Following PropertyGuru’s report on a new HDB flat in Yishun being advertised as a “budget hotel”, a similar story has emerged, this time in the prime shopping and entertainment district of Orchard Road.
According to a source, several private apartments in Lucky Plaza are being used for cheap lodging, catering mostly to Indonesians seeking medical treatment in Singapore.
The source, who did not want to be named, said that the apartments, located on a high floor belong to a doctor, an Indonesian permanent resident (PR) who has two to three units in Lucky Plaza. He added that Indonesians were being employed to stay in the units and manage the business.
Last year, when he decided to visit Singapore during the F1 period with his wife and son, a friend recommended him to stay there.
After booking a room, which was being offered at S$100 to S$120 a night, he had a chance to survey the condition of the apartment.
He cancelled his booking upon seeing that there were “two or three additional rooms created using plywood partitions”. Furthermore, only one room had a bathroom, leaving all the guests in the apartment “to share the bathroom”.
When contacted, the owner refused to comment. According to the Hotels Act (Chapter 127), it stipulates that “no person shall keep or manage any premises for the purposes of a hotel unless he is the holder of a valid licence granted in respect of the premises in accordance with the provisions of this Act.”
Meanwhile, it seems that more units in the area are being run as cheap hotel rooms, with an online advert saying, “Rooms at Lucky Plaza on average are slightly older but it is still ok to stay. Also, the location is convenient.”
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