Hotel Review: Ascott Raffles Place Singapore (Brown Suite) - Fully-Furnished Serviced Apartment in the heart of CBD

After spending more than 35 nights in hotels since Phase 2 of Singapore's reopening, I decided to cash in some of the Ascott Star Rewards (ASR) points that I bought (with a 100% bonus back in August for the Ascott Raffles Place Singapore. Housed within the former Asia Insurance Building (which was first opened back in 1955), the Ascott Raffles Place Singapore has been one of the most prominent serviced apartments in Singapore since 2006.

Dining Room
Brown Suite - Ascott Raffles Place Singapore

There is currently a third night free offer with some of Ascott's properties in Singapore and I managed to book the Ascott Raffles Place Singapore for approximately S$520 nett for three nights. Since I bought ASR Points at a 100% bonus back in August, I effectively paid only S$260 nett for three nights as I used them to offset this reservation. My reservation was initially for a Cutler Suite but I received an upgrade into a much-larger Brown Suite since I was celebrating my birthday and I think it might have something to do with my Platinum Status in the ASR loyalty program (which I got for free using The Platinum Card from American Express.

Living Area
Brown Suite - Ascott Raffles Place Singapore

It goes without saying that the Ascott Raffles Place Singapore is not the swankiest serviced apartment around - the Oakwood Premier AMTD Singapore located just a short stroll away is probably where you would want to look if you are interested in a relatively new property. With that said, I was genuinely surprised at the immaculate state my suite at the Ascott Raffles Place Singapore was in when I stayed in early November 2020. The Brown Suite is two categories above the lead-in suite category (Cutler Suite) and it measures 75 sqm in size. Considering how close this property is to Raffles Place (it is literally one street (less than a 5-minutes stroll) away from the MRT Station, the size of this suite is massive.

Powder Room
Brown Suite - Ascott Raffles Place Singapore

Located near the entrance of the suite is a powder room - the half bathroom is perfect if you have guests over since they do not have to walk into your bedroom and main bathroom just to use the toilet. I did find it odd that hand soap was not provided in this room though so you might have to grab either the bar soap or a bottle of body wash from the main bathroom before having your friends over.

Welcome Amenities
Brown Suite - Ascott Raffles Place Singapore

I am not exactly sure whether everyone staying at the Ascott Raffles Place Singapore receives this but I received a plate of fresh fruits, some biscuits, two cans of Coke No Sugar (hell yes!), and a few bottles of water with my stay. Perhaps the welcome amenity changes based on your elite status and/or duration of stay but as I have mentioned earlier, I actually do hold Platinum status in the ASR program which is complimentary from The Platinum Card that I have. As I did mention that I will be celebrating my birthday, the hotel has also kindly arranged two slices of cake from Rive Gauche and I found them in the refrigerator with no celebratory note - I hope they were actually for me and not leftovers from the previous stay (most likely not!).

Living Area
Brown Suite - Ascott Raffles Place Singapore

The Brown Suite comes with a separate living and dining area which can be partitioned off away from the bedroom, making this beautiful space a great option for those looking to entertain friends and family (just be sure to keep to the 5-person limit as Safe Management Measures in Singapore are still in place). At the time of check-in, I was also told that a strict no-party rule applies and all guests will have to leave by 10:30 PM in accordance with the measures so do take note of that if you are planning a get-together. There is a Bose sound system here in the living room so if you are planning a movie marathon, the living room is where you would want to hang out in.

Kitchen
Brown Suite - Ascott Raffles Place Singapore

One of the greatest advantage that a serviced apartment has over a hotel room is access to a kitchen - the Brown Suite also comes complete with a dishwasher, microwave oven, full-size refrigerator (with a freezer so you can buy ice-cream!), laundry machine (with dryer) and two spots on the induction cooktop for you to prepare your meals. While I do not typically have the habit of cooking at home (I did spend five years abroad so I reckon I have done enough cooking for myself to last a lifetime), I did find the whole experience quite novel and being able to prepare a meal with your friends and loved ones is actually quite special.

Nespresso Coffee Capsules and Tea Bags
Brown Suite - Ascott Raffles Place Singapore

The Brown Suite also comes with a basic Nespresso coffee machine and plenty of Nespresso capsules were provided. While the box typically holds four capsules, a total of ten capsules were provided - while I will not go through all ten capsules in a night, I do appreciate the generosity as believe it or not, little things like that actually reveal a lot about management and business operations. Perhaps it was because I arrived on a Saturday (and housekeeping does not come in on a Sunday) but I would be interested to know if that is the usual number of capsules that everyone receives. As always, this is not a media stay so it is not special treatment in case you are wondering.

Bedroom
Brown Suite - Ascott Raffles Place Singapore

The bedroom of the Brown Suite is located right next to the living room and it can be partitioned off by closing the bedroom doors. There is a sizeable work desk which is located next to the bed and this turned out to be a great spot for me to work on a few things during my stay - universal power outlets can be found on the side of the bed and an extension cord is inside one of the drawers under the table if you need more juice for your devices.

