Since the Covid-19 pandemic started, working from home has become the norm for many of us. While it affords (some of) us flexibility and work-life balance, it can get monotonous.
And while we would like to have a change in working environment sometimes, observing social and safe distancing measures is something we’d have to consider.
Public libraries used to be an option for working outside of the home, but it’s not viable now as visitors are limited to a 30-minute time slot in view of the current situation.
That said, Starbucks is not the only place you can work from and neither or co-working spaces. Here are some others you might want to check out!
Work 0 and Vacation 1.
I am in a room with a view, in a hotel that is a national monument. Behind me is a balcony that opens up to a panorama of Marina Bay, albeit from the sixth floor, on this gently sunny weekday.
WHERE: 1 Fullerton Square
INFO: Fullerton Hotel website
RATES: The Work From Fullerton package starts at $190 nett for a Premier Courtyard Room. Top up $100 for the Marina Bay View Room. The package comes with flexible check-in and check-out for 12-hour room use (between 7am and 11pm), food and beverage credit of $50 nett, high-speed Wi-Fi, in-room coffee and tea, parking, and access to the gym and swimming pool.
Draw the curtains, and the futuristic facade of Ion Orchard greets me. To the left is the crystalline Wisma Atria, the grand dame of Orchard Road malls. To the right, Wheelock Place’s distinctive cone-shaped atrium reminds me of Christmas trees that will soon be lit up for Yuletide festivities.
Working in the heart of Orchard Road is divine.
WHERE: 320 Orchard Road
INFO: Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel website
RATES: The Work In Style, Stay Connected room package costs from $120 a day (from 7am to 7pm) for one guest, extra guests at $30 a person
A workation is the kind of thing I would usually be sceptical about. To me, hotels are either for high-end luxury and relaxation or just places to crash if I am on a budget vacation.
But with the drilling and knocking in the flat above mine going on for the third week, I jump at the chance to work from Hotel G Singapore.
WHERE: 200 Middle Road
INFO: Hotel G Singapore’s website
RATES: The Hustle & Grind package costs $90 for a room a person from 7am to 7pm. It includes Wi-Fi; a set lunch and two glasses of wine from Ginett Restaurant & Wine Bar; coffee, tea and juices; morning and afternoon snack boxes; parking; and dining discounts. Add $50 for a night’s stay and breakfast for two.
Heading to Jewel Changi Airport for work is hardly the same as going on vacation, but spending the afternoon there offers a refreshing change of scenery.
The pay-per-use lounge, formerly for transit passengers and those on fly-cruise itineraries, reopened as a co-working space in August. It seats 50, but had fewer than 10 people on the morning I spent there. Larger than the one at Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel and less crowded than Furama RiverFront’s, it feels the most luxurious of the three I visited.
It is also super clean. Surfaces such as tables and chairs are coated with an antimicrobial coating that deactivates viruses and kills bacteria and fungi, which works for up to 90 days.
FEE: From $15 for two hours
OPEN: 10am to 9pm on weekdays and 10am to 10pmon weekends
INFO: Changi Airport’s website
Furama RiverFront’s Waterfall lounge has been drawing a steady stream of home office escapees since its launch – and for good reason.
The hotel declined to reveal the number of seats available and the take-up rate.
However, all 70 or so seats at the Waterfall lounge were full by 10am when The Straits Times visited on a weekday morning.
More seats are available at hotel restaurants The Square and Kintamani on levels two and three, though these make a less pretty Zoom backdrop.
Since Monday, the hotel has raised prices from $15 to $28 for a day pass, which may ease demand.
FEE: From $28 for a day pass
OPEN: 9am to 10.30pm daily
A few hundred metres away from Furama RiverFront, the co-working space at Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel’s lobby is cosier and quieter. Thick brass pillars, wooden desks and marble floors create a professional, if cookie-cutter, setting.
The space seats 40. About half the seats are usually filled since its launch in the middle of last month, estimates Mr Lee Richards, Millenium Hotels and Resorts’ vice-president of operations for South-east Asia.
FEE: From $16 a day
OPEN: 8am to 6pm daily
Price: $160++
The Work from Hotel Room package is from 7am to 7pm and comes with a $30 dining credit.
Complimentary wifi, coffee and tea.
Find out more here.
Meet with Confidence at Crowne Plaza Changi Airport. Book your future group event or meeting confidently, with zero…
Posted by Crowne Plaza Changi Airport on Monday, August 17, 2020
Price: $190++ (per person)
Guests can book Luxury Room or Prestige Suite for a total of eight hours, between 7am to 7pm. Besides the usual Wi-Fi and coffee or tea, guests are also free to partake from the mini bar.
Find out more here.
