Mid-range Hotel with flexible booking
 

Hi Guys,

I am traveling to Singapore in a few weeks, and as always with my line of work, my departure (and maybe even arrival) date are always fluid. In the past I have stayed in the Holiday Inn Atrium, but that hotel is showing booked for the days I am looking at. Currently looking to check-in on the 20th of February and book till the 3rd of March, with the possibility I will have to leave early on the 25th of February instead.

Right now, I am having a particularly difficult time finding a mid-range hotel that has a somewhat flexible booking policy. Many of the rooms I am seeing online are pre-pay in full, no changes/cancellations, or not available for the dates I am looking for. What is also making it difficult is that the rates at most hotels change on a daily basis. So, one day it's 203 SGD and the next day it's 290 SGD. This makes it even more difficult to nail down an average price as it will depend how many and which days I stay.

So, anyone have any guidance to help me find a decent hotel that doesn't have such restrictive policies? Specifically, I am looking for it to match the following bullet points:

• Approximately 275 SGD/Night inclusive of 10% SC and 7.7% Tax, but exclusive of Breakfast/Internet.
• Mid-range - i.e. not a Hotel 81, Days Inn, Ibis, or Best Western.
• Ideally in one of the following areas: Outram Park/Chinatown, Clark Quay, Orchard, or City Center.
• Proximity to MRT not important as I will primarily be traveling by Taxi.
• Flexible booking policy. If no cancellation, at least be able to check-out early if needed (e.g. book for 2 weeks and have to check out after 1 week).

Thanks in advance!

If you avoid prepaid rates, most chain hotels will let you leave early, at worst for an early check out fee of about US$25-50. It sounds like you might be looking at third party booking sites, which are almost exclusively prepaid/advance purchase rates.

For your locational criteria, look at the (approximate name) Grand Copthorne Millennium. It's along the river, near Clark Quay but in a quieter area that's somewhat of a newer upscale residential area. You can walk on paths along the river to the action closer to Clark Quay. There's no really close MRT station, but you can walk to the far end of Orchard easily or it's a very quick taxi ride. There are several other hotels in the immediate area that are slightly cheaper.

If you search, there's a stunning boutique hotel in Chinatown that some folks here frequent. The rooms are small (long stay?) and it might be a bit expensive. It doesn't have a pool and might not have a real restaurant on premises.

IIRC there's a Novotel right at Clark Quay that looks nice and new, although not especially fancy.

Depending on how full the hotels are for your dates, look at the more modest chains near Orchard: Hilton, Marriott, Sheraton (but this one can get some bad reviews and especially seems to have mildew problems in some rooms) etc. (The Hyatt is probably too expensive and St Regis is definitely expensive. IIRC there's a slightly less know chain property--I forget the name--near the St Regis that looks pretty good, located almost at the bus stop for the Sentosa express service around the corner from the StR.)

For this length of stay, how about an apartment hotel where you would get a small fully equipped efficiency, studio or one bedroom with mid-range hotel services? Singapore has lots of these, usually local chains, as well as the longer term serviced apartment set-ups.