The Holiday Inn Express Singapore Clarke Quay is a great find at 24,000 IHG One Rewards points per night. Put aside your impression of Holiday Inn Express (HIX) in the U.S. Although those are fine hotels, you’ll find this is at an entirely different level!
Location
The hotel is located on the southwest side of the city, in the Clarke Quay area (you may have guessed that!) There are plenty of restaurants and bars in this area and it’s particularly lively and beautiful at night. You can take a short walk to the NRT trains and a 10 minute Uber to Super Tree Grove. Be sure to see the spectacular nighttime light show there. We also picked HIX Clarke Quay because it’s relatively close to the cruise port, where we boarded our ship.
Rooms and Layout
The Holiday Inn Express Singapore Clarke Quay, with 442 rooms, is far larger than any HIX we’ve seen in the U.S. You’ll find the rooms are small, which is typical for Singapore, but they are well laid out, nicely appointed, and have floor-to-ceiling windows. We thought the bed was very comfortable, and there was a large TV, coffee maker, and ironing board. We both talked about how much we liked the shower. It had great pressure, instant hot water, and was easy to use without a bunch of confusing handles and levers. We were also impressed that the sink had a filtered water dispenser. I liked the hairdryer provided, although I can always use a little more power. A nice touch was also providing toothbrushes.
We appreciated the tropical feel throughout the hotel. The landscaping, open concept, beautiful wood finishes, and high ceilings all contributed to the atmosphere. You can immediately see from this picture of the lobby, it’s not the HIX you’re probably used to.
Pool and Rooftop Deck
One of the stand-outs of the Holiday Inn Express Singapore Clarke Quay is the pool and rooftop deck. Take in a spectacular view of the city, particularly at night, from either the rooftop/pool deck or the 4th floor deck. Both decks, and the entire hotel, have wonderful landscaping with beautiful tropical plants and trees. We loved all the plants that are throughout the entire hotel.
You can look out over the city as you swim in the gorgeous infinity pool or relax in the hot tub. After your swim, you can relax in one of the many loungers or tables on this extensive and lovely top floor deck. See much more of this deck, as well as the patio on the 4th floor, in our YouTube video.
Food and Drinks
The breakfast buffet has the usual HIX pancake machine and is far more extensive than what we are used to. Eggs, sausages, a variety of fruits, cereals, meats, cheeses, Asian breakfast items, an assortment of beautiful pastries, various juices, and high-end coffee machines are all available. The seating area is lovely and HUGE. You can sit in the air-conditioned interior or in one of the many beautiful outside spaces adjacent to the breakfast room.
We made use of our free drink coupons (a perk of Platinum One Rewards status with the IHG Premier Credit Card) at the very nice bar behind the registration desks. You can choose to sit inside, which is quite nice and extends to the breakfast area, or again in the outside spaces which are adjacent to both the breakfast room and the bar.
While there is no restaurant, there is a shop that sells coffees and fabulous looking desserts. We resisted but partly because they closed while we were having our drinks!
Overall
As you might expect, we highly recommend the Holiday Inn Express Singapore Clarke Quay. We particularly liked the rooftop pool deck, vast outdoor spaces, beautiful landscaping, and tropical feel. It’s well-located and we enjoyed our stay immensely. The only downside is that the rooms are small, but typical for Singapore. Booking for only 24,000 points is a real bonus.
Check out the video below for a deeper look at the hotel and facilities.
