Singapore never fails to impress, at least in my opinion. So for my stopover on the way back from Australia to Europe, it was a no-brainer to stay in Singapore for a few days. I got the opportunity to stay in the magnificent Hotel Indigo Singapore, located in the Katong area. Although the hotel is not situated in the city center, it’s only a short metro or taxi ride away. The hotel facilities are very good, with great views from the room and an infinity pool on the top floor. In this article you can read all about my review of the Hotel Indigo Singapore Katong.

Location in Singapore

The Hotel Indigo Singapore is located in the Katong area in eastern Singapore, on East Cost Road. As well as the modern design, you will also find some references to the former Joo Chiat building and the local Peranakan culture. These design details can be seen in the communal areas, as well as the hotel rooms.

Hotel Indigo Singapore Katong is only a fifteen minute taxi drive from Singapore-Changi Airport. Normally such a ride is about 20 Singapore Dollars (SGD), so currently around $14 USD. 

Public transport in Singapore is excellent, so you can also take the metro (MRT) or bus. Bus 36 stops near the hotel and will only cost you a few dollars, but the trip takes about 45 minutes. The time it takes to go from the hotel to the city center is about the same as the time from the airport to the hotel.

The Indigo Hotel is situated in the same building as the Holiday Inn Express Singapore Katong, but each hotel has its own tower. Both the Hotel Indigo and Holiday Inn Express are a member of the IHG One Rewards loyalty program. IHG has quite a number hotels in Singapore. For instance the luxury InterContinental Singapore and InterContinental Robertson Quay. But also the newly opened VOCO Orchard Singapore and seven Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express hotels.

On our YouTube channel you can find a video review of the Hotel Indigo Singapore Katong. Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more reviews, InsideLooks and trip reports. We post new content every week.

Reception

After my arrival from Perth in Singapore, I took the bus to the hotel. When I arrived there, the doorman directly approached me to take my luggage. I was directed to the stylish reception area and offered a welcome drink. A fresh iced latte is always a good idea in sweaty Singapore!

Without exception at IHG hotels, I am thanked for my loyalty as an IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite member. I also got a welcome gift of 600 points. After I’ve handed over the passports, I showed my reservation in the IHG app. Because of the online check-in, all formalities were done quickly. The only thing I needed to do was pay the security deposit. I did this with my American Express Flying Blue Platinum Card, but the hotel also accepts Visa, MasterCard, Diners Club and China Union Pay. After check-in, the agent escorted me to the room and my luggage was brought up soon after.

The Room: King Standard Heritage View With Bath

The Indigo Hotel in Katong has 131 rooms, divided over sixteen floors. All rooms are 30 square meters, but there are different types of rooms. The Standard Room features a regular bathroom with walk-in shower and a kingsize bed (King Bed room) or two separate beds (2 Twin Beds room). The Heritage View rooms can be found on the higher floors and are available with a kingsize bed or two separate beds.

The Heritage Rooms have upgraded amenities, such as a Nespresso coffee machine. There is one other type of Heritage Room, this room also includes a bath. The Heritage Rooms are about 10% more expensive than the Standard Rooms. And the Heritage Room with a bath is 20% more expensive than the Standard Rooms. During check-in I got a King Standard Heritage View Room With Bath, a nice upgrade as I expected to get a Standard Room.

When you enter the room there is a small hallway. Directly on the left you can find a small toilet with wash area. On the right there is a big wardrobe with some drawers. Here you also find a hair dryer and a laundry bag. Unfortunately, there’s no luggage rack.

Further into the room there’s a small sofa with a stool. On the wall you can find two power plugs and a light switch. On the other side there is a china cabinet with a kettle and Nespresso coffee machine. There are also three small jars with candies. A well equipped coffee corner in my opinion.

The big kingsize bed can be found in the center of the room. On both sides there’s a small bedside table with a reading light and light switches. On the left side of the bed you can find a telephone for calls to the reception and room service, but also national and international calls (at a charge). Next to that, there’s a small alarm clock. Opposite the bed a big flatscreen tv is mounted to the wall. Unfortunately, this hotel room does not have a desk.

I have to say the design of the hotel really honors its surrounding neighborhood. This is for instance visible on the nice wall sketch. The lighting in the ceiling is also very well done. More details can be found in the small coffee table that has a top showing a famous Singaporean board game. And the coffee corner is nicely decorated with traditional china plates. All of this really makes it a cosy room, without ‘overdoing it’.

The bathroom

In the Heritage Room, the bathroom can be found in the back. Here you immediately see a big round white bath. On the left side there’s a wash basin with plenty of amenities from the Australian brand Biology Smart. In the bathroom there are also two Indigo water bottles that you can borrow during your stay. They are also available for purchase in the small shop on the ground floor.

