hotel Archives - Page 2 of 3

Embark On a Gastronomical Journey with NAMI Omakase Dinner!

November 26, 2017maybeline

Author: Sandra Koh

After months of rigorous renovation, Shangri-La Hotel’s iconic Tower Wing now features a brand new lobby, lounge and suites, along with various interesting flavours that satisfy even the most pernickety eater. The NAMI Restaurant and Bar situated at Level 24 is certainly one such place.

Helming the restaurant is Head Chef Akiba Shigeo, who culinary experiences include managing restaurants owned by Iron Chef Koumei Nakamura, along with preparing the wedding banquet the wedding banquet of Japan’s Prince Akishinomiya and Princess Kiko.

Credit: Shangri-La Hotel

We were presented with the Kitano Daichi Omakase- a 7 course meal dinner on our night of visit. First on the omakase set was the dual appetisers-Hairy Crab with Tosa Vinegar, and Yuba Tofu & Sea Urchin. We really enjoyed the latter, for its half-chewy texture and fragrant soy flavour. We could literally felt the layers slowly opening up and faint soy flavour spreading through our mouths with each bite (it’s really therapeutic). The addition of the creamy uni added a hint of sweetness to the otherwise bland tofu.

Next on the table was the Dashi, a traditional dobin-mushi with Matsutake mushroom, along with pike conger, ginko, homewort and sudachi. Don’t you agree that the presentation is too adorable? We were told to first squeeze the lime in the soup, then drink the soup, and eat the ingredients last. Thankfully, the mushroom flavour was not overwhelming, rather it provided a refreshing aftertaste (thanks to the lime). The soup was really easy on the throat, and comforting to drink.

The third course is probably every Singaporean’s favourite- a Sashimi platter which included 5 curated selection of premium sashimi (tuna, amberjack, scallop, botan ebi and flounder) that is air flown into Singapore 4 times a week from Tokyo. Be surprised to find wasabi leaf as one of the accompanying condiment! We tasted the sashimi without any condiments, and were amazed by its freshness. They were unexpectedly crunchy, and exploded in our mouths with natural sweetness. We learnt from the chef that the white meat sashimi are best paired with Himalayan salt to bring out the natural flavours.

Fourth on the set was Tempura consisting of capelin fish, pumpkin, kidney beans and lotus root. I was utterly glad that the dish did not carry any rancid smell or cloying oily. Unlike the usual tempura, NAMI’s rendition provided a much lighter and fluffier batter, which was really crispy to bite on.

The main dish was none other than the Saga Beef Sirloin Steak with Seasoned Grilled Oita Shiitake. The steak was really tender, and literally melted in our mouths. Each mouthful was accompanied by wonderful waves of sweet and buttery flavour that sent a small but puddle of pleasure through our spines. We felt that the sweet-savoury sauce did a great job in balancing out the fatty flavour of the dish.

Next, Matsutake Mushroom Rice along with miso soup and pickles were served. The pairing of the steamed rice and mushroom was indeed brilliant, for the latter imparted its sweet nutty notes and transformed the rice into a delicately flavoursome dish. Instead of the usual beige coloured miso soup, NAMI’s version skewed towards the brownish side. We particularly love the soup for its rich toasty malt and caramel flavours, in fact it reminded us of the Misokatsu from Yabaton at Nagoya Station. The Chinese yam might look harmless, yet it’s really spicy, so do take small bites!

Our dinner was completed with a plate of seasonal fruits made up of melon, crystal pear and grapes. All we could say is, till now we’re still reminiscing the sweet taste of the melon.

