After reading many rave reviews about the luxurious offerings and impeccable service at Shangri-La Hotel’s Valley Wing, I thought to finally take the plunge when Klook released a package that was arguably reasonably priced, though it still burned a pretty big hole in my pocket. The Valley Wing is known to be the most exclusive and opulent of the three wings in Shangri-La and has played host to the likes of David Beckham and former US President Barack Obama. The other two wings are the Tower Wing (currently catering to those serving their stay-home notices) and the Garden Wing – the former with a more modern flair and the latter with a more tropical oasis vibe.
- Inclusions:
- 1-night stay in Valley Wing Deluxe Room
- Breakfast, afternoon tea and evening cocktails
- All-day champagne
- 20% discount on couple spa packages at Chi, The Spa
- Spent: SGD$392.25
Check-in
Even before setting foot in the Valley Wing, my husband and I could already taste its exclusivity when we pulled up on a separate driveway dedicated solely to Valley Wing guests. But sadly, that sense of personal space and privacy was shortlived. The moment we walked through the entrance, we had to wade through a sea of people waiting around to be checked in. It didn’t help that the reception area was terribly small, with guests overflowing into the Lobby Lounge. Thankfully, we were ushered to the less crowded Summit Room and offered drinks while our room was being prepared.
Room
The front desk staff who checked us in graciously assigned us to, in her words, one of the best Deluxe Rooms with an awesome view. Boy, was she right about that! It was a luxuriously furnished, good-sized room on the 16th floor and surprisingly very well-kept given the age of this property. Despite its dated colour palette and design, as well as the faintly grimy carpets, it was generally a comfortable space to relax in. The antiquated theme continued into the bathroom but at least it was clean and spotless (super important!). There was also a bathtub and double vanities for that extra dose of extravagance. However, I thought the room (and corridors, for that matter) could’ve done without the plastic chandelier lights as they added a “budget” feel to the whole vibe of the place.
Just before the entrance to the bathroom is a little alcove with loads of wardrobe space and a settee, which I guess you would need if you were trying to put on those hard-to-wear high heels or dress shoes. Ample real estate here. What they weren’t so generous with were the minibar items. Apparently these used to be complimentary but during our stay, they were chargeable ): Well, we made do with the fresh fruit platter (welcome amenity for Golden Circle members, a free-to-join loyalty programme) and a small box of macarons from the turndown service.
We were provided a QR code to access the hotel’s digital concierge, where we could place orders for in-room dining, amenities and much more. I requested for my firm pillow via this platform and it was delivered in 15 minutes (not bad!). Along with the firm bed, I managed to get a good night’s sleep.
Facilities
Since we were already seated and waiting at the Summit Room, we eased right into afternoon tea, which starts at 2pm and ends at 5pm. The service staff here were personable and extremely helpful! One of them went to the extent of meticulously listing out all the items for afternoon tea as they didn’t have a menu for us to refer to at that point. Another staff saw us taking selfies and cheerfully offered to help us take photos.
As for the food, I felt that every element was effortfully plated and visually appealing, on top of being delectable. We could order as much as we wanted for specific items. The white silver tip tea I tried that day has become my favourite flavour. Sadly, I wasn’t exactly expecting such simple fare like egg mayo and cucumber sandwiches from an establishment known for its extravagance (this disappointment continued into the evening cocktail service). Definitely didn’t live up to the hype.
Once we put our bags down in the room, we went on to explore the hotel premises. First up was the Tower Wing, where we saw many people relishing their afternoon tea at The Lobby Lounge and The Rose Veranda. Also located in the lobby area was Shophouse By Shangri-La, a grab-and-go pastries concept store. I didn’t get to enter the Origin Grill restaurant but based on the photos from the hotel’s website, this is a place I will surely want to have a meal at in future. Throughout the hotel, you’ll find fresh orchids on display (Singapore’s National Flower), which I thought was a pretty nice touch.
