Little India

The Inn Crowd
73 Dunlop Street
Little India
Singapore 209401
Phone: (65) 6296 9169
WWW: www.the-inncrowd.com
Stayed there: August 24th to 27th and November 27th to December 10th 2006, then April 19th 2007
Rates: From $18 (Singapore) per dorm bed

First impressions were very good. The main building houses a small bar, pool table (free!), TV with DVD collection, two PCs for internet access and a kitchen. Breakfast (up to 2 slices of toast + spread, 2 eggs and tea/coffee) is included. I was staying round the corner in a secondary unit on that occasion, and in the main building during my second stay.
Both the main and secondary unit are secured by a keypad with a 6-digit keycode. The only key you need is for a locker should you want one, and that costs you a $S10 deposit. I lost my first key (and deposit) but that’s not exactly the hostel’s fault! The lockers are fairly small. You’ll get a daybag (or a laptop) in, but not a decent sized rucksack. Certainly big enough for your valuables, though.
The dorm was clean, and rules are given when you arrive: no bags, sleeping bags, footwear, food or drink in the dorms. All rucksacks etc are stored at one end of the dorm room to keep the passage between the beds clear. Showers were hot and powerful, thought the lavatory arrangement in the secondary unit was rather bizarre. To get to one toilet, you had to pass through the other cubicle. So if you went for the “deepest” one and someone followed you into the outer loo to get rid of a curry from the night before, you could find yourself trapped for some time unless you didn’t mind barging past them!
The staff continued to be nothing short of superb throughout my stay, always able and happy to give any information required. On my second visit, Karen pretty much insisted on taking a couple of us out for some very late nights out, all of which were a great laugh. There’s a plentiful supply of tourist leaflets available and there is a 7-11 right next door to the main building for any snacky requirements. You’re also less than 10 minutes from a huge shopping area and a MRT (rapid transport) station, so getting to anywhere else is a doddle.
Upon arriving for my second stay I discovered that Inn Crowd now has a working wireless system. They need to take your MAC address to let you on the system, but it works a treat once you get past that.
Another thing I liked was the series of noticeboards dedicated to areas in Asia. These are for people to put up any useful information they have. Hostels they recommend, or recommend you avoid; tours to take; safety hints. You name it. Inn Crowd also has the genuinely cheapest beer in Singapore that I could find, and it’s only for hostel guests.
After my second visit I can reflect – the first stay of three days was good. The second stay, once I got a chance to know the area and the staff, was awesome. Without a doubt, I will be back in Singapore sometime and I will make sure to book well in advance to ensure I can stay here again.