From a traveller’s perspective, Singapore is one of the most travel-friendly destinations in Asia. From budget hostels to luxury hotels, you can easily find a suitable accommodation that fits your budget. You can find hostels and hotels in almost every town or precinct in Singapore, but most of them are relatively quite good for the price you are paying. And I enjoy doing staycations at our local hostels and hotels to see how they fare with the accommodation offered in other countries. Recently, I did a weekend staycation at the other sister outlet of 5footway.inn, Project Ann Siang in Chinatown. 5footway.inn is Singapore’s largest hostel chain, and their hostels are usually strategically located in heritage-rich sites. Previously, I also did a review of 5footway.inn Project Boat Quay too and you can read more about it here.
You’re probably wondering whether it is worth staying at this budget hostel in Singapore or which outlet should you go for. If so, do read further to find out more.
5footway.inn hostels are located close to MRT stations or bus stops. It will save you some money on transport since most of the tourist attractions are located in downtown Singapore. For 5footway.inn Project Ann Siang, it is about 5 to 10-minute walk away from Chinatown MRT. There’s also a bus stop near the entrance of the hostel as well.
Do note that 5footway.inn Project Ann Siang is actually along the same road as their sister outlet, Project Chinatown 2. Some might have mistaken Project Chinatown 2 for Project Ann Siang or vice versa. Hence, you got to make sure that you get the shophouse unit number right.
The hostel is located on the third floor of the shophouse and to get there; you have to enter through the door (as shown in the photo above) and take the flight of stairs up to the third floor. If the door is locked, you can use the iPad (fixated beside the door) to make a Whatsapp call reach their receptionist for assistance.
Once you’re up, there’s another door where you would also have to reach out to them again to unlock it if you’re there for the first time to check in. After check-in, the receptionist will pass you a room key where you can tap to unlock the main doors as well as the cabinets in your room. With all these security measures put in place, I do feel safe spending the night there. At least, outsiders would be able to just barge into the hostel.
The check-in process is fuss-free and quick. The staff there is amiable and accommodating. Upon checking in, you will need to pay a deposit of $20 which will be refunded back to you at the end of your stay. Towels are also provided. They also offer complimentary SIM card to their guests which is another plus point for budget travellers.
There’s also a little read corner-cum-lobby area where you can sit around to wait for your check-in registration to be done or read the magazines on the rack for some travel inspirations.
Need to do some research on where to eat or visit in Singapore? There are two Mac computers for guests to use. Their free Wifi access is reliable and that means you can video call your family or friends back in your home country without any online disruptions.
Since this is a premium boutique hostel, the rooms are slightly more spacious. We stayed at their Superior Triple Loft Room for a night. It costs about $84 per night for three people. There’s a queen size bed and a single loft bed. All rooms are air-conditioned, and they are pretty close to each other. The beddings are legit. The beds and pillows are very comfortable to sleep on. The comforter is thick enough to keep you warm as well.
It is important to note that they do not provide breakfast here.
There are wooden cabinets beside the bed where you can lock and unlock it with your room card.
Wooden cabinets can be locked up securely.
Our room comes attached to a small balcony. It was a little dusty and warm outside, so we did not spend much time there.
There are three shower cubicles in the shared bathrooms. There’s a 2-in-1 soap dispenser placed in each shower cubicle. Toilets are quite clean and well-maintained. Thankfully, they do have a hair dryer which can be found near the sink area.
They do have hot showers, but unfortunately for us, the hot water system was down that day.
The hostel itself has a minimalistic interior of white-washed walls with colourful pieces of quirky art murals.
My favourite place in the hostel is probably the open roof-top terrace which overlooks the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Sri Mariamman Temple. The view up here is pretty amazing!
There’s a coffee/tea-making machine in the pantry area where you can enjoy a cup of latte, Milo or tea at the terrace. You will need to wash the utensils and cups after use though.
There’s also a cold and hot water dispenser to fill up on your bottles.
Overall, our stay was quite pleasant. My only qualms are the loud noise produced when the door slams shut. It can be quite annoying especially at night when you’re laying in bed trying to get some sleep and guests are moving in and out of the rooms; talking loudly along the corridors. If you’re a light sleeper like me, the noise from the opening and closing of doors may disrupt your sleep. However, for my friend who is a heavy sleeper, the sounds didn’t bother her at all.
SO, is it worth it? If you’re staying in a room of 3, it works out to be about $21+ per pax for one night. It is not too bad for their comfortable beddings, clean toilets and spacious rooms. Location is perfect. What more could one ask for?
But if you were to ask me which outlet I prefer, I would go for Project Boat Quay. The pantry area is clean and well-maintained. Also, breakfast is provided.
5footway.inn Project Ann Siang
267 South Bridge Road
Singapore 058816
Phone: 6562211961
Email: annsiang@5footwayinn.com
