Co-living brand Coliwoo recently launched its first co-living hotel in Katong, Singapore. Coliwoo Hotel Amber is a cross between a boutique hotel and a co-living space and offers the best of both worlds.
Admittedly, we didn’t know what to expect when we first saw the term “co-living hotel”. Would we be living with other people? Or sharing certain facilities?
It turns out that a co-living hotel is designed to cater to short-term stays – such as staycations and holidays – but it can also accommodate people who want to stay for longer. So some long-stay rooms have extra facilities, such as a kitchenette. There are also more common spaces in the hotel so long-term residents can get together and chat.
Located just 10 minutes drive to the City Centre, 15 minutes to Changi Airport, and just opposite East Coast Park, Coliwoo Hotel Amber is well positioned for working professionals or families who just want a break by the beach.
So what’s it like to stay in this new hotel? We packed our bags for a three-day two-night staycation at Coliwoo Hotel Amber to check it out.
Upon arriving at the hotel, we were greeted by beautiful vibrant murals painted across the walls. The building itself was also very charming, with many of its architectural designs from the 1950s being preserved. Situated in the middle of Katong – an area with rich Peranakan culture and history – the hotel fits right in.
Checking in was a quick and smooth process. All we had to do was provide one of our ICs to the receptionist for registration. We got an envelope containing our key cards and other information such as the wi-fi log-in, and were shown to our room.
The room we were staying in was a Queen Suite. Stepping through the door, we were greeted by a kitchenette fully-stocked with pots and pans, cutlery and utensils, an induction stove, a kettle, and a microwave. The cabinets below contained a fridge and a 2-in-1 washer-dryer. So you can live in this room for longer, if you choose.
If you don’t need a kitchen, take a Deluxe Queen room – it has no kitchenette, and looks like a regular hotel room.
But back to our Queen Suite: Besides the kitchenette, we got a queen-sized bed, a closet, a study desk, a Smart LED TV and blazingly fast free wi-fi. The room was spacious for the two of us, but we would recommend families to take a bigger room. The hotel has rooms with king-sized beds, and also offers additional beds and baby cots if you inform them in advance.
The bathroom was fairly spacious, and the Peranakan-inspired tiles on the floor were a nice touch. Toiletries are also provided.
In our room, we also found the ingredients and recipe to make the traditional Peranakan snack, kueh pie tee, which was something that we really appreciated. By the end of the second day of our staycation, we were a little drained from all the running around. Cooking was a fun little activity that we could do without leaving the room, and it makes a delicious late-night snack.
The hotel has deliberately been designed with more common spaces to foster a sense of community between long-term residents.
Throughout the hotel, there are common areas for people to sit down and eat, chat, or read together. There’s also a lounge with board games, books, and vending machines. Apart from that, the lounge also has facilities such as bigger washing machines, and a water dispenser.
While these spaces are designed with longer-term residents in mind, everyone is free to use them. We definitely appreciated having them around during our stay there. The vending machines made things more convenient (and the one dispensing hot drinks was free), and the common areas made for nice spaces to relax.
One of the best parts of the hotel is its location. It’s situated in such a happening area in Singapore, with so much to do. The colourful Peranakan shophouses – a popular sight on Instagram – is located near the hotel. Parkway Parade and i12 Katong are only about a 10-minute walk away. There are also plenty of alleys lined with beautiful murals that make the area worth exploring.
East Coast Park, with its playgrounds, beach, and water sports facilities, is also close by, which is good news if you are staying with children.
The hotel provided us with a guidebook and a list of recommendations on things to do around the area – we couldn’t check all of them out, but we did tick a few off the list.
Coliwoo Hotel Amber doesn’t have an in-house restaurant or room service – and that’s because the hotel is surrounded by places to eat. You can go out to eat, order delivery, or use your kitchenette to whip up a meal. We chose to eat out for almost every meal and we were very much spoilt for choice.
From cute cafes to Korean barbeques joints to Italian restaurants to steakhouses, the area around the hotel is filled with dining options. There are also smaller eateries such as the famous Katong laksa. Some of the most popular places to get Nyonya kueh in Singapore are also situated around the area.
Checking out at the end of the three days was as easy as the check-in process at the start. We just dropped our key cards off at the counter, and then we were on our way.
The three-day staycation afforded us plenty of exciting things to do, with many moments in between to take a break and relax. It was a very enjoyable “getaway” experience that gave us the chance to explore a very special part of Singapore at our own pace. We felt like we’d gone on a holiday in our own city.
Coliwoo Hotel Amber’s staycation packages start from $130/day. The hotel is at 40-42 Amber Road, Singapore 439878. Click here to find out more. You can also reach Coliwoo via email at enquiry@coliwoo.com or drop them a WhatsApp message at +65 9790 8585.