Category: Sleep

REVIEW: Metropolitan by COMO, Bangkok (Metropolitan Room)
COMO Metropolitan Bangkok – Metropolitan Room

The Metropolitan by COMO in Bangkok is one of my favourite hotels in the entire city. Despite it being a boutique chain of hotels with no affiliation to any of the major hotel chains (read: no loyalty perks), this remains one of my most memorable hotels for its simplicity in design, comfort and excellent service, making me feel right at home.

About COMO

COMO Metropolitan Bangkok front desk

COMO Hotels and Resorts is a chain of luxury properties across the world, and they believe in providing “luxury travel experiences with personalised service in elegant properties, each individually curated to reflect its location.”

There are 14 COMO properties around the world, with over half of them in Asia. You will notice a trend in the locations they choose for their resorts: most are idyllic or exotic destinations, such as the two resorts in Bhutan and several beach resorts including Phuket and Bali.

And I bet you didn’t know – the COMO Hotels and Resorts is part of the COMO Group, which is owned by Singaporean Christina Ong. Some other well known brands under the COMO Group includes Club 21 as well as F&B brands Culina and Candlenut.

COMO Metropolitan Bangkok

Metropolitan by COMO

COMO Metropolitan Bangkok is located along South Sathorn Road, close to the heart of Bangkok’s financial district and a 10-minute walk to Silom. The property has 169 guest rooms across 7 room types, with most of them the signature Metropolitan Room. There is a small number of suites, making it really exclusive.

Upon arrival at the hotel, the personalised service begins right away. The porters at the driveway will not only help you with your bags, but they go straight to your room. While you are ushered to a sofa in the reception area, the check-in agent comes and collect your passport and credit card from you while you sit back, enjoy their signature welcome drink and a cold towel. Once ready, the agent will come back with your key, a form for you to sign and you are ready to check out your room.

Metropolitan signature welcome drink

I arrived at noon and check-in time was supposed to be 2pm. However, they were able to get the room ready for me within 15 minutes, and once my check-in is complete, another staff escorted me to the room. In the lift, he offered a tour of the hotel, but I declined given that it wasn’t my first stay at the property.

My room was cool when I stepped in, and my bags were already in place. My escort kindly took his leave and I was left to enjoy the welcome fruit basket.

Metropolitan Room L-shaped sofa

I booked myself into the metropolitan room this time round. The metropolitan room is a mid-range room, slightly larger in size than the Urban and City rooms. The room is very spacious, with a L-shaped sofa on one side, and the beds on the other end.

What I really love about the room is how plainly and cosy the room felt. The muted colours, with the apt use of brown tones and earthly colours conveys a feeling of calmness and serenity.

The window stretched across the entire length of the room, while the bathroom takes up the length on the other side.

Metropolitan Room bathroom

The space within the bathroom is overly generous too. A large bath adorns a part of the bath, as well as a huge rainshower area. The bathroom is rightly lit with warm lighting, and I simply love the large granite walls as well.

COMO Shambala bath amenities

While not extravagant, the hotel is well equipped. The COMO brand is well known for its spas and wellness programmes, and this property was no exception. The signature Shambala spa was located on the second floor, where you could enjoy its signature spa for THB 3,000. At the time of my visit they were giving a THB 750 voucher if you spend at least THB 3,000 on spa services.

Jacuzzi in the men’s changing room

Given that Thailand is a land of great and affordable spa services, I have never tried the hotel’s service, but instead indulge in the jacuzzi and steam baths in the changing room. A point about the jacuzzi – it sits by two large glass panels that is well shielded (it is after all in the changing room) but allows natural light to come in, making the place just a little short of an onsen experience.

Gym

Along with the spa, there was also a adequately equipped gym and a swimming pool. The swimming pool had both twin and single bathing decks, and the great service extends there as well. When you head to the pool, the attendant will lay out a bath towel on the deck chairs before you use them, and constantly top up your ice water without you having to ask.

glow restaurant – breakfast time

The hotel contains two great restaurants: glow, the restaurant that serves up healthy options, and nahm, the widely acclaimed Thai fine dining restaurant on the ground floor (they have a firm dislike for uppercase letters.) There is also Met Bar on the side of the hotel as well as in-room dining services for those who are lazy to venture out of their sofas.

