When we were searching for a place to stay in Singapore we were keen to find apartment-style accomodation as opposed to a hotel. We have a 4 year old son and wanted him to have his own space and have the ability to put him to sleep and not have to go to sleep at the same time! We found this and much more at Somerset Bencoolen. The apartment (we stayed in a 2 bedroom one) was fantastic - modern, 2 bathrooms, great kitchen & lounge. Breakfast was provided every day in the dining room on the 5th floor. The pool area (on the roof) was fantastic with amazing views and a separate pool, spa and children's paddling pool and playground. Our 4 year old wanted to be in the pool almost every minute of the day! The staff were all exceedingly friendly and provided excellent service. The aprtments were close to transport and taxis were always coming past (max of about AU$5.00 to go most places). We walked to most places (even with a 4 year old in tow) so as you can tell it wasn't far from anything. My husband loved it due to its proximity to all the fishing stores in the Bugis area! Suffice to say we loved it and will certainly stay there again when we return to Singapore.

Somerset Bencoolen is a group of serviced apartments. We've stayed here twice in a two bedroom two bathroom apartment with our 1 year old daughter and loved it. The apartment is really spacious, well appointed with absolutely everything you'd need. The service is just like you'd get in a hotel with daily maid service, full service reception and breakfast buffet (although the choice is limited compared to a 5 star hotel). The pool area is worth a special mention, it's on the roof and is a really relaxing place to spend time. It's obviously not as luxurious as a 5 star hotel but really really well laid out and beautiful surrounds. There is a children's playground as well and they even provide towels and some toys! The majority of the clientelle are people on business which means the pool is pretty much empty, as well as the gym and guest lounge. The location is just off Bras Basah Road, which becomes Orchard Road. I walk to all the malls on Orchard Road, to the Raffles area and Sun Tec city, Sim Lim square and all of the museums are just down the road. It couldn't be better. My husband is working in Singapore temporarily and it's great to find somewhere to stay that has high standards just like a hotel but where you can feel like you're at home. Previously in Singapore we've stayed at Le Meridien (terrible), The Crowne (so so) and Raffles the Plaza (awesome). The only down side is there is a minimum stay of one week and it can be expensive compared to a hotel. But if you are here for more than a few days and particularly if you are travelling with kids, I can't recommend it highly enough.