My husband and I spent a weekend chilling out at the Pan Pacific Singapore, conveniently located between the Orchard shopping district and the CBD area downtown.
Check-in
One of the perks of being a GHA Discovery member here is that we got to check in at a separate counter, allowing us to skip the long queue over at the regular counter. (Pssst, we also got an additional 10% off the already-discounted room rates with this membership and it’s free to join! Super worth.) The check-in process was generally fuss-free except for the fact that the counter staff missed out some aspects of our package, so we had to wait a little longer for her to check and confirm the package inclusions.
Room
En-route to our room, the first thing I noticed as I stepped out of the lift on the 31st floor was how peacefully quiet it was, immediately bringing a welcomed sense of calm and privacy. We stayed in the Panoramic King Room, which came with floor-to-ceiling windows and a pretty awesome though limited view of the bay. In the day, the room was well-lit with natural sunlight and at night, the warm cove lights made the room feel really cosy and inviting. The bathroom was spacious, with a nice-sized tub and a separate rain shower stall. A minor issue was that there were noticeable spots of black mould on the surface where the toiletries were placed in the stall.
The bed was really comfy! I like my mattresses firm and this one was perfect for a good night’s sleep. The pillows could afford to be firmer though. My husband has a thing for coffee machines, so he spent a good 5 minutes inspecting the components and watching our in-room Nespresso machine churn out his cup of coffee.
As it was my husband’s birthday, I called up the hotel in advance to inquire about any provisions they had as part of the surprise. The VIP team kindly noted my request and informed me that they would arrange for a sweet treat in the room before we arrive. However, half an hour after our check-in, I had to call the front desk about this as there was no sign of the surprise. Only after checking did the front desk staff help to expedite its delivery, which we received with much appreciation.
Facilities
The hotel has a number of dining locations serving a variety of cuisines, but only one of them is exclusive: The Pacific Club. Located on the 38th floor, the topmost floor of the building, the Pacific Club lounge offers an almost-360-degree view of the bay and city area. It felt like I had stepped into a very homey yet luxurious space, the furnishings and design resembling that of a quaint yet elegant English cottage. Guests can enjoy a champagne breakfast, afternoon tea, and evening cocktails with canapes while taking in the view – a fantastic place to relax and wind down. Do note that there is a dress code, so come dressed appropriately!
Down on level 4, we checked out the pool, the gym and the St. Gregory Spa. The pool area was okay, I liked the comfy day beds along the pool’s perimeter (they were plentiful ie. better chances of snagging a spot), but for some reason, I just couldn’t vibe with the choice of tiles surrounding the pool. The Poolside Bar was great though, we spent quite a while chilling there with drinks and pizza (yummy!).
The next morning, we had our breakfast buffet at Edge. I was really looking forward to dining here again because when I was here on a previous occasion for the dinner buffet, I was so blown away by the wide variety of consistently delicious food (complete with live stations) and the staff constantly ensuring that the food was always well-stocked. It was no different during their breakfast service, the food was equally good and the staff were diligent in executing their duties efficiently. They cleared our finished plates in a timely manner, and even though it was nearing the end of breakfast service, they continued to replenish the dwindling items on the buffet line. One thing I do hope can be improved is the friendliness and warmth of the staff, but other than that, it was as wonderful an experience as my previous visit here.
My overall rating of the experience: 4 out of 5 stars. I really liked the ambience and atmosphere of the hotel – it had a chill and easy-going vibe despite the lavish furnishings, which made me feel at home walking around the premises. The room itself was modern, clean and comfortable (we spent a large portion of our time just lounging about here, heh). However, I didn’t rate it a full 5 stars as the staff did fall short in their attention to detail and/or communication between teams. The fact that I had to prompt staff to provide us our full set of package inclusions, as well as to check on the delivery of the birthday surprise made the service a tad less than stellar. But with that said, everything else (including the food) was great!
Update: Since the submission of this post as part of Pan Pacific Hotel’s request for feedback, the assistant manager for Guest Care Services, Jerome, has gotten in touch with me to personally address the specific issues mentioned above. It is heartening to see that they take customer feedback seriously so as to make the necessary improvements. I understand that it is not always easy to ensure high service standards across all members of staff on the ground, but what I really appreciate is the mindset behind it as implied in Jerome’s correspondence: that listening to and addressing guests’ concerns is important for them to continually improve and provide better service. Two thumbs up (:
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