HotelChatter

The room:
As the most basic type at The Wanderlust, our Pantone purple room was thin, with a small closet (containing a minibar stocked with free sodas and juices), a toilet stall, sink, shower stall, queen bed, Nespresso coffee maker and flatscreen HD tv. First impressions are not good, we have to admit. It's like "whoa, this is small--where do I even put my carryon-size bag?"

Getting situated in the space—going about unpacking, organizing and changing from traveling clothes—was the worst part of the stay. Once settled in and working from bed with the TV on, intermittently plotting Singapore exploration, everything took a turn for the positive.

Curious of the other room categories? We also peeked into two of the suites: The Typewriter and The Space Suite.

WiFi Connect: Free and fast. YAY!

Amenities:
For such a small, almost capsule-like room that costs $180 a night, the amenities better be good. We were pleasantly surprised to see Kiehl's toiletries, extras such as toothbrushes and slippers and some oranges to celebrate Chinese New Year. The HD tv also has a good variety of channels, and if you're not entertained enough by the city, there's always a small deck and whirlpool at the hotel, for hanging out.

What We Liked:
As the sun set and the glow of the neon Jimi Hendrix sign above the bed kept us company, we actually started loving the room. It was perfect for us (a solo traveler with little baggage), for one night, for both catching up on online work and setting out for city adventures. The location in Little India may seem sketchy at first, but it's actually awesome. We particularly enjoyed the easy walking distance to Arab Street and beyond, and actually missed the lively neighborhood after heading on to another hotel the next day.

It's also fortunate that we like the color purple. Other colors on the Pantone floor include pink, yellow, red, turquoise (the receptionist admitted this was her fave), white, beige, black and so on.

What We Didn't Like:
It is a very tight space, and any stays for longer than 2-3 nights by two people could cause stress. There's no where else but the bed to sit down, and no place for laying out your luggage. The price was high for the capsule-like room concept, but we booked last-minute and had our hearts set on staying here. As we said the worst part was actually getting used to the room, until night fell and we noticed that other guests on our floor and in neighboring rooms were having very loud sex. A LOT. Be warned that the walls are thin.

Bottom line:
Would we recommend The Wanderlust Hotel to our friends? Absolutely. Would we stay again? Absolutely. That said, we'd book further in advance and still only stay one or two nights. Guests who enjoy working at desks or having friends over should look elsewhere, or up to the higher room categories at The Wanderlust. Guests looking for a fun night at a cool hotel in a prime, vibrant neighborhood location should look right here.

[Photos: Cynthia Drescher for HotelChatter]