Tag: Singapore

REVIEW: InterContinental Robertson Quay, Club InterContinental Studio Room

Having had a fantastic experience with InterContinental Singapore several weeks ago, I decided to check out its newer sibling in town, InterContinental Robertson Quay.

Opened in 2017, the property is one of the many hotels that sprouted up in the Robertson Quay area in recent years, including M Social, Warehouse Hotel and the recently refurbished Four Points by Sheraton (although technically not a new hotel).

IHG together with owners RB Capital announced the hotel back in 2014. It was rather surprising for IHG to open up a second InterContinental brand in Singapore, given the rather small market.

I booked the room through the IHG website. The rooms are fairly straightforward: the entry level room was the Classic Studio or Deluxe rooms, before moving on to the Club Rooms and finally, the Suites. All Club rooms and Suites also get access to the Club InterContinenal Lounge.

A thing to note is that InterContinental Robertson Quay does not offer twin beds in their entry level Studio rooms. For twin beds, you will need to select the Deluxe Rooms which are typically about S$60 more.

A couple of days later I received an email advising me that I have indicated that I preferred a twin bed (which I didn’t), and that I can upgrade to a Deluxe Room for a fee. I wrote that to say that I could keep the room as is, given that I did not opt for a twin bed. They wrote back again to confirm my option.

What really bugged me was the fact that they have addressed me as Ms, rather than Mr, on both occasions, even though I have corrected them the first time round. And this was not the only service lapse in my opinion (more about that later).

The Hotel

When I arrived at the hotel, I was rather excited by the exterior of the hotel: modern and classy. Taking the lift up to the lobby, I was rather impressed by elegance of the fittings and the decor.

Being a mixed-used building, the hotel is fairly compact. The arrival lobby is on the ground floor, while the hotel lobby is on the fourth, where the Club InterContinental can be found also.

So this was where I thought the service could have been a lot more polished. I walked up to the check-in counter, completely forgotten that I could have gone to the Club InterContinental Lounge to check in. The host went to retrieve my reservation, and didn’t offer to bring me to the Club Lounge to check in as well. Having said that, the check-in process was pretty fuss free. However, later that evening I received a call from the Reception, and they were rather abashed to mention that they have retained my ID by mistake, which I didn’t realise as well.

The hotel is a mixed use complex: the first couple of floors were devoted to F&B, including their anchor restaurant, Publico, along with 1880 on the second floor. The rooms took up levels 5 to 10.

Given the size of the property, there were hardly space for anything else. The swimming pool was on level 4 as well, in full view of the lobby lounge. The fitness centre is on the ground floor, outside of the property and enclosed fully by glass, which means you are working out in full view of the public.

The Room

At 23 sqm, the room is tiny by a five star hotel standard, but the norm for new hotels. Nevertheless, the design was rather ingenious: the bathroom is integrated with the bedroom so it looks incredibly spacious, without taking precious space away from the room.

The toilet is tucked away in its own corner, while the vanity and the shower cubicle is part of a open concept bathroom nearer to the door. For complete privacy, there’s also a sliding door that separates the bath area (along with the wardrobe) from the bedroom, so that means that if your room companion is taking a shower, there’s no way for you to exit the room or access the wardrobe.

Despite its size, the room is power packed – it has a good sized bed, a side armchair complete with an ottoman, as well as a fold-down seat from the wall to accommodate more people; a Nespresso machine for DIY coffee, Gryphon tea with a kettle and tea cups, as well as other amenities you will expect in a top-end hotel room.

What’s also worth mentioning is the innovative design of the minibar: it’s a pull out drawer refrigerator. There’s also an in-room bar, complete with a shaker and instructions on how to make your own cocktails from espresso martini to gin and tonic, with every ingredient you need somewhere in the bar, including olives, vermouth and juices. Of course it comes at a price, but hey the menu includes an all-in price, so why not?

Club InterContinental lounge

The Club InterContinental serves up daily breakfast, afternoon tea and evening cocktails. Having remembered an excellent afternoon tea at InterContinental Singapore, I decided to go stuff my face after checking in.

Afternoon tea at the lounge is served daily from 2 to 4pm. The afternoon tea is similarly served on a three-tier stand, consisting of sweet and savoury snacks, including mini pastries, cakes and scones. When it’s first served up, instinctively the presentation failed to wow me. I am a big fan of scones: I went for them first and was deeply disappointed at how cold the scone was, and the lack of taste in the cream. The rest of the items were fine, but not incredibly memorable.

