Hello everyone, and welcome to another of my reviews. In this article, I’ll be reviewing my recent staycation experience at Owen House by Habyt.
I plan to do more hotel/hospitality reviews in 2024, and Owen House happens to be the first for 2024. Let’s see if it’s any good.
Owen House – the Brand
Opened just last year, Owen House is a four-star hotel that’s situated next to Farrer Park MRT, just a short drive away from popular attractions such as Esplanade and Marina Bay Sands. It is considered a smaller boutique hotel, with 106 rooms spread across a whooping nine categories. Despite its small size, the hotel does have a carpark, and a cafe/bar called Sunlight and Moonshine.
A night at its lead-in category, the Deluxe Queen, typically costs $140+. That’s par for the course for a four-star hotel, and I thought it was an especially good deal given the hotel’s spanking new status. I was also curious about the new hotel, so I decided to book a night.
Owen House – Video Review
For those interested in seeing some hands-on footage of the hotel, check out my YouTube review of Owen House below:
Owen House – Check-in
Located next to Farrer Park MRT, Owen House is hard to miss.
Simply look out for the hotel’s name, which is prominently emblazoned on its facade. There are plenty of shopping options in the area (Mustafa Centre, Centrium Square, City Square Mall, just to name a few), and even supper spots – Beach Road Curry Rice is my favourite, though there are also a myriad of cafes to choose from.
The hotel lobby is modern and upscale, though a tad cramped. I checked in on a weekday, and as you can see the waiting area was almost fully taken up.
Owen House – Junior Suite
The bad news is that check-in took an hour, and we only got our room at 4pm. Good news – Owen House upgraded us to their Junior Suite (which runs about $180 a night) for our troubles.
The Junior Suite comes in at 27-28 square metres, making it fairly spacious by four-star hotel standards. Upon entering the room, the entire layout of the room is evident – a mirror by the door, a sofabed, and a queen-size bed.
The “living” area of the suite is fairly spacious, though sparsely furnished. A two-seater sofa bed adorn the space, giving couples a cosy space to Netflix and chill.
Speaking about Netflix, the room features a smart TV, with Netflix, Youtube, Spotify, and even Prime Video available. Given the newish nature of the hotel, everything works like a charm – I was able to watch a few episodes of the One Piece Live Action series on Netflix during my staycation.
The “bedroom” area features an upscale aesthetic, giving the room a classier vibe. I especially like the backlit headboard, which gives the sleeping area an atas feel.
Despite the size of the room and being a “Junior Suite”, the room comes with a Queen bed and not a King. That’s a slight disappointment – I would expect a King bed in a “suite” room. Still, the bed ticks all the boxes, was squeaky clean, and I had a good night’s sleep.
There’s also a bedside lamp – perfect for in-bed reading. There are also bedside switches and power ports, though only on one side so you will have to duke it out with your partner for control. A nice marble bedside table adds a touch of luxe, complementing the dark wooden headboard nicely.
Those attempting to do some work can do so with the provided desk. Interestingly, each room has its own Wi-fi, so connectivity was never an issue. There are also plenty of power ports available. However, the provided chair is not ideal for prolonged seating – an ergonomic office chair would have been preferred.
Unfortunately, the room lacked a view, with frosted windows that can’t be opened. As such, it can feel stuffy at times, especially as the room lacks a balcony.
There are also plenty of storage spaces for your bags, adorned in an art deco black and gold aesthetic that is reminiscent of the Roaring Twenties.
As always, there’s a safe in the room for your valuables. Interestingly, even though the hotel is less than a year old, the cabinets are already heavily chipped.
Additionally, a hairdryer and flashlight are provided. Both worked fine – nothing to complain about.
There’s also a kettle, some cups, and basic refreshments (Dilmah tea, Nescafe coffee) provided for guests.
More importantly, a small Midea mini-fridge is available for guests to store chilled items. It’s on the smaller side, but still spacious enough for a bottle of wine.
However, the best part of the room is the bathroom. I love the modern aesthetic – the tiles are employed beautifully, while the gilded aesthetic continues. The dual circular backlit mirrors are lovely, and there’s even a bidet, which even the Fairmont didn’t have.
The shower experience is good too, with furnishing by Grohe. There’s both a rain shower and a handheld showerhead available for the best of both worlds. I also like that the shower cubicle is enclosed, which prevents the entire bathroom from being wet.
Unfortunately, the toiletries were a tad of a letdown – generic amenities in locked bottle pumps. Both the body wash and shampoo are serviceable, but more particular guests might want to bring their toiletries for a better showering experience.
Conclusion – so Owen House “shiok” or not?
I would say Owen House is a mixed bag. On the plus side, Owen House is strategically located in the city area, and is close to plenty of food and shopping options. The rooms are also fairly spacious, the furnishings are new, and the rates are relatively affordable. However, the room (especially the Junior Suite) has wasted potential – there is plenty of unused space that could use some decor (paintings on the wall, standing lamps, etc). Some of the furnishings feel a tad low-class too, such as the toiletries and the stiff desk chair. Lastly, there’s also a conspicuous lack of amenities in the hotel (no pool, no gym, no spa, no breakfast options), which is a disappointment given the price.
Still, Owen House is a viable option for those looking for a clean, modern and affordable hotel in the city area. It’s a property with a ton of potential, but it will need to improve its offerings to stand out from the plethora of hotels in the area such as One Farrer Hotel, Holiday Inn Singapore Little India, lyf Farrer Park, Novotel Singapore on Kitchener, The Serangoon House, and more. I would love to check out the other hotels in the area (One Farrer Hotel is currently my favourite) – stay tuned for more reviews.
If you’re looking to try out the hotel, you can book Owen House on Flow for a daycation ($100 for 4 hours). Simply download the app using this link here, and use the promo code “WAHSOSHIOK” for $5 off your first booking (valid till 22nd April 2024).
Owen House’s Location: 2 Owen Rd, Singapore 218842
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P.P.P.P.S Shiok is a common word Singaporeans use to express admiration or approval. As of 2016, you can find the definition of the word in the Oxford English Dictionary.
