Rubbish Eat Rubbish Grow

Aloft Singapore Novena is one hotel until you arrive and realise it is actually two.

There is an East Wing and a West Wing, each with different room categories and facilities. The East Wing houses the smaller Breezy Rooms, while the West Wing gets the larger Urban Rooms, the main gym and the swimming pool.

We stayed two nights in an Urban King in the West Wing, which is the wing we would choose again.

At around 23 sqm, the room is still compact. This is Singapore hotel real estate, not a landed property. But compared with the 18 sqm Breezy Rooms across the way, those extra square metres become surprisingly meaningful once two bags, two people and the usual accumulation of shopping enter the picture.

The Room Is Practical, Not Precious

Our Urban King was clean, modern and straightforward.

The bed was comfortable, the TV had Chromecast, and there were enough Type-A and Type-C charging points around the room that nobody had to begin negotiating custody of one power socket.

There is also not much wasted space, which is good because there is not much space available to waste.

For two nights, we were perfectly comfortable. For a week with large suitcases, we would probably start becoming unusually interested in storage solutions.

This is not a room that sells fantasy. It gives you a good bed, a proper shower, functional technology and somewhere pleasant to return to after being outside all day. And frankly, sometimes that is enough.

Zhongshan Mall Became More Useful Than Expected

What surprised us most was not anything inside the hotel.

It was having Zhongshan Mall right beside it.

Need coffee? Downstairs. Forgot something? Downstairs. Cannot be bothered travelling somewhere for dinner after walking around Singapore all day? Also downstairs.

That convenience becomes especially valuable in the afternoon when Singapore decides the air should have the texture of soup.

The trade-off is the MRT.

Novena MRT is walkable, but we would not describe it as conveniently next door. The hotel does provide a complimentary shuttle to and from Novena MRT, and after doing the walk ourselves, we understood why.

For travellers who judge every Singapore hotel entirely by how quickly they can reach Marina Bay Sands, Aloft will feel slightly removed. For us, the quieter Balestier setting had its own appeal, especially with plenty of local food around.

Still, rates matter. If Aloft is priced close to more central properties, compare it against the options in our best hotels in Singapore guide before booking.

Breakfast Was Better Than We Expected

Hotel breakfast can become depressing very quickly. A tray of scrambled eggs slowly developing a skin is definitely not hospitality.

Breakfast at 21 on Rajah was considerably better. Good news for Muslim travellers: the restaurant is Halal-certified, with breakfast served from 6am to 10am.

There is the usual Western side of the buffet, with pastries, cereal, fruit and eggs, but we were more interested in the Asian dishes and made-to-order stations.

The laksa was the thing we would go back for. The broth was rich enough to feel like an actual bowl of laksa rather than breakfast-buffet soup that had been politely diluted for international guests. Add the noodles, fish cake and toppings, and suddenly toast looked considerably less interesting.

The egg station was useful for anyone insisting breakfast is not breakfast without eggs, while the wider spread gave us enough choice that we did not end up eating the exact same plate on both mornings.

We also liked how relaxed the room felt. Nobody looked as though they were preparing for a corporate board meeting at 7.30am and turning up slightly underdressed for breakfast did not feel like a social offence.

Stay in the West Wing If You Want the Pool

The Splash Pool is located in the West Wing, which is another reason we would choose an Urban Room. If you stay in the East Wing and want to swim, you have to make the short trip next door.

It is a proper outdoor pool with enough space for an actual swim rather than one of those lifestyle-hotel pools designed mainly for photographs.

The 24-hour Re:charge gym is also in the West Wing and is properly equipped rather than consisting of two treadmills and one lonely dumbbell.

Again, East Wing guests can still use these facilities. You just have to cross over.

That sounds minor until you are already in swimming clothes and begin wondering why your hotel amenities require commuting.

Would We Stay at Aloft Singapore Novena Again?

Maybe. But if we do come back, we would specifically book the West Wing.

Aloft Singapore Novena works best as a comfortable neighbourhood hotel rather than a sightseeing hotel. The rooms are clean, breakfast is good, the staff are warm, Zhongshan Mall is genuinely convenient and Balestier puts plenty of food within easy reach.

The weakness is equally clear.

If you book the smaller East Wing room at a high rate and spend the trip travelling constantly towards Orchard, Marina Bay and Sentosa, you may start questioning the value fairly quickly.

The West Wing fixes some of that. You get more space and easier access to the pool and main gym.

Aloft Singapore Novena is not the hotel we would choose for a first Singapore trip built around ticking off attractions. But for a short stay, especially once you stop treating an MRT station as the only acceptable form of transport, it is comfortable, practical and surprisingly easy to settle into.