The hotel breakfast is served at glow and I will say it’s one of the best hotel breakfasts I ever had. Boasting a continental buffet spread and an a la carte menu just like Pan Pacific’s Pacific Club, glow goes a step further with not a few but an entire menu of healthier options, including egg white omelette, granola and others. The menu reads as follow:
A la carte selection
- Golden waffles with fresh mango and passionfruit curd
- Vanilla scented french toast with fresh berries, banana and maple syrup
- Coconut pancakes with poached pineapple and blueberries
- Eggs cooked to your liking with sweet corn cake, roast tomatoes, bacon and pork or chicken sausage
- Two egg omelette with sauteed mushrooms, leek thyme and swiss cheese
- Eggs benedict; poached eggs, prosciutto and hollandaise on English muffins
- Thai style “bacon and eggs” with sticky rice, sweet corn and roast tomatoes
- Wok fried thai style rice with chicken vegetables and fried egg
- Wok fried egg noodles with prawns, chilli, holy basil and fried egg
- Boiled jasmine rice with pork dumplings, soft boiled egg and condiments
glow healthy breakfast selection
- Kiwifuit, papaya, longan and blueberry salad with lemongrass syrup
- Raw nut and seed ‘granola’ with banana, berries and vanilla yoghurt
- Quinoa, apple and dried cranberry porridge with cashew nut milk
- Pumpkin and buckwheet pancakes with papaya nectar, orange and cashew nut cream
- Raw nut and seed ‘toast’ with avocado, tomato, cucumber and lemon dressing
- Steamed seasonal green vegetables with poached egg and green goddess sauce
- Fluffy egg white omelette with kale, mushrooms and roast tomatoes
- Smoked salmon and avocado on toasted seven grain bread with ricotta
Whoever heard of cashew nut milk and papaya nectar?!

The first day, my friend and I was decidedly hungry and went for four main courses and it was probably the wisest food decision of the trip.

Thai style “bacon and eggs” with sticky rice, sweet corn and roast tomatoes

The Thai style “bacon and eggs” was an over generous slab of pork belly, a deep fried whole boiled egg, adorned by a dollop of sticky rice and some vegetables for colour. The result was a visually and fragrant mix of colours and flavours. Not to mention, the meat was succulent, with a good proportion of fats and meat with a good bite.

Vanilla scented french toast with fresh berries, banana and maple syrup

The french toast was excellent as well. While I’m not a big fan of french toast as most places make it too oily, the french toast here was well prepared – crispy on the outside, moist on the inside, and leaves no slabs of oil all over your lips when you are done.

Wok fried egg noodles with prawns, chilli, holy basil and fried egg

Coconut pancakes with poached pineapple and blueberries

The second day we tried some other items as well, including the wok fried egg noodles and the coconut pancakes, which were equally amazing.

Like I said, this property is one of the best I have ever stayed in Bangkok, and after a first stay there several years back, I’ve always make it a point to come back for a stay or two every couple of years. While it may not boast of some of the luxuries such as an executive lounge as with most hotel chains, nor provide any kind of loyalty bonus, the hotel’s well thought designs, luxurious feel, and excellent service beats some of the other top end hotels in town any day. It’s my perfect escape in a buzzing city.
29 July 17
REVIEW: Eastern & Oriental Hotel, Penang

Having not been to Penang for a while, I left the choice of hotel to friends whom I was travelling with. We ended up with Eastern & Oriental, or better known as The E&O, one of Penang’s finest luxury hotels. A quick Wikipedia search will tell you that this is a combination of not one, but two remarkable properties (Eastern Hotel & Oriental Hotel, hence its current name), founded by the Sarkies Brothers in 1884.

So who are the Sarkies Brothers and what’s the deal with them? They were Armenians who settled in Southeast Asia and became famous hoteliers of the 1880s, having built several luxury properties across Asia, including Singapore’s very own Raffles Hotel.

Location, location, location

The E&O is located in the heart of George Town, along Lebuh Farquhar right by the sea. The closest landmark is Fort Cornwallis, while the famous food streets are either within a 15-minute walk away. For reference, Lebuh Armenian, where most of Penang’s famous murals are, is about a kilometre away.