The omakase dinner is only available from 16 November 2017 to 31st January 2018 at a price of $180 ++ per person. Be quick to make your reservations. Click here for the full menu: https://d2jzxcrnybzkkt.cloudfront.net/uploads/2017/10/Kitano_Daichi_Omakase_Dinner_M_1509357066.pdf

NAMI Restaurant & Bar
Shangri-la Hotel Singapore
22 Orange Grove Road
Level 24
Singapore 258350
Tel: 6213 4398
Opening Hours: Daily, Noon to 2.30pm, 6 to 10.30pm (restaurant), till midnight (balcony)

REVIEW: Mercure Hotel Singapore Bugis

June 12, 2017maybeline

Yes once again I am out for a staycation! I always enjoy a short dose of staycation to help me retain my sanity in this relatively fast pace city. This time around, my short escape from Lion city’s hustle and bustle is Mecure Hotel Singapore Bugis.
Let me share couple of reasons why you should consider Mecure Hotel Singapore Bugis:

1) Ideal Location for Shopaholic
Located within walking distance from Bugis village which is our equivalent of Bangkok’s Chatukchak & Seoul’s Gangnam Underground shopping centre.

A little tips for the foreigners reading this post: Shopping here is considered most affordable in Singapore and usually it can easily take up at least a day to comb the entire shopping compound! So foreigners staying near here have an added advantage of exchanging more commuting time to shopping time!

Don’t worry even if you are done with Bugis Village within a day, there are many other shopping centres within walking distance. Singapore’s biggest and oldest electronic mall (Sim Lim Square) is also a stone’s thrown away from the hotel. If you wish to find cheapest watch deals in Singapore, there is Bencoolen Mall. To satisfy the foodies, there is no lack of local & international cuisines located at the shopping malls peppered around Bugis eg Bugis Plus, Bugis Junction etc.

Now, let’s move on to the hotel.

2) Lots of Instagram-worthy spots with its Quirky-looking furniture & Interior Design

I shall let the pictures do the talking for this point.

Interesting famed up images lining the corridor while you make a beeline for your room.

In this case, we were given the room. It is a double-storey room with the bed located on the second floor which can easily house 5-10 people within the room.

Upon opening the door to the room, you will be greeted with the open concept bathroom.

Well equipped with basic amenities e.g. Bath gel, toothbrush, Shampoo, conditioner etc. Basically, you do not have to bring or buy any of these items. Just bring yourself and many many sets of clothes for taking IG-worthy pictures!

Other practical items within the room include coffee machine, teabags, two TVs (for each floor) with access to movie, documentary & local channels & most importantly a complimentary handy (for calls, SMS & GPS). Which means now you can afford not to bring along your phone as well! Lol!

While I look down from the second floor, I found the best angle to capture the simplicity & artsiness of the whole room!

Glad we brought along a few outfits to do #ootd shots!

There are a myriad of quirky-looking chairs in alfresco settings (Below).

If you are into vintage, you are going to adore this hotel even more as there are a lot of backdrops with old, ubiquitous HDB flats, most recognized internationally as Singapore’s unique landscape.

Just imagine how many pictures you can take with this beautiful contrast here!

Yearning for a city view? Be sure to visit their Infinity Pool (1.2m in height). Do a couple of laps & take a short break to enjoy a good view of the city landscape. If not for a swim, this is a good spot to get some Vitamin D from the sun.

Right next to the swimming pool is a small juccuzi which you can enjoy the city view in another angle.

The Gym (same floor as the swimming pool & Jaccuzi). There are not a lot of equipment in here but there are still the basic ones enough for you to shed some calories eg Treadmill, weights etc.

3. Comfortable beds

The beds and blankets were overly soft and comfortable. We sure had a difficult time getting up in the morning. We requested for late check out because M wanted to sleep in more after breakfast.

4. Nice Decent Restaurants & Bar in the Hotel

If you are keen in exploring the F&B, I will highly recommend the Royale. In fact, the breakfast is also served at this restaurant. For Dinner, you have a choice of Peranakan based Buffet or western Ala Carte cuisines. The Buffet is valid on Fridays and Saturdays only from now till 26 August 2017.

One of my favourite Ala Carte dish in their menu was the Salmon. It may look well cooked on the exterior but the interior is extremely soft and tender.

Nonetheless, the portion isn’t extremely big. Hence, if you are a big eater, you might want to consider going for the Buffet instead.

Breakfast was good with a considerable variety e.g. eggs, hashbrowns, ham, sausages, beans, cereals etc.

Last but not least, know where is my favourite hangout place other than the room itself? The bar counter where they serves drinks till late night.

