Unpretentious, simple, and straightforward — Hotel ibis Singapore Novena brings an excellent (and affordable!) hotel alternative to both leisure and business travelers embarking on their upcoming adventure in Singapore. Nestled in the central district of Novena and Balestier, this 3-star, 241-key hotel stands confidently high in a urban neighborhood while offering its guests a comfortable and worthwhile stay.

Unlike many small hotels which overly decorate their hallways and walls with murals, art pieces, and unnecessary clutter to compensate for the lack of space or perceived lack of grandeur inside the property, Hotel ibis Singapore Novena presents an unassertive, uncomplicated, and (to some extent) candid hotel experience. This was my first ever stay in AccorHotel’s budget hotel brand, ibis, and my personal experience was overall pleasant nonetheless.

The Lobby:

The hotel lobby gets a little bit crowded during peak hours (normally during check-ins and check-outs) as there were only two reception counters/staff that weekend during our stay. The counters easily get freed up for the rest of the day though — and we took these opportunities to ask random questions (such as directions and food recommendations) to the helpful hotel staff.

The Hotel Room: Standard (Queen-sized Bed)

Hotel ibis Singapore Novena has compact yet modern-designed rooms. Best for single travelers (but can easily fit two people too), our standard room wore shades of cozy, neutral colors such as brown, black, and amber in its interiors and furnishings. The room had all my basic needs: WiFi; complimentary coffee/tea; blow dryer; and a business desk which I used for my laptop/blog work.

They also had the Handy Phone, which I’ve realized is fast becoming a staple among hotel rooms nowadays. It took me a while to figure out how to open and use it — in the end, I actually didn’t feel the need to use it all as I have my own smartphone with me.

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I heard from a friend that these Handy Phones are really helpful though: you can make local and international phones calls free of charge; you can surf the internet; plus you can bring it outside the hotel premises. How cool is that?

The toilet/shower area was snug and decent — I felt like I showering in the privacy of my own house.

Hotel’s Restaurant: Oopen Pasta and Grill Singapore

The hotel’s only F&B outlet, Oopen Pasta and Grillserves as their breakfast buffet place and as a full Italian restaurant for the rest of the day.

For our dinner, we ordered a plate of caesar salad, pizza, marinara pasta, and the dessert of the day (which came as a red velvet a la mode). Our Italian comfort food cravings were definitely satisfied! Take note: we just ordered one plate of each as the servings were already good for sharing.

What’s Nearby: Loy Kee Best Chicken Rice (est 1952)

With tons of food options in the area, staying at Hotel ibis Singapore Novena was a perfect opportunity for us to discover one of Singapore’s best local eateries.

While walking along Balestier Road, we accidentally chanced upon Loy Kee Best Chicken Rice (est 1952) and there, we unearthed probably the most delectable and most visually inviting soya sauce and roasted chickens we’ve ever tasted so far. At $18 (half chicken), this was more than enough to feed two hungry tummies. Although bony, their chickens were tender and flavorful — eating them has imprinted delicious chicken rice memories in my mind.


Hotel ibis Singapore Novena. 6 Irrawaddy Road, Singapore 329543. Telephone: +65 6808 9888. Website: http://www.ibis.com/gb/hotel-7451-ibis-singapore-novena/. 

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RandomRepublika.com: Paolo Avis

Living abroad for more than half a decade now, Paolo works in Singapore as a sales and marketing manager for a luxury travel publication. His creative urges can’t always be contained, hence photography, video documentaries, and blogging are his go-to forms of artistic release. Since he didn’t get to pursue TV production after getting a degree in Communication, Paolo now turns to Random Republika as an outlet to keep himself updated and to share his thoughts on what’s happening in showbiz and beyond. Follow his other stories via Instagram (@bigbluefish).

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