Location of Eastern & Oriental Hotel

Gurney drive is also a short drive away, with Paragon and Gurney Plaza a 10-minute drive away, depending on traffic.

The hotel

Eastern & Oriental Hotel, Victory Annexe (source)

The hotel is divided into two wings – the Heritage Wing which was where the original front wing was, and the Victory Annexe, the newer wing which was reconstructed and reopened in 2013.

So what’s the difference between the two wings?

Victory Annexe, the corridor

The Victory Annexe is modelled after a business hotel, with two room types – Studio and Corner suites – both more than spacious. All Victory Annexe guests also have access to the Planter Lounge for evening cocktails daily.

Heritage Wing houses some of the hotel’s grander suites, with its two largest suites – the Pinang Suite and the E&O Suite – located within. The Wing provides a highly private service, with a personal butler handling your check-in, and also a 24-hour butler service.

Based on several online reviews, travellers who prefer the Heritage Wing often liked it for its old-world décor and more spacious suites that resembles a mini apartment rather than a hotel room. For guests who are particular about service, the Heritage Wing is also a plus.

Victory Annexe lobby

Both wings are very well equipped, each with its own set of restaurants as well as facilities such as a spa, fitness centre and swimming pool. All rooms come with a complimentary breakfast and guests in the Victory Annexe also enjoy evening cocktails at the Planters Lounge. Both buildings also have a library, where guests can browse or borrow books from.

Gym with a fantastic view, level 5

The suite

For this stay, I stayed in the Studio Suite (55sqm), the smallest room type across the entire hotel. The Victory Annexe boasts of high ceiling across all floors, making the rooms feel roomier.

Studio Suite (55sqm), turned down for the evening

Upon entering the room, I was immediately taken in by the size of the room. Every room comes with a small balcony overlooking the sea, fantastic for a glass of wine while gazing out.

An armchair and side table adorns the corner of the room, great for those lazy mornings with a cup of coffee and your favourite e-magazines or Kindle.

Studio Stuite (55sqm), plush armchair good for lounging in the room

The bathroom was even more amazing. Taking up almost of the room space, the bathroom boasts of two wash basins, and a wardrobe for each occupant. There was an opulent standalone bathtub as well as a separate shower stall, a reason good enough for some people to choose this hotel.

Opulent bathtub, double vanity washbasins

The room also comes with complimentary newspapers and non-alcoholic beverages in the fridge, which are restocked daily.

If you have a group of friends or two couples travelling together, do note that instead of connecting rooms, they could arrange for you to have adjacent rooms which share a same private doorway leading to your rooms. There is a common door that can be closed, and you can leave your room doors opened to have the same effect as connecting rooms.

However, the light switches were extremely confusing. There is a master switch beside the bed that needs to be switched on before anything else can be toggled. Likewise, be sure not to turn that off if you want to charge your devices when you go to bed – the power sockets are controlled by that master switch too.

The services

Planters Lounge serves up daily cocktail hours from 5-7pm for all Victory Annexe guests

The Planters Lounge, spa, fitness room and swimming pool are all located on level five of the Annexe. All guests are invited to the Planters Lounge daily from 5-7pm for complimentary cocktails and refreshments; outside of these hours only coffee and tea are free, while everything else is billable.

Given that the privilege is extended to the entire hotel rather than just the executive club level rooms as with most other hotels, I was prepared for the quality of offers to be less than what I expect from some other properties. Sure enough, the wines were crappy so I settled for Gordon’s gin with tonic. Choice of hot food were often deep fried items, with finger sandwiches or sweet pastries.

Free flow soft drinks, beer, wines and spirits

On the beverage side, apart from the terrible wines, they offered a selection of spirits as well as Anchor beer and soft drinks. If you prefer a non-sugary drink, they do offer Schweppes soda water or you can request for Coke light, which they will bring out for you. But hey, alcohol is not expensive in Penang, so you might be better off checking out the bars in town.

While the lounge food may not be all that awesome, the view is to die for. With a clear view of the Malacca Straits off the west coast of Malaysia, it makes for a pretty picture of the horizon, especially on a clear day. The infinity pool adjacent to the lounge shares the same view, making for a dip anytime of the day very lovely and serene.

