How did we end up at this hotel? I think we were bored and was just browsing anyhow to find a suitable area for the next staycay. Prerequisites? Plenty of good food nearby. We did Chinatown during our previous hotel staycation, read more about the experience here. So this time round, let's explore Little India area!
Took advantage of Citibank promo with Agoda where one gets 20% off. From time to time, Agoda does have certain promo with major credit cards ranging from discounts of 7% to a max of 20% for local hotel staycation. Paid $361.45 for 2 nights after the discount for the Urban Den room type with breakfast and free parking. Alas, I have no car to park though.
 |
| hotel entrance |
 |
| landmark |
Day 1 - Check-In, Have Brunch(es), Tea Break with Donki and Dinner at Jalan Besar
Reached the hotel in the morning and tried to check-in early but room wasn't going to be ready till after 2pm. Foodie buddies were already there and Ivan, actually stayed a day earlier. Hence, lompang the barang barang in his room first.
He was staying at the Skyline room, hence was on a higher floor. Had a chance to see the Skyline Studio and was impressed by the room size!
 |
| Skyline Studio (Room size: 49 m²/527 ft²) |
 |
| large bathroom area |
Since it was still early, we went to check-out the pool.
 |
| at the pool |
 |
| therapeutic |
Then, it was time for us to have brunch. Hence, we literally walked to Brunches Cafe. It's been quite a while since our cafe hopping days.
 |
| we were there |
After having our fill of coffee, dessert and savoury mushrooms, we walked around the area for abit. Here's some photos:
 |
| heading towards our next place |
 |
| nice mural - Daily Delivery by Jaba |
Then, we had another round of breakfast or was it tea break already at Azmi Restaurant ? Famed for their chapati and I think that was the first time I ate a chapati. But I was most excited to discover that they have apom! Wah... you don't know how long has it been since I had apom, which is so much easier to get in Malaysia. Finally, found one in Singapore, so it was a hurrah moment! Plus, tasted good. Thumbs up!
After that, we headed back towards the hotel to get the room keycards as the hotel had notified Tracy that her room is ready.
Turns out, mine was ready as well and I got a room at the 14th floor.
 |
| heading towards the Urban Hotel area |
 |
| where's my room? |
Urban Den (or now known as Mint Den)
The most striking thing when entering the room, is that it has a separate relaxation area that has a TV and a sofa, and after which, there's the bedroom with another TV.
Loved the bay windows too. Nice weather, nice mood.
 |
| Urban Den |
 |
Work desk with Herman Miller chair
|
 |
| lovely hotel |
 |
| lovely day |
 |
| ooh, illy coffee I likey |
The room is equipped with a coffee machine, using illy pods. Hmmm, I think I don't know how to use it. No matter how I position the pod, the coffee that came out was just a tiny trickle. Not quite sure if that was what supposed to happen...
 |
| low yield, or user problem? |
 |
| maybe should just drink tea instead |
I had a funny incident, upon arriving at the room actually. I was searching for the bedroom slippers and the first place that came to mind, was the relaxation area which one would be at upon entering the room. So, after which, there's the bathroom. Not in there neither. Then left with the bedroom. But for the life of me, couldn't seem to find the drawer that contain that thing that I was trying to locate.
Hmm, I called the receptionist.
"How may I help you ma'am?" she asked.
"Hmm, I was wondering if the hotel provides bedroom slippers? I asked.
"Yes, we do." she answered.
"Hmm, may I know where is it?" starting to feel a tad funny.
"It should be in the bedroom cupboard, ma'am." she said.
I turned around wildly, and yes, am in the bedroom and searched every nook and corner but where's those slippers!
"Hmm, where exactly in the bedroom?" I asked and feeling the funnies seeping in.
She hesitated for a while and said, "I don't exactly know the room layout but it should be right beside the bed...
I stared at the bed and noticed a huge piece of mirror. Went over and slid it to the left and voila, the hidden cupboard. I thanked her for her help and hung up feeling pretty stupid. Probably the only guest who had trouble locating their bedroom slipper...
 |
| slide the mirror and find the slippers |
 |
| bathroom |
 |
| shower |
 |
| lovely shower stuffs |
 |
| soft wipes |
 |
| toothbrush, mouthwash, lotions etc |
Then, it was time for tea-break and what did we have? Food dabao'ed from Donki! (again? Yes, again!) Is this our staycation staple?
 |
| Japanese food from Donki |
 |
| sashimi platter |
 |
| pinching some sake from Ivan |
So that night, we went for dinner at an old school restaurant along Jalan Besar, recommended by Hence and Tracy.