What was incredibly dismal was the fact that from the time I walked into the Lounge until I found myself a seat on the outdoor patio, no one came by to say hi or asked if I would like anything. On top of that, I had to go up to a staff twice to request for something. In all fairness, I mentioned this to one staff later on and service has remarkably improved since then.

When I came back and check out the evening cocktails at 6pm, the lounge was noticeably empty. Within the first half hour, I counted no more than 10 people in the lounge although it got visibility more crowded as the sky turned dark. However, never once was the lounge full.

As for the canapés on offer, it definitely pales in comparison to the Bugis property. While there’s a hot plate served, the ‘buffet’ spread consisted of some cold canapés, including smoked salmon with mango and some bread and butter.

Having said that, the alcohol more than made up for the lacklustre food. My staple for the night was the Prosecco, but I heard good things about their cocktails and took a try with their signature Quayside Sling (a cherry and gin cocktail) which delivered on its promise (probably the only thing that made me happy the entire day).

The next morning, I went back to the Club InterContinental Lounge for a quiet breakfast service. I liken the spread to be similar to what Westin Singapore provides: a smaller buffet, but with a small cooked to order menu. The host recommended their signature Sou Vide Eggs Benedict, so I ordered that along with the pancakes with berries. As it turns out, I very much preferred the pancakes over the eggs benedict.

My take

In summary, the property is excellent in its build: the rooms are compact but well purposed, and in fact I haven’t seen any other rooms so efficiently and yet elegantly designed in such a long time now. the Club lounge is adequate in its purpose. However, there are many gaps that need to be addressed, such as the quality of food in the Club Lounge, as well as the lacklustre service.

Overall it is definitely still a good business property given its proximity to city, but I will stop short of recommending this hotel for leisure travellers who will like to shell out $400 a night for a Club lounge. For that, I’ll still suggest they go back to the InterContinenal Singapore where you get much more value for money.

27 April 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
FLIGHT REVIEW: Singapore Airlines A330-300 Regional Business Class, Taipei – Singapore

Singapore Airlines / 28 Aug 17 / A330-300 / SQ879 TPE-SIN / Business Class

While planning for my weekend trip to Taipei I realised that Sunday evening flights back to Singapore were getting really expensive, so I decided to burn some miles as a treat to get home on Singapore Airline’s business class, partly to review the SilverKris lounge at Taipei airport which hardly had any reviews online (for good reasons).

Singapore Airlines A330-300 regional business class

Some people may not believe that short haul business class tickets are worth burning miles on, but I beg to differ. At 27,500 miles (each way) for a saver redemption (and this is after SQ scrapped the 15% discount for online redemptions), I do feel that the Singapore-Taipei sector is still worth the miles given that it’s the farthest SQ sector within the Hong Kong/Taiwan/South China region. By contrast, Singapore-Male is comparable in terms of flight time, but it will cost you another 7,500 miles in business class.

Singapore Airlines Business Class cabin

In terms of value per mile, given that SIN-TPE business class tickets on SQ trends around $2,200 round-trip, that translates to a redemption value of 3.9c per mile.

Airport experience

Singapore Airlines operates out of Terminal 2 at Taipei Taoyuan International Airport. With two flights a day, the check-in counter opens 2.5 hours before each flight and closes 40 minutes before the flight. While you can check-in conveniently online 48 hours before the flight, you will need to drop your bags from the counters at airport within the stipulated times. Note that there is no early check-in facility at Taipei airport, although I don’t see why you will want to go early given the distance from downtown and the lack of offerings at the airport or the lounge.

Given the flight volume, there usually isn’t a long queue. Just a tip: if you need to do tax refunds, remember to do it at the bridge towards the car park at Level 3 before you check-in otherwise it will be quite a backtrack from the check-in counters.

Soon after clearing immigration and security, I made my way to the SilverKris lounge a level above the main shopping floor to check out the lounge.

The aircraft

About 30 minutes before the scheduled departure time, I made my way to the gate thinking that boarding should have commenced. Alas, boarding had still not commenced when I got to the gate.

The bird

When boarding commenced I was one of the first few to enter the aircraft. Like many airlines, Singapore Airlines lay out its newspapers and magazines on a trolley right outside the aircraft door. I picked out two magazines and made my way to my seat at 11A. After the aircraft door has closed, I was delighted to find out that the seat next to me was going to be empty – oh what a joy!