Breakfast at Sarkies, Victory Annexe

For breakfast, guests at the Victory Annexe have the option of going to Planters Lounge at level 5 for a quieter experience, or Sarkies at the ground floor. I chose to check out the reputation Sarkies for breakfast. True to great Malaysian hotels, I was duly impressed with the vast selection of food. Apart from the usual offerings of cooked western options and egg station, there was also a Japanese corner with miso soup and sushi, Indian selection of curries and rice, as well as Asian options such as congee and nasi lemak. What was truly impressive were the live cooking stations peddling wonderful local delights such as roti canai, soup noodles and char kuey teow!

Breakfast coffee on the patio

A tip for you: sit at the outdoor patio, which is a lot quieter and breezy. Also, you get to enjoy a good sea view!

Verdict

Staying at the E&O was definitely an exceptional value. With lead-in prices from RM644 nett (S$161) for the Studio Suite if you plan early and grab their early bird deal, this luxury property is definitely not a dream and affordable for a weekend away.

The few complaints that we have with the property comes with the age of the property – insufficient power sockets in the room, troublesome light switches and unreliable hot water in the shower. But these are minor issues, although I would expect a top league hotel to invest in solving these in order to keep the guests coming back.

9 July 17
REVIEW: Pan Pacific Orchard, Pacific Club King Room
UPDATE: Pan Pacific Orchard is currently closed for a complete redevelopment, due to reopen in 2021.

I was researching for a quick weekend getaway in the peak season of June (what was I thinking) and decided that a staycation was probably more worth the money, given the premium in airfares this month.

Having tried the Conrad Centennial the last time round, I was itching to try out another property with a decently priced Club room.

Having previously stayed at the Pan Pacific Singapore many years back and found the room to be of good value, this time round I decided to go with the sister property, Pan Pacific Orchard.

Once you enter the hotel, you will be greeted by an equally time-worn yet elegant lobby. However, I had difficulty looking for the check-in desk, as I wasn’t sure if that was the concierge counter or the reception.

Check-in desk on the right; Pacific Club entrance to the left

The check-in experience was rather lacking. The check-in desks were considerably small so the separation between different guests became a little too close for my comfort. While I was being served, there was another guest that was speaking to a staff on Sentosa’s offerings, standing so close he could be reading all my personal information off the booking form I was signing. Neither staff noticed my discomfort.

As with many other hotels, the Club rooms are generally located on the upper floor and Pan Pacific Orchard is no exception. I was booked into the Pacific Club King room, and at 35 sqm, (376 sq ft), this is no doubt one of the more spacious rooms that you find in most older properties in Singapore.

Pacific Club King Room

The room is decked out in simple décor, adorned by an armchair and side table by the window. The bed was extremely comfortable and the pillow were great – not too hard nor too slim.

Nespresso coffee, TWG tea

The room is equipped with a Nespresso machine for your caffaine fix, as well as a generous amount of TWG tea for your enjoyment.

Spa bathtub

The bathroom was equally spacious. While I don’t usually use bathtubs, I personally think that bathroom that come with bathtubs and shower stalls exudes a sense of luxury. The room comes with a deep spa-style bathtub with an adjacent shower stall.

Embrace bath and body amenities

Bath amenities were from Embrace, Pan Pacific’s signature range. While it was quite frangrant, it wasn’t memorable in any way.

All Pan Pacific rooms also come with Handy, a smartphone that guests can bring along with them everywhere they go with umlimited calls (even international calls, up to 15 countries), and mobile internet. Depending on where the tourists come from ,This is very handy and provides significant savings, especially for tourists who may be in town for only a day or two but do not wish to grab a travel SIM card or splurge on roaming fees.

After checking out the room, I decided to go for a quick workout in the gym before the cocktail hours at the club lounge. The gym, swimming pool and Pan Pacific’s signature St Gregory Spa are all located on level 4.

Pan Pacific Orchard gym

Unlike some hotels in Singapore such as Fairmont and Fort Canning Hotel that runs a full gym with its own membership programmes, Pan Pacific Orchard has a relatively small but well equipped gym. Apart from the usual cardio machines, there is also a full rack of dumbbells (up to 20kgs) and a cable machine, adequate for a light workout unless you can’t go without your deadlifts or squats. You will need a key card to access the gym, and towels and water are available.

