Hotel Grand Central Singapore - Singapore, Singapore     

A party of three, in Singapore on business for a day, we were looking for well-priced adequate accommodation close to the Orchard Road shopping precinct. I had read the reviews and was looking for other places, but our preferred hotels were fully booked, so we ended up at the Grand Central. From the reviews I thought it a place to avoid. However, I think sometimes people write hotel reviews when they've had a bad experience and not when they've had a good one. We found the reception and concierge staff very pleasant and efficient. The room was quite satisfactory - clean, no noisy airconditioners, no sound coming through the walls, the hot water jug worked, and the breakfast was excellent, with a good range of western and oriental dishes. There was a fridge, but no mini-bar in our room. No problem, because 7-11 is about three minutes walk from the hotel. The only complaint I might make, and it really didn't cause me any inconvenience, was that the shower pressure was too light and it was hard to get the right temperature. The big asset is the location - a ten-minute easy walk to Lucky Plaza, CK Tang, etc, and all the shops and plazas in between. What more could you want?

Having booked through a travel agent, we arrived late at night. The room was very old, with black, dirt-engrained carpet and furnishings. The top bed covers were dark brown fabric with white stains all over them, and the yellowing bed-sheets were all covered in brown stains. Replacement bed-linen was of the same poor condition. We changed rooms, but it was just as dirty and made you feel itchy and unclean. Luckily we remembered seeing a hotel reservation desk in the airport, which we called. Within 15 minutes they found us a five star hotel, which we went to immediately - and it was cheaper than the Grand Central! Unbelievably the Grand Central charged us for the night we did not stay - and could not understand the difference between a cancellation charge and the fact that their hotel was not fit to stay in. It was the worst place I have ever seen, and should be closed down!