The aircraft for this flight was a A330-300, featuring a two-class cabin consisting 30 seats in business class and 255 seats in economy. Singapore Airlines uses the A330-300 for most all of its short and some mid-haul flights, including Japan, Australia and India. In business class, this means a 2-2-2 configuration with seats by the window not having direct aisle access.

The back of the Business Class seat, with footrest nested under the seat in front of you

Given that the flights that the A330-300 serves range from Kuala Lumpur to Nagoya, the business cabin features a regional business class seat product. While SQ touts them as a ‘flat bed’ (which is technically correct), do note that in the bed mode the bed is at a slight incline of 172 degrees. Not the best product for overnight flights, so be sure to note the aircraft type when you book.

However, for short haul and day flights, the seat is an absolute delight to be in. At 24.5 inch wide, the seat is incredibly generous in terms of space with a great cushion and back to boot. While the airline post its seat pitch at 60 inches, this includes the space under the seat in front of you. I was at a bulkhead seat (or first row for laymen) so the leg room didn’t feel as generous.

Control panel for the seat under the armrest

The seat controls were a little hard to figure out. Even though it wasn’t the first time I have been on the seat, it still took me a while to remember where to find the seat controls, USB ports and headphone sockets were. Storage wasn’t fantastic too – there was a small strange pocket by the side of the seat that allows you to slot in your laptop. Be careful if you wish to use that space to put your tablet/iPad in, because it might be hard to retrieve if you have got thick hands.

The Service

As with other airlines, business class passengers always board first and that also means that they will be served a pre-take off beverage while waiting for boarding to complete. When I first came on board, almost like clockwork, the stewardess came by and asked if I liked a glass of Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve champagne or juice. No prizes for guessing which I went for.

Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve champagne

Soon after take off, the crew came around to take around round of orders for drinks, while they prepare for meal service. This time I went for a coffee, which was served with a small tray of warm nuts.

Coffee and warm nuts

Meal service commenced about an hour into flight. The appetizer was a beautifully plated antipasto of marinated prawn with smoked chicken and mozzarella, with balsamic dressing.

Appetizer – Antipasto of prawns with smoked chicken

While the options for today’s lunch looked fantastic in the menu, I have pre-ordered the Seared Lamb Loin with Jus through the Book the Cook service on Singapore Airlines’ website before my flight.

The Book the Cook service is one of the industry’s best and possibly one of SQ’s unique proposition for its premium customers. Offering a dozen choices from most of the destinations that SQ flies out of, you will always find something that you like from the list.

Singapore Airlines Book the Cook – Seared Lamb Loin

On the website, the dish was described to be a “seared lamb loin with jus, crushed pea with mint, leek and olive oil mashed potato”. However, the presentation leaves much to be desired. I figured that mash potatoes, or anything mashed for that matter, is just a bad idea for in-flight meals. The lamb loin was rather nicely done though.

My choice of dessert was the Haagen Dazs mango sorbet, which was way too sweet for me. If it was that sweet at 35,000 feet, I’m not sure how it will be on ground.

Mango sorbet

Dinner service was over in under an hour, and with a final drink service, the crew pretty much left us alone until the end of the flight.

The entertainment

The Singapore Airlines in-flight entertainment system, KrisWorld, is touted to be one of the world’s best. In this month, the KrisWorld magazine (yes, the IFE comes with its own magazine) touted over 250 movies and more than 600 TV shows. Being an Asian airline, Singapore Airlines definitely has a rather decent selection of Chinese, Japanese and Korean films with a total of over 50 options to choose from. Definitely a plus point for me.

My 11A entertainment screen – a bit too far from me

Of course, I had to indulge in a Chinese film, which is constantly a pain point for me when I fly with Qantas for their lack of selection.

Overall the flight was definitely enjoyable – at 27,500 miles for a redemption business class ticket, this is definitely a value-for-miles redemption to travel in style either to or from Taipei.

The short side of this trip was the lacklustre Taipei SilverKris lounge, which you are better off without. Also, Singapore Airlines has long gotten away without offering frills such as amenity kits and pyjamas for their business class customers. While the relatively short flight doesn’t warrant the frills, but providing a well thought designed kit will definitely boost its ‘class above the rest’ status, just like how wildly popular its 70^th anniversary limited edition amenity kit was received.

It’s true that the reigonal cabin product looked rather tired, but they are definitely still highly comfortable. Coupled with the right Business Class menu, the experience can still be pretty lux and worth the miles, or money.

23 October 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