Its not often I am asked on a staycation by anyone other than Mr Changmoh, (and even that’s a rarity) so when Lloyd’s Inn asked me to come and road test their sleek, chic boutique hotel one night last week, I was thrilled. In part because I am on this wretchedly hard, very healthy, clean and lean diet (green veg plus meat/fish/shellfish for one whole month) and a night away makes A. Very. Tough. Week. One. slip by just a mite faster. And secondly, who doesn’t like a night away?

I think I am not alone when I say that before my invite, I hadn’t heard of Lloyd’s Inn.

It’s been open for yonks (about 25 years) but has recently undergone a monumental overhaul; new look Lloyds was revealed in July 2014. Tucked away just off Killiney Road, it succeeds in ticking a mass of boxes.

Before I continue, I should probably remind you that I am not the sort of person who visits a city and likes to spend most of my trip inside my hotel; I like a certain level of comfort but I like to get out there and explore. Lloyd’s has seven rooms and a certain amount of garden but there’s no 24 room service, no jacuzzi and no hot tub. If these are pre-requisites, Lloyd’s probably isn’t for you.

It was, however, for me.

It had a great central location; with rooms that were sleek and minimalist, yet with all the bare essentials.

We stayed in their double height Big Sky Room suite, rather hard to photograph but here is part of it (above) with its glorious outside bathtub – as well as a normal, inside, slate-clad shower room for those less keen on a dip under the stars (I, personally, couldn’t think of anything better).

The stairway to heaven (three pictures above) led to a little desk area overlooking the double height bedroom. I loved being able to sneak up here and write this post – at least partially – in peace and quiet. Here’s the view from my borrowed office:

This is all well and good but what about the all-important price point? Well, I’m pleased to tell you that it’s pretty darn manageable, with the best value room weighing in at S$158++ per night. As my little house can’t accommodate both parents, this could be a great alternative.

I loved their little dipping pool and garden, although it was being cleaned during my stay and looked a little bit more like this:

But it’s quite the oasis once it’s fully functioning and the sun is shining (it rained for most of my stay).

Another big thumbs-up was that their breakfasts are not in-house. Nope, ever practical, they make use of their great location and send guests for a complementary local breakfast of eggs, coffee and kaya at Killiney Kopitiam (would be my choice were it not for ‘Clean & Lean’) or for a fry-up (equally complementary) you are steered towards the thoroughly acceptable Freshly Baked by Le Bijoux. Both are a gentle two minute stroll away.

We were comped our night at Lloyd’s Inn and stayed in their Big Sky Room which is priced at $228++ which makes it one of their most expensive rooms. If I was paying myself, I’d go a rung down and stay in one within the Deluxe bracket ($198++ per room) or within their Premium range which is cheaper still at $178++

Feature image, bathtub image, picture of Lloyd’s bath products as well as the pool and lounger pic are all courtesy of Lloyd’s Inn