Rubbish Eat Rubbish Grow

The first thing we noticed walking into The Serangoon House Little India, Singapore, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel was that whoever designed it had absolutely no interest in beige.

There is patterned wallpaper, brass, marble, chandeliers, dark wood and quite a lot happening at once. After years of walking into hotels where the design brief appears to have been “inoffensive grey”, we appreciated the commitment.

Then we took the lift upstairs, wheeled our bags into our room and discovered the other defining feature of The Serangoon House.

It is small.

Not unusably small. Just the kind of small where two open suitcases can suddenly become significant pieces of furniture.

Our Room Was Prettier Than It Was Practical

Our room was around 21 sqm with two queen beds, and visually, it continued what the lobby started. Rich colours, decorative details, an elaborate bed setup and far more personality than the average chain hotel room.

The beds were comfortable too, which became increasingly important after spending most of the day outside.

The problem starts when you stop looking at the room and actually begin living in it.

With our luggage open, the available walking space disappeared surprisingly quickly (nothing new here). Getting something from the bottom of a suitcase became a small logistical exercise: move bag, retrieve item, close bag before somebody needs to walk past.

By the second night, we had developed a system. This is apparently what intimacy looks like after enough hotel stays.

The bathroom was even more compact. Everything technically fit, including us, but showering and getting ready required more careful maneuvering than we expected from a Marriott-affiliated property.

Nobody is spreading toiletries dramatically across a huge vanity here. Cus there is no huge vanity.

The Corridor Feels Like a Different Hotel

The contrast between downstairs and upstairs was probably one of the stranger things about the stay.

The lobby is bright, decorative and theatrical. The guest-room corridor felt narrower, darker and much more obviously connected to an older building.

Coming back late at night, it had a slightly eerie quality.

Not haunted. Probably.

But the thought did occur to us.

We could also hear some movement and conversation from the corridor through the room door. It was not bad enough to keep us awake, but the soundproofing did not exactly create a private fortress either.

Light sleepers may want to pack earplugs alongside the smaller suitcase we now recommend bringing.

The Location Starts Compensating Very Quickly

By the next morning, we cared considerably less about the room size because leaving the hotel is ridiculously easy.

Farrer Park MRT is only a few minutes away. Mustafa Centre is nearby, Little India is outside the door and finding somewhere to eat does not require consulting a hotel concierge or paying $40 for room service.

There is no room service anyway.

The location became one of our favourite things about staying here. We could head out, spend most of the day elsewhere in Singapore, eat nearby and be back in the room without turning every trip into an expedition.

The Serangoon House works best as a very decorative base for exploring Singapore, not as a hotel you spend all day enjoying.

There is no swimming pool, gym or spa. For travellers who want those things, there are considerably better candidates in our best hotels in Singapore guide.

Here, Little India is basically the amenity.

Breakfast at Gupshup Keeps Things Small Too

Breakfast is downstairs at Gupshup, and it follows roughly the same philosophy as the rest of the hotel: no unnecessary acreage.

Do not expect one of those giant Singapore hotel buffets where breakfast somehow turns into a 90-minute event and you leave having consumed three cuisines before 10am.

The offering was more contained, with Indian flavours among the better parts of the meal. We actually preferred that to another room full of generic croissants, scrambled eggs and sad breakfast sausages.

What could be clearer is the administration around inclusions. Depending on the room rate or package, breakfast, lounge access, drinks or snacks may be included. It is worth confirming exactly what you are entitled to at check-in rather than assuming.

The Staff Made the Stay Easier

Service was one of the better parts of our two nights.

The hotel is small enough that staff interactions feel fairly personal and we found the team warm and helpful without being overbearing.

The people felt more polished than some of the hotel’s systems.

That is probably the fairest way to describe it. The occasional uncertainty around inclusions or Marriott benefits felt organisational rather than unfriendly.

Bonvoy regulars should also remember that this is a Tribute Portfolio hotel, so the independent personality is the whole idea. Expecting it to operate exactly like Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza is probably the fastest route to disappointment.

Same loyalty programme. Very different hotel.

Would We Stay Here Again?

After two nights, we came away liking The Serangoon House more than we expected to.

For a short stay, especially if you travel reasonably light, we can see the appeal. For a week with four people and four giant suitcases, family relations may be tested.

The Serangoon House photographs beautifully, but after staying there, our strongest advice has nothing to do with wallpaper: Pack light.