[Re-branded] COO Bistro & Boutique Hostel, Singapore

Hi peeps! This will be my very first accommodation review on my blog. The place I will be talking about is just so cool and I think it deserves a mention here. Ever since I had graduated (no longer a student pass holder in Singapore, sigh), I always stayed in hotels/hostels. When travelling solo, I would rather stay in hostels than hotels. Why? Because I'm broke. Haha actually it is because I don't want to spend so much on accommodation when I only spend less than 7 hours in it.

In Singapore, I have stayed in a hostel before and it was my first experience sharing room with strangers. The place was not very impressive to me - enough to refrain me from considering hostel as my accommodation again. But this time I would be going to Singapore in December, which was peak season and most hotel rooms were charged at least $80 (what I mean here is budget hotels). Thankfully, I stumbled upon this hostel called COO Bistro & Boutique Hostel while browsing Traveloka. I saw many good reviews about this hostel on TripAdvisor, so without further ado I immediately booked a bedspace for 4 nights. Now let me tell you more about what COO has in store.

Location
Don't you agree that location is one of the most crucial things to consider before booking an accommodation? I had learned my lesson - the hostel I previously stayed at is located quite far from MRT station (I'm not saying it is ulu. 2-3 bus stops away from MRT does not qualify as 'nearby' to me) - so this time I wanted to choose hostel with 1 bus stop away from MRT at the farthest. COO is located on 259 Outram Road, quite a central location and it can be reached within 15 minutes walk or 1 stop bus ride from and to Outram Park MRT station. The bus stop to MRT is just across the hostel while the one you alight at from MRT is behind (refer to Google Maps for details). Most of the time, I was lazy to walk/take bus to MRT station (no la, I was actually just too tired to walk), so I relied heavily on Grab that could conveniently pick me up by the hostel's doorstep. A trip from COO to Orchard (I usually dropped by Somerset) would cost $8 for a 15-minute trip with Grab.

The hostel's surrounding

First Impression
I took a cab from Changi Airport straight to COO, and frankly speaking the driving direction to there was quite confusing to the cabbies (to make it worse, I'm not familiar with the area and furthermore, I'm a tourist you know *flips hair*). Lol I dunno how to describe it, you should drive there and see whether you can easily navigate your way there. COO itself looks catchy from outside and it has futuristic vibes. I thought I had made the right choice to stay here right from the start.

The Room
I booked a bed space in a 6-bed female ensuite dorm (it is called 'Me+5 Ensuite Female'). There are options of 4, 6 and 8-bed, female only or mixed, with or without ensuite bathroom. If you are traveling with friends, it is better to book the whole ensuite dorm for yourselves.

The room is not spacious but the room in my previous hostel is narrower. You can put your luggage against the wall under the towel hanger (refer to above pic) or under the lower bunk bed. The window was kept closed so the room looked rather dim. I did not know whether it was bright or dark outside haha.

Oh ya, there is no conventional room key here. Instead, we will be given a waterproof rubber wristband that functions as the room key. You can literally wear it everywhere, even when you are sleeping and showering. This way, you will not forget where you put your key. How cool and convenient is that!

I was assigned to one lower bunk bed close to the bathroom. The bed and pillows are super comfortable! They are firm yet fluffy, and the bed size is just perfect for a single person. The centralized aircon was kinda cold, but thankfully there was a thick blanket that kept me warm throughout the night. There is a reading light above the bed, and of course power point with small space to put your phone. I love how I could charge and use my phone while laying down on my bed (yes I rely heavily on my phone haha).

I felt relieved that COO had the option of ensuite room (room with attached toilet and shower) because tbh I disliked shared bathroom since it got dirty easily. Well, this is still a shared bathroom, but at least the number of people I share the bathroom with is lesser and I don't have to leave my room to use it. I was surprised that the bathroom smelled good when I came, the floor was dry and the water heater worked perfectly. It was really beyond my idea of shared bathroom. Shampoo, shower gel and hand soap are provided as well. There was hair dryer too, but I did not use it as the sound would disturb others.

Every individual pod has a personal locker with ample space to store your belongings. It is safe to store your valuables here as this locker also functions as a safe deposit box with combination lock system. It also has small mirror and another power point (yoohoo!). Complimentary towel for guests will be stored here and to get your deposit back you need to return the towel upon check-out.

Facilities

Have I mentioned that breakfast is included in the room price? Yay! The breakfast is served at COO Bistro from 7am to 9.30am (last serving is 9am). From 10am, the place will 'transform' to a bistro that is opened to public. I only ate breakfast here once as on the other days I woke up late after the breakfast time had ended. Everything is self-service here, you even have to put your dirty dishes in a special box.

The breakfast spread consists of sliced bread with choices of peanut butter or jam, pastries, waffles (which were cold and tough), cereals and beverages like orange juice, fresh milk, coffee and tea. It was decent, enough to energize myself before going out exploring the city.

Bringing heavy luggage to your room is hassle-free as lift is provided. The lift is uber cool! It looks like normal door as it has handle outside. You just pull the door to enter the lift and push to get outta it. I felt like going inside a time machine while using it (sorry I'm just being hyperbolic). The lift interior looks so futuristic that I could not help but keep taking mirror selfies inside the lift haha.

Common terrace area on every floor

Another common space on level 2 where washing machines are located

Service
The front staff was welcoming right from my arrival (oh dear, I forgot her name). She was very friendly and gladly assisted me when I had an issue with my locker. Another staff that assisted me with the check-out process was also hospitable and she let me store my luggage at lobby until I had to leave for airport at 4pm. The check-in and check-out process went very smoothly without taking too long.

Verdict
Overall, I had a wonderful stay at COO. I had made the right choice to stay here for sure. Staying in a hostel is a contradiction to staying in a hotel, whereby in hostel I need to be more independent, be amicable to other guests and staffs, and take care of my personal belongings as I'm sharing the room. By the way, I have written so much until I did not realize I have yet to talk about the price haha. I paid IDR1,354,000 for 4 nights, which means the nightly rate is IDR338,500. At approximately S$32.70 per night in a 6-bed female dorm with ensuite bathroom, it definitely saved me so much $$, allowing myself to spend more on other things (okay I ended up spending more $$ on food than accommodation lol). I highly recommend COO to everybody (not only the budget-conscious or backpackers) - this is a perfect place for you to stay whether you are travelling solo or in group.

*UPDATE: COO has now been re-branded as 'Thad's Boutique Hostel'

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259 Outram Road

Singapore 169056
+65-62217060
IG: www.instagram.com/staycoosg