Tag: hotel

REVIEW: The Four Seasons Sydney, Deluxe Partial Harbour Room

Nested right in the heart of Sydney CBD, Four Seasons Sydney is a classic and elegant hotel fitting right into the cityscape that offers comfort especially for those who loves large spacious hotels.

Four Seasons Sydney lobby

Located right next to the Rocks and Circular Quay, Four Seasons Sydney is literally a stones’ throw away from Sydney’s most iconic landmarks: Sydney Opera House is a 10-minute walk away, Museum of Contemporary Art is a few blocks beside, and if you are there on the weekend, the weekend market at the Rocks is around the corner.

The Hotel

A full five-star hotel, the 531-room property is arguably one of the best maintained luxury property in Sydney.

The hotel opened in 1982 as The Regent hotel, which was later managed by Four Seasons from 1992. The hotel was only rebranded as a Four Seasons hotel in 2002. The hotel has since gone through several refurbishments, with the last major one in 2009 for all the rooms. Some of the more exclusive suites were also further enhanced in 2011.

The property comes with a full on-property restaurant (more about that later), a full spa and 24-hour fitness centre.

24-hour fitness centre, adjacent to spa

The hotel is situated on a slope, with the front entrance facing George St and a secondary entrance on Harrington St which leads directly to level 3. There is a mobile porter service that operates at level 3 too, where they can store and deliver your luggage to your room while you go and check in at the lobby.

On level 3, there’s also several ballrooms and function rooms for conferences and events, which saw a fair amount of activities during my stay there.

There is also a Club Lounge for eligible guests on the 32nd floor, which I didn’t manage to check out on this trip.

The Room

There are two room types, the Deluxe and Premier Rooms, as well as five suite types, including the Junior Suite and Club Suite. The most epulent suites include the Royal Suite, the Deluxe Royal Suite and Presidential Suite.

Deluxe Room, 23 glorious square metres

For the rooms, they come with three kinds of views: the city view, the partial harbour view, and the full harbour view, and of course any view of the harbour comes with a premium in price. Rooms with Club access are all situated on 31st to 33rd floor, which guarantees an unobstructed view.

The suites come with at least a partial harbour view, and all suite guests are guaranteed club access too (except junior suites).

I stayed in a Deluxe Partial Harbour Room on the 30th floor, with what I think is already an excellent view overlooking Circular Quay and the Sydney Opera House. I typically don’t believe in paying a premium for a good view from my room, but this was definitely a treat so you may wish to consider paying the extra.

At 23 square metres, the room was rather small by Australian standards, but incredibly well adorned. The room was decked out in classic wooden furniture including the bed, TV console and the wardrobe, along with other elegant fitting that added to the luxurious feel.

The Four Seasons Bed: a worthy contender against Westin’s Heavenly Bed

I need to talk about the signature Four Seasons bed: it was arguably one of the best sleeps I had in a hotel in a while. The bed was firm, but topped with a fluffy layer that provided maximum comfort and support no matter what kind of a sleeper you are.

The pillows were abundant, and yet not overwhelming to disrupt the sleep. You could also request for other type of pillows if you were into firmer ones. The duvet was perfect for me too as it was warm and weighted, since I never liked thin blankets. I knocked out at 11pm and had an uninterrupted sleep all through till morning.

The bathroom was laid with marble, a touch that is rare to see in newer hotels today. Featuring a bathtub and a separate shower stall, along with a simple vanity, the space was very well used and you don’t feel like it’s too small.

Bathroom with a touch of class

APPELLES was the choice of amenity at Four Seasons Sydney, an organic Australian brand.

What I really loved about the hotel is its attention to detail when it comes to service. It provides twice daily housekeeping, once in the morning to refresh the room and once in the evening to turn down for the night.

What was great was not only the bedside water and glass, but also the bathrobe being conveniently placed beside the bathtub, a very minor but impressive detail. And as you know, only top tier hotels in Sydney provides complimentary bottled water, most other Australian hotels will charge you for it.

Adaptor in every room

Breakfast

Breakfast was at Mode, the in-house restaurant located at the lobby. Serving up Australian fare during lunch and dinner hours, the restaurant was most recently renovated not too long ago and now features a modern space for all-day dining.

Mode Kitchen & Bar, featuring all-day Australian dining

Mode serves up an incredible spread, from pastries, hot entrees, a wide cereal and oatmeal bar, and also some Asian offerings such as congee and miso soup. Of notable mention is the quality of the pastries, from the simple crossiant to the rewarding blueberry cheese tart, the baked goods at breakfast is certain worth breaking any diet plans you have.