Quan Xin Yuan Restaurant to try Hokkien food. It was raining but that didn't deter us. Turns out pretty good.
 |
| night view |
Day 2 - Jalan-jalan, Dim Sum Breakfast, Lunch with LittleTinySun at Xin Tekka, Tea Break at ABC Nasi Kandar and Dinner at Socieaty
 |
| rise and shine |
 |
| shops |
 |
| Working Class Hero by Zero |
 |
| colourful |
Breakfast was at
Dim Sum Haus but don't do like how we did it. Make a reservation first! We had every intention not to eat too much, but still... we wanted to try this and that.. and ended up, feeling quite full. Hahaa!
Next, our friend came back home after being away for a year and so, we met up at
Xin Tekka. We had lunch, like about an hour after we finished breakfast? Keke, fierce. Now, pass me that digestion pill....
Then, on our way back to the hotel after the short reunion with Shermaine, we passed by this nasi kandar shop....
 |
| ABC Nasi Kandar |
We made a mental note to come back later that day. And, we did. For tea-break at about 4pm. Our tea-break was most unusual this time round. We had nasi kandar, tandoori platter and naan. That's actually quite a lot of stuff!
 |
| menu decided by the boys |
 |
| ayam masak kechap manis, pulao (rice), chicken curry and mutton curry |
 |
| mix of everything |
I liked the pulao and the gravy from all the sauces and curries were a symphony of flavours. The meat texture was rather tough for the chicken masak kechap dish.
 |
| Tandoori Platter |
 |
| naans and palak paneer |
The tandoori platter was served on a hot plate and it came sizzling. The green chicken (no, that was not a broccoli) was rather fascinating for the fact that it looked pretty alienish! Tasted pretty good and the texture of the meat was firm but not tough.
 |
| green chicken |
ABC Nasi Kandar
Address: 67 Desker Rd, Singapore 209590
Contact: 6732 4786
Business Hours:
Daily - 24 hours
After our 'tea-break', everyone was rather stuffed and all of us decided to rest till 8pm. Made a reservation at Socieaty before we went up to take a nap. Noticed that the place would be bustling by dinner time, so better to make a reservation. Staff are friendly and helpful!
Day 3 - Breakfast at the Hotel, Check-Out and Ate too much dumplings at Hand in Hand Jalan Besar
 |
| breakfast served at the white building area - Garden Pavillion |
 |
| like banquet dining |
 |
| breakfast menu |
Requested not to have the full "Breakfast Welcome Set" as I wasn't that hungry. Requested for just the croissant and fruits. For drinks, opted for juice and coffee. Pro-tip: Do order your breakfast at one go. From observation, the team manning the breakfast area is a lean team. Hence, if you want to re-order, it will likely take a longer time to arrive.
 |
| croissant and cranberry juice |
 |
| coffee was decent |
 |
| fruits cup of just watermelon and pineapple |
 |
| American Breakfast with 2 eggs - omelette style |
 |
| do you prefer scrambled? |
My buddies tried the other things on the menu such as dim sum, prata and French toast. The mee siam was quite nice, although we had better one at Xin Tekka. I liked the banana french toast.
 |
| Mee Siam |
 |
| Banana French Toast |
 |
| prata set |
All in all, I enjoyed the hotel stay at One Farrer. Conveniently located next to Farrer Park MRT and there's a 7-eleven nearby as well. Snack runs? No problem. Plus, the concierge team and the front-office staff are friendly and nice. Loved that they greet the guests every time we came back from our outside excursions. Though the hotel did not supply face mask in the room, one could request it from the concierge if need any.
The chambermaid team actually consist of 2 guys and they seemed to be always punctual and will knock on the door at 9am for the 2 days that I've stayed there.
Check-out process was a breeze and off we went to have our lunch at
Hand in Hand.
One Farrer Hotel
Address: 1 Farrer Park Station Rd, Singapore 217562
Contact: 6363 0101
Posts
