Holiday Inn Express vs Hotel Indigo Katong Review

This is the first time we are going to put two hotels review in a post. Since we stayed in Holiday Inn Express and Holiday Inn Express vs Hotel Indigo Katong in Singapore, why don’t we do a post to compare both hotels? Katong might not be a familiar name as a destination in Singapore but it is one of the best places to stay. It is near Singapore CBD (Central Business District) and it takes less than 15 minutes ride to the city.

We stayed in both hotels during our last trip to Singapore and we are going to review both of them at once. We will compare them in the aspects of location, design, room and breakfast. Since we were out most of the time, we didn’t explore the facilities of both hotels (in case you are wondering).

Location:

For starters, staying in Singapore is never cheap and finding an ideal hotel to stay is not easy too. If you plan to stay in the city area, prepare to fork out at least S$ 200 for a room per night. That’s why it is a good idea to find a hotel near the city and yet affordable.

For location, both are located in E Coast Road near 112 Katong Mall and dozens of popular local food stalls and restaurants in Katong. Holiday Inn Express and Indigo Hotel Katong is located next to each other like a twin hotel. For location, both are equally the same as it is next to each other.

Design:

Holiday Inn Express

For design, Holiday Inn Express Katong is smart and savvy. The design is simple and straight forward. The lobby lounge is Level 7 so you need to take the elevator from the ground floor. The moment you enter the lobby lounge, you will be welcomed by the smiling staffs.

The check in is simple, fast and carefree like any other Holiday Inn Express in the world. The concept for Holiday Inn Express is for smart travellers and young couples.

Hotel Indigo Katong

Hotel Indigo Katong design is unique and local oriented. It features designs inspired by the culture and customs of the Joo Chiat Heritage Area. This is our first time experience such design in a hotel in Singapore.

The lobby is located on the ground floor and you will be impressed by the sleek white colour and the colourful wall and art design.

The Room:

Holiday Inn Express

For the room, it comes with flat panel TV, high speed FREE WIFI, individual climate control, a mini bar, cable TV with on-demand movies, a private safe, coffee/tea makers, comfortable bed, universal power point and standing shower. We love the overall ambiance, design and colours of their room.

Hotel Indigo Katong

For the room, it is the one of the most unique rooms we stayed ever. We have been to many different hotels in the world but we never experience one similar to Hotel Indigo Katong.

The room is spacious, huge and the design revolves around the culture and customs of Joo Chiat Heritage Area. The drawings of the walls show the lifestyle of the locals. Durians and the stalls, this is the life of Singaporeans in the past and now.

The details of the room are impressive. The tiles and panels are inspired by the old Singaporean design. It feels like staying in a 1960s Singaporean hotel.

The unique items in the room include carrom board, antique clock, old Chinese sandals, chairs and towels. We were impresses as getting this items during this time is hard.

Not forgetting is the room comes with Handy Singapore. It is a free to use smartphone provided by the hotel. We reviewed Handy Hong Kong when they started many years ago.

Breakfast

Holiday Inn Express

The concept of Holiday Inn Express is for smart travellers so their breakfast is rather simple. Fried noodles or fried rice with some toast and pastry. It is more to grab to go than a proper sit in breakfast.

Hotel Indigo Katong

The breakfast in Hotel Indigo Katong is ala-carte style (instead of the usual boring buffet style). You get to choose eggs, waffles, French toast, Kaya toast or Congee (rice porridge). Overall, the food here is good and you probably end up paying S$20 or more for similar food in cafes or restaurants in the city.

Overall Experience

Holiday Inn Express

If you are planning to stay in a hotel near the city area and spend the whole day traveling or working, Holiday Inn Express is ideal for you. You get a lovely room, hot shower, high speed WIFI and comfortable bed. You probably have a quick breakfast in the hotel before you explore the city or off to work. With Agoda.com, the room is priced around S$ 150++ and above per night and you can book it at www.holidayinnexpress.com/katong

If you want a unique stay with good food, Hotel Indigo Katong is ideal for you. The overall experience is fantastic and you feel like you are staying in a local community with the designs and details. Hotel Indigo Katong in our opinion is better for couples and families. Of course, the hotel is pricier than Holiday Inn Express with Agoda.com at around SG$ 220++ and above per night and you can book it at www.hotelindigo.com/singapore

To be honest and if you have more budget, stay at Indigo Katong Hotel as you won’t regret it. If you want a budget stay, Holiday Inn Express Katong won’t disappoint you either. We hope you like our honest opinion on both hotels.

Wilson Ng