After an overall great experience during our first stay at The Capitol Kempinski Hotel, I was really looking forward to be back here again with a reservation made via Traveloka! The beauty of this hotel being a heritage building is that rooms in the same category can have vastly different layouts, making it interesting to explore even as a returning guest. According to my husband, it’s kinda like Pokemon where you’re enticed to catch ’em all 😛
I was stoked to be able to try one of the rare variations of the Grand Deluxe Rooms known as the 71 series. With only 3 such rooms on the property, I figured I would put in an early request for it (more on how this sort of backfired later). Initially, the arrangement was a confirmed paid upgrade for us to secure this room but as part of their excellent service recovery from our last stay, this upgrade fee was subsequently waived. However, as a result, things didn’t exactly pan out the way we expected.
- Inclusions:
- 1-night stay in Terrace Room/Grand Deluxe Room (paid upgrade from Classic Room)
- Breakfast
- Spent: SGD$270.31
Check-in
As we stepped through the doors of the hotel, Stella, one of the lovely Ladies in Red, greeted us warmly as always and invited us in. It was a joy to see her again as she made a superb impression during our previous stay (even my husband who doesn’t usually remember much about our stays actually recognized her). She swiftly checked us in and proceeded to walk us to our Grand Deluxe Room on level 4 of the Capitol Wing… that was not the 71 series.
After clarifying with her, it turned out that our request didn’t make it into the system, either because the email I sent was from too long ago or the memo was erased with the waiving of the upgrade fee. Regardless, she acknowledged the mix-up and attempted to find an alternative for us.
Room
After grabbing lunch and waiting for a short while, we were then shown to another room also located on level 4 of the Capitol Wing. I hadn’t realized but this room was actually a different category altogether (a Terrace Room instead of a Grand Deluxe Room). As much as the partial Marina Bay view from the rather narrow outdoor terrace and double vanity sinks in the bathroom were alluring, the interior definitely felt much smaller. But I must say that the soundproofing was pretty good though, we couldn’t hear much traffic noise even though the room was street-facing. The mini-bar was complimentary as well, but without the juice options we got when we last stayed in the Stamford Suite.
I checked back with Stella regarding the availability of our initial Grand Deluxe Room and she shared that it was unfortunately already occupied by other guests. Although this was a bit of a bummer, I sincerely appreciated her candour in explaining the situation and her continued problem-solving attitude to find a win-win solution. She eventually managed to arrange for a Grand Deluxe Room that was 2 floors down from the very first room we were assigned, albeit with twin beds. We were very thankful for her efforts and were glad to settle into our comfortable, spacious room.
Being on the second floor, the windows were half-height instead of the full-length ones in the rooms on level 3 and 4. Do note that these windows aren’t tinted so don’t forget to activate the blinds for privacy! The bathroom comes with a freestanding tub, plus a heated toilet seat and an electronic bidet, lavish fixtures that seem to be a standard in this hotel. As per our last experience, the bed could afford to be much firmer for better support. It was a pity too that my firm pillow didn’t get brought down during the room move.
Facilities
Our package was inclusive of breakfast served at 15 Stamford by Alvin Leung. There was a new breakfast menu for the hotel’s 125th anniversary celebration that came with many special additions like rosti, German semolina pudding, Senfeier and rhubarb mango pancakes. Also, it seems like the avocado toast, which was once an off-menu item, has officially made it onto the menu! But I did change out the dark rye bread for my preferred brioche that wasn’t on the menu.
As always, just about all the food here was fantastic and to top it off, they offered fresh juices and sparkling wine too (check out our previous breakfast experience here)! We did finally find one dish that we didn’t like this time – the mee goreng (the noodles were clumpy and the chicken was rock-solid). Having said that, my husband remarked that the porridge here is one of the best he’s tasted among all the other local hotel breakfasts we’ve had.
Given that our stay coincided with the hotel’s celebration of its 125th anniversary, we were one of the many in-house guests invited to join in the cake-cutting festivities at the Lobby Lounge. Two staff were dressed up as the founding father and daughter pair, Berthold and Frieda Kempinski, and posed with guests for photos. Flutes of champagne and chocolate cake slices were also distributed as a little treat for those who were present. Thinking back now, what were the odds of us being here during the hotel’s anniversary two years in a row? 😀
Besides the regular facilities like the saltwater relaxation pool, gym and spa (refer to my previous review for photos), there was something novel called the Entertainment Room. This wasn’t officially publicized then from what I gathered, I simply chanced upon an unassuming post about it on their Instagram page. It was basically a games room comprising a PlayStation with two controllers, a Chromecast function to watch shows, some board games, a whole bunch of soft toys and even complimentary snacks too! For more substantial food like sausages or truffle fries, there was a menu you could order from as well.
As prior reservation was required, we put in an advanced booking for 4pm. Lenten, another charming Lady in Red, came to show us to the room, which was converted from an interior guest room (#325) that had no windows. She shared that in response to feedback from guests about having more activities to do during their stays, the management came up with this idea as a trial. They were also looking into incorporating more kid-friendly activities, good news for the parents among us (: Once we explored the various features of the room, we spent a good 30 to 45 minutes chilling out, and by that I mean watching my husband nerve-wrackingly play Overcooked on single-player mode haha.
My overall rating of the experience: 5 out of 5 stars. Despite the fact that we were staying in a smaller room compared to the suite from our last stay, I still absolutely loved the rooms’ elegant art deco aesthetic infused with contemporary vibes. Also, the heated toilet seat and electronic bidet completely won me over again 😛 Breakfast was expectedly awesome – we were incredibly pampered with the menu’s variety, availability of fresh juices and bubbly, and roving servers who repeatedly came bearing goodies! Additional elements such as the mini celebration for the hotel’s 125th anniversary and gaming in the Entertainment Room made for a uniquely memorable experience too (: But what truly sets it apart and keeps me coming back is the outstanding level of service that comes with a personal touch every single time. Although our stay began with a mishap, it was diligently rectified to the best of their ability. Special thanks to Stella who went beyond the extra mile to assist us with everything ❤
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