ibis Singapore on Bencoolen Hotel

The Ibis Singapore on Bencoolen is a reliable budget chain option for tourists and business travelers. Its housed in a slender building of masonry and glass, with a high-ceilinged, all white lobby that's sparsely furnished with red patterned area rugs and red, asymmetrical contemporary sofas and chairs. The seating areas are clustered near the floor-to-ceiling windows that look out onto the street. There's a counter that serves as a small business center at one end of the lobby. Le Bar, open 24 hours, has tight counter seating and a square marble high-top that seats 16. The space opens onto Taste, the hotel's casual restaurant, with a high, slatted-wood ceiling, a wall with rectangular mirrors, and lots of natural light. Overall, the property is not high design, yet its common areas are airy and spacious. 

This Ibis property is on a main road in Bugis, a lovely neighborhood surrounded by commercial buildings, shops, and restaurants. It's a seven-minute walk to the Bugis Mass Rail Transit, while the National Museum of Singapore is an eight-minute walk. Arab Street is 11 minutes on foot, while a walk to Little India is 12 minutes. Raffles, the iconic Singapore hotel and birthplace of the Singapore Sling, is 14 minutes away on foot. A five-minute drive or 15-minute train ride can land guests at the Marina Bay Sands Casino. It's a six-minute drive to the National Gallery of Singapore or 26 minutes on public transit. The Singapore Flyer Ferris Wheel is an eight-minute drive away, while Chinatown is a nine-minute drive or 20 minutes on public transportation. Clarke Quay, Orchard Road, and the Singapore Botanic Gardens all take around 10 minutes or so to reach by car or just under half an hour on public transportation. The Marina Bay Sands Golf Course is a 15-minute drive or 45 minutes on public transit. The Changi Airport Singapore is a 17-minute drive or an hour on public transportation.

Guest rooms at the Ibis Singapore on Bencoolen are small, with city views and tidy interiors. Floors are a glossy hardwood, and beds sit on platforms with blond-wood headboards. Windows have black-out drapes and sit above small desks with multiple outlets. Orange accent walls add color to the otherwise white-dominated spaces. Clothing and cases may be a tight fit in the small closets, which have shelves but no doors. All rooms come with e-readers and have flat-screen TVs in wall units with racks for magazines. Amenities include air-conditioning, safes, kettles, irons and ironing boards, and mini-fridges. Bathrooms are generally small and tiled in white, with walk-in showers and wall-mounted toiletry dispensers. Bathrooms also have devices that measure water use and bins dedicated to recycling. Three wheelchair-accessible rooms are available.

Features of this Ibis are business-oriented and include free property-wide Wi-Fi; a small business center with computers, fax, and copy machines; and meeting rooms. The hotel also bills itself as eco-friendly and loans out stylish bamboo bicycles with wicker baskets, bamboo umbrellas, and free public transit cards. There's also free on-site parking and a car rental desk. The reception desk is open 24 hours and provides concierge services and luggage storage. There's also a 24-hour bar and a restaurant that serves international cuisine and an extensive tapas menu as well as a breakfast buffet (for a fee). Other features include a coin-operated laundry and dry-cleaning services (for a fee). There's also a hospitality room where guests arriving early or leaving late can take a shower or relax.