For those who like to experience a semblance of the local life when travelling, the Indigo Hotel Singapore Katong is a very approachable place to stay. Located in the easter region on the East Coast Road just outside of the city, this Peranakan influenced hotel welcomes you to the neighbourhood with its Katong charm from the moment you arrive at their floral wall entrance that is inspired by the custom to have an inviting garden.
Inspired touches of a traditional Peranakan home decorate the hotel with contemporary décor and striking artwork from the moment you step into the lobby. Your room highlights the colourful local experiences with traditional display cabinets housing your mini bar, a coffee table made out of a carrom board and vanity counter made from a singer sewing machine. You will be able to get a sense of the area without yet having stepped foot out of the hotel.
The condensed Peranakan house design of the room makes it very cosy and appealing. The spa-inspired bathroom had a splendid view of the Katong neighbourhood from the floor to ceiling windows, which you could admire while soaking in a custom-made bathtub with a dragon motif, which is only available in 12 of Indigo Hotel Sinagpore Katong’s rooms. The room’s bamboo-cane sofa’s colourful furnishings along with the art murals depicting the laidback style of the community reminded us of being in an artisan café as we sipped our Nespresso coffee while munching on complimentary local treats.
The Katong neighbourhood is Singapore’s first heritage town and contains so much culture, architecture and history.
There’s a variety of restaurants and cafes in colourful shophouses throughout the endearing area and just a five-minute walk away from the Indigo Hotel Singapore Katong is the Instagrammer’s dream street of Koon Seng Road.
Framed by over a dozen pastel coloured Peranakan shophouses, you could easily spend an hour photographing all of the different coloured homes.
If you need a break from immersing yourself in Katong’s rustic charm, you can get an expansive bird’s eye view of the local area from Indigo Hotel Singapore Katong’s 25-metre rooftop infinity pool. The poolside area offers an uninterrupted panoramic view of the colourful neighbourhood and is a great place to sit back and recharge.
Attached yet set apart from the hotel is their neighbourhood inspired cafe, Baba Chews Bar and Eatery. The Peranakan-inspired eatery has become a key part of the Katong area with the heritage building once being part of a police station. Inside is a contemporary café with striking tiles and a bar ready to concoct your ideal cocktail.
We tried breakfast and lunch at Baba Chews and both meals were thoroughly enjoyable experiences. The breakfast is very clean with a good spread of food laid out and an ala carte menu full of Western favourites. Lunch is more explorative of the traditional cuisine from the Straits of Malacca, and we highly recommend you try the Beef Rendang, which is favourite recipe from the chef’s home. The coffee is also fantastic at Baba Chews. The beans are roasted by local caffeine masters Common Man Coffee Roasters, and the speciality coffee rivals any that you’ll find elsewhere.
Getting in and out of the city to and from Indigo Hotel Singapore Katong was an easy experience. Until the MRT line is complete, you can either take a grab for approx. $13 Singapore dollars, or you could take the bus using your EZ-Link card.
The bus route that we used was the number 10 or 32 bus from the Roxy Sq. bus stop, which is just outside the hotel, for six stops until you reach Dakota Station (the buses don’t announce the stops so keep an eye out for the MRT station). From there we went on the Circular Line down to Bayfront where the Gardens by the Bay is. The entire journey took us 40 minutes and was very easy, however, if at any point you feel unsure, refer to your Handy device that the hotel provides.
There’s so much to do in Singapore and we highly recommend a stay in the Katong neighbourhood, just to experience something a little different. The Indigo Hotel Singapore Katong has made itself distinctively local and is an excellent and comfortable base to take in the relaxing vibe of the lively neighbourhood that is rich in heritage.