Singapore’s only mineral water swimming pool

Pan Pacific Orchard also features Singapore’s only mineral water swimming pool. The outdoor pool is a squarish pool overlooking Claymore Road, and is free of chlorine so those with sensitive skin can go ahead and dip without worries. Being an older hotel, that also means that it’s a standard pool and not a new, fancy infinity pool you tend to see in newer properties.

While services at the St Gregory Spa is priced at a premium (as with every other hotel spas), guests may access the jacuzzi, sauna and steam room facility for free. Do note that while these facilities are indoors, they are co-shared between genders and located outside the changing rooms in a separate area right behind the spa’s front desk.

Pacific Club Lounge

After the workout it was time to hit the Pacific Club lounge for some evening drinks and snacks. Cocktail hours are 6pm to 8pm at Pan Pacific Orchard.

The Pacific Club lounge is located on level 2 (the lobby level), right next to the check-in desks. I generally prefer locations of hotel executive lounges to be a little bit more exclusive, so where this lounge was located was not exactly ideal for me.

Pacific Club Lounge

Being my first visit there, the lounge looked very dated to me at first glance. However, what surprised me was how spacious the lounge was and relative lack of crowd. This is in spite of a full-day meeting that was going on in the boardroom within the lounge, and the meeting attendees were taking their dinner in the club lounge during the time I was there. Definitely rather exclusive.

Evening cocktails and refreshments from 6pm to 8pm daily

I got myself a table by the window and parked myself there with my iPad while I checked out the offerings. On the counter today was a good spread of light bites, featuring tuna tataki, seared salmon, mini ham crossiants (my favourite), sandwiches and a full salad bar. There was also local favourites such as curry puffs, char siew puffs, crackers as well as a pot of beef stew. Plus, fruits and cakes were also available for those with a sweet tooth. Definitely one of the best variety of food I’ve seen in a club lounge!

For those craving for some booze, the Pacific Club lounge serves up G.H Mumm Brut Cordon Rouge, a light, citrusy champagne that is easy to drink but not particularly memorable. Apart from the bubbly, the lounge also offers a selection of red and white wines (which I didn’t touch this round), as well as a range of quality spirits.

Mini croissants – my favourite

Service in the lounge was personal and attentive, with the wait staff and the lounge manager going around offering top ups on their beverages rather than having to self serve at the bar. The lounge manager, Ken, came up and introduce himself. What was outstanding was the fact that all the wait staff were able to address me by name, which added a nice touch on top of the great offering in the lounge.

Lobby Lounge

For those who did not book into a club room, there are plenty of food and drink options within the hotel itself. The Lobby Lounge features a daily happy hour of S$20 nett for two wines, beers, or housepour spirits from 5pm to 9pm daily. If you are oyster fan, add $15 nett for six freshly shucked oysters too.

10 at Claymore (source)

The hotel’s signature restaurant, 10 at Claymore, also boasts a Weekend Teatime Classic every Saturday and Sunday, 1pm to 3pm, for S$48++ per adult (half price for kids), featuring favourite lunch and teatime fares.

The next morning, I had a choice of either breakfast at 10 at Claymore, or in the Pacific Club lounge. Wanting a quiet breakfast, I went for breakfast in the lounge which had another surprise for me – breakfast was made to order from an ala carte menu, on top of the baked goods that were on display buffet style.

Pacific Club Lounge Roti Canai

The menu featured East and West options and I went for roti prata with chicken curry. The roti prata came out hot and crispy, and there was a generous serving of chicken chunks that came with the curry, very much to my delight.

While I was very much elated with my roti prata, I badly wanted another go at the menu so I ordered another Nasi Lemak, which came with curry chicken, beef rendang, fried anchovies, peanuts and a full boiled egg. The wait staff was a bit startled when I made the second order, so I asked if it was going to be huge, to which he said yes. So I requested for less rice.

Pacific Club Lounge Nasi Lemak

The nasi lemak was finger licking good. What was amazing was that the beef rendang was tender and warm, something that most hotels can’t get right even if they serve it up at breakfast. I was a glutton – I finished all of that as well.