Next was the resort-esque Garden Wing, complete with an open-air forested atrium, two waterfalls and a koi pond. My husband and I took a relaxing stroll through the lush greenery, listening to the soothing sound of rushing water around us. For a brief moment, I forgot we were in the bustling concrete jungle that is Singapore. Amazing, what nature can do for you.
We contemplated having dinner at Waterfall Ristorante Italiano, which is situated on level 1 of this wing, but the prices were a little steep. Plus, we had evening canapés waiting for us at the lounge so, maybe next time!
After that, we checked out the pool and gym, as well as the supposedly closed-for-maintenance jacuzzi (noooo!). Maybe they decided it was easier to close it entirely than enforce social distancing, though other hotels like The Westin and Fairmont have managed to make it work.
This hotel is known to be quite a hit with parents because of the dedicated playspace for kids at Buds By Shangri-La (entry fees apply if your package doesn’t include this), a waterplay Splash Zone (free entry for staying guests) and babysitting childcare services. Sounds like a great way to occupy (ie. tire out) your kids while catching up on some me-time 😉
It came time for evening cocktails and canapés at the Summit Room, served between 5pm to 7pm. Although I typically don’t drink alcohol, I ordered a Veuve Clicquot mimosa since free all-day champagne was part of what we were paying for (thank goodness it wasn’t too strong, so I managed to finish it heh). Attentive staff were actively going around to refill champagne glasses and clear empty plates, really on the ball.
Similar to the food served during afternoon tea, the evening canapés were equally lacklustre. It comprised mostly of fried food and stale sushi as opposed to caviar and foie gras as seen in previous reviews. Nothing tasted awful per se, it just fell short (to a large degree) of the expectations that came with the branding of a highly distinguished 5-star hotel. Even the juices served here weren’t fresh. What a shame.
For breakfast the next day, we decided to try out The Line restaurant as I’ve heard a lot about the awesome buffets here. There was no queue at all when we arrived but as it turns out, that was because the restaurant was already packed with guests. It was not easy to get the attention of the service staff to order our drinks (we didn’t see a drinks menu in the QR code online menu). All the food items we had tasted pretty decent but nothing in particular stood out.
We headed back to the Summit Room for breakfast round two. The menu here had more premium items like steak and caviar but no Bikini Sandwich! I was really looking forward to trying these as they come highly recommended according to past reviews. After checking with the manager on duty, he shared that this was their Hari Raya Puasa menu for that month, hence the change. Word is that the Bikini Sandwich is now back on the menu, guess we were just at the wrong place at the wrong time ):
Anyway, it was still a good round of breakfast. There was also a mini buffet spread (some semblance of pre-covid days) but staff had to help us plate the items instead of us taking them on our own. Everything tasted yummy (: I especially enjoyed the French toast, which didn’t look like any other French toast I’ve seen. It was circular, very porous and fluffy, moistened with some delicious sauce on the bottom. What I’d give to have this French toast again ❤
My overall rating of the experience: 3 out of 5 stars. The thought did cross my mind that even if we didn’t partake of the all-day champagne and cocktails benefit (we hardly drink alcohol), we’d still be able to gain our money’s worth in food. Unfortunately, it seems like their cost-cutting measures kicked in by the time we did our stay there, effectively eliminating the complimentary minibar and reducing the quality of food offerings. If you’re mainly here for the free-flow alcohol, it’ll probably still be good value for you (although recent news is that the hotel has limited this to certain timeslots so it is no longer “all-day” – do call to check beforehand to avoid disappointment). Having said that, there were some outstanding aspects of our experience. The service here was truly impeccable – staff made you feel welcome and well taken care of. Also, despite needing some sprucing up, the room was huge by typical hotel standards on top of being clean and comfortable. Plus that excellent unobstructed view! All in all, I’m really on the fence about whether I’d do another stay at the Valley Wing. I guess it would depend heavily on the reversal of those cost-cutting measures, though I might consider a Garden Wing stay (hopefully with some dining credits) the next time round (:
Dania Experiences 