Holiday Inn Express & Suites Singapore Novena by IHG — Attraction in Singapore

EDIT: Well, the manager at the front counter read my email and review, and acted on it immediately. This goes to show that sometimes, I shouldn’t be so trigger happy but I had good enough reason to do as seen in the prior review bracketed below. Anyhow, I must stress that the personnel from Holiday inn- the hotel- is different from the call center affiliated to them. Nevertheless I want to stress that from booking, check in, to current now being in the hotel I am happy, five stars all around. Staff were polite, the one who checked us in was polite and wonderful, and the only thing that disappointed a little was that there’s not much food around the hotel. My pup loves it and my dad loves the place, as my mum too.

The air conditioning makes me want to just stay in the hotel and not go out , but I must for food. I want to say once again a thank you to Richard, and to Tyler, and to Kanchana, Anna Nguyen, and to the check in staff, and to all the other staff whose names I didn’t get. Great job done.

Also, the food on the Ala carte menu was fantastic especially the steak- in my opinion far better than that of Hyatt, or even Sentosa.

(Disappointing as I tried to book a room for a pet getaway with my little puppy, and none of them told me that within two days their package would’ve been sold out- instead, Tessa told me (she was kind enough to explain) that if I called up two days later that they’d match the price quoted. They literally didn’t tell me that it would end two days later. If they had, I’d have booked earlier, but I hadn’t because from the sound of it, they seemed as if the pet package would be ongoing. This is disappointing as it was for my Birthday, of which I was hoping to celebrate with my Family and my little puppy. Then I was told by the service staff on the phone that basically- it was the Hotels fault because the “pet getaway” package wasn’t showing up on their computer screen- even though I was told barely TWO days before it was still going on- and that it now had a minimum amount of days for a stay. Well, that wasn’t told to me on the phone when I called.

You guys should be more clear, and at least transparent in your pricing. We just want a holiday with our pets, and jacking up the prices and stating that the package is “over” when nothing has been shown on your socials is just rather odd if not badly handled. Instead of speaking to the front counter, we spoke to a bunch of people in the Philippines at a call center who frankly seemed to be playing poker with the pricing. This is not right. This is Disappointing all round and even before I’ve stepped foot in your hotel. Thank you for ruining my birthday plans, and an even more resounding Thank You for not matching the prices I was quoted and promised 2 days before when the pet getaway package was “still” in existence. How was I supposed to know that as a business entity you’d just make it disappear? That’s not very nice in terms of advertising is it, especially to potential customers who hear such good reviews about Your Hotel as a place for people who want to Holiday with their Pet. If I could give you less than One Star, just for the way your customer service team has handled...

I had a pleasant stay. The room was clean, comfortable, and well-maintained, with cozy beds and pillows that made for great rest. The staff were professional and courteous throughout my stay, and the check-in process was smooth. Breakfast offered a good spread with both local and international options. The hotel’s location is convenient for exploring Singapore, with easy access to public transport and nearby eateries. Small pool but was great. The complimentary Sentosa Island tickets were a lovely surprise and added great value. Overall, a relaxing and well-managed stay. Good for business travelers.

There are a few areas that could be improved. The room was more compact than the photos suggested. Storage space is limited, especially if you have larger luggage. Toiletries were very basic — the toothpaste tube was difficult to use, and a body lotion would have been a welcome addition. Hand towels were quite small, and complimentary bottled water would have been ideal. Breakfast, though adequate, lacked variety and could benefit from more frequent refreshes. Soundproofing could be improved — occasional corridor noise was noticeable.

For business travelers, the absence of a dedicated business centre can be inconvenient — the lobby is the only space to work from. The restaurant menu has limited options, which often means stepping out to explore nearby eateries. Also, the nearest MRT (Novena) is about a 20-minute walk, which may not suit those relying on the train, though the bus stop is conveniently close.

Overall comfort was good, but certain details felt a bit minimalist. For the price point, the experience could be enhanced with a few small touches.

One small observation — the front office staff are on their feet throughout. Providing them with chairs or some seating arrangement during non-peak times would go a long way in supporting their comfort and wellbeing. They’re consistently polite and professional, and it would be nice to see the hotel extend that same care...

First time trying out the Teochew Porridge buffet here (PET-FRIENDLY! The biggest factor tbh!) Usually pet-friendly dining establishments don't have great human food but here is the exception! Teochew porridge is stellar with a wide variety of dishes and condiments!

Ms Christine from HR who happened to be here was very warm and friendly. Special shout out to Mr Joel and Mr Joon Kiat who are very attentive, hardworking and service oriented. They are constantly taking care of every area and aspect to ensure guests have a good time. Chef Jian Long is also very commendable as he is working very hard to ensure the buffet goes smoothly. For each dish refill, none took more than 5 minutes so there wasn't any wait at all at the buffet line.

My dogs are very happy here too. They enjoyed the aircon environment and dog meals + dog ice cream are also available for purchase and dine in. Only feedback for that is the vegetables in the dog meals (carrots, broccoli, cauliflower) are TOO BIG for pets. Those are more suitable for human consumption. They can refer to pet meals available at other places for reference. Very nice gesture and very warm of them to offer a round of puppucinno for all the doggie guests! Definitely earns brownie points from the pawrents! They also offered potong ice cream for the humans after the meal!

Overall, we will definitely be back! Not only are our furbabies very happy and feel very welcomed here, the food is also great and suitable for the whole family from babies to grandparents! Psst, they're currently running a promotion now where the silver haired generation gets 50% off!

P.s. Personally feel that they should remove this sign now that they're marketing their pet-friendly staycations and pet-friendly dining if not it doesn't feel very welcoming or in good taste since this sign is outside the Cafe&Bar which they are holding the pet friendly...