The 6 AM Hotel Hunt: How a Blurred Photo Saved My First Night in Singapore

I arrived in a country where everything was supposed to be perfectly organized, only to realize at very first glance that this wasn't the case at all.

But let’s start from the beginning.

For a long time, I had dreamed of traveling to Singapore because I had heard so much about it—though, as it turned out, that was only a tiny fraction of what this small city-state actually has to offer. However, I was convinced that flights there were so expensive that I wouldn't be able to afford it, especially since accommodations are famously pricey.

While celebrating New Year’s in Seoul, I met D., who was from Singapore and also taking a short vacation in South Korea. During our conversations, I told him how much I would love to visit his home country and shared my travel wishes. That’s when he gave me a tip: "Just book Scoot from Berlin. It’s not expensive."

Scoot is the low-cost subsidiary airline of Singapore Airlines. They offer cheaper fares, with the option to pay extra for services and baggage if you choose.

That thought stuck in my head, and right after that vacation, I immediately started planning my next one: Singapore.

I booked the flights and paid only around €550 return. Then, all that was left was the hotel. This was only my third overseas trip ever, and since the first two had gone smoothly, I figured this would be fine too.

I usually did my bookings through Booking.com, Airbnb, or Check24, depending on who had the best deal. This time, I relied on a new booking platform: Agoda—which actually originates from Singapore.

I was never a backpacker—I couldn't be—but back then, I always saved money on accommodations. After all, you only sleep there, right? With this mindset, I finalized my booking: centrally located, cheap, and a private room. It sounded like a dream. And it stayed a dream, because after landing at Changi Airport at 4 AM and arriving in the city, the hotel was nowhere to be found at the listed address.

Panic and despair? A little bit. It was early, nothing was open, and I couldn't walk into a shop to ask for help. Without a local SIM card, making a phone call was out of the question because I wanted to avoid expensive roaming charges. But I still had the legal solution in mind: Agoda is required to either provide me with a similar hotel or refund my money. But to get that sorted, I would have to call them, which again, costs money.

I walked back and forth, up and down the street, and checked the surrounding alleys, but there was absolutely nothing. Then I had the idea that ultimately solved the problem: the hotel photos. I looked through all of them on my phone, searching for tiny details—specifically looking for neighboring shops. And there it was, one photo out of many, where you could vaguely make out the name of a business next door.

I googled it, found the location, and there was the hotel.

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The Assembly Place, A Co-Living Hotel in Little India—one of the worst hotels I’ve ever stayed in. Except for a few exceptions, I don't have high expectations when booking a hotel. As I said, it’s mostly just for sleeping. However, sleeping there was a whole different story: loud music until long after midnight, and the mattress springs dug straight into my body with every single movement. Little India is also not built for allergy sufferers; the entire neighborhood is packed with shops selling fresh flowers.

Despite this incredibly bumpy start, I ended up having a wonderful time. That was just the first impression, though, which didn't last at all—and by now, the hotel has at least put the correct address online.

Are you actually aware of what you are legally entitled to when something goes wrong on a trip, and do you know how to handle a situation like this?