Alma House Review: I stayed in New Bahru for 24 hours from $190 per night

When New Bahru, a new creative lifestyle destination, had its open house in June 2024, we were all eyes on the latest serviced apartment concept, Alma House. The idea behind retaining the former Nan Chiau High School and turning it into a retail establishment was refreshing. We love how it is both novel and sustainable, very much in line with what majority of the Singaporeans are after these days.

Taking cues from the words “alma mater”, Alma House offers an alternative accommodation option for guests to experience Singapore in a wholesome and creative way. Everything from Alma House’s branding to the interior design of the spaces was designed by a local architecture studio, FARM, to tie into the whole idea of “going back to school”.

Alma House New Bahru at River Valley

The River Valley neighbourhood is best known for its tranquil and sophisticated vibe, which very much aligns with what Alma House is all about. It is recommended to get to New Bahru via a car or private hire transport, which was what we did, since Fort Canning MRT is a 13-minute walk away, while the nearest bus stop is in front of UE Square, which will take about a 20-minute walk.

If you require parking, Alma House offers their guests with on-site parking at $2 per hour, or $30 per day.

Alma House: Lobby Lounge

There is an “Alma House” door sign on Level 1, which can only be accessed by card, so we had to head up to the lobby lounge on Level 3 to check in to receive our room cards first. Thankfully, there is lift access in New Bahru which makes getting around the non-air-conditioned area a lot more bearable, especially for those with luggage or heavy bags.

Alma House Castlery Furniture

Alma House’s Lobby Lounge is located right in front of the Level 3 lift lobby, so it is hard to miss. The entire Lobby Lounge area is over 2,000 sq ft in size, it is extra cozy and inviting, as the space is decked out with furniture from the homegrown designer brand, Castlery. As the heart of Alma House, the Lobby Lounge serves more than just a reception area for guests to arrive and depart, it also doubles as an extended living room, thanks to the comfy sofa seating and co-working space with the thoughtful charging points readily available. There is also a bar area towards the back of the Lobby Lounge, where the Alma House Guest Experience team prepares the coffee and drinks.

What is so special about the Alma House Lobby Lounge is the fact that it is so welcoming that non-guests were entering the space thinking that it is a cafe. Well, they are not exactly wrong, since Alma House serves drinks and wine for their guests in this space. However, they might have mistaken Alma House for Dearborn Cafe, their next-door neighbour instead.

Alma House: Family and Pet-Friendly Rooms

There are a total of 83 serviced apartment rooms with 6 different accommodation options. The rooms at Alma House are family-friendly, and pets are also welcome to join with a $120+ GST non-refundable cleaning fee. For families with an infant, you can also request a baby crib and high chair, if necessary.

The room sizes start from the smallest Deluxe Room at about 193 sq ft, which is good for 2 adults who do not require a kitchenette, since it is the only room type that comes without. The Studio is about 301 sq ft in size, perfect for 2 adults who would like to have a fully-equipped kitchenette space to do some light cooking and laundry, coupled with a cozy sofa area.

Families with children can look at the Suite options, with room sizes ranging from a 1-Bedroom Suite at about 355 sq ft to the largest Alma Family Suite of up to 635 sq ft. The great thing about the suites is the privacy that they provide, since there are thoughtful partitions, such as a louvered window setup within the area to separate the living and sleeping areas. All of the suites can easily fit in a baby crib with the amount of space that it offers.

Alma House: Room Amenities

Every room comes with a queen bed, open wardrobe, ensuite bathroom, as well as the regular safe box, hair dryer, and a smart TV. There are desks and stable WiFi both in the room and in the lounge, for those that require a workspace to WFH.

If you are a fan of Castlery furniture, like we are, you will be happy to know that all of the rooms come furnished with well-made and designed furniture pieces. The bathroom is spacious and complete with rainshower, towels, and shower amenities from Omno, a local personal care brand, with a physical store on Level 2 of New Bahru.

For rooms with a kitchenette, it is fully equipped with a kitchen sink, hood, hob, microwave, mini fridge, and even a 2-in-1 washer and dryer. There are dishware and cutlery stored in the cabinets that would allow you to whip up a simple meal. Aside from the free glass bottled water, you can also refill it conveniently with the water dispensers located on each floor.