Mercure Hotel Singapore Bugis is located at 122 Middle Rd, Singapore 188973.

For bookings, please visit: http://www.mercure.com/gb/hotel-A0D7-mercure-singapore-bugis/index.shtml

Staycation Review: Bay Hotel Singapore [Discount Code]

August 8, 2016maybeline

Author: James Aw Yong

If you want to stay near one of Singapore’s most iconic beach (Sentosa) comfortably yet affordably , then I would say Bay Hotel Singapore is the BEST option for you!

Why BEST?

Let me just do a simple quick summary for you so that you can always remember this hotel easily! It is simply because Bay Hotel is….

Biggest Executive boutique hotel in Singapore (333-room Bay Hotel Singapore)
Accessibility (Less than 5mins walk to the nearby Harbourfront MRT station)
Yummy local street food favourites in restaurant open from 6am to 3am (new all-day dining menu, weekend buffet lunch and hotpot buffet dinner)
Handy smartphone for use during stay with free IDD calls to selected countries
Opposite Vivocity – the largest shopping mall in Singapore
Technology (complimentary WiFi and technologically savvy check-in perfect for millennials)
Enjoyment of Complimentary Minibar (replenished once daily) and other facilities in an eco-friendly Smoke-free hotel
Located strategically also at the gateway of Sentosa and at the foot of Mount Faber.

Should this short summary not hit the sweet spot for you literally, let me shower you with more details on these aspects according to our own recent experience.

Walk-through

And so once again #JamesnMaybel is ALL ready for our next Hotel review!

This time falling exactly on the National Day weekend with us all donned in our sponsored Superdry outfits! (In fact, the only Superdry store in Singapore is located in Vivocity. One more perks for the Superdry Fans staying near the hotel!)

Accessibility

Firstly, let me give you some context on how accessible this location is especially for tourists visiting Singapore for the first time.

Let’s just say this hotel is just ONE traffic light away from the Biggest Shopping mall in Singapore, VivoCity (located at Harbourfront MRT Station) and walking distance to Sentosa (Most Iconic Beach in Singapore).

And if you are looking to do some serious shopping, rest assured that this location is a mere 2-3 MRT stops from Orchard Road (Singapore’s Prime Shopping district)

Room’s Interior (Deluxe)

The room given to us for this Hotel review is their ‘Deluxe’ Room.

I like the cosy, simplistic concept & earthly tones within the room which kind of makes you feel rooted to Singapore already. The walk around space is decent for 2-3 person with a comfortable bed large enough to accommodate even 3 sleepers. If not, the ‘unlucky’ odd one out can always take the caterpillar cushion by the side of the window! >< Just kidding!

But trust me, you wouldn’t want to miss out on the super fluffy bed here which is comparable to any 4 to 5 star hotels locally!

However, if you do get the caterpillar cushion ‘bed’, don’t sulk. Because you are in for the best view within the room; One that overlooks Vivocity & Sentosa!

This view (below) getting increasingly beautiful as the sun set.

Moving onto the features within the room. They have all the basic features within a room such as TV and writing table etc.

Nonetheless, one of the tourist-friendly feature resting on the writing table is this Handy smartphone which allows for complimentary IDD calls to selected countries! So you are still connected be it locally or overseas!

One thing I like about this room is the snacks and drinks are ALL complimentary! For the drinks selection, this is not ALL!

Within the refrigerator, there are 7-8 canned drinks such as beers eg Anchor, gassy & non-gassy soft drinks. Also inclusive are 3 packets of snacks eg mixed nuts & potato chips.

Going hungry is definitely the last thing that will happen to you during your stay!

Rain Shower with decent space to accommodate two person bathing at one go. Appreciate the fact that they give a big bottle of shampoo & bathing gel.

I am not sure how many of you would understand the frustration of having to ration for these two items even for a one night stay! I have stayed in hotels which give you those ‘sample’ size bottles which seems only enough for one person usage! Luckily, you do not have to worry on such issues here!

Amenities ( Infinity Pool & Gym)

Getting out of