Harbour Ville Hotel

Harbour Ville Hotel is ideal for those who either need or want to spend their time in Southern Singapore, or those who don't want to fork out too much cash and plan on spending their day out and about. Business and more mature leisure travelers check-in here for a fuss-free stay. The look is as basic as it gets, with modern, straightforward color schemes, a few pieces of accent furniture, and paintings on the wall in the lobby. Jars filled with local snacks are a nice touch and guests can pack their fill away in a small plastic bag for snacking during the day. Aside from the lobby, the only other common area on the ground level is in the back, past a short corridor beyond the main elevators. Surrounded by greenery, the alfresco spot was once the site of the hotel's buffet breakfast area and is fitted with ceiling fans, steel tables and chairs, and two picnic benches for anyone who wants a quiet place to work, read, or just chill out.

Situated in the southern part of the island, the hotel is surrounded by a mix of residential buildings and industrial estates. It's a bit remote by Singapore standards, though there's a bus stop on the same side of the road as the hotel, a two-minute walk away. The bus journey to Chinatown takes about 12 minutes, and it's less than 30 minutes for areas like Little India and Orchard Road. Closer at hand are the tourist hot spots on Sentosa Island -- home to attractions like Universal Studios Singapore and the S.E.A. Aquarium, among others. To get there, it's a 10-minute drive, or a 20-minute walk to VivoCity above HarbourFront MRT (the train station closest to the hotel), where the monorail that links mainland Singapore to Sentosa is situated. The route to the airport in Changi via train is easy and should not take you more than 40 minutes. If you'd rather hop into a taxi, it'll take about 20 minutes instead. 

The compact, air-conditioned rooms are well-lit, simply outfitted, and clean. The ceilings of certain rooms do look like they could use a fresh coat of paint, and decor otherwise consists of plain one- or two-tone walls and the occasional painting in the bigger rooms. There are a total of four categories, starting from Standard Singles, which measure 118 square feet (11 square meters), to the Superior Twins, which are 215 square feet (20 square meters). The en-suite bathrooms are small, yet functional, with basic amenities like towels, soap, shampoo, and toothbrushes provided. Other in-room features include flat-screen TVs with 14 channels (both local and cable), coffee- and tea-making facilities, free Wi-Fi, and hairdryers. Every room also has a smartphone with unlimited data that guests can use for access to the Internet and to make local and international calls (the latter is free for five countries, namely the U.S., India, China, Malaysia, and the Philippines) -- a nice feature for a budget hotel. The main road outside can be busy at night and sometimes noise from downstairs can be heard on the lower levels, so be sure to let reception know in advance if you would like a room facing away from the street. Also, if you're a smoker, note that there are rooms on certain floors where smoking is allowed.

Limited features here are part of the reason the hotel can keep its prices low, but the lack of a restaurant, bar, or even an indoor lounge is a drawback. There's a small 24-hour gym on the second floor that guests can use at no extra charge. It has three stations and machines, plus free weights. There's an air-conditioned laundry room adjacent to the fitness center, which has a washer, dryer, an ironing board, and drying racks. Washing powder is provided. Otherwise, free Wi-Fi and snacks in the lobby are the extent of the extras here. You can also buy canned drinks and items like instant noodles from the front desk.