and I've stayed on a lot of floors. The hotel has both shared rooms that families and friends usually book and then the rest of the hotel is run just like a regular hotel. So you will have a private room with two twin beds and a bathroom...shower,sink,toilet. I asked the room manager why there were two beds in all of the rooms and she said that the extra bed can be used to spread out one's clothes on or to lay things out on. So,it's nice to have the extra bed if you're just one person in the room.
I've watched nearly a decade of the renovations go on and have stayed there through all of the renovations. The room manager and I have become friends and the chamber maids know me. I love the vibe at the hotel and how the organization helps so many people in Singapore. You'll probably see lots of Singaporean youth and elderly people coming and going as programs/classes are going on right there at the hotel facility.
The room manager and I were talking about the location and how it's built on prime land that developers would love to get their hands on. I was told it's the same situation at the Salisbury Y in Hong Kong. So, the Y struggles to hold on. I plan to make a donation at some point to go towards the wonderful educational programs that they offer. You'll notice directly across the street that there's a school...not Y connected. But that used to be a green area only a few years ago, but again...prime land and prime location in the heart of things. So, the green area disappeared and the school appeared.
As for the price, with the decline of the US dollar probably around US$60. now. I usually pay around US$50. I think you'll really like the place. There's also a restaurant on the premises in the same room where breakfast is served. That room was a total renovation. They took the old gym space, I think it was, and put in huge windows and made it real light and airy. The old breakfast room was less than half that size. If you need to use the internet, pay for it at the counter in the breakfast room. The internet cafe is next to the breakfast room. And wear a sweater in there as it's freezing cold....They have to keep the computers cool. But, they will turn down the cold air if you ask them to. Hope this info has helped and have fun in fabulous Singapore! Happy Travels!
and [email protected]. However, I would just pick up the phone and call them if I were you. When they started the on-line reservation site, I found it confusing and a pain. Maybe they've improved it though. But the phone number is 011.65.6336000. I always just call them. They are quite efficient. The place gets booked solid though as next door there is a church and in back of the Y is a huge Baptist church, so there are international church conferences from time to time. Other guests are really friendly and at breakfast other diners will chit chat with you and many even invite you to eat at their table if you're a lone traveler.
Ask for a room on the 8th floor. Those rooms have safes. And I think all rooms have refrigerators. I've always had a fridge and I've stayed on a lot of floors. The hotel has both shared rooms that families and friends usually book and then the rest of the hotel is run just like a regular hotel. So you will have a private room with two twin beds and a bathroom...shower,sink,toilet. I asked the room manager why there were two beds in all of the rooms and she said that the extra bed can be used to spread out one's clothes on or to lay things out on. So,it's nice to have the extra bed if you're just one person in the room.
I've watched nearly a decade of the renovations go on and have stayed there through all of the renovations. The room manager and I have become friends and the chamber maids know me. I love the vibe at the hotel and how the organization helps so many people in Singapore. You'll probably see lots of Singaporean youth and elderly people coming and going as programs/classes are going on right there at the hotel facility.
The room manager and I were talking about the location and how it's built on prime land that developers would love to get their hands on. I was told it's the same situation at the Salisbury Y in Hong Kong. So, the Y struggles to hold on. I plan to make a donation at some point to go towards the wonderful educational programs that they offer. You'll notice directly across the street that there's a school...not Y connected. But that used to be a green area only a few years ago, but again...prime land and prime location in the heart of things. So, the green area disappeared and the school appeared.
As for the price, with the decline of the US dollar probably around US$60. now. I usually pay around US$50. I think you'll really like the place. There's also a restaurant on the premises in the same room where breakfast is served. That room was a total renovation. They took the old gym space, I think it was, and put in huge windows and made it real light and airy. The old breakfast room was less than half that size. If you need to use the internet, pay for it at the counter in the breakfast room. The internet cafe is next to the breakfast room. And wear a sweater in there as it's freezing cold....They have to keep the computers cool. But, they will turn down the cold air if you ask them to. Hope this info has helped and have fun in fabulous Singapore! Happy Travels!