As you may expect there are lots of towels available in different sizes. Just around the corner you find a good size walk-in rain shower with Biology Smart amenities. The bathroom can be fully separated from the main bedroom using a sliding door for extra privacy. Talking about privacy: the view from the room is really great, but don’t forget to close the curtains when using the bathroom.

The size of the bath makes the bathroom slightly small. That’s probably also the reasons that there is no toilet in the bathroom. You can find the toilet in the small hallway at the entrance of the room.

Room comfort

In this review of the Hotel Indigo Singapore Katong we also discuss the comfort of the room, as sometimes the details really matter to make a stay stand out from the rest. Although the rooms are a good size, I disliked the fact that the toilet is separated from the bathroom, but that’s a personal thing perhaps. The quality of the amenities however is very good, as are the materials and finishing of the room. The bed is also high quality and comfortable.

The room is sound proof, so you won’t hear any noise coming from the hallway or from outside. The Singapore heat can be quite a thing, even in hotels. But here I experienced a comfortable temperature throughout my stay – so climate control is on point!

Any requests to the reception desk were handled swiftly and adequately. The service of the restaurant, bar and pool were also quite good.

Hotel facilities

This Indigo has several good facilities to offer, like a hotel restaurant, swimming pool and meeting rooms. These will also be briefly addressed in this review of the Hotel Indigo Singapore Katong.

The hotel restaurant, Baba Chews Bar & Eatery, offers all day dining. The restaurant serves a breakfast buffet (and a la carte breakfast) in the morning. Later in the day you can also have lunch or dinner there. There’s also a terrace to sit outside if you want. The restaurant is situated in a separate building next to the hotel, but is easily accessible via the pavilion next to the reception. There is also a Starbucks cafe in the same building.

As mentioned before, there is a nice pavilion next to the reception. The pavilion features a business center and a small self service shop called ‘Mama Stall’. Next to that, you can find an exposition of the traditional clothing that the people in this area used to wear.

The highlight of the hotel is definitely the infinity pool and bar on the top floor. The view from the room is great, but the top floor offers an even better overview of the surrounding Katong area, with its traditional houses and shops. The Indigo hotel has quite a big pool and green terrace on the top floor. There are also some showers, toilets and a changing room. At the pool you can find some seats to relax and enjoy the pool and view!

Next to the pool, there is a well equipped fitness center with big windows to also enjoy the view during a workout. The equipment is modern and in good shape.

The hotel has two meeting rooms, designed to fit in the rest of the hotel furnishings.

The hotel does not allow guests with pets. On the outside terrace however you are welcome to take your dog.

Breakfast and lunch

Breakfast is served daily at Baba Chews Bar & Eatery. When I entered the restaurant I was greeted by one of the friendly servers, seated at a nice table for two, and offered a choice of hot or cold drinks – including the famous TWG Tea.

There is a breakfast buffet at the back of the restaurant. Here you can find several kinds of bread and sweet pastries. Next to that, you can get fresh fruit, cereals and yoghurt. The choice of fresh fruit juices is also quite good. However, there is more than just the buffet.

It is also possible to order from the breakfast menu through the QR code on the table. The restaurant offers both a Western style and Asian style menu. The ‘Western’ food options include fluffy buttermilk pancakes, Belgian waffles and a classic Egg’s Benedict. The Asian menu offers Chinese dumplings, nasi goreng, gyoza and Singaporean Laksa soup. The menu is updated regularly and all dishes are included in the breakfast. So I have to say the breakfast offer is really quite good.

After breakfast, it’s time for a walk around the Katong neighborhood. And there’s quite a lot to see and do. You can for instance walk to the Sri Senpaga Vinayagar Temple and the Peranakan Houses. But you can also just stroll along East Katong Road. The area is well-known for its traditional shopfronts and houses.

Fancy going to the beach? That’s also easily possible –  it is only a 10 minute walk to East Coast Beach. The walk around the area was great. It also shows that Singapore has more to offer than just the city center.

When we returned to the hotel it was time for lunch. We decided to have it at Baba Chews, where we also had our breakfast. For lunch, there’s a modern Asian-European menu with culinary classics from the west and the east. Just like in the morning, the service was very attentive.

The waiter recommended the chili crab with tagliatelle and the salmon skewers with laksa sauce. We added grilled asparagus with truffle and Parmesan cheese. For drinks, we went for the famous Singapore Sling cocktail. The dishes arrived in no-time and tasted very good. Also, the side dishes were done quite well. I really liked the way the restaurant combines tastes from the west and the east.

Conclusion

My stay at Hotel Indigo Singapore Katong was very good – in particular, the service and facilities stood out. The restaurant was great for both breakfast and lunch, though you are never short of good dining options in Singapore!

The rooftop infinity pool and bar is a real highlight, especially if you compare this hotel’s rates with similar alternatives.

Source of all pictures in this Hotel Indigo Singapore Katong review: InsideFlyer Netherlands – Christian