For all that I say that Singapore is a small island, there are a surprising amount of places that I haven’t visited properly. So when the Village Hotel folks invited me to check out and review Changi Village Hotel, I was more than happy to. Changi Village is on the North-Eastern end of Singapore, quite close to Changi Airport, and I have rarely ventured out here for any reason just because it’s not the easiest place to get to.
My room was in one of the white boxes on top!
LOCATION
Changi Village is not on the MRT line, so you’ll need to either drop on the East-West (Green) line at:
- Tanah Merah station – take bus #2 to Changi Village Bus Depot
- Tampines station – take bus #29 to Changi Village Bus Depot
Alternatively, if you want to save yourself the hassle, take a cab or drive there.
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THE ROOM
The room from the doorway
My room was on the 7th floor, the second highest floor in the building. It faced towards the straits and was high enough to have quite a pleasant sea view and even a glimpse of nearby Pulau Ubin. The room had a balcony of sorts that you could stand it, though it was all enclosed.
Village Hotel Changi – Balcony View
I had a Superior room with a king sized bed, and had a chair by the window which was quite comfortable and spacious. Nothing particularly fancy about the room design, but it’s serviceable and clean.
Standard amenities – TV and all
The bathroom is a tad snug though it did come with a bathtub
The other side of the toilet
THE HOTEL
The hotel itself isn’t that large – 8 floors with 380 rooms in total. Itwas undergoing refurbishment in certain spots while I was there – you can tell it’s not the newest kid on the block, but they are upgrading it in bits and pieces.
Looking down from the lifts with glass walls
There are two pools in the hotel – one is on the first level outside Saltwater Cafe and is right next to the golf course.
Village Hotel Changi – Lower Pool
But I definitely preferred the rooftop infinity pool on level 8 – it has the same view as my room but higher up, so you get an even better view of the straits. La Cantina restaurant is also located up here, which would make for a nice picturesque dinner. You can see the planes flying to the right side as they head towards and away from the nearby Changi Airport. I spent some time reading up here and playing with my niece who had fun in the pool.
Beautiful weather for sitting by the pool
There aren’t that many deckchairs available though, and this pool does get popular in the evenings especially. There wasn’t anyone actually manning the pool while I was there, so do be considerate and clear your towels and trash when you are done! There is also a jacuzzi area in the pool.
View from my deckchair
Playing around with my sister’s Sony phone which has an underwater camera function!
Also on site that I didn’t have the chance to check out – a branch of Wine Connection which serves up good wine at friendly prices, a gym at level 5 and a small spa and nail outlet.
AROUND THE AREA
Changi Village is famous for its hawker centre which draws Singaporeans to it even though it’s out of the way. The most popular dish here is the Nasi Lemak, a Malay dish that includes coconut rice with common side condiments like deep fried fish, anchovies (ikan bilis), fried egg, chicken wing, bergedil… lots of different versions, and topped with sambal chilli in particular.
I’ll leave the food recommendations to the experts!
There are also a bunch of hipster cafes and eateries popping up in the area within walking distance of the hotel – Chock Full of Beans is famous for its 3D latte foam art (though you might have to wait an hour for it during peak period), and further down Netheravon Road where the hotel is (bit of a walk), The Coastal Settlement is also a popular place with its collection of nostalgia in its premises, and where I had dinner with my family that night.
Once again, more expert views on eateries and cafes in the area. You might need to travel a little bit to get to some of these places, but if you are lazy, there is sufficient entertainment within walking distance.
The hotel does have regularly hourly free shuttle bus services to the airport. It also connects to Changi Business Park and Loyang for the business travellers, and for those who want to check out downtown Singapore, it links to Village Hotel Bugis and Far East Plaza in Orchard Road.
GATEWAY TO NATURE
You can see Pulau Ubin across the straits from my room
Changi Point Ferry Terminal is where you catch a ferry to the nearby surrounding islands, and is literally across the road from the hotel.
The closest island is Pulau Ubin, which is just a cheap 15 mins ride away by bumboat. Village Hotel Changi has a promo Ubin Adventure package (till Jul 2015) which allows you to rent a bicycle on Pulau Ubin for 3 hours so you can spend the morning exploring the island, and late check out at 3pm so you have time to come back and wash up. I had that package but unfortunately woke up late in the morning, and it was starting to get quite hot so I decided to skip the cycling. I really do want to check out Chek Jawa, one of Singapore’s last remaining natural wetland areas, but parts of the boardwalk were also closed that day. I definitely want to go back soon!
If you get seasick and rather stay on the mainland, I recommend walking to Changi Boardwalk as well, which links up Changi Beach and Changi Point and has several different sections. It’s an easy, pleasant walk and generally quieter than East Coast Beach which is more popular with families!
This guide gives you a pretty good idea of what else you can explore in the area if you are interested!
THE COST
Rack rates list the Superior rooms at S$270, though based on current rates in April, they drop to around S$170 – S$230 for the Superior room. Check out the rates at fareasthospitality.com
Thanks to Far East Hospitality for providing the comped stay. All views and opinions are purely my own.