From now until 28 December 2014, enjoy a night stay for two guests in a Harbour Studio room with late check-out at 5pm on Sunday with the new Bed, Brunch & Bliss package for S$525++ (S$617.93 Nett). You will also receive complimentary Sunday Champagne Brunch for two at the Edge restaurant. This promotional offer is only valid for stays on Saturday (checking out on Sunday).
Read MoreI have been a Global Hotel Alliance (GHA) Platinum Member for two years now and I've always enjoyed the benefits it has given me. I received a pretty interesting email today stating that Platinum Local Experiences can now be used to redeem for a free night at one of the participating properties in Singapore. Black Local Experiences can be used to redeem for a better room type and across more participating properties.
Read MoreManaged by the Pan Pacific Hotel Group, the PARKROYAL portfolio currently comprises of 17 hotels, resorts and serviced suites across Australia and Asia (inclusive of properties under development). As a strong advocate for the Pan Pacific brand and having stayed in the PARKROYAL on Pickering St and the PARKROYAL Kuala Lumpur, I decided to spend a weekend at the PARKROYAL on Beach Road which is situated just across of Haji Lane and Arab St. It is also highly accessible via public transport - five minutes away from the Nicoll Highway MRT train station and eight minutes away from Bugis MRT train station.
Read MoreNestled away one of the busiest areas of Singapore - Orchard Road, the Pan Pacific Orchard is hidden to offer both convenience and the quiet that may be desired. With the completion of renovations in 2012, the refurbished property with only 206 rooms provide the level of intimacy and privacy that many other luxury hotel chains fail to provide.
I've recently stayed at the Pan Pacific Orchard in an Executive Room, after being upgraded from a Premium Room (one of the benefits of having Platinum status in the Global Hotel Alliance Discovery Programme. I was also given a late checkout until 3pm as a Platinum member (instead of 12pm). Consequently, if you are a member of a major airline partner, you may also earn miles on each qualifying stay. As a Krisflyer member, I earn 500 miles per stay (which makes short stays more lucrative).
The check-in process was swift as I am a returning guest. Upon presentation of my credit card (and NRIC/Passport for first time visitors), I received confirmation that my room was ready and was informed of the breakfast timing (0600hrs to 1030hrs). Newspaper and wakeup call preferences were then confirmed before I was being directed towards my room.
Pan Pacific Orchard - Executive Room
The most important things to me for a staycation (in order of importance) include:
The Executive Room boasts a deep bathtub, a comfy king-sized bed and a range of toiletries from Elemis. Unfortunately though, similar to my previous visit, the view was nothing to be excited about. I had a view of the swimming pool downstairs but the general view was blocked by the architecture of the hotel building with constructions happening outside the hotel area.
Pan Pacific Orchard - Executive Room (Bathroom)
Breakfast at 10 on Claymore was not extensive and whilst it did contain a variety of items as listed below, there were only about 3-4 items for each major category.
Breakfast Food Category:
Pan Pacific Orchard
10 Claymore Road, Singapore 229540
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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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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
Business and Housekeeping Services
Dining and Leisure
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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