- Introduction: My Journey To The Stolen Jewel
- Review: British Airways Lounge Toronto Airport
- Review: British Airways A350 Club Suites Business Class
- Review: British Airways Arrivals Lounge Heathrow Airport
- Review: Aerotel Heathrow Terminal 3
- Review: Finnair A321 Business Class
- Review: Finnair Platinum Wing Helsinki Airport
- Review: Finnair A350 Business Class
- Review: Changi Lounge At The Jewel Singapore
- Review: Yotel Singapore Changi At The Jewel
- Review: The Jewel Changi Airport
- Review: Cathay Pacific Lounge Singapore Changi
- Review: Qantas First Lounge Singapore Changi
- Review: Cathay Pacific A330 Business Class
- Review: Plaza Premium First Lounge Hong Kong
- Review: Cathay Pacific Deck Lounge Hong Kong
- Review: Cathay Pacific A350 Business Class
I had about 27 hours in Singapore, as I arrived from Helsinki at around 5PM, and was departing the following evening at around 8PM to Hong Kong.
That should be plenty of time to go into the city and stay at a nice hotel there, but I decided to hang near the airport. Why?
- The following day I wanted to head back to the airport early to review both the Qantas First Lounge and Cathay Pacific Lounge while they were still quite empty
- I wanted to check out the Jewel, the amazing new shopping mall at Changi Airport
I’ve stayed at the Crowne Plaza Changi before, which is the only full service hotel at the airport.
Given my agenda, I decided to book the Yotel Air Changi Airport, conveniently located inside the Jewel. Yep, I traveled halfway around the world to stay in a Yotel inside a mall! 😉
I had stayed at a Yotel before, at Heathrow Airport Terminal 4, and enjoyed the experience. I wondered how this new one compared.
In this post:
Booking The Yotel Air Changi
Like most transit/cabin hotels, you can book the Yotel Changi either for an overnight stay, or by the hour. I decided to book an overnight stay, which included check-in at 6PM and check-out at 9AM. When I booked they were having a “Black Friday” sale, so the rate was ~140SGD (~110USD) including all taxes and fees.
If you are interested in booking for a day stay by the hour, you can book stays of a minimum of four hours. For non-overnight stays you have to email the hotel at [email protected] (they say online reservations are coming soon for this functionality).
According to the website, day rates are as follows:
- Four hours from 100SGD
- Six hours from 120 SGD
- Eight hours from 140 SGD
Yotel Air Changi At The Jewel Review
Now let’s get into the review — what are the rooms like, what kind of amenities does this hotel have, and what is it like to essentially sleep in a mall?
Yotel Air Changi Location
The Yotel is located inside the Jewel shopping mall. It’s on the fourth floor, near lift “H.”
How long it takes to get to the terminals from the Jewel depends on what terminal you’re going to:
- Terminal 1 is about a five minute walk from the Jewel
- Terminal 2 is about an eight minute walk from the Jewel, plus a ride on the sky bridge
- Terminal 3 is about a 10 minute walk, plus a ride on the sky bridge
- Terminal 4 requires first going to Terminal 2, and then taking the awful bus between that and Terminal 4
Anyway, I had no trouble finding the Yotel Air, as it’s at the end of the fourth floor on the left.
Yotel Air Changi Jewel exterior
Yotel Air Changi Arrival & Check-In
The Yotel’s lobby, known as “mission control,” is just inside the entrance. There were two employees at the desk. I asked if I was supposed to use one of the kiosks to check in (since they had kiosks in the center of the lobby), but they told me they’d be happy to help.
I loved how efficient the check-in process was, as I had a key within a minute, and didn’t have to provide a credit card.
Yotel Air Changi Jewel reception
The lobby area has a bit of seating, and then the Yotel’s 130 cabins are spread across two floors. I was staying on the same floor as reception, which is the fourth floor.
Yotel Air Changi Jewel reception
In order to access any of the hallways you need to swipe your key card.
Yotel Air Changi Jewel hallway
The signage was good, and I easily found my cabin, #144.
Yotel Air Changi Jewel hallway
Yotel Air Changi Jewel room exterior
For context, here’s the floorplan of the fourth floor:
Yotel Air Changi floorplan
Yotel Air Changi Premium Queen Cabin
The hotel has two types of rooms:
- Premium queens, which are 110 square feet and sleep two adults
- Family rooms, which are 226 square feet and sleep four adults
There’s something I love about these kinds of cabin hotels. I was in a premium queen room, and found it to be oh-so-cozy. It’s almost like being in the world’s most comfortable first class airplane suite, or something.
The cabin featured the signature Yotel SmartBed, which can be put into fully flat mode at the touch of a button. I found the bed to be really comfortable, and loved the pillows as well.
Yotel Air Changi premium queen cabin
As you can see, the bathroom is behind the main part of the room and is separated by glass shields and windows, though there’s a privacy curtain that can be drawn.
Yotel Air Changi premium queen cabin
Across from the bed was a huge wall-mounted TV. Like I said, it really almost feels like the world’s biggest first class airplane suite.
Yotel Air Changi premium queen cabin
There was a large mirror along the far wall of the room.
Yotel Air Changi premium queen cabin
Yotel has quite some drastic mood lighting, so here’s what the room looks like without that…
Yotel Air Changi premium queen cabin
To the side of the bed were a couple of storage racks, and that area even turns into a table.
Yotel Air Changi premium queen cabin
You simply fold it up, and then there’s a little stool that is usually stored away as well. This seating arrangement was way more comfortable than I was expecting — when I sat in the seat I had back support due to sitting against the side of the bed.
There were also international outlets here — kudos to this hotel for having that, because far too many don’t.
Yotel Air Changi premium queen cabin
The bathroom was functional, and featured a walk-in shower at the far end, then a toilet, and then a sink.
