Pan Pacific Singapore

The Pan Pacific Singapore is my most frequented and definitely one of my favourite hotels in Singapore. Situated near Marina Bay, the hotel offers a luxurious escape for the city dweller despite being right smack in the middle of all the action. The hotel underwent a major refurbishment that was completed in 2012. As an almost permanent structure in one of Singapore's most prominent area, I was pleasantly surprised to see what has been done to the hotel internally. 

At check-in, I was upgraded to a Harbour Studio from a Panoramic Room as a Platinum GHA member. Be mindful that the check-in area can be quite messy during peak hours and there isn't usually a clear line for checking in. While staff are generally eager to help you, I found that many of the front office staff lacked initiative in organising guests. 

The Harbour Studio room was spacious and it even offered a separate mini-bar area with bar stool. I had a really good view of the iconic Marina Bay area from my room. The room came with a Nespresso machine which meant that you could enjoy decent instant coffee (not an oxymoron I hope) while gazing out into the magnificent view. There were also automatic curtains for your convenience (which proved to be of great value in the morning and before bedtime).

My favourite part of the room has got to be the bathroom which comes equipped with a stylish and deep bathtub. I personally would not recommend the Deluxe and Deluxe Balcony room types since they do not come with a bathtub and are generally on lower floors. A wide range of amenities from Elemis were provided in this room. A small tin of bath salt (single use) was also provided by the tub. Devices can be connected via HDMI ports located near the work desk to be displayed on the 37" LCD TV. The bathroom also came with inbuilt speakers which meant that you could enjoy watching your videos while taking a deep soak. This hotel, like the Holiday Inn Singapore Atrium, boasts a spectacular view of the atrium from above. 

The night view of the Marina Bay area is absolutely magnificent from the room. You can watch the laser and light show from Marina Bay Sands and I do believe that these rooms are absolutely perfect for the National Day fireworks display. The hotel is located near many eating places like the Makansutra Glutton's Bay which offers delicious hawker food at a reasonable price. Additionally, there are also many shopping malls around the area and as such, dining options are aplenty. 

There is also a complimentary turndown service that you can request for should you require one.

The breakfast at Rise restaurant is definitely one of the best that I have had in Singapore. There is a huge selection of breakfast ranging from light pastries to noodles and Chinese dim sum. It is worth noting that there is likely to be a line from approximately 930am so be down slightly earlier to enjoy breakfast before heading up for one final soak. 

The room rates in Pan Pacific Singapore do not come cheap so I strongly recommend shopping around online travel booking websites or contacting your travel agent for a better rate. I found the rates listed directly on the website to be quite expensive unless you're going for an advance booking rate (which does not include breakfast). Personally, I think that the breakfast at this property is a must. The quality and variety offered at the Edge restaurant are both sophisticated and extensive. 

Pan Pacific Singapore
7 Raffles Boulevard, Marina Square, Singapore 039595
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PARKROYAL on Pickering St

The PARKROYAL on Pickering St, a PARKROYAL Collection hotel that received the BCA Green Mark Platinum Award is a beauty and in some sense, a marvel in hotel architecture. Participating in the Global Hotel Alliance (GHA) programme, members can enjoy a range of benefits and privileges depending on membership tier.  

I made a reservation for an Orchid Club Deluxe room for my birthday and was told that I was upgraded for being a Platinum member under the GHA program. However, I realised that no upgrades in terms of room tiers were made - I probably enjoyed a room on a higher floor as a result of this "upgrade". 

Exclusive Orchid Club Lounge Privileges

• Complimentary welcome drink
• All-day refreshments
• Champagne breakfast
• Afternoon tea
• Evening cocktails (6.00pm – 8.00pm). Club guests are allowed to invite one guest up at no additional charge.
• Exclusive access to outdoor rooftop terraces

Business and Housekeeping Services

• Complimentary in-room wired and wireless Internet access
• Priority check-in and check-out
• Complimentary  local calls
• Housekeeping services (twice daily)
• Two pieces of laundry per day, accumulative during your stay
• Suit pressing (two pieces upon arrival)
• Shoe shine service available from 7.30am to 10.00pm
• Complimentary non-alcoholic executive bar
• 20% savings on all Business Centre services

Dining and Leisure

• 20% savings at Lime, the open-kitchen restaurant located at Level 1 (applicable for a la carte menu only)

As seen from the privileges above, club level guests should enjoy (i) priority check-in/check-out and a (ii) complimentary welcome drink. I did not receive both for this stay. While the architecture and design of the property have impressed me, the level of service did not. There were no clear signs or staff around to ensure that guests that were on Club level or those with GHA membership were served first. I was also not offered a welcome drink at the property despite it being listed as one of the privileges. It is worthwhile to note that it is common practice in other properties for Club level guests to check in at the executive lounge instead. 

