Kam Leng Hotel

There’s a charming boutique atmosphere at the Kam Leng, where plenty of the hotel’s original Peranakan architectural features have been retained. It occupies a modernized Chinese-style four-story building with the hotel logo cleverly emblazoned across its facade. Inside, the elegant lobby sports a minimalist design, with smooth concrete floors, white walls, and high ceilings with suspended mirrors. The large family-style dining table gives the space a homey atmosphere, and there are retro cabinets and comfy seating at large windows that look out onto the courtyard. The chic and quirky decor continues by the elevators on each floor, with framed black-and-white prints depicting the hotel’s history, punchy vintage furniture, and beautifully preserved Peranakan floor tiling. To add to the ambience, there’s subway tiling on some of the walls plus old shuttered windows. Old peeling paint on walls is part of the vintage appeal, but some might see it as a lack of care. There’s also a pleasant terrace with a few tables and chairs and the space is surrounded by trees, but otherwise there are minimal views. Overall, the Kam Leng is a stylish and affordable mid-range option, but it's best suited to travelers planning to spend the majority of their time outdoors.

On the corner of a busy street in the newly trendy Jalan Besar neighborhood, the Kam Leng Hotel is close to numerous other hotels and hostels, as well as local food markets, restaurants, and bars. There’s a 24-hour convenience store just across the street, and a number of city buses stop right outside. The hotel is an 11- to 13-minute walk from three MRT subway stations (including Lavender, with airport connections), making it easy to get around Singapore. It’s also a 10-minute walk to the 24-hour Mustafa shopping center and other sights in Little India, and to the Serangoon Plaza for the Hop-on, Hop-off tourist bus. Arab Street is seven minutes from the hotel by car or 18 minutes by public transport, while Orchard Road and Marina Bay Sands are both around an eight-minute drive away or about a half an hour using public transportation. Bali Lane is a 10-minute drive away, or 21 minutes by public transportation; and it’s a half-hour drive to Sentosa Island. Singapore Changi International Airport is a half-hour drive away; it takes just over an hour to get there by public transportation.

Rooms at the Kam Leng are simple and utilitarian but comfortable, though there’s no avoiding the fact that Standard Rooms are tiny and lack windows. Large, comfy beds have brightly colored leather headboards against gray and white walls with eye-catching green wood trim and hand-painted floral wall stenciling. Other furnishings include freestanding bedside tables, desks, shelves, and hanging clothes racks -- all of these are small, and none of the rooms have closets, so there’s a distinct lack of storage space. Some rooms have modern brown patterned carpet, while others have original granite flooring. The industrial-style suspended lights are attractive, but some rooms are a little dark and could do with more soft lighting. Floor-to-ceiling frosted windows and glass doors front the large bathrooms, but in windowless rooms the only natural light flows through here from the small bathroom windows. The modern, industrial-style bathrooms have subway wall tiles and attractive gray floor tiling. Each has an open shower (meaning it’s easy for the whole room to get soaked) with rainfall and power showerheads and a small built-in sink and mirror, but no vanity or counter. 

Superior Rooms and their bathrooms are more spacious, but some still lack windows. These rooms add attractive gallery walls of photos above the bed, as do Executive Rooms, which are even more spacious and have windows in the bedroom. However, exterior shutters mean only a limited amount of light gets through. Note that all rooms lack curtains.

Standard amenities include individual air-conditioning units, large flat-screen TVs, plus phones with free local calls, safes, mini-fridges, free drinking water, hairdryers, and coffee- and tea-making facilities. Irons, ironing boards, and power adaptors can be borrowed free of charge from the front desk. Some guests have complained of unpleasant smells in rooms and some street-facing units can also be noisy.

The hotel has a limited range of facilities, and there's no pool, gym, or spa. However, Wi-Fi is free and fast, and a laundry service is available. The small but chic Suprette restaurant and bar serves excellent food and drink and it's as popular with locals as with hotel guests, despite not being continuously open throughout the day. A tasty and filling a la carte breakfast is served here, though it’s not included in all room rates. Room service is also available.