So in the midst of completing my Hilton Diamond challenge, I took time out to grab a night at HIE Katong as I needed a cheap(er) way to mattress running for some extra IHG points. And this property is about the cheapest you can get in Singapore and also most convenient for me.

Address – 88 East Coast Road Singapore 423371. Tel: +65 67232001. Email: info.sinka@ihg.com. Website.

Location – situated in the east side of Singapore and not near any MRT stations, this property attracts tourists who are looking for something different to do in Singapore. A couple of peranakan / heritage stuff to check out nearby as well as cafes and limited shopping stuff. Also a good choice for short layovers and you need a place to rest but don’t want to be too far from the airport.

Price – Your Rate Advanced Purchase @ $112++ ($130) which is only applicable if you are an IHG Rewards Club member. For the targeted promotion of 1 night to Gold, 3,000 bonus points (I have no idea why they called it “birthday bonus”), plus 1,000 additional points for making the booking in-app, it was fair value for what I paid.

Check In – Painlessly completed at the main hotel lobby (7th floor) at 3pm but thereafter a queue formed behind me so get here early if you can.

Room – my non-smoking Queen Deluxe 1338 was fair space at 19SqM and actually it didn’t feel too tight for 1pax due to the clever design. Bathroom was adequately fitted out and had a dispenser for the 3-in-1 shampoo / body soap liquid. No issues with cleanliness. My TV was not working due to some connection issues – but within 30mins a technician came up to my room and fixed it. They even have an Andriod (they call it handy?) to bring out if you wish to – nice!

Breakfast – The Great Room on level 7 was seriously packed at 9:30am on a Sunday. Food was a let-down being bland and uninspiring. Also feels very chaotic and the cleaning crew were absolutely drowning. I know its a HIE and I shouldn’t be expecting much but I remembered better breakfast at HIE in Bangkok.

Facilities – I didn’t manage to chek out the 24hr gym which was also on level 7. Beside the main reception was a small-ish pantry with snacks and drinks available for purchase. Also a fresh orange juicer for $2 a cup.

Service – Polite and efficient although I can see that the staff sometimes struggled with an influx of guests checking in / out.

Check Out – I dropped my key card into the Express Checkout and went off. Still waiting for my points to post at the time of writing (2 days later).