Since our flight was to come in at around 2am, we emailec them in advance to request for either an early check-in or luggage storage. The person my sister emailed was amenable to our proposed arrangement of leaving our baggage at 7am and then checking in at 10pm so we could make the most of our short stay in SG.
So imagine our surprise when we arrived in the hostel at 7am and nobody was answering the door. We were stuck outside under the humid SG weather for a good 30 mins or so before my brother thought of knocking at the door next to the hostel. Suddenly, a cranky old lady (who the above posts refer to as the "wonderful" Auntie Aini) emerged with a frown on her face. She told us that it was too early to check-in even without bothering to check if any of their anticipated guests had requested for luggage storage prior to check-in. That's no way to treat a guest! We were not expecting a five-star welcome but a smile would have been nice.
After spending the day at Universal Studios, we returned to the hostel at a few minutes past 10pm. One of the first things she says when we arrive is that we took so long to return to the hostel. Duh!? First, we had emailed Fernloft in advance and they were amenable to our late check-in at 10pm. Second, we very clearly told her that morning that we will be returning at 10pm because we wanted to make the most of our short stay in SG. Third, THERE WAS NO NOTICE THAT THE HOSTEL HAD A CURFEW, OR WHAT TIME IT WOULD BE IF IT HAD ONE! In any event, the curfew should be limited to the dorm rooms so as not to disrupt other guests. My siblings and I were staying in a room we had to ourselves so I really don't see any reason why she was so hyped up about our "late" arrival. She even had the audacity to tell us that she's already 60 years old and that she runs the place alone. So what? If she can't do it anymore, she should quit. It's that simple. It's not like we forced her into that job or anything. And, contrary to what she claims, she even stayed up later than we did because my brother caught her watching Indian movies when he was on his way to the bathroom.
On another note, this hostel is located a few meters away from the entrance to Chinatown, the bus station, and a hawker centre. It's also a walking distace away from several train stations so it's very accessible and convenient. Although it's not as pretty as I would have imagined, we had a good night's rest here. The airconditioning is a bit too cold, though.
All told, I wouldn't stay in this hostel again if it means having to deal with a horrible person such as Auntie Aini who acts as if she owns the place.