Breakfast at Mode

What’s worth mentioning is the impeccable service at Mode. My table was cleared at the first instance when I’m done, and when I decide to go for seconds a while later, i found a new set of cutlery when I returned, and another glass of water to go with it.

Also, for those who are in a mood for some bubblies to go with your breakfast, Mode also serves mimosas up for AUD10 a glass, which is incredibly affordable.

If your room doesn’t come with breakfast, you can walk in for a choice of buffet or ala carte breakfast.

My take

Admittedly, I will usually not choose such a hotel in the heart of town if I had to spend my own money, given that the facade seem rather dated and its on a rather pricey end. However, having experienced what’s on the inside, it’s definitely incredibly good value given its excellent location and facilities for guests.

Welcome amenity in room

Overall, Four Seasons Sydney is an excellent hotel to be in: heart of Sydney CBD and has everything you want in a hotel from an excellent bar to a quality spa, plus good views to boot. While on the pricier end, you will be hard pressed to find another hotel for better value for money that you pay for hotels in this city.

Hotel details

199 George Street
Sydney, NSW 2000
Australia
Tel. 61 (2) 9250-3100

Deluxe rooms start from AUD340, Club rooms from AUD590 (all-in). Book here.

The stay was sponsored by Destination New South Wales.

9 June 18
REVIEW: Intercontinental Hotel Singapore, Club Heritage Room
Tl;dr:
- One of the best club lounges I ever had in Singapore, with the best afternoon tea (scones are superb)
- Full hotel facilities, including an outdoor swimming pool, fully equipped gym and sauna
- Great location on the fringe of city
- Rooms spacious but tired
Club InterContinental, InterContinental Hotel Singapore

I’m not a IHG Rewards member, so in all honesty a stay at a IHG property usually ranks low on my list. Seeing that the Intercontinental Hotel Singapore has got a very good corporate rate this weekend, I snapped up the opportunity to try out – for the first time – this gem of a hotel in the heart of town.

When I first walk up to the glorious lobby, I was escorted to the club lounge for my check-in. Being my first time at the property, I was immediately taken in by the design of the lounge: spacious, well adorned, boasting a good blend of peranakan ornaments with very tasteful furnishing.

Check-in was a breeze, with most of the work done by the lounge staff while I tuck into a cup of freshly brewed coffee.

A little bit of history first. The hotel is built in 1995, jointly integrated with the adjacent shopping mall Bugis Junction which featured a series of preserved shophouses. When it first opened some people were dismayed that the taller block stuck out like a sore thumb, and decidedly a bad location given it was on the fringe of the CBD.

Fast forward 20 years later the hotel is definitely well placed in an area mixed with shopping, business and culture, so the development definitely paid off.

Most recently, the hotel was last refreshed in 2016, the 403-room property still look as classy as ever, very much living up to the name of an InterContinental property.

The Heritage Room

Club Heritage Room

I stayed put in the Heritage Room, which tucked away from the main 16-storey block, along one row of the preserved shophouses. While it was quite a stroll to the room, the rooms are charmingly housed in two rows. The only hint of it being built into what used to be shophouses is the crooked corridor that veers off one way – the only reason being the old handbuilt nature of these shophouses that did not rely on heavy machinery and precision measurements that enables today’s grand architectural feats.

The room is spacious, in a sense that’s similar to properties built in that era. Spanning 38 square metres the room can comfortably house a small family, or perhaps a little cosy gathering with friends (but please do check on the guest policies first). I love the fact that there’s a bathtub that I can soak in, which is becoming a rarity as newer hotels begin to do away with them.

Heritage Room bathroom

Agraia bath amenities

The room is a little dated; you can see that the furniture is starting to look kind of tired, such as the visible scratches off the furnishing. Last refurbished in 2011, it’s a few years shy of a decade old, which is decidedly dated given the heavy use of the rooms. The bathroom gives off another sign of age, especially around the edges. Having said that, the room is still incredibly clean and well maintained.

The Heritage Rooms doesn’t come with a Nespresso machine (which I hear is available in higher class rooms) but instead comes with instant freeze-dried coffee and TWG teabags.

Fruit platter and atas still water

In the evening the hotel also provides a turn down service, and I was pleasantly surprised to find a fruit bowl and a complimentary bottle of still water being placed on the table as well despite the fact that I wasn’t a high tier loyalty member. A very nice gesture, even though I typically am too lazy to have the fruits.

Club InterContinental Lounge

This has got to be one of the most amazing hotel lounges I have been in Singapore. Having been to a couple in Singapore, including an incredibly underwhelming one at JW Marriott, the Club InterContinental Lounge has really impressed me.

