The Hotel
The hotel’s grandeur is present from the moment you walk into the lobby. On the walls are the largest contemporary art collections in the region, many of them specially commissioned for the hotel and others purchased from museums. The hotel, designed by architect Kevin Roche, has soft tones of stone and marble with oriental touches throughout. In the main lobby the specially commissioned piece “the Cornucopia” that hangs from the ceiling and takes your breath away.
The Premier Suite
The Living Room
The luxury corner suite has iconic views of Marina Bay and the city. The suite has a separate bedroom and spacious living room with a luxurious marble bathroom. The interiors have warm and mild tones with light pinks and creams with teak wood. The placement of the mirrors ensures a feeling of spaciousness and while sliding doors between the rooms do allow for privacy.
There is a large screen TV complete with Bose sound system, a large work desk with international plugs and a host of stationary from paper clips, staplers, white-out, highlighters and sticky notes for those with a work mind-set. Other amenities include, Nespresso machine with tea and coffee, a kettle, ice bucket and glassware. For COVID-19 reasons the mini-bar has been removed, but you can call and order items from a list.
The Bedroom
The bedroom is beautiful and spacious with views to match the rest of the suite. We found ourselves hanging around the window gazing out at the beautiful Singapore vistas. The room has a minimalist feel with just a couple of pieces of furniture and the bed side tables. The bed is luxurious with plush pillows and super comfortable mattress.
The Bathroom
The bathroom has a standalone shower with a bathtub. An octagonal window next to the bath overlooks the Singapore Flyer. There are plush bathrobes, a range of bathroom amenities from Asprey, a British luxury brand. There shampoos, conditioners, lotions, soaps and bath salts to choose from. There are range of other ancillary amenities provided such as dental kits, mouthwash, combs so if you’ve forgotten to pack its all sorted for you.
The highlight of the bathroom has to be the bathtub, with breathtaking views it is a sensory and sensual luxury experience. It is the perfect way to start the day or indeed to finish it after the long walks in the humidity of Singapore. Here are some of the perfect moments from the bath!
Dining
The Colony
The colony as its name suggests has a colonial feel – a mix of east and west mingled with an understated luxury. This restaurant serves breakfast and buffet lunches and dinner.
The Republic
There is the Republic which has a lounge and a bar. We have a couple of drinks at the bar and the menu is pretty extensive, I have to say we will be back! It was rated as one of the best bars in Asia.
In Room Dining
All the restaurants are on the ground level which makes it difficult to savour the view, so one night we had some beautiful burgers from the in room dining menu.
Here is my description of the experience: The balance of luxe and mess, decadence and simplicity and stylishness but laziness is the epitome of this room service experience. We opt for the cheeseburger paired with the beautiful Chateau La Commanderie from Saint-Estephe as we gaze at the beautiful view of Marina Bay.
The succulent beef patty, along with the acidity and tang of the tomato sauce and mustard, melted cheese with its imbued tartness, the pickled freshness of the gherkin and crisp lettuce with the little smoky sweetness of the caramelised onion is a medley of flavours, and all gently nestled in between a plush toasted sesame bun.
The Chateau La Commanderie is the perfect dance partner; notes of black fruits, anise, and spice on the nose. On the palate, there are good flavours of black cherries & cassis with mellow notes of tobacco and earthy notes with tannins and structure one would expect from the region
Breakfast
The breakfast served at the Colony is a must. There are a selection American breakfast essentials; eggs (made to order), hash browns, bacon, sausages, roast tomatoes and the like. There are plenty for those with a sweet tooth; pancakes and waffles and a wide selection of pastries. The oriental options include noodles, dumplings and bao, Japanese seafood rice, curries and soups. Fresh fruit, yoghurt, chia puddings are also available for those of us healthy minded. Freshly made espresso coffee is also brought out along with different varieties of tropical juices.
Wellness
The Gymnasium
The gym is extensive with all the equipment one would expect at a 5 star hotel and plenty of towels and water. The spaciousness of the gym also helps with capacity during the COVID-19 restrictions and we were never stopped from entering.
The Pool
The outdoor swimming pool (25 metres) is located on the ground level of the hotel. It is surrounded by lush greenery. The pool is surrounded by sun loungers and private cabanas – and there are plenty of them so its easy to snag one.
The Video Diary
The sheer size of the suite and all the wonderful amenities in the hotel aren’t fully captured by my photos, so please check out our video diary of our stay.
Music is More than a Feeling by Evgeny Bardyuzha. I do not own the rights to this song.