We enjoyed the luxurious shower products from Omno, so much so that we are looking to purchase the refills for our home, as they smell fantastic, and feel gentle on the skin too! What is even better is the support for local and sustainable products.

Housekeeping service is inclusive with the room reservation charges at twice a week with linen and towel change. Additional room housekeeping service can also be requested at an additional cost from $20, depending on the room size. Laundry and dry cleaning services are available in partnership with For the Love of Laundry, if you do not wish to use the complimentary washer and dryer unit in the room.

You can also request for room service, as Alma House partners with New Bahru’s food establishments like The Coconut Club and Odem, to allow you to dine in the comfort of your room, as these restaurants often get crowded during peak hour.

Alma House: 1-Bedroom Suite Review

We were lucky to get an early check-in, and made it just in time for lunch with Huevos burrito. After lunch, I quickly settled in at the 4-seater dining area to finish up my work. As the windows in the room are situated facing the roads, there was a bit of traffic noise, but the stunning view of New Bahru’s modernist architecture pretty much made up for it.

On the Alma House website, the maximum capacity for the 1-Bedroom Suite room states 3 adults and 1 infant. There is a queen bed that would be good for a couple, and the sofa in the living area turns into a bed.

As mentioned previously, there is a wall with louvered windows and a door separating the bed area from the rest of the spaces in the 355 sq ft space, which is around the size of a 2-room BTO. This thoughtful feature allowed my 2-year-old toddler to have his bedtime earlier, while my husband caught up with work in the dining room.

We love how homey the space feels, which works for our family from the get-go, as all of the details are well thought out with the additional wall hooks, to the closed-lid bins which can be found in the bathroom and kitchen. However, if there is one thing to nitpick about, it would be the lack of closed storage spaces, especially for families who are looking at longer-term stays, beyond the minimum 6 nights.

Alma House 1-Day Itinerary

Living in New Bahru was a surreal experience, especially when you recall that this space used to be a school. Navigating from the Lobby Lounge to the room is not as straightforward and it felt a bit like a maze at the start. However, what is really cool is the easy accessibility to the stores in New Bahru, thanks to the many points of exit/entrance. One of the exits leads you straight to the supermarket, CS Fresh, which we found to be super helpful to get food and drink supplies easily.

The interesting selection of shops in New Bahru, with a focus on creative homegrown labels, is unlike any other shopping malls that we are used to, and no, there is no Starbucks nor McDonald’s here. We have always wanted to have a feel of the Sojao bedsheets before purchasing, and we were lucky to have a chance to do so at the physical home goods store on Level 3.

Next on our list was the charming soilboy store, as it is the only outlet available in the whole of Singapore to ogle at the adorable plants in person. We also stopped by Morning, the first and only brick-and-mortar store, to try being a barista by making our very own coffee with the machine.

When it was finally dinner time, we struggled with the food option, since we had to consider our toddler’s diet. We ended up skipping restaurant dining and had our fill with the value-for-money bento sets that we got at the supermarket, with the discounted half-roasted chicken as an add-on dish. Evenings are the best time for our toddler to have some outdoor playground time at the Oatside Funside playground with the tallest slide ever.

Alma House: Room Prices from $190/night

Serviced apartments in general tend to be more costly than regular rental apartments or co-living rooms, as it is almost comparable to staying in a hotel with the additional hotel-like services that you can expect, such as concierge and housekeeping. Most of the serviced apartment providers require a minimum of 6 or 7-night stay, while others could provide a better rate for a minimum of 3-month stay.

The Deluxe room at Alma House starts from $190 per night, while the 1-Bedroom Suite costs $280 per night. For those who are looking at longer-term stays can contact Alma House to request for a lower monthly rate.

However, the minimum 6-night stay would add up to $1,680 (not inclusive of the $200 off for Alma House’s opening promo) for us, if we were to book the 1-Bedroom Suite to experience living in New Bahru for ourselves. Though I wish that there was an option for just a 1-night stay, like we did. There is also a refundable $250 authorisation fee that will be required during registration, which serves as a deposit fee.

A quick look at the surrounding co-living rental rates for a 1-bedroom loft apartment at 22 Mohamed Sultan Rd is available at about $4,550 per month, which even comes with an additional balcony and loft space. However, the additional housekeeping and concierge services from Alma House may benefit families with children, since there will be lesser chore-related matters, such as changing of beddings and linens, that you will have to bother yourself with.