Spacious club lounge, adorned with Peranakan infused decor

First let’s talk about the decor. The entire hotel is decked out in Peranakan (Straits Chinese) feels. This is the same in the club, where instead of the usual grandeur you get out of a teak and marble combination, you get wood-carved screens, oversized chairs and couches with rattan insets. Chinese porcelain decorations are littered everywhere, including an oversized bowl that serves as a basin in the washroom.

For the uninitiated, the lounge serves up breakfast daily, as well as an afternoon tea from 2.30pm to 5pm as well as evening cocktails from 6 to 8pm.

I have read good things about the high tea and it was true to what you search online: A three-tier afternoon tea set consisting of scones, savoury sandwiches and sweets, including peranakan cakes. Of course, there’s endless coffees and TWG teas that you can have.

Three-tier afternoon tea, pickings from east and west

Now, I’m a big fan of scones and have been a great advocate of the scones offered by Conrad Centennial Singapore’s lounge, but this is equally good. The only downside? The cream comes in these small little tubs that I have to keep asking for refills for.

I didn’t linger too much for the evening cocktails, given that I had dinner plans but I managed to have a drink and their hot canapes. While they have a small spread of cold food items such as sushi, etc.

As with most other hotels with club benefits, you can either have breakfast at the Club Lounge or at Ash & Elm, the hotel’s signature restaurant (which serves up an awesome brunch on Sundays). While I have not tried Ash & Elm personally before, I have heard about how bad the weekend breakfast crowd can get so I decided to have a quiet breakfast at the lounge.

Club InterContinental breakfast a la carte menu

At 9am the lounge was about half full, and quickly filled up shortly after I was seated. While it was a huge lounge, they were incredibly generous with space – there weren’t many tables available.

Breakfast was a combination of a continental buffet breakfast as well as a ala carte selection of hot plates. As with Pan Pacific Orchard, there was a selection of western and Asian dishes that you can choose from, although I do appreciate the smaller servings so that I can request for more when I want to. The hot plates weren’t as delightful as the ones I had at Pan Pacific Orchard, but still very much decent.

Nasi lemak

I had the nasi lemak, and being overly obsessed with this dish I found the rice too moist (I prefer them to be a little dry and chewy) but the sambal more than made up for it. I also had the oriental breakfast selection, consisting of the congee and the assorted dim sum. The congee was good but I can’t say the same for the dim sum.

The facilities

Being somewhat a cross between a business hotel and a leisure one, the hotel is fully equipped with a range of facilities, including recreational and conference venues.

The hotel is a popular one for conferences and meetings given its central location, as well as banquets. During my stay there, I saw at least two weddings (one in the afternoon and one in the evening) and that certainly added quite a buzz to the common areas at the hotel.

InterContinental Singapore gym

On the recreation end, the outdoor pool is located at level 4, and is somewhat small. The one and only time I checked it out, there were at least two dozen people on deck chairs around it and I can imagine it will feel a little daunting to swim in it.

The gym on the other hand was fairly well equipped and adequately spacious. You could lay out plenty of mats and do a few cartwheels without hitting any machines, which was great. While there wasn’t a squat rack for hardcore hummers (well why would you be doing squats at a hotel gym) but there was at least a smith machine and a good range of dumbbells for a holiday workout.

A bonus – there was a sauna in the changing room, another rarity in newer hotels.

Club Heritage Room – high ceilings but dated furniture

Overall this is a great property. Being so close to shopping venues and right atop a subway station, this is definitely a premium location but yet provides a respite from the buzz of city life if you need some time and space to relax. The incredibly well adorned club lounge with its amazing food and beverage provisions is one to die for, and is definitely value for money. What needs a little more help is definitely a refresh of the rooms. The finer details of the rooms are starting to show signs of age (especially in the heritage wings), so a refurbishment will definitely provide a boost to the already great hotel.
18 March 18
REVIEW: Andaz Singapore, Luxury Room

I first encountered the Andaz brand on a work trip to Shanghai several years back. Not knowing it was a Hyatt brand until I checked in then, I was instantly taken in by the swag that the brand displayed.

One of the quirky thing that caught my attention (along with many other things) was the key cards that Andaz Shanghai offered – a series of bright solid coloured, text-only card that looked like an element from the periodic table.

Rooms level

Now to the main point of this review – Andaz Singapore. The hotel’s landing in Singapore was first announced in January 2015 by Hyatt, and its opening was very much looked forward to by Hyatt fans. Andaz Singapore is the very first Andaz property to open in Southeast Asia, adding to a worldwide portfolio of less than 20 Andaz-branded hotels.

