Coliwoo Orchard Opened in 2023

Coliwoo Orchard is located at 2 Mount Elizabeth Link.

As one of the newest properties and the second largest Coliwoo property standing at 22 storeys, there are 135 multi-key units with 411 keys in total. This shared-accommodation facility, Coliwoo Orchard, was launched in early 2023 and was converted from the former Frasers Residence building.

Located in Orchard

The nearest shopping centre, Paragon is just a 3-minute walk away. We have sufficient food options since Coliwoo Orchard is nicely situated in the middle of Somerset and Orchard. It takes about 10 minutes to reach Orchard MRT, and 13 minutes to get to Somerset MRT. There are a myriad of bus options available that take you to different parts of Singapore in under 8 minutes.

Prices from $3,000 – $3,500 per month

Our family of 3 stayed in the Premier Studio room at Coliwoo Orchard for 3 days and 2 nights. Do note that the minimum stay period is at 6 days, with the charges prorated based on a $3,000 to $3,500 monthly rate across all room types from 200 to 450 sq ft. Note that there are additional fees for administration, utility, and deposit.

Accessible location with steep slopes

I arrived at Coliwoo Orchard via a Grab before my family to do some remote work first. My family also took the Grab, because it is tough to manage carrying a baby and pushing the luggage, while navigating steps and steep slopes.

At the reception, you will sign the necessary paperwork to provide your contact details, as well as a list of items for the handover. Along with the forms, you will also receive the inventory list with the cost of each item that will be required when an item is missing or damaged.

Check-in after working hours

If you are checking in beyond working hours for the reception, then you will experience the contactless check in process where the keycard will be available via the locker.

A digital copy of the tenant handbook will be emailed to you. In the handbook, there is general information and house rules which includes no pasting of items on the wall. Helpful step-by-step user manuals on how to operate electrical appliances can also be found in the handbook too.

Coliwoo Parking – Basement Carpark ($150 per month)

If you drive, you will be pleased to know that the parking rates are reasonable, considering how it is a prime location in the heart of Orchard. For weekends and PH, the parking rate for cars or vans is at $3 per entry for 7am to 7am on the next day. If you would like to get season parking, it is at $150 per month.

Our family of 3 stayed in the Premier Studio room at Coliwoo Orchard for 3 days and 2 nights for this review.

Minimum stay of 6 days

Do note that the minimum stay period is at 6 days, with the charges prorated based on a $3,000 to $3,500 monthly rate across all room types from 200 to 450 sq ft. Additional fees for administration, utility, and deposit are applicable, too.

As I was trying to find out more information on the rooms on the Coliwoo website, I noticed that the rooms are mainly for singles or couples. Hence, I was concerned about having a baby with us.

Upon sharing my concerns, I was assured the Coliwoo Orchard team was able to provide a baby cot in the room for us. I checked and confirmed that requesting a baby cot comes at no extra cost. Thanks to the thoughtful ops team, the attached baby cot came with a bedding set – a baby pillow, 2 bolsters, and a baby blanket.

The kitchenette is readily equipped with a hood and 2-zone induction hob, microwave, bar fridge, kettle, utensils, dinnerware, and even cookware.

The sink on the side is shared by both kitchen and toilet. It is a little inconvenient, to be honest. And I also wished there were wall hooks around, so I could hang a hand towel, or perhaps a cup holder for our toothbrushes.

Right next to the mini fridge, there’s a hidden compact washer-dryer with around 2 kg wash capacity. There is also a fire blanket for emergency use. Bedroom slippers are provided too.

Having an en-suite bathroom is important for convenience, more so since we had our baby around. There were 3 sets of towels with bath and face towels, and sample-sized 2-in-1 hair and body shower gel – may not be sufficient.

The absence of wall hooks also meant we were draping all our clothes and wet towels over the studio’s chairs and baby cot.

The water pressure situation was not the most best. It takes 2 flushes for the toilet to be cleared, and the water did not spray out evenly from the shower head (see picture above).

Benefit of doubt – maybe the weak water pressure was just in the room that I was staying in?

In the wardrobe with built-in LED, you will find the safe, as well as some clothes hanger and storage drawers. The spacious wardrobe fitted all our clothes and bags in, keeping the rest of the room pretty neat and tidy.

The floating desk in the room comes with 2 chairs, and sits 2 pax comfortably. There are sufficient electrical and USB charging ports available, which I used for my remote WFH (Work from Home) set up. However, the Wi-Fi was only working about 70% of the time – with some weak connection and even random disconnection happening from time to time.

One of the house rules in the tenant handbook is to keep the volume down between 10pm to 7am daily. We did not have a neighbour staying with us in the next door unit (this was a joint 2-bedroom apartment concept), and we were able to have undisturbed rest throughout the night.

However, the height of the bed is pretty high to accommodate the under-bed luggage storage. Be careful when climbing out of bed at night to avoid bumping into the sharp corners of the floating desk that’s positioned right in front of the bed.

If you’re big on chilling on the bed, know that the bed does not come with a headboard so you can’t exactly lounge around. However, even though the bed was flushed against the window, there was minimal traffic noise.