Bedroom
Brown Suite - Ascott Raffles Place Singapore

The king-size bed itself is actually really comfortable and the mattress on the firmer side. One thing that really surprised me during the stay is how good the air-conditioning actually is - I love sleeping in the cold (18 degrees is perfect for me) so I am usually a little cautious when it comes to older buildings as the HVAC is typically problematic but the Ascott Raffles Place Singapore was perfect.

More Welcome Amenities
Brown Suite - Ascott Raffles Place Singapore

When I got to the bedroom, I noticed that there were more welcome amenities that have been placed on the bed - a bottle of red wine, a box of chocolates, and a bag of random items which included things like a tiny portable speaker (seriously it was almost the size of a 50-cent coin), some cables and a notebook. There was also a towel swan which made me feel as if I was in a tacky resort but I do appreciate the small touches that the Ascott Raffles Place Singapore provides to welcome her guests - trying hard is definitely better than not trying at all.

View from Bedroom
Brown Suite - Ascott Raffles Place Singapore

The Brown Suite that I stayed in was located on one of the higher floors so I actually had quite a nice view of the CBD from the bedroom and living room. While the office buildings around do obstruct the view, you can peek into Marina Bay at a distance and I actually enjoyed a really nice walk around the bay area on one of the days. The location of the Ascott Raffles Place Singapore is truly amazing if you are here for work - you are just minutes away from most international offices and even though I was here for a staycation, I had my gym and cycling studio located just minutes away on foot so that was fantastic.

Bedroom
Brown Suite - Ascott Raffles Place Singapore

The bedroom is actually quite large and this is also where you will find the main bathroom (apart from the half bathroom which is located near the entrance of your suite). There is also a separate TV here in the bedroom so you do not have to head outside just to watch your favourite television programs but something tells me that most of us travel with our own personal devices (e.g. iPad or laptop) now anyway.

Walk-in Wardrobe
Brown Suite - Ascott Raffles Place Singapore

Located between the bedroom and the main bathroom is a rather large walk-in wardrobe with a dressing table at the very end. Considering how this is a serviced apartment, there is actually plenty of space for you to hang your clothes and display your shoes here. If you are looking for a way to switch off the wardrobe lights at night, the smaller light switches (in black) are located on the top of each side - I spent 30 seconds trying to switch the lights off from outside. Laundry service is also provided by the property at a charge but if you are doing just some light washing, there is a laundry machine with a built-in dryer function located near the fridge outside.

Bathroom
Brown Suite - Ascott Raffles Place Singapore

The bathroom that is attached to the bedroom is a full bathroom with a separate shower and bath area, as well as a toilet on the other side. Other amenities like cotton buds, toothbrush, and vanity kits are provided on the side if you have forgotten to bring yours along.

Bathroom
Brown Suite - Ascott Raffles Place Singapore

The bathroom of the Brown Suite looks fairly similar to the one in the lead-in room category, Cutler Suite - there is a deep soaking bathtub here but it is actually quite small so you can’t quite fully extend your legs while you are in it. While the bathroom does look out to the bedroom, you can easily lower the roller blinds for privacy if you need it. Otherwise, getting a bit of natural light in this space is quite nice (since it is generally quite dark throughout). Located right next to the bathtub is a separate shower area which comes with a rain shower and a set of bath amenities.

Bath Amenities
Brown Suite - Ascott Raffles Place Singapore

Bath amenities are provided by APPELLES and they are in relatively large pump bottles - there is a set by the sink and another set in the shower area. These are also replenished during your stay if you run out but honestly, you are probably not going to use them all up during a short stay - I went through only half a bottle for each product during my 3-night stay and I shower a lot before and after workouts.

Continental Breakfast
RELISH - Ascott Raffles Place Singapore

My stay at the Ascott Raffles Place Singapore came with daily continental breakfast (even on weekends) and it was served at RELISH. In-house guests who have a breakfast-inclusive rate can apparently opt for takeaway as well (I was offered that on a Monday) but I didn’t return the next day as the spread was fairly basic - the chicken protein of the day was nuggets and chicken bites so I was not particularly interested. With that said, it could still probably be a nice option for business travellers who want to grab a light bite before work. The breakfast at Ascott Raffles Place Singapore is not something to look forward to but let’s be honest - you didn’t come here for the food, right?

Dining Room
Brown Suite - Ascott Raffles Place Singapore

All in all, the Ascott Raffles Place Singapore was a much nicer stay than I had initially expected - I have been to really nice properties (and splurged quite a bit) since Phase 2 of Singapore’s reopening (35 nights to be exact!) but this property surprisingly ranks amongst some of my favourite stays. With the third night free offer, you can get three nights at the Ascott Raffles Place Singapore from just S$520 nett and that is an absolute steal - as I have mentioned earlier, if you were smart enough to purchase the ASR Points at a 100% bonus back in August, the effective rate for three nights will start from just S$260 nett which is ridiculous (and I am pretty sure the hotel can’t even make a profit).

Ascott Raffles Place Singapore
2 Finlayson Green, Singapore 049247
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