With our exclusive ‘The Hotel Experience Exclusive Package’, it is time to pack your suitcase and enjoy the vibrant…
Posted by Sofitel Singapore City Centre on Saturday, July 18, 2020
Price: Starts from $150++
A room is available for your use between 7am to 7pm, with a Nespresso machine and TWG tea at your disposal. Besides free parking, a bento lunch and energy shooter are also provided.
Email Jocelyn.loi@ihg.com for more information, or call +65 9186 3460
We are open for Staycations!
Enjoy a getaway in the heart of the cultural Bugis precinct with our Heritage Suite…
Posted by InterContinental Singapore on Monday, August 3, 2020
Prices: Start from $210 nett and $300 nett respectively
The hotel offers flexible 12-hour usage between 7am to 11pm and includes $50 dining credit. Other perks include an in-room Nespresso machine, TWG tea and free parking. You’ll also get to use the pool and gym.
Price: $200 nett
Instead of a room, the hotel’s Work From Home package allows you access to a private room for up to 12 hours, with Wi-Fi, refreshments and complimentary parking included. Bento meals are also available for $8 nett.
Email catering.sinhi@ihg.com for more information.
Posted by Holiday Inn Singapore Atrium on Tuesday, March 3, 2020
The cafe usually charges a fee of $12 for the first hour but you can opt for a whole day pass to work in peace, priced at $32.
There is free Wi-Fi and tables provided for your laptops, and plenty of furry friends to cuddle with! However, do make a reservation online beforehand.
Address: 54A Boat Quay (Level 2), Singapore 049843
Opening hours:
- Mon, Wed to Fri: 11am to 10pm (last entry at 9pm)
- Sat and Sun: 10am to 10pm (last entry at 9pm)
- Closed on Tuesdays
Posted by Cat Cafe Neko no Niwa on Friday, June 26, 2020
A home away from home, you can work, play games or read a book at this cafe. Everything there is free, including Wi-Fi, snacks, drinks and board games.
You only need to pay for the time you spend there, which is $6.50 for the first hour on weekdays and $30 for the entire day.
Address: Orchard Gateway, 277 Orchard Road, #02-01, Singapore 238858
Opening hours: 1.30pm to 9.30pm daily
This cosy cafe is not only for book-lovers but it’s great for working as well, complete with resources like free Wi-Fi and power sockets.
Call the cafe at +65 6887 5430 to make a reservation and secure a spot.
Address: 20 Martin Road, Seng Kee Building, #01-02, Singapore 239070
Opening hours: 8.30am to 10.30pm daily
Posted by The Book Cafe on Saturday, April 11, 2020
Open 24 hours daily, there are multiple tables located across all floors for you to pick the perfect spot to work at.
Wi-Fi is available at the Hub and you can even catch a free movie at the open space on the ground floor if you need a break.
Address: 1 Tampines Walk, Singapore 528523
Opening hours: 24 hours
Happy Monday! Introducing our new Chill Zone at Central Plaza. Another ideal place worth considering for studying or…
Posted by Our Tampines Hub on Sunday, August 16, 2020
There’s Our Tampines Hub in the East and then there’s JCube in the West. Nestled in the mall is a study area for people who don’t mind a little background noise to work at.
The mall has free Wi-Fi and the study area is located next to the escalators on the second and third floors, with a handful of powerpoints and seats available.
Address: Jcube Level 2 & 3, 2 Jurong East Central 1, Singapore 609731
Opening hours: 10am to 10pm
Posted by JCube on Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Most people may not be aware but Sengkang Community Club has a study room with Wi-Fi, power sockets and occasionally, free food.
However, do note that due to the current pandemic, only 10 people are allowed in the study room at any one time, on a first-come-first-serve basis.
Address: 2 Sengkang Square, #01-#01, Sengkang Community Hub, Singapore 545025
Opening hours: 24 hours
Well, it looks like a lecture hall right ? No, it’s not. We have converted one of our largest room to a study room !…
Posted by Teo Ser Luck on Monday, December 12, 2016
The MacPherson Community Club also has a study room for people to work in. But in light of social distancing measures, the room capacity is limited to five people, on a first-come-first-serve basis.
Address: 400 Paya Lebar Way, Singapore 379131
Opening hours: 10am to 10pm
Posted by MacPherson Community Club on Wednesday, January 14, 2015
The study room at Nee Soon East Community Club is open for Northies to work at and is larger than the ones at Sengkang and MacPherson.
Similar to the others, there is also a cap on the room capacity, with 15 people allowed in the room on a first-come-first-serve basis.
Address: 1 Yishun Avenue 9, Singapore 768893
Opening hours: 10am to 6pm
Versions of this article were first published in AsiaOne and The Straits Times.
Nee Soon East CC Study Room is now open!
Operating hours:
Daily from 9.30am to 9.30pm
(Closed on Public Holidays)#neesooneast #neesooneastcc #weloveneesooneast #readingroom #reading #facilities
Posted by Yishun Hearts RC on Sunday, October 23, 2016