The room was spacious and it included a extensive range of amenities. My room had a partial view of Clarke Quay which was nice. I also particularly liked the fact that the room enjoyed a lot of natural lighting. There were two automatic blinds that you could control for the bedroom - one for privacy (but still allowed light to come in) and one for sleeping. The room also comes with a Nespresso machine and ground coffee for those who prefer a French Press. There were also a wide range of ports (e.g. HDMI) that allowed you to display your videos on the TV or play music through the TV speakers. 

The sliding doors to the bathroom can be hidden to create a studio-like space (as shown in the photo above). Elemis shower amenities were provided and the bathtub had a backrest which allowed for a comfortable soak while enjoying a good read. Similar to the bedroom, the bathroom also came with two automatic blinds that were controlled separately. 

Unlike other properties that strictly enforce the no-children policy in club lounges (e.g. InterContinental), the PARKROYAL on Pickering takes a more casual approach regarding this. There were even kids in the lounge during the evening cocktail hours. Food in the club lounge was mediocre compared to other properties with similar price point in Singapore. There were very limited food offerings but the staff in the club lounge were largely attentive and enthusiastic.  

There were a number of issues that I have encountered during this stay. Firstly, I was told at check-in that a late checkout would be possible but I received contrasting news the next morning. I was told that I had to check-out by 12pm despite being in a Club room and having Platinum status. Secondly, housekeeping entered my room (while I was in the Club lounge) despite having the Do Not Disturb sign on. She also removed the key card from my room which I later had to replace on my own in the lobby.  

I would say that the property is beautiful on its own and the area surrounding the swimming pool is quite amazing. However, more needs to be done by the management to ensure a higher level of service standard. Whilst the PARKROYAL brand is largely dated in most Asian markets, this property has definitely deviated from the norm by the augmentation of exterior beauty. 

PARKROYAL on Pickering
3 Upper Pickering St, 058289
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Hilton Singapore

The Hilton Singapore is located in a quieter part of Orchard Road and it also houses a shopping arcade that showcases brands like Mulberry, Rolex and Balenciaga among other fashion boutiques. I chose to stay at the Hilton Singapore on Christmas Eve.

I was offered a one-tier room upgrade to a Deluxe Plus room at check-in for being a Hilton Hhonors Gold member. This is essentially is a Deluxe room on a higher floor so it did not really feel like a real upgrade to me. However, I was also given free breakfast (since my room rate did not include this) and in-room internet (usually $5.35). 

The Hilton Hhonors Gold status offers a great deal of benefits for the frequent traveler. I particularly appreciate free breakfast since they can cost quite a bit at hotels. Some of the HIlton Hhonors Gold benefits include (but not limited to):

• 25% bonus on base points,
• Late check-out,
• Spouse stays free (in properties where double occupancy costs more),
• eCheck-in,
• Room upgrades (where available and applicable),
• Free breakfast or bonus points, and
• Complimentary internet. 

Although the room and linen were clean (as you would expect with a five star hotel), the hotel definitely shows sign of age through its tired décor. 

The toiletries were provided by Peter Thomas Roth which I personally adore. I do believe I was offered the same brand of toiletries in Hilton Brisbane when I stayed there a year ago. A bath tablet was also provided for tub usage.

Once again, the bathroom continues to exude signs of age. Like most older hotels, the bathroom came with a bathtub but no separate shower area. Personally for me, the bathroom was too small and the tub definitely leaking as the water stopper was unable to contain the water for a period of time. 

Apart from the leaky bathtub, I encountered a couple more unpleasant incidents during my stay. Firstly, there was a power shortage in my room when using the hairdryer but this was quickly rectified by the technicians on site. Secondly, housekeeping walked in to my room despite having the Do Not Disturb (DND) sign on outside. Thirdly, front office called to ask if I needed help with my luggage (a polite way to ask you to check-out of the room) despite having granted a late check-out time at check-in. Apparently, the late check-out was not updated in their system and so I had to go through the process of asking for one again. 

I will definitely give the hotel another try in the near future because of the location and the associated benefits but I don't think it provides enough for travelers without the Gold status to be charging such a premium in Singapore. 

Hilton Singapore
581 Orchard Rd, 238883
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