Pacific Club Lounge Strawberry Pancakes

However, the experience could have been way better if the chain had paid closer attention to finer details of service. For instance, Global Hotel Alliance, or GHA, has been pushing for direct bookings on Pan Pacific website by offering a complimentary upgrade and late checkout, subject to availability. During the check-in, this was not offered nor mentioned. While I understand this is on a room available basis, even if the upgrade was not possible, the check-in staff should have mentioned it with apologies.

Screenshot captured from PanPacific.com booking engine

Also, according to Pan Pacific’s website, Pacific Club guests can enjoy the following:
- Personalised butler service
- Exclusive access to the Pacific Club Lounge for complimentary breakfast, all-day refreshments and evening cocktails
- Complimentary use of Pacific Club Boardroom for an hour
- Laundry service for up to two garments daily and shoe polishing
- Limousine airport transfers at special rates
- Welcome amenities and fruit platter
- Complimentary local telephone calls
- LCD television with local and cable channels and laptop connectivity
- Embrace bathroom amenities
- Pillow menu with a choice of organic buckhead hull, contour, coil polyester or foam pillows
- Complimentary wired and wireless high-speed Internet access
- Morning wake-up service with your choice of hot beverage
- Save 20% at hotel’s restaurants and bars
- Save 10% at our award-winning spa, St. Gregory
What was upsetting was that I certainly didn’t even know that the above were offered, until I checked out the website description. I certainly wasn’t offered a personalised butler service, nor did I see any welcome amenities nor fruit platter in the room. Be sure to request it if it matters to you.

Nonetheless, the property and the overall stay experience was still a pleasant one. The slightly off Orchard Road location leaves it quiet and peaceful for a weekend out, while providing that proximity to the heart of town. While it’s definitely a little dated and not as opulent as some of the larger hotels, it’s definitely worth its price for a retreat.

Book here.
17 June 17
REVIEW: Conrad Centennial Hotel Singapore, Deluxe Twin Room

Conrad Centennial Hotel Singapore Classic Room

In a terrible need of a retreat this week, I checked myself in to Conrad Centennial Singapore for a 2D1N stay this weekend.

Conrad Centennial Singapore is a 507-room property built in 1996, with its most recent renovation made 10 years ago in 2007. The property has a range of rooms from Classic rooms to the Presidential Suite.

Great location, heart of downtown

Located in the heart of the city, the hotel is conveniently located near the Downtown Core, within walking distance from key shopping malls such as Suntec City, Raffles City, Marina Square and Millenia Walk. For those attending conferences at Suntec City convention centre, this will be a great choice of hotel.

My choice of dungeon for this stay was the Executive King Room. The room I originally booked was supposed to be on the 27th floor, but as I requested for a change to a twin room during check-in, I was then given a room on the 13^th floor as it was the only twin room available at that point in time.

Aromatherapy Associates amenities

Executive benefits included free pressing of up to three items (I read somewhere that it used to be five), as well as executive lounge benefits including afternoon tea between 3-5pm and evening cocktails (with hor d’oeuvres) from 5.30pm to 8pm. Executive rooms also come with breakfast, which can be taken at either the executive lounge or at Oscars.

Of course, as with any Hilton property, wifi is always complimentary for Hilton Honors members!

Also, guests are entitled to a box of pralines and fresh fruits waiting for you in the room, although the pralines were missing since I moved to a Classic floor. I personally thought that at the very least they could have sent a box to my room.

Having switched to a Classic room, there were several items that were missing from the Executive room, such as a Nespresso machine. This doesn’t bother me too much (since I am not quite a fan of Nespresso coffee) but do note what you are missing out if you don’t mind a room on the Classic floors.

Executive rooms come with pralines, and you get a bear regardless of the room you book

Also, Conrad’s signature is also its soft toy. I had a small teddy bear on the bed when I checked in, although the size of the bear varies with the grade of room that you have booked.

While the room is rather dated, the rooms are of an adequate size (40 sq m) with an equally spacious bathroom. The amenities are also well thought: there are sufficient sockets (such as the one tucked into the drawer next to the bed) and ample towels (there were four)!