Yotel Air Changi premium queen cabin shower
Yotel Air Changi premium queen cabin bathroom
Yotel Air Changi premium queen cabin bathroom
Toiletries were in reusable containers.
Yotel Air Changi premium queen cabin toiletries
Each room has an individual temperature control. A sign indicated that the lowest temperature possible was 21C, which is what I turned it to. I woke up in the middle of the night freezing, so I guess 21C feels much colder in a small cabin with no windows and light.
Yotel Air Changi air conditioning
Wifi throughout the property was fast and free.
Yotel Changi Wi-Fi
One last note about the hotel. While I didn’t have a chance to meet him, the GM of the Yotel is apparently a long time blog reader (I didn’t know prior to my stay, but he left a nice note in my cabin).
I have to give him credit for making me literally laugh out loud like I haven’t done in a while. Long time readers may know that I’m a bit of a weirdo and always check under the hotel bed, so I had the biggest smile on my face when I checked under the bed here (as much as one can), and saw this:
Best hotel GM in the world?!
Well played Nick! Very, very well played! Thanks for making my day.
Yotel Air Changi Lounge
Right next to reception is a lounge area of sorts, which all guests have access to. It has some dining tables, chairs with ottomans, etc.
Yotel Air Changi lounge
Yotel Air Changi lounge
Yotel Air Changi lounge
This area also has fantastic views of the waterfall in the center of the Jewel.
Yotel Air Changi lounge view
Yotel Air Changi lounge view
There’s complimentary self serve coffee and tea here, as well as water.
Yotel Air Changi complimentary coffee & tea
I appreciated the opportunity to work from here, since without daylight in my cabin I found it tough to stay awake.
This lounge also has some food for purchase, including a continental breakfast, an a la carte menu, and more. That being said, given the number of dining options in the Jewel that are right at your doorstep, I didn’t eat anything here.
Yotel Air Changi lounge meals
One floor up from reception there was also a hallway that had a bunch of seating. It’s a nice seating zone, though felt kind of random.
Yotel Air Changi seating
Yotel Air Changi elevators
Yotel Air Changi Gym
One pleasant surprise was that Yotel Air has a gym, since the other Yotel I stayed at didn’t have one. The gym was fairly basic, but it’s nice that they have it at all.
Yotel Air Changi gym
Yotel Air Changi gym
Yotel Air Changi gym
There were also towels and bottled water in the gym.
Yotel Air Changi gym
Yotel Changi Jewel Bottom Line
My stay at Yotel Air Changi was perfect for my needs. There’s something I love about the consistency and small but well designed cabins of Yotel. The rooms are small but functional, and I appreciate that this property has a lounge where you can hang out at well.
I’ve also stayed at some of the airside transit hotels at Changi, and if I had a long layover I’d absolutely stay here, because it’s a lot more fun to combine a stay here with a visit to the Jewel, assuming you have the time. It’s great to have access to so many amazing restaurants, coffee shops, etc.
Of course if I were actually visiting Singapore for a longer period of time I’d prefer to stay in the city.
If you’ve stayed at a Yotel, what was your experience like?
If you're a Club@YOTEL member (free to join) you can now earn miles with Air France / KLM Flying Blue and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.
Up to 10% discount is also available at YOTEL New York, YOTEL Boston, YOTEL San Francisco, YOTEL Singapore, YOTEL Amsterdam, YOTEL Edinburgh, YOTELAIR Singapore Changi Airport and YOTEL Istanbul Airport (Landside).
How tall are you lucky?
I'm just wondering cause I stayed at a Yotel in Singapore and I don't know of it was just the room I'd booked but I was far too tall for the bed. I'm 6'6" so I am a freak of nature.
@SK
It is at an airport. Other Yotels were similar.
Yotel IST was perfect for my needs - clean comfortable affordable decent restaurant
Singaporeans are gifted with an outstanding sense of humor! As for the room, at 100 USD+, this looks tragic.
what a GM! you have friends in high (and low) places Ben!
Feel this way about Citizen M hotel at Terminal 3 CDG.....feels like a 1st class cabin....very clever design and lots of fun!
We stayed at the Yotel Changi, shortly after it opened. There was a huge line for check in... it took us over a half an hour, but that was just the luck of the draw, as other times the lobby was almost empty. The room was extremely clean and for a single occupant, I can see this as a viable option. But for a couple, the room was uncomfortably crowded. We could barely move around, and even though we only had two carry-on luggage pieces, they were always "in the way".
Very cool! We stayed at the Yotel at IST and it was a dreadful experience... self-check in was broken with a huge queue, and all kinds of things not working properly in the room. Will have to try another location sometime.
@ Fraser, "inspired by BA First". I doubt that those words have ever been written or spoken before!
I laughed out for the note too. Although there’s no way I put more than $50 for a hotel room without window, gonna give it to the GM.
Does they stay classify as hotel with your credit card? Just checking. It looks like a lot of fun. Especially for the waterfall light show, you get a great view if you come early.
Great review. Staying at the YotelAir in IST in a few weeks. Got a great deal for just under 9k points from the CSR.
Thanks for a great review Ben, that note and 'monster' was a very clever touch on the GM's part. Also the gym does't look too bad considering the premium I'd imagine they are paying to lease space on the airport grounds. Looking forward to the Qantas F lounge review.
Is that a Yotel soft toy?
The reason it feels like a first class sute....the Yotel design was actually inspired by BA First. The founder, Simon Woodroffe, said he was on a BA flight in the early 2000s and that it inspired him to make a compact luxury room with clever use of design and technology.
I've only stayed at the LGW one, and a while ago now, but as a single traveller with a late arrival and early departure it was perfect and rather cosy. I really enjoyed it!