This property has just opened and is going through some shakedowns from being uber hip to being functionally practical. I'll phase in my notes over the course of my stay to try to be as inclusive as possible. Also note that this is written from the perspective of a Canadian who can't really abide hot/humid climates and who tends to stay at full service 4/5/6 star properties so have little to compare this HIX experience with the norm across the Asian region. (I do stay at HIXs in NAmerica from time to time, so that's going to be my comparison bench mark.)

1. Location
This property is on the far edge of Clarke Quay, actually across Merchant Road from the core of CQ, and at its furthest point at Clemenceau. This means it's a fair walk from the MRT station (exit B, cross Merchant Rd, turn right and walk about a km until you see the tall black building and the green HIX sign on the roof. Walk along Magazine past the car park entry and you'll come to the main entrance to the hotel and the long front desk is right in front of you. So expect to work up a sweat in the Singapore heat and humidity. (It's across from a small complex called Central Mall/Square.) It would be at least twice the walk that getting to the Orchard Road properties is from either the Orchard Rd or Somerset MRT stations, so prepare yourself for a sauna! However, by cab the fare was S$15.70 to SIN.

So unless you're into the nightlife of CQ, this is not a very attractive location for tourist activities.

2. The Building
With about 80 rooms on each floor, this is a pretty large property with over 500 rooms. The main thing to be aware of in the design is that like the CP SIN, the hallways are actually outdoors so it'll be a hot walk to your room. The rooms themselves, at least the one I was given, are small but functionally designed. Mine faced into the inner courtyard, so my view was of gravel and some plantings (2nd floor) and concrete of the building structure itself. The "atrium" rises from this second level.

A couple of major design flaws, as I can see them. The front desk is immediately in front of the entry doors, with less than 10 ft separation. On two occasions the entry was packed with bus groups trying to check in. Getting in or out of the hotel was like the boarding process at most airports, working one's way through the crowd. Another design flaw, or more a layout issue too, is in the dining area for breakfast. There is a small indoor eating area, but provisioned with tables of four. Since from what I observed, most people eating breakfast were either alone or in pairs, this severely limited the indoor seating options and all these tables were occupied by singles! Most of the tables are spread across an open air terrace along Clemenceau which is likely pleasant for many but one does fight off the heat/humidity and traffic noise and fumes of rush hour.

Unlike most NAmerican HIXs, there is a small bar/eating area behind the front desk which offers light meals, drinks and snacks. The prices are reasonable, though not sure about the quality of the food. Seating here is on high stools and similarly high tables...though one can take drinks/food into the indoor lounge area or the outdoor terrace.

Also available are both a swimming pool and gym facilities, both are outdoors. And pretty good wifi system in both the rooms and lobby/lounge areas (free for IHG Rewards members, and unlike the ones I had in New Zealand last week, not limited to 1Gig of data per 24-hours).

However, there is a distinct lack of signage in the hotel, so finding the elevators proved a task of detective work with two banks on either side of the main lobby, but each down a hallway that doesn't appear to be a major passageway.

3. Rooms
As mentioned, they are small, standard but functional. There's little storage space but the basics are all here. A small work desk and chair with adequate electrical outlets (albeit no universal, just the local plugs) and lighting (from the window, a work lamp and overhead). My queen bed took up most of the room with small night tables on either side along with light controls and one easily accessible electrical outlet. Lighting is also good for reading in bed with both side and overhead sources. There is a clock/iHome device which supposedly allows docking an iPad/Phone/Pod for playback, but it works via Bluetooth and I was unable to connect with any of my Apple devices.

There's a counter with coffee/tea making equipment, a fridge and safe. Next to it is a small area to hang your clothes. No iron/ironing board, but on my floor there is a laundry room where I assume there is also ironing equipment.

The bathroom is also a compact but functional design, with a sliding window that opens into the room. There's an in wall hair dryer with inputs that accept NAmerican chargers/plugs. The sink is modern design but the faucet is set quite low making in sink hair washing a bit of a pain. The walk in shower has both overhead "rainforest" and handheld spray units. I like to let the shower run a bit to get the proper temperature before stepping in, so this can be a bit of a problem given the door opens inward, so best to start with the handheld spray unit, then switch to the overhead one. There's a small basket to hold your own shampoo, soap etc. However, note that the only thing supplied for the shower (and the sink) are large containers of gel/soap. Be sure to bring your own shampoo/conditioner if you need something more.

4. Breakfast Buffet
None of the NAmerican hallmarks of HIX, no cinnamon in the air or in evidence. No cold cuts either. There was scrambled eggs (well what passes as scrambled eggs), chicken sausage and Singapore rice (egg and chicken), plus a congee as the hot dishes. Lots of fruit and a variety of pastries and breads. The orange juice was real and not the watery variety, and the coffee machines turned out a good strong offering, though I was unable to find table cream just whole and skim milk. Satisfying for the most part. As for seating, I've already commented on what I felt were short comings.

5. Treatment of elites
While I was acknowledged and thanked for being a Plat elite, there was nothing further in the way of an amenity (goodie bag, bonus pts, preferred view room, free drink at the bar) or welcome note from the manager. Of course, since HIXs are pretty standard, the best on offer would have been a room with a view onto the street rather than the courtyard, and perhaps on a higher floor.

6. Issues
One can always expect problems to arise with new properties, but one I didn't expect was being locked out of my room because the door lock battery went dead. This required one of the assistant managers to run diagnostic tests and retrieve several devices before getting my door opened following breakfast this morning. I also ran into problems with the air conditioning getting into a locked position, as well as actually running properly. Perhaps it's just me but the control panel was far from intuitive so I ultimately had to call maintenance before my room turned back into a sauna. (There was no acknowledgement when I checked out of these problems, no offer of compensation or just an apology.)

7. Conclusion
This should be a good quality property for organized tour groups or those with business in the area but hard to recommend over the Orchard Road properties if the price is in the S$200+ range since it is just not a convenient location for my purposes. (As noted in the other thread, I had booked the HIX off Orchard on a 20K award night, but seeing this was now available, thought I would check it out and booked a similarly-priced award night here.)