Serangoon Cozy RM near NEX

Overall, quite a convenient stay

We are a family of 5 so trying to find a budget room in Singapore was not so easy. Grace's room was approx AUD$86 (SGD$104) a night. Compare this to AUD$250 a night for family room at a 2 star hotel near Orchard Rd. The cost was very reasonable and we liked being in the suburbs. It was quieter and you can see everyday life around you. Plus, food at the nearby Hougang Shopping Mall was cheaper than what you will find in the city centre. The room was one of many in a 3 storey residence. There was a double bed, a double bunk and they gave us a mattress on the floor for our 3rd child. One of the things I liked about this room was that you can open the windows and let fresh air in. In a lot of hotels you can't do that because they are controlled by airconditioning. This room had an airconditioner that worked well but we mostly just used the ceiling fan which was very quiet. We were there in early June and there were no mosquitoes. The mattresses and pillows were comfortable. Lots of cupboard space. Ensuite bathroom had a basin, sit-on toilet and shower with water heater (you have to turn switch on outside bathroom). The bathroom door didn't close fully though because the bottom of the door was coming apart. 5 towels were provided and one roll of toilet paper. It would have been good if more toilet paper was provided as we stayed for 2 days and have 4 girls in our family. We just bought our own. The free wifi worked well. The room is on the 2nd floor so you have to carry your luggage up 2 flights of stairs (no lift). We did not meet Grace but the young girl who works there was very helpful. Our flight arrived in Singapore late at night so by the time we arrived at our accommodation it was about 11pm. The buzzer on the gate didn't make a sound and didn't seem to rouse anybody so the taxi driver gave us his mobile to ring Grace and soon after an older lady came to open the gate for us and showed us the cupboard to leave our shoes before entering the building. It only took about 10 minutes to walk to the MRT. The underground train system was very efficient. It really doesn't matter where you stay in Singapore because everywhere is fairly close when you travel by MRT. All in all, this accommodation was perfect for us. We didn't need a 5 star hotel, just a place to sleep.

Friendly hosts, very helpful. Nice!!

Friendly hosts, very helpful. Nice!!

Firstly top marks to Grace even though I did not meet her she had ensured my stay was pleasant. The room I stayed in was right on top and the final climb of stairs was via a spiral iron wooden staircase. Fortunately I had travelled light it was a struggle but I was assisted by her staff. So it will not be suitable if you have many bags. If you have many bags leave most of them at the airport they cater for baggage storage and the fees are reasonable just look up the changi airport website. Getting to grace's was easy bus number 27 from Changi Airport to hougang central interchange is just $2. You can take a cab from there for $5. About the room it is clean and appropriately functional it isn't a hotel but you will feel safe and comfortable and a key to lock your door will be provided for you. The bathroom and toilet are shared but it is lockable and clean. There is hot water system. Liquid soap is provided with a beach towel and a roll of toilet paper. Accebility to the mass transit system is only a short walk and local food fare is close by with a supermarket for your other needs. Finally the home is wifi connected that alone is a huge bonus for you to surf and research your surroundings. If I had to give stars for value for money this will be four stars of five. Please ignore the negative feedback some have given, it isn't accurate. Grace is contactable via winds via her phone and if you have questions you can speak with her about them before arrival so that you will be at ease. I am writing this as a person who has lived in Australia for over twenty years, I suggest give it a try and treat it as an adventure and you will leave with a smile.

