Not so Royal as it sounds.....
I just unexpectedly needed a hotel for one night, for a bit sleep only and thought: "Why not going for cheap!". But my regular options were fully booked and checking the internet this Royal Peacock Hotel appeared the cheapest with available room - a special promo of SGD 88++ .
So I arrive around midnight to check in. The Royal Peacock Hotel is converted from a series of old shophouses and located near the heart of China Town's nightlife, typically the scene where seamen and immigrant workers pick up unhealthy cheap prostitutes and bring them to a low cost room for a few hours. To the Royal Peacock Hotel for example.
Two such "couples" were in front of me, negotiating the price with the receptionist. I discovered that they fill up their vacant rooms pretty easy at much lower prices than my discounted promo fair on the internet. It took a while before I finally got my key and so I ventured 2 the second floor. I entered the long narrow corridor with a dozens of doors on both sides. The light coloured walls were mostly covered with dark spots of fungus.
I opened the door and found a windowless tiny dark room with a single bed, all walls made of wood. Everything felt moist. It had good facilities, such as a tv, aircon and water heater for coffee/tea making and also hot shower. But that room was so small and dark and depressing, not the great place to lie awake alone!
OK, it was just for 7 hours of sleep and I would be gone. But no, I was so lucky that the room next to me was given to one of the couples that I encountered before at the reception. They were not renting the room for sleeping. That is what I had guessed, and that is what I found out. The wooden walls were so thin that I could hear every little sound. And also the big noise - that their tv set produced. It was hard to fall asleep and eventually managed to sleep just 4 or 5 hours. Never again this place, I decided.
Unique Quality: At the reasonable breakfast I was astonished to see that actually lots of backpackers were staying here. I felt so sorry for them.
Later back home I read why: The Lonely Planet describes the rooms as appealing and fancy and the Royal Peacock Hotel website makes you actually think you're book a 3 star Boutique Hotel.
This is the typical room that they could ask maybe $10 or $15,-- max a night for - outside Singapore. But here it was nett USD 70,--!
What a mishit...or was I just unlucky with the room I was given?
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Royal Peacock Hotel