The hotel, as with many new downtown developments in Singapore, is housed in DUO, a mixed use development by the fringe of the city. The hotel provides direct connection to Bugis MRT, and you are minutes away from most shopping areas. Bugis, Arab Street are also within walking distance.

View from the Andaz Singapore Bar Square

The hotel is housed on the 25 to 38 levels of the west block. Andaz Singapore houses 342 guestrooms including 26 suites, with floor-to-ceiling windows and good views all round.

You will feel the difference the moment the lift doors open and you step out into the ‘lobby’ on the 25th floor. Moving away from the conventional check-in desk, Andaz opts for two islands with simply a laptop where the receptionist can assist you with check-in formalities.

Once I’m done, I’m off to my room.

Luxury Room

The first section of the room was the wardrobe area. The bedroom was separated by a small bi-panel door, which was also adorned by a L-shaped sofa. The bathroom sat adjacent to the bathroom, but away from the wardrobe, which was rather strange for me.

As an entry level room and with most new hotels, the room did not come with a bathtub, but instead had a standing shower with a stool. Being by the window also means that the bathroom had plenty of natural light.

Luxury Room – Bathroom

As with all Andaz properties, the in-room minibar’s drinks (except for the beers) were complimentary and will be replenished daily, a nice touch to overpriced minibar prices most other hotel charges. The room also comes with TWG tea and Nespresso coffee machine and pods for all the caffeine addicts.

Complimentary in-room Coffee and Tea

I glanced at the in-room dining menu, and was pleasantly surprised to find that prices were not incredibly expensive. $5 for a 1L bottle of San Pellagrino, $6 for a coffee, and $22 for a three-egg omelette breakfast platter was a very reasonable price for a luxury hotel room service menu.

In-room dining menu

Andaz Singapore really pack a great deal into its lobby floor on the 25th floor. Apart from the check-in desks, 25th floor also houses the swimming pool (more on that later), a multi-dining concept called Alley on 25 peppered all around the level, Bar Square as well as the guest lounge, Sunroom.

Alley on 25, is a series of five restaurants and a bar on the 25th floor (same floor as the lobby) all around, positioned to ‘recreate the concept of Singapore alleyway dining’, according to the marketing spiel. I feel this is just a spin to justify having porous restaurant areas and spilling tables all across the common areas. Alley on 25 serves up a variety of cuisine, such as Auntie’s Wok and Steam (Chinese), Smoke & Pepper (Asian grill) and Green Oven (international).

Auntie’s Wok & Steam

Up on level 38 is another restaurant 665°F, the hotel’s premium halal-certified grillhouse, serving up premium cuts and sustainable seafood. Price point wise, you are looking at $100 for a sole.

If you are looking for a good drink, Bar Square, the hotel’s lobby lounge, overlooks the Bugis district and serves up a wonderful range of cocktails. Happy hour is from 5-8pm daily, incredible deals of $12++ for wines, champagne and all cocktails.

Bar Square

I tried the “Best G&T in the World” (or so they claimed), and while it wasn’t complex like Conrad Centennial’s version, it was still yummy and worth its price. Regular hours aren’t terribly expensive too, with cocktails at $16++, champagne at $88++ per bottle (Delamotte Brut NV), and most bottles of wines going for under $60++.

Drinks menu – prices are the same across all restaurants

In-house guests also enjoy complimentary Lounge Hour at the Sunroom from 5-7pm (4-6pm from 1 January 2018), with complimentary wines during these hours.

The swimming pool was on the same floor as the Alley on 25. To access the pool, you either walk through the various restaurants on the 25th floor to get outside, or walk down from the changing rooms on the 26th floor.

Swimming pool

However, it could be a one-off but the front desk service was not fantastic. Despite knowing it’s my first stay, the staff who checked me in did not offer an introduction of the property and some of the perks (complimentary beverages from the mini bar, lounge hour at the Sunroom, for example), and I had to either enquire or read up myself.

I’m also not a big fan of hotels that take out a few floors of a mixed use development given that the hotel part will usually occupy a limited amount of space resulting in very poor or compact space use. In Andaz’s case, while the rooms were pleasantly sizeable, the lobby was tiny (there were hardly any seats for waiting guests) and the Sunroom and the bar didn’t look like it could contain more than 10% of all in-house guests at full occupancy. The swimming pool was also on the same floor as the lobby, that means that guests will have to walk through the restaurants before they get to the pool.

Nevertheless the stay was still a wonderful one for me, given that Andaz did house several special perks such as complimentary cocktail hours for all guests, free mini-bar as well as one of the best views in town. I will definitely head back for another stay or two!

