I have been a regular at Bencoolen 81 over the past 3 years. Either for a weekend getaway with my girlfriend, or checking in for 2 hour transits, just to have some quality time with my girlfriend.

Standards more or less remains the same over the years, with only one thing that is changing. The price of the rooms. The rooms are getting pricer each year, and now the prices even varies on weekends or public holidays.

Previously the rates are standard. SG$20 for transit SG$79-89 per night.

However prices now range from SG$30 for transit and $119-$150.

Sometimes I wonder am i still checking into a budget hotel anymore, with the ever growing prices.

But I will still go back to the hotel mainly for a few reasons. Location is good as it is walking distance from town, making it easy to make plans.

Room is clean, with adequate facilities (hairdryer, thermal flask, television with cable channels, bathtub, etc) Pay $10 to get a DVD player room, although chances are you will have a spoilt remote, or the lack of one.

for budget travelers, this is one of the cheapest available and located within walking distance to malls and subway. basic amenities are provided, however the quality match back with the price. what more can you expect!! oh, complimentary parking provided.

We had a short break to Singapore on a month long stay to the far east. The check in was uneventful apart from the unusual request that we pay for the full duration of our stay of 5 nights. We were directed to a family room on the 5th floor.

The first thing that was noticeable was the room was worned and on the dirty side. The hotel has a strict notice on its website and in the hotel lobby that smoking is prohibited in rooms. So much to our dismay we found the room smelled of stale cigarette smoke and was stained with cigarette marks.

The toilets/bathroom was dirty with mould crawling everywhere you look. The toilet was somthing else, the toilet seat encrusted with evidence that the toilet was used. (I am too disgusted to post a photograph of the toilet seat).

Overall, I strongly discourage you from booking this hotel despite the good value factor. For and extra $25 or so you will be able to book yourself in nearby hotels where rooms are much cleaner and better value for money without the aggrivation of trying to get a clean and welcoming room.

We arrived late at 1am. We are a family 3 Adults, 1 child and 1 baby. To our surprise, the rooms were not yet ready and subject for cleaning. We noticed a male with two transvestite prostitute waiting for a room while another prostitute was requesting for a key. Discusting. At night time its a short time hotel and our rooms were rented out to others before we arrived.