In September 2021, I checked into the Greater Room with Balcony at Hotel G Singapore, a lifestyle hotel situated within the bustling Bugis district in Singapore. Managed by the Hong Kong-based hospitality management group GCP Hospitality and with locations in Bangkok, Hong Kong, San Francisco, Yangon and Perth, the Hotel G brand prides itself on its strong design identities, strategic locations and confident dining concepts. Located steps away from Fortune Centre, Albert Food Centre, Bugis+ and Bugis Junction, the 308-room boutique hotel is conveniently situated minutes away from various MRT stations such as Bugis, Bras Basah, Bencoolen, Dhoby Ghaut and Rochor, while Changi Airport is a 20-minute drive away by car.
Other notable properties nearby include InterContinental Singapore, Andaz Singapore, JW Marriott Singapore South Beach and Raffles Hotel Singapore.
While Hotel G Singapore’s price point and product offerings (or lack thereof – there are no facilities such as swimming pools and bathtubs) target a different market from its neighbouring luxury hotels, my stay made me realise never to judge a book by its cover, as there are some premium and noteworthy on-site experiences to be mined from the property. Read on to discover three essential facts about Hotel G Singapore that every discerning staycationer should know.
THERE ARE TWO SPECIAL ROOMS FEW KNOW ABOUT.
Hotel G Singapore has four different room categories: the Good Room (13 – 15sqm), the Great Room (16 – 18 sqm), the Family Room (consisting of two connected Good Rooms) as well as the Greater Room (27sqm). The guest rooms generally possess the same design DNA – think European boutique hotel chic, brightly-coloured bean bag chairs and cushions, framed photographs adorning the walls (courtesy of photo studio YellowKorner) as well as eyecatching dreamcatchers above the beds. Study desks with USB ports offer a suitable space for work purposes, while the 32-inch IPTV systems offer screen mirroring options. Bathrooms come with powerfully pressured rain showers as well as amenities from Australian skincare brand METIS. The rooms may be small, but thoughtful touches such as decent soundproofing as well as ample space to store and open your suitcase go some way in mitigating the issues you would expect from a boutique hotel of such scale.
Unknown to most, there are actually two special Greater Rooms which come with their very own private balconies fitted with their own screen and projectors which allows you to enjoy al fresco movie viewing sessions under the stars and high above the vibrant Bugis neighbourhood. The Greater Room with Balcony offers the most exclusive in-room experience one can get from the property. On that end, the hotel is currently offering a special “The Great Outdoors” package comprising a one-night stay at a Greater Room with Balcony with add-ons such as unlimited popcorn kernels, your own popcorn maker and a bucket of beer to complete that outdoor movie event as well as a next-day lunch bento box from 25 Degrees Singapore.
GINETT SINGAPORE IS QUITE THE DESTINATION DINING VENUE.
Located on the ground floor, casual bistro-style French restaurant and wine bar Ginett Singapore is one of the area’s hottest dining and drinks destinations, in no small part due to the shockingly affordable prices for their wines. Boasting a soaring ceiling and tall windows which allow the streaming in of natural light, the restaurant has multiple seating options for every conceivable group setting, from high communal tables, low-seating tables and bar seats at their dramatic U-shaped centrepiece bar on the lower dining hall to intimate booth seating located up a flight of stairs on the mezzanine level. In terms of food offerings, the restaurant offers charcoal-grilled meats, premium cold cuts and cheese, farm-to-table dishes, fresh market specials and an extensive French wine list.
Given the generous natural lighting and the amazing S$15 two-hour free-flow mimosa promotion (!), weekend brunch is quite the convivial affair. Diners can choose from brunch options such as Classic Breakfast (streaky bacon, sautéed mushrooms, roasted potatoes, scrambled eggs), Eggs Florentine (homemade English muffins, poached eggs, Paris ham, spinach, Hollandaise sauce), Shakshuka (spiced tomatoes, peppers, chickpea, tofu) or Croque Monsieur (Béchamel sauce, Paris ham, cheese, grilled bread), while those looking for heartier fare can opt for the Free Range Organic Chicken, Rosedale Ruby Pure Australian Beef (Striploin, Rib Eye), or Australian 30 – 36 Months Pasture Fed Angus Beef (Tenderloin, La Côte de Bœuf).
Dinner dishes take on a decidedly more French profile – think starters such as Beef Tartare ‘à la Montmartre (hand-cut beef tenderloin, served with French fries), the G-Board (3 cheese, 3 cold cuts), Fine de Claire Oysters, Sardines en Boîte (canned Spanish-imported sardines, toast, salted butter) and Burgundy Snails (6 snails in garlic and parsley butter); meats such as Le Confit de Canard (duck leg confit, sautéed potatoes, duck jus) and La Joue de Bœuf (Wagyu beef cheek slow braised for 12 hours in red wine, sautéed mushrooms, mashed potatoes); as well as desserts such as Profiteroles (choux pastry with vanilla ice cream and hot chocolate sauce) and Paris-Brest (choux pastry with hazelnut praline cream).
Aside from its attractively priced French wines (glasses start at $6 while bottle start at $30), the restaurant offers some truly amazing daily promotions such as their complimentary bottle of rosé for every group for 4 ladies on Tuesdays, a 1-for-1 deal for selected French wines on Wednesday and Fine de Claire oysters going at only $1 per piece on Thursdays.
25 DEGREES SINGAPORE SERVES GREAT BURGERS AND MILKSHAKES.
Located on the ground level, 25 Degrees Singapore is an American-style burger bar which serves gourmet burgers and indulgent milkshakes. An offshoot of the famous Los Angeles concept of the same name, the burger joint is named after the temperature difference between a raw and well-done hamburger. Drawing daily evening queues due to its wallet-friendly prices, the cosy space plays up its American diner influences with dark wood wall panels and leather textures, with booth and couple table seating on the inside as well as a outward-facing bar counter which faces the sidewalk.
Their gourmet burgers – from beef options Number One (beef patty, caramelized onions, crescenza, prelibato gorgonzola, bacon, arugula, thousand island) and Number Three (beef patty, mezzo secco jack, jalapeños, chipotle, avocado) to the Buttermilk Fried Chicken Burger (buttermilk fried chicken, gherkins, sriracha mayonnaise, lettuce, fresh tomatotes) and Veggie Burger (veggie patty, mushroom, arugula, roasted tomatoes, onion rings) – are priced at just S$14 each, which makes the burger bar a popular destination for students and young adults alike. Aside from the menu staples, seasonal items such as the Hambaoger (house-made bao bun, classic beef patty, pork jowl char siew, pickled ginger, Japanese cucumber, coriander, sriracha mayonnaise) make the occasional appearance. The insatiable and the particular can create their very own “Craft Your Own” Burger with their choice of meat – ground sirloin, yellowfin tuna, turkey or veggie – as well as their picks from an extensive selection of extras, sauces and cheeses.
One cannot enjoy the complete 25 Degrees Singapore experience without having one of their signature milkshakes, with options such as their classic Milkshake (flavours include marshmallow, vanilla, chocolate and strawberry) and the savoury Salted Caramel with Pretzel and Potato Chip (!). I rather enjoyed the Bobalicious (earl grey ice cream, earl grey tea, gula melaka syrup, boba pearls) which balanced the creamy milk tea proceedings with healthy-tasting kanten pearls.
Sides such as their famous 25 Degree Wings, choice of fries from Truffle, Sweet Potato or Cajun Steakcut as well as the dangerously addictive Crispy Broccoli help round up your American diner experience.
Hotel G Singapore
200 Middle Road
Singapore 188980
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