20 December 17
REVIEW: Aloft Bangkok Sukhumvit 11, Savvy Suite

I came to Bangkok for business this weekend and decided to check out a few hotels along the way. Since I was arriving late into Bangkok late on Wednesday evening, I decided to book the cheapest Starwood property available in town to clock a stay for one night, before moving on to other hotels the next day.

Aloft Bangkok Sukhumvit 11 is my choice this time round, given that their cheapest room went at about THB3000 (S$120). I didn’t book early enough, because there were times where early bird discounts drive the room price as low as THB2400.

Depending on the time of the year, another Starwood property, Four Points by Sheraton Sukhumvit 15 may take the place of being the cheapest Starwood property in Bangkok city, so do check both hotels.

I booked myself into the entry level Chic Room simply because it was only for one night. Or a little over 12 hours, to be exact. Checking in at midnight is definitely not a fantastic way to start a trip and all I wanted was to hit the showers and the bed. There was only one other guest checking in before me (you will imagine that no one checks in at midnight) and I was impatiently waiting for my turn. Kudos to the front desk staff, check-in was very fuss free and quick, and when he handed me the room key, he said the magic words, “We have upgraded you to a suite.” My eyes widened only because I forgot that SPG tends to provide upgrades for their gold and platinum customers, except at resorts!

So I got myself a suite!

Savvy suite – Photo from Starwood.com (source)

To be honest, I wasn’t planning on reviewing this property but since it’s the first time I stayed in a suite at Aloft, why not?

Aloft has a reputation to be the wannabe of W Hotels, almost like a pesky younger sibling. In fact, its tagline – A Vision of W – unabashedly positions itself so. At Aloft Bangkok Sukhumvit 11, you can vouch that this is definitely the party hotel to be at, given the throngs of people streaming in and out of the xwyz bar when I arrived at midnight.

My suite was located on the 31^st floor, just a floor under the top. I’m not a big fan of high floors, particularly when the lifts are few and slow. This was the case with Aloft – not necessarily the slow bit but there were only four lifts.

Living room equipped with a sofa and a dining table

The suite was essentially twice of the regular Chic, Breezy and Urban rooms. There is a certain regularity to the size of the rooms in the entire property (unlike W Bangkok), so there isn’t many ways you can configure them.

The suite consists of a living room and a bedroom, with a bathroom and dressing area that ran the entire length of the room.

Long bathroom with walk-in wardrobe

The bonus that came with the suite was a bathtub – this is the first time I’ve seen a bathtub in an Aloft room. The body soap and shampoo, however, still came in a push pump bottle.

Bathtub – a rarity in Aloft hotels

There were also two vanities with a tray of amenities in between. What puzzled me the most was the bar soap – if Aloft is bent on saving money with the press pumps, why not do it for the bar soap too? There are liquid formula for either facial foams or hand washes.

Savvy suite – Bedroom

The bed was definitely incredibly comfortable, with good sized pillows and mini bolsters that I liked to use. Do note that the suites only came with King beds, so if you definitely need twin beds in your room, you will have to give up the suite for a regular room.

I was feeling a little hungry so I went down to RE:FRESH, which was Aloft’s signature convenience store/café concept across the entire brand, and had saved my life on several occasions with hot food being available late at night. I ordered some lamb meatballs and a drink for THB230. Still pricey by Thailand standards, but hey for a hotel it’s definitely good value.

Outdoor splash pool

The hotel also contains a small gym and an outdoor pool on the 10^th floor. The gym is adequate as long as you are the only person in the gym, while the pool can comfortably contain perhaps a dozen people.

RE:charge – which is essentially a gym

Aloft is most famous for its wxyz bar (similar to W’s woobar) and this property is no exception. The perpetual deal was a 1-for-1 deal from 5-9pm daily, and a buy 2 get one free offer from 9pm onwards. Now that makes it perfectly understandable why it was so crowded.

Location wise, the hotel is located deep within Sukumvit Soi 11. A walk out to the closest BTS station, Nana, is about 10 minutes. The soi (lane) is also inundated with plenty of hotels, including Ambassador hotel, and newly opened Mercure and Holiday Inn Express hotels. As a result, the lane is perpetually packed with vehicles, so be sure to book your Grab or Uber well ahead of time, and leave plenty of time for getting from one place to another. If you are leaving for the airport, suggest you plan for a one hour journey. Besides that, the soi is generally popular with Caucasians and packed with bars – very good if you enjoy the Kuta-style sitting at bars and chugging beers the whole night.

Aloft Bangkok Sukhumvit 11 is generally a good and cheap place to stay in Bangkok if you need to clock SPG nights. The only real downside is its location, which can really be a bummer if you, like me, hate to waste time getting from point to point and prefers a more accessible location.

24 August 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