I give this accommodation 1 star only because it is 600m to the nearest MRT (Hougang) but the room itself does not deserve a star at all. The whole house is in dire need of repair - the kitchen is messy and not cleaned properly, the floors are gritty, the backyard is full of junk and clothes hanging everywhere. We booked a much better room way back in January but apparently there was water leak & it got damaged and so Grace, our host, gave us a different room which she thinks is better but never informed us about this. We only found out when we got there. This is the state of the room we stayed in: The wooden floor was very gritty. There were 2 built in cupboards but smelt very musty inside. There were 2 old desks just put there which took up a lot of space. The whole room smelled musty and the bed linen felt damp. We had the ceiling fan (this also needs a good clean as it is covered in dust) going all the time to try to get rid of the musty smell. The bathroom was very, very filthy - mold everywhere in the shower recess and tile grouting. The toothbrush holder near vanity still has dried up toothpaste smears from previous renters. Water leaks from under the sink. Water leaks as well from the broken toilet douche. As a result of water leak, there is no door under the vanity & it looked very tacky. The bathroom door does not close because it has expanded due to the dampness. The only good thing is the airconditioner - it is new and very quiet and really provided cool relief after being out in the hot weather outside. This is the service we got. We arrived after midnight basically May 11 already. We were greeted by Grace's mom, who does not speak English. We were asked to remove our shoes to enter the house but were not given slippers instead. We stepped on very gritty floors and carted our heavy luggages all the way to the third floor. We were not happy with the room at the onset but there was no use complaining to the mom as she can't speak english and we were very tired from the trip. We slept in the next morning and I emailed Grace to express our dissatisfaction but she replied 5 hours later and we were out already. We seriously considered moving to another place but because our itinerary in Singapore has already been arranged, it was difficult to do that. And because we were out the whole day, we just needed a place to sleep and go to the bathroom so we put up with the room for our 3 nights there. We were given 1 roll of toilet paper for the duration of our stay there. There were 4 of us in the room. There was no bath mat to wipe our feet with after coming out of the shower. We eventually got to see Grace on our last day May 13, she apologised for not letting us know of the room change before hand. But as for the bath mat, she advised it is not their custom and as for the toilet paper, she does not provide this for her guests. We were not asking for luxury, just the basics and I think, regardless of nationality, a bath mat is important in the bathrooms, for OH&S (occupational health & safety) issues. What if a guest accidentally slips on the floor? Even an old towel will do. What I did is used my dirty shirt as bath mat which I shouldn't have to do. And toilet paper - this is very basic, isn't it. We paid SGD425.92 for 4 night stay - SGD106 per night - which is way too much for the room we got. I have stayed in similar accommodations when I travelled Europe last September. The places were not all looking new but well maintained and clean. The hosts were there to greet us if not on the day itself, the next day. There were maps of the area available and the host explained to us how to go around the area, where the nearest bus or train station is. There was a pamphlet in the room which advises guests of the how to's - what to do & where to go. This did not happen during this trip. We were let in but were just "dumped" there and left to fend for ourselves. We had to work out how to operate the water heater ourselves, we found out about the MRT because we asked passers by the first time we ventured out. Grace said that her caretaker was there to help out but the caretaker was never introduced to us. A note or letter to advise the guests who the contact in the house is will really help. Grace advised her number is available 24 hours a day but it was a bit late. Grace's intentions are good and she has a kind heart but she lacks that special touch - the personal rapport between herself and her guests - which is very important in her kind of business. She should personally inspect her rooms for rent and see if they are up to scratch - if it is clean enough for her guests. Bottom line is - we were very disappointed with the room & service we got. Unless Grace arranges for serious cleaning of her rooms and the house itself, it is not worth staying there unless you're under really tight budget. Wimdu should send their local people to inspect the places they advertise on their website to find out if they are good enough.

The room was very clean, the location is very convenience. the host even supplied shower towls. If no one is allowed to smoke in the condo would be wonderful.

Great host and cleaner, thanks a lot for your hospitality. Location is near food stalls, shopping center and 5 mins walk to MRT, very convenient. However, the cleanliness needs to be improved in the toilets and bathrooms. In overall, good value for money.

Convenient location, decent room but little bit messy toilet. Good value for money

The host was accommodating, and i felt very liberal to do things around the house whilst keeping my privacy. However the only thing was that the kitchen was very dark and there wasn't that much fridge space at all.