When Indian IT consultant Suresh Tambian arrived in Singapore last month, he ended up staying 20 minutes from the city in a modest two-storey hotel, with no facilities such as a pool, and surrounded by trees rather than malls.
But he did not mind a bit.
The hotel, Rider's Lodge, is near the old Turf Club. Mr Tambian, 37, who arrived on Sept 25 for a one-week stay, said: 'My company couldn't get any rooms in the other hotels because of the Formula One night race then.'
He liked the hotel. 'It's close to nature and the rooms are comfortable. I'll definitely come back to stay for a holiday.'
The interior furnishings are new and modern.
The 40-room Rider's Lodge, a picture of rustic charm, opened in March this year. A freshly cut lawn fronts the main colonial-style building, with a stone path leading up to its entrance.
It's in one of those quaint tucked-away areas that time seems to have forgotten, along a left turn onto Turf Club Road off Dunearn Road, just before the entrance of Turf City.
The hotel was formerly an old stable-house compound, but has been refurbished into a $3.5-million hotel with decor such as paintings of horses and riders.
Deluxe room rates start at $225. Corporate rates start from $150.
The former stables have been converted into two conference rooms and guests are a mix of tourists and business travellers.
Continental breakfast is served on an old-fashioned patio, where guests can gaze at the lush greenery.
India-based developer M.G.M. Anand, one of the hotel's owners, said the location was what attracted his partners and himself to invest in their first property in Singapore.
He said: 'It has a sort of resort ambience, so we thought why not take it up, because most people visiting Singapore don't get this kind of set-up.'
Rider's Lodge here is not connected to a destination of the same name for horse-lovers in Johor Baru.
The hotel's occupancy rate is about 75 per cent.
Other guests at Rider's Lodge included Mr Wayne Turner, 58, and his wife, Catherine, 55, who run their own transport business in Britain. They stayed there on the recommendation of a friend.
Mrs Turner said: 'It's very lovely and very English. We're surrounded by trees and the service is good.'
Fellow guest Tambian's only suggestion was that the hotel should have its own in-house cafeteria. Currently it serves food catered from outside.
However, there are restaurants nearby serving food from French cuisine to seafood, as well as outlets such as a spa and wellness centre.
The hotel's operations manager Ravi G. said it would start serving food once it receives approval from the authorities.
Despite opening only recently, he said the hotel has attracted a regular stream of guests, usually by word of mouth.
'We didn't really do any marketing, but a lot of people keep coming back,' he said.
Here are some other places where you can escape the city bustle, yet still not lose track of civilisation:
CHANGI VILLAGE HOTEL What: 380 guest-rooms with sea and garden views, and an open-concept bath area. Where: 1 Netharavon Road, next to Changi Village and Changi Ferry Terminal. How much: From $180 for a deluxe room to $1,200 for a royal suite Call: 6379-7111 Getaway factor: It's a modern hotel, yet is tucked away in a corner of Singapore where only commandos from nearby Hendon Camp can find you.
ADMIRAL COUNTRY CLUB What: Converted from a British military residential building, it now has swimming pools, gyms and tennis courts. Where: 345 Old Nelson Road, in Sembawang. How much: Suite rooms and adventure camp cabins from $160 to 250 per room and $60 to 100 per cabin. Call: 6758-7535 Getaway factor: The place, with its 70-year history, is gazetted as a national monument.
D'KRANJI FARM RESORT What: 19 air-conditioned villas in a herb and fruit farm, with a beer garden and seafood restaurant. Where: 10 Neo Tiew Lane 2, in Lim Chu Kang How much: $250 per villa Call: 6862-9717 or 6898-9228 Getaway factor: Flanked by other farms, you are assured that no high-rises will spoil the rural view.
This article was first published in The Sunday Times on Oct 12, 2008.
