My experience with Holiday Inn Expresses (HIX) have always been average at best, especially since I have only stayed at those along expressways in Europe and in the USA. So I was pleasantly surprised when I arrived at the Holiday Inn Express Clarke Quay. The property’s façade was bold and consisted of angled windows, which gave the hotel a very futuristic look. The lobby was sleek and elegant with its high ceiling, and could have easily passed off as a Hilton if not for the HIX branding.
Checking in was a breeze and the front desk agent quickly allocated me a room on the 6th floor with a view. I was very impressed with the treatment for their elite guest here. Being a no-frills property, I kept my expectations low, so when the agent offered me a 3pm check-out for being a IHG Gold member, I was blown away. They are certainly doing above and beyond what normal HIXs are expected.
The corridor to the rooms were all outdoors and reminded me alot of the Crowne Plaza Changi Airport. The room was really beautiful with its use of warm dark hues of wood. It looked and felt like an upscale hotel if not for its size. Coming it at 19 square meters, the room made use of the small space very well. All the basic amenities that one would expect in a hotel were present. The queen-sized bed was decent and came with 2 different types of pillows – firm and soft, which was much appreciated. House-keeping did an amazing job because the room felt clean and spotless. The view that I had was amazing, with a partial view of Marina Bay Sands in the background.
The toilet was small and tight, and was cordoned off from the rest of the room by a sliding wooden door. There was even a rain shower fixture, which was high enough and gave one of the best bath in a long time. My only complain would be that shower toiletry was provided in the form of a liquid soap+shampoo combination dispenser. I understand that the hotel is trying to avoid wastage, but even my gym provides soap and shampoo in 2 different dispensers. I regretted not bringing my own toiletries.
I proceeded to explore the rest of the property and was once again surprised by the presence of a swimming pool and gym on level 8. These are 2 facilities that I would have never associated with a HIX. The pool was fancy with the water being enclosed by transparent glass, which reminds me a lot of the pool at the Keraton at The Plaza in Jakarta. Once again, the hotel outdid itself.
Breakfast is included in the room rate and is available from 6.30am-10.30am everyday. As I dragged my weary body down to the Great Room, I was disappointed when the familiar Cinnabon scent that is typical of all HIX was not present. The food was decent and felt very cafeteria-liked with scrambled eggs, tomato rice and chicken sausages. Did not have that much of an appetite and left after a few bites.
Overall, for the price that I paid, the stay was extremely worthwhile. Considering I checked in at 1pm and checked out at 3pm, I was in the hotel for a whole 26hours. This is something that even 5* hotels where I have top elite status do not provide. I am very impressed with the quality and standard of this property and would love to return in the near future.