- Singapore
- Accomodation
- Boutique Hotels
- Studio M Hotel
Studio M Hotel
Additional Details:
Designed by world renowned Italian designer, Piero Lissoni, Studio M Hotel's rooms epitomise chic and modern living. The rooms are of a duplex design which offer separate living and resting spaces. Each room is tastefully decorated with elevated ceilings to provide a view of the city. An icon for a new generation of savvy business and leisure travellers, Studio M hotel breathes new life to the iconic Robertson Quay and Clarke Quay entertainment precinct in Singapore. Located within minutes away from the Central Business District and the famous Orchard Road shopping belt, Studio M is attuned to the needs of a well travelled guest with a taste for stylish comfort and modern architecture. Each of the 365 guest rooms features a contemporary, urban-inspired loft with a three-metre high ceiling, separating the workstation and rest area where wired and wireless internet access for guests is complimentary. The hotel boast lifestyle elements throughout its public areas including a dedicated open-air tropical deck complete with wading pools and a 25-metre lap pool, a sheltered gym and a dining area. Studio M is where you are at home, away from home.
User reviews
I love the loft design - it's creative, original, and certainly unlike anything I've ever seen in Singapore. Brings back memories of childhood dreams of staying in the attic or loft, with cosy nooks and crannies. Although this loft certainly isn't that cosy - it boasts a much more modern design. The chairs are sleek and ergonomic, and it is pretty sparsely furnished, without cute throws and rugs everywhere.
I really don't mind the size of the apartment and the amenities, although my friends complained up a storm. I suppose the size just adds to the overall vibe, but I suppose if you're used to luxury, this may not be the place for you.
I have to note that the maintenance of facilities seems haphazardly done, though. While our room was really new and clean (and I suppose that's what matters), the walls along the hallway seemed dirty and covered with shoeprints.
Cons:
Right from the start, there were hiccups. As the hotel check in desk/counter/area is shaped irregularly, guests were at a loss as to where to stand to queue. The check in counter personnel tried to help, but the whole idea of an irregular shaped check in counter meant that guests could not queue properly while waiting for the receptionists to check them in. A couple even managed to cut my queue during check in!
Room-wise, I was prepared for a shoebox sized room, and boy, was I correct. The bathroom was really extremely small. There's no other words for it. It's impossible to dry yourself in the bathroom. You'd have to step out to dry yourself, thus wetting the floor outside. And for a so-called 'boutique hotel', the shower cubicle's design is just... like a normal swimming pool's shower toilets/gym's showering cubicles at best.
The swimming pool was a joke; it's more of a wading pool-cum-kids playing pool. So, if you are aiming for a swim, please do not keep your hopes up. At all.
The Good:
The bed was very comfortable; I slept really good at night. The buffet breakfast was okay-ish, typical western food like scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, the works. Wifi was ok, didn't get disconnected while I was in the room.
Conclusion:
I wouldn't go so far as to term Studio M as a boutique hotel, even with its decor in the rooms and the exterior areas of the hotel. The location, off Clarke Quay, is convenient for exploring that area. Only book it if there's a special promotion/offer that is going on. otherwise, it's not worth the normal rates.
Optional Information:
As everyone knows, the unique design is totally Instagram worthy. If you get the room with the bed upstairs, you can have fun dancing and camwhoring on the wooden platform and staircase. If you get the room with the bed downstairs, you will have all manners of Tumblr-esque poses to choose from - ranging from top down view of your lovely sleeping self, roses scattered around the bed, etc etc. For bigger groups who are intent of having a gathering/small party, it will be better to request for the room with the bed upstairs. At least the odds of someone spilling food all over the bed is much reduced, and there will be (slightly) more space to move around.
Moving on..
Picture worthiness aside, I really do enjoy my staycations in this hotel. The bed is awesomely soft, whenever I nap, I fear I might not have the strength or will power to get up again. I like the novelty of the staircase, although navigating it while slightly (or very) intoxicated can be a pain. Not a good idea after a night of intense drinking and/or clubbing.
The location is great, being able to walk out to Robertson Quay for dinner makes me feel like I am in some foreign country, sipping wine by the river with not a care in the world. (Or maybe that is just my overactive imagination speaking)
The only downside is that the bathroom is tiny and there is no bathtub, which is usually a nice thing to have in a hotel. Aside from that, I only have positive feelings and I can't wait for my next staycation at Studio M. :)
Optional Information:
I normally wouldn’t write reviews on hotels and my keenness to change that is a testament to how much I enjoyed my stay. The services and amenities do not depart much from other hotels, except for the fact that the amenities are smaller. The pool and gym merely meet their minimal sizes. It is a good thing that they are almost never fully or even half occupied. Actually, the thing that makes the lounge area (inclusive of tables, poolside chairs, the pool and the gym) a comfortable place is how it is perpetually almost empty. There’s never more than 10 people in this vast open area (on weekdays at least) and it makes this place a really nice spot to “lepak”. It is a place that I don’t mind spending the entire day at because I can swim, sunbathe, go to the gym, write, read and have a drink at.