There is a weekly housekeeping schedule. Every level is assigned to a cleaning day of the week. Housekeeping service will clean your floor only.

Your bed linens, towels, and consumables will not be changed or replenished. A co-living room is unlike a hotel room, but something like a serviced apartment that you will have to clean and treat as your home.

When you are an active Coliwoo member, you will get access to the Coliwoo app. The app is something like the traditional hotel phones where you get the digital concierge feature to request for room maintenance, or even to borrow a hairdryer.

I did not have access to the app since I was there on a short stay, but I can imagine that it will be very convenient to communicate with the reception digitally, instead of heading down physically whenever there is a need.

As a one-stop service app, Coliwoo members are also able to make monthly payments and receive invoice notifications on the go. Essential functions aside, the Coliwoo app also gives its members access to redeem exclusive deals and join events. Coliwoo members are also able to chat and post freely on the app to share any interesting story.

Gym: Open all day

Gym and lounge are accessible 24/7. The equipment in the gym looks clean and well-maintained, the best part? You do not have to book the gym, as it is on a first-come-first-serve basis.

As for the communal lounge, it was mostly used by residents as a spot for working, according to my observation while I was there. The TV and sofa set are great if you want to just chill in the living room area.

Right by the door, you will find a pantry, equipped with a sink, coffee machine, water dispenser, microwave, and even a wine chiller. Do take note that there are no cups available and you will have to bring along your own from the room.

Our baby loved having the children’s swimming pool all by himself. There were others at the regular swimming pool, and there was also a jacuzzi running and available for residents’ use.

At the rest of the outdoor communal areas, you can also find the BBQ pit that you can book, along with some other outdoor seats and even a swing.

When you need to wash your bedding linens and clothes all at once, there are large-capacity washer and dryer machines located at the basement area – each cycle is priced at $5 (cheaper than my HDB estate’s laundromat which charges $7 per cycle).

In the basement, there are also 4 food and drinks vending machines that offer ready-cooked meal, snack, and beverages round the clock.

We experienced some issues with our room fridge, and we got someone at the door to replace the fridge almost instantly. The staff were friendly and prompt to attend to any query or request that I had.

During my short stay, I observed that there is regular cleaning of the property by the staff. This probably explains how the communal spaces are always in a good to use state.

One night, we arrived back quite late past 11pm and the security guard on duty greeted us with a smile. It is a small touch of hospitality that really makes a difference in uplifting us after our long night out with our baby.

The baby cot provided in the room meant a lot to us, since it was a safe space to have our baby while we worked or prepared milk or had to run errands, or pop by the bathroom.

The chic and stylish coliving room was a cross between a boutique hotel and budget hotel. It was also convenient that the room was equipped with a digital lock – except that room cards do not activate the lights and air conditioning. We had to turn off all the switches manually each time before leaving the unit, as it is part of the tenant rules too.

Just like an Airbnb

If you have ever stayed at an Airbnb or serviced apartment unit, then the experience of staying at a co-living space like Coliwoo is exactly what it is – there is minimal to no housekeeping service provided during the stay.

Any laundry and cleaning has to be done on your own, where you are also expected to buy your own consumables such as laundry detergent, paper rolls, and any other toiletries that you may need. It is ultimately for you to treat the space as your home.

The name behind Coliwoo signifies merging both co-living and co-working in one. I worked at a co-working space once, and I enjoyed every bit of my time in the lovely space. During my previous experience at the co-working space, I find myself at the communal co-working spaces, rather than being at my assigned desk, as it feels like working in a cafe for me.

Shorter commute to work

My partner travelled to the office in less than half the amount of time that it would take him if he was commuting from home. I got to work remotely, and while I wanted to work at the communal lounge, having a baby meant that I was stuck in our room with Cocomelon playing on the TV, while I squeezed in as much work. Ideally, we would have a babysitter so that I can proceed to do all the work that I need to do.

Long-Term Stay: May not be suitable for children

While the short renovation stay was enjoyable, the small coliving studio may not be suitable for families with children in the long run. However, it will suit working professional couples since the location was central – which means shorter commutes for all.

Families with children: 2 Rooms

If your house is undergoing a home improvement program (HIP) or any renovation work, you can still consider co-living spaces, even with children.

This can only work for children that are independent and can sleep on their own. You can opt to rent 2 sub-units to have more space to work and play for both the adults and children. Takeaway food can be consumed as a family in the lounge area before heading back to the rooms to have an undisturbed sleep.

Ironing school uniforms can be done easily since the ironing tools are provided. Just be mindful of the logistics, cleaning, and laundry part, where you have to allocate enough space to store daily necessities and cleaning supplies.

If you are still unsure if co-living is suitable for you and your family, you can always view and experience the space in person first, then try out the minimum 6-day stay before deciding for sure, since Coliwoo has a flexible lease arrangement.

Coliwoo Orchard is located at 2 Mount Elizabeth Link, Singapore 227973. Tel: 9790 8585.

*This media stay was kindly offered by Coliwoo

This article was originally published on Home & Decor.

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