My husband and I were originally supposed to stay at this hotel in May last year (secured it at a pretty decent price of $123 too) but as that period was the peak of covid restrictions throughout the country, it didn’t seem prudent to go through with the stay. Furthermore, dining in at restaurants was prohibited by law at that point in a bid to curb the spread of the virus. As such, I cancelled our initial booking but continued keeping a lookout for a good deal.
That deal finally came along on the same platform from which I made the first booking, Traveloka, and although the price wasn’t as spectacular as before, it was still relatively reasonable in my opinion (: So here we are to check it out!
- Inclusions:
- 1-night stay in Club Room
- Club Lounge access
- Breakfast and evening cocktails (as part of club lounge access)
- Complimentary parking
- Spent: SGD$175.47
Check-in
A staff stationed at the hotel entrance checked on our reservation and promptly tapped us up to level 21 for our check-in at the club floor (non-club guests are directed to level 12). The reception area was practically empty when we got there, yay to no queues.
Selina and Xiao Wen were really warm and welcoming while assisting us with the whole process. Xiao Wen kindly showed us the Suite Room upon request to help us decide whether to take them up on the paid upgrade offer. In the end, we stuck with our Club Room as I found the Suite Room a little too dark.
Room
Rooms with club access are located on levels 22 to 25, ours being on the 24th floor. It was a somewhat compact but comfortable room with lots of wood panelling and a inward-facing view of the club floor pool. I adored how firm the bed was, totally made for a good night’s sleep. The sheets and towels were clean as well. One of the club room inclusions was a one-time complimentary mini-bar, which comprised healthier-option drinks (in line with the hotel’s theme of wellness).
The bathroom came fully equipped with a tub and a rainshower in the same “wet” space, reminding me of the one we had at Mandarin Orchard Hotel (a hotel that no longer exists as it has been taken over by Hilton Orchard). Don’t be fooled by the deceptive one-way glass partitions as you can actually see right through them if the room is darker and the bathroom light is switched on. Probably not a good idea to stay with someone you’re uncomfortable baring it all to.
There were some very visible signs of wear and tear that made the room less appealing. The lounge chair’s fabric cover looked worn and dotted with white patches, hard water stains plagued the face of the rainshower and black spots lined the silicone and tile grout in the shower. It was also kinda icky that the soap dish had hardened soap remnants, not sure what bacteria might be lurking in there. What was most dubious was the faded light brown specks on the walls near the toilet bowl, I sure hope those aren’t what I think they are 
Overall, it does feel timely for a refurbishment of the rooms here.
Housekeeping also seemed shorthanded as my requested firm pillow took a long time to arrive and turndown service didn’t happen until after 9pm (when we left the hotel for dinner at Hamburg Steak Keisuke). Although the tea and water weren’t refilled, the rest of the works like the drawing of curtains and laying out of towels and slippers were carried out.
Facilities
I was absolutely loving the vibe of the club floor as soon as we stepped out of the lift for check-in. It was breezy and serene, with bright open spaces and furnishing that made the space extra inviting. There is one area called the Skyline Pavilion, where you can soak in the city views.
As I explored the rest of the hotel, I realized that the whole property is designed this way (very nice job, WOHA). The Sky Terrace on level 12 was beautifully set up for a solemnization when we were there. It is also used for yoga classes every Sunday.
The pool for club guests is located on level 21. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have very much privacy as all the pool-facing guest rooms have a clear view of what’s going on down there. All guests can use the two rooftop pools on level 27, each one on opposite ends of the building. Oddly enough, our keycards couldn’t tap up to level 27. Apparently, we had to approach the reception staff at level 21, who were essentially the gatekeepers preventing overcrowding upstairs, to gain access. A small gym can be found on level 12 and is available 24-7.
There are a number of dining options available within the hotel. On level 1 is The Marmalade Pantry, the hotel’s signature contemporary bistro, where we dined at in its sister property, Oasia Hotel Novena. Also on this same level is CIN CIN Bar, a 1950s-inspired secret agent themed watering hole that specializes in gin-based drinks. All the way at the top on level 27 is OSO Ristorante, a restaurant that prides itself on using fresh produce to serve up authentic Italian cuisine. Having dined here before with my best friend, I’d definitely recommend it for the food and ambience.
Once I finished exploring the hotel, we headed to the club lounge for some light bites. Do note that they don’t serve afternoon tea, only all-day refreshments. The lounge had a cosy ambience with natural sunlight streaming through its floor-to-ceiling windows. It was on the smaller side though in terms of size as compared to the other club lounges we’ve been to. Some of the snacks they served were Cassava chips, cinnamon hazeulnut cookies, butter cake, carrot cake, pistachio biscotti and chickpeas. We also got some hot chocolate to go with our snacks.
Unfortunately, the only staff manning the lounge at that point seemed rather unpolished in her service delivery. When I asked her for utensils, she replied with a curt “huh?!”. Maybe I was too soft and she couldn’t hear me, but still, I was rather taken aback by her unprofessional response.
Evening cocktails were served from 6pm to 8pm with no prior reservation required, and guests had the option to sit within the lounge or outside in the breeze. The food was surprisingly decent and most importantly, refillable! The chilli crab was chock full of actual crab meat (they sure didn’t skimp on this one) and tasted pretty good too. This came with fried buns that were still hot and steaming. The creamy salmon sandwiches were tantalizing as well.
But what was truly amazing was how the staff, knowingly or not, anticipated our needs perfectly. As my husband doesn’t eat shellfish, Adha (one of the lounge staff), brought him a plate of cheeses and tuna crackers instead. Besides the already commendable fact that Adha searched for and pieced together this alternative (as there was none to begin with), it was even more serendipitous that my husband happens to like cheese and crackers that he finished every last morsel on the plate.
Also, when another staff, TS, brought our drinks, he served me one glass of warm water that neither of us ordered (I rarely consume iced drinks and my go-to order is usually warm water). All this might’ve been a fluke (we didn’t indicate our preferences anywhere as far as I know), but it was a very welcome one that sweetened our experience here ❤
Breakfast service hours last till 11am on weekends and public holidays. As a result, we could sleep in just a little longer, which I was very appreciative of. The a la carte selection of breakfast dishes was small (essentially 4 options), but we could order unlimitedly and the dishes were done fairly well. Eggs were freshly made, the homemade guacamole was delicious, even the humble baked beans were elevated with the infusion of flavours from bell peppers.
A minor point of frustration was that one of the staff kept mixing up our orders somehow. She delivered a single omelette without the rest of the breakfast platter when we ordered the scrambled eggs set. In addition, another table’s order was repeatedly sent to us and vice versa, which was just a tad inconvenient.
My overall rating of the experience: 4 out of 5 stars. Great vibes from the club floor, I really loved the calming peace and quiet from the various spaces up here. It is one of the more serene experiences I’ve had in the bustling heart of the city. Although not wide in variety, most of the food at the lounge was quite good in terms of quality and flavours. Our room showed signs of starting to wear out and there were some cleanliness issues but generally, it was sufficiently hygienic and comfortable. Service, on the other hand, was a hit and miss depending on which staff we encountered. Kudos to the staff who attended to us during evening cocktails, they were spot on in what they offered and made us feel well taken care of (: With a regular room stay, I’m guessing this rating would be closer to 3 stars but the added club lounge experience as a whole does make it much more memorable!
Dania Experiences 