It is difficult to find Amoy Hotel if you don’t know what you’re looking for–a temple! This has to be the coolest boutique hotel ever: you enter through Far East Square or Fuk Tak Chi, one of the oldest temple (now a museum) in Singapore built in 1824. When Cantonese and Hakka coolies came and left Singapore, they prayed at the temple for luck because the temple was at the port! That’s right, Fuk Tak Chi was by the sea, and the land in front of the temple is reclaimed.

Within Fuk Tai Chi. When it rains and pitter-patters into the wishing basin, there is an unsurpassed serenity.

The lobby is a 2-storey greenhouse, with glass roof, and glass walls.

Conveniently located at CBD area, 10 seconds from Telok Ayer MRT Station or 10 minutes from Chinatown, the stunning boutique hotel–all my friends went “WOAH” as I walked them through the lobby–with 37 rooms preserves its original architecture so within the hotel, there are slopes and steps, which may not be wheelchair friendly. As a boutique hotel, there are no facilities like gym or pool but they make it up with complimentary parking at Far East Square, free wifi and free mini-bar. There are two types of rooms: single or double room, starting from more than $200.

Complimentary drinks when checking-in. Think it’s a mocktail of 7-up and grapefruit.

You can tell that the service staff is new by their tentativeness but they are professional, polite and friendly with genuine smiles. Service comparable to 5-star hotels.

As you enter the room, the shower is to the left, and basin to the right.

The basin is beside the toilet.

The Chinese saying, “although the sparrow is small, it has functional organs to survive,” can said of the double room. Although it is small, it has everything from ironing board to hairdryer. The decor is beautifully Chinese chic but without being panderingly cheena, an admirable balance. The only issue I have with the room is that the shower and toilet are separated from the main area by tinted glass and you can see the silhouette of the person. Can be sexy for couples but I was staying with my sister. Awkward.

Although there isn’t room service–come on, if you’re thinking of ordering room service and not explore the nearby Chinatown, the BEST food area in Singapore, get out of my blog now–there is breakfast at the lobby (7-10am). I didn’t mind the limited variety, just a few pastries and cereal, because after all it is a small hotel. But the pastries were flat and lao hoong and could be of better quality.  (Tips for tourists: The traditional Chinese pastry shop with 70 years of history, Tan Hock Seng Cake Shop [86 Telok Ayer St], is a few doors down from the hotel.)

If you want a staycation with a historic background, near fabulous food, fantastic service, and don’t mind forgoing some facilities, I highly recommend Amoy Hotel. But don’t trust me, go to tripadvisor and read the raving reviews.

Amoy Hotel Singapore

76 Telok Ayer St Singapore 048464
T: +65 6580 2888

Thanks, Mike and Pei Wen, for the invited staycation.

Written by A. Nathanael Ho.