The room is also very cosy and feels like home. It is that kind of hotel room that makes you think you wouldn’t mind staying in a small apartment like this for the rest of your life. I’m not just saying that because I live in a messy house but because that’s how awesome our slightly claustrophobic two-storey apartment was!
The service is also impressive. At the lobby, my friends and I were talking about The Book Café, a café directly opposite our hotel and a service crew overheard our conversation and told us that they were closed for renovation. When we requested for more pillows and blanket, the assistant who attended to our request very nicely told us to feel free to ask if we require any more assistance. After checking out, I found out that I lost a few cards from my wallet and called the hotel and asked them about it. They responded promptly and told me I could come down anytime to retrieve them.
I really recommend this hotel as everything is near flawless. I don’t think the inadequacies of the amenities are deal-breakers, because who even comes to a hotel just to swim or hit the gym in the first place? Honestly, I didn’t expect a small hotel like this to provide such a good experience and I’m pleasantly surprised by Studio M.
Optional Information:
Firstly, they are not doing a very good job to upkeep the place as there are visible damages to the walls in the corridor and the table and stairs inside the loft rooms.
It is definitely a fun space having the loft but the toilet is for pets. Your little dogs and cats can pee inside in comfort but not for human beings. Shower and toilet bowls are separate tiny rooms and i think if you drop your soap while showering, you might hit your head bending down to take it. Tiles used for the toilet will also remind you of a clean public pool toilet.
The location is perfect for exploring the robertson quay area, thats all.
Optional Information:
I booked the studio loft for a staycation over a weekend and boy, the hotel was packed! Checking in took me a good 15 minutes or more and there was a long queue behind me. The staff were quite inefficient with only about two people serving. Nonetheless, my friends and I were still really excited to see our room. I'm glad to say we were pleased that we got a great view of the pool downstairs and the comfortable soft bed. (Oh, they also have a sofa bed so maybe two of your friends can stay over too!)
Breakfast for the next morning was soooooo good! They have a wide variety and (i love buffets) so I pretty stayed there for a long long time stuffing myself silly.
Overall, it's a great experience and we had a lot of fun climbing up and down the stairs even though going to the washroom in the middle of the night can be such a chore. Oh, don't be surprised to see a least 10 lovey-dovey young couples there too!
We were greeted by friendly staff but the registration process at reception desk was not that fantastic. The desk was designed in a circular manner. In other words, guests are welcome to approach the desk in any direction. We found it interesting but it was a little frustrating when we were unaware where the queue started from. It took us a while to register for our rooms. The staff at the reception desk were eager to help but we still felt that they managed the guests a little too slow as compared to other hotels.
All of these frustrations vaporised when we stepped into the room. We were so happy with the unique shoebox design of the room. This got to be the loveliest room we ever stayed both locally and overseas. The room was not considered spacious but just enough room for two of us. Both the shower room and toilet cubicle were segregated and they looked very chic despite being small as compared to the other hotels. The high ceiling of the room made the room look much cosier too. We did not feel cramped up in the room and we enjoyed the overnight stay.
Breakfast was served in buffet style near the pool. We were both delighted with the spread and the ambience was just right for a lazy morning. We managed to take a dip in the miniature pool as well. Not many guests were at the pool and we felt like it was like a personal pool!
Checking out was done very smoothly and we were very glad to make Studio M our weekend staycation. We will definitely consider this hotel again when we are making plans for a local weekend getaway. The money spent is worth the unique design of the hotel!
Optional Information:
The Bad:
The check-in counter is shaped like a circle, and there were 3 to 4 people all situated within the 'circle', helping people to check in. Well, yes it is super cool and different but I guess most hotels do not have that for a reason. Guests do not know where and how to queue. So, one must basically try to spot the fastest staff and try to queue for that staff. To me, this is neither fair nor efficient. It is especially frustrating for tourists, as they would have to wait for a long time with their luggage.
The bathroom, or rather, cubicle, was just way tooo small!!! Also, for a studio hotel that boasts about its design, the shower cubicle was rather disappointing. Also, the glass panel in the shower (for sitting?) was quite irritating as it was impossible to avoid touching it while showering, and it is WAY TOO COLD.
Thirdly, I don't know if I was spooked or what, but there is this red stain/droplet that keeps reappearing on the plastic chair after I had wiped it away several times. Luckily we only stayed for a night.....
Oh ya, please don't expect much of the pool as well.
The Good:
I have to admit that when I entered the room, I was going 'ooooh and aaaaaah' due to the unique design. The bed was suuuuuper comfortable! I slept like a baby that night.
The WIFI in the room was pretty good as well.
Conclusion:
I had stayed in express hotels before and I am sad to say that Studio M is not really up there for me. There are certain things that I am particular about (especially the bathroom!) and hence, I would not go back to Studio M anymore.