The executive lounge

Executive lounge on 31st floor

The lounge is located on the top floor of the hotel. At 31^st floor, the lounge provides a wonderful view of the city from the Marina Bay area to Kallang Basin. However, the lounge is rather small, with enough seating for perhaps 30 people. The lounge can get very crowded during the evening cocktails, when an adjacent reading room has to be opened as well.

Delicious scones for afternoon tea

The lounge serves up afternoon tea from 3pm to 5pm, with an assortment of sandwiches, coffee and tea. Special mention goes to the scones, with an amazing selection of creams and jams to go with them.

Evening canepes and cocktails

From 5.30pm, the dining area transforms to the evening’s cocktail snacks, boasting light bites such as hor d’voeuvres, hot items, salads and cakes. On the menu today were beef bourguignon, sauteed prawns in laksa spices, pomelo prawn salad, tuna tataki, and peranakan kuehs.

I was impressed with the lounge for the fact that it doesn’t serve bottled water, but instead offers San Pellegrino and Aqua Panna for a choice of sparkling and still water. Other canned soft drinks were also available whole day, along with coffee and tea.

Chandon brut

For those into the booze, the Conrad club lounge serves up two choices of red wines, a choice of white wine and a sparking wine – the Chandon brut. There is a selection of spirits with mixers, as well canned beer (Asahi was the choice of the day).

Turn down

After inbibing perhaps close to a bottle of brut, I went back to my room to find my room turned down.

The room slippers were laid out neatly next to my bed with a towel underneath, and a breakfast menu left on the desk for my convenience. The pragmatist in me never believed in room service breakfast, especially when it costs close to S$50. So why spend when one has a complimentary breakfast included in the room rate.

This is when Conrad scored another point in service. As I was placed on a Classic floor, there wasn’t the box of pralines that usually comes in the Executive rooms. Before I left for the lounge, I called to ask for another bear and the chocolates appeared!

Facilities

Conrad swimming pool, 4th floor

The hotel boasts of a decently sized pool on the fourth floor, with a gym and spa to go with it. The gym is well equipped for travellers, with a dumbbells rack, smith machine and some cardio equipment.

24-hour gym

Do note that there are no sauna, steam room or jacuzzi on the property, but there’s a spa offering body and face spa services.

Breakfast

Breakfast at Oscars

Executive room guests have a choice of breakfast at either the Executive Lounge on the 31^st floor or at Oscars restaurant at the lobby. I’ve chosen to take the breakfast at Oscars, which offers a wider spread.

International selection, including Chinese and Indian options

The international breakfast spread offered a good mix of Asian food, from congee, roti canai to dim sum. For those who love the usual western fare, there is always the great range of fresh baked pastries and egg station to fall back on, along with sausages, salads and fresh fruits.

One of my favourite items at Oscars is the ice cream, and I’m very happy to see that this was also offered at breakfast. I had it atop a piece of very fluffy pancake and it was a great way to wrap up breakfast.

How does it add up?

It is definitely a five star property – the grand lobby, very attentive service (mostly) with a great hotel restaurant and lobby café. As one of the landmark hotels in the Marina area, despite its age there is a certain charm that makes you feel very comfortable when you step into it.

The room floors, while dated, still looked elegant and very well maintained given its age. I personally liked the older hotels for their generous room sizes, with a sufficiently large bathroom that are so absent in newer hotels. The main sign of its age is in the technologies available in the room: power sockets are few and hard to locate, there was only one USB port, the television sets did not have a HDMI port nor were they internet-ready.

Another area that I thought needed a refresh was the pool and its adjacent pool bar. While functional, they looked very tired and could use some modernizing. The lounge needs an upgrade also, and perhaps an expansion to cater for the growing base of customers who are willing to pay more for a better experience.

1 May 17
REVIEW: Langkawi Meritus Pelangi Resort

For those who love a good beach holiday, Langkawi is often not the top destination of choice. The Malaysian island resort is the lesser cousin of Southeast Asia’s myriad of beach destinations.

Known as the Jewel of Kedah, Langkawi is a duty-free (more about that later) island, especially popular with domestic tourists and Middle East visitors.

I had the chance to stay at the Meritus Pelangi Resort. Promoted as the ‘resort nearest to the airport’, the 35-acre resort is situation right at the northern tip of Pantai Cenang, or Cenang Beach.

Source: Meritushotels.com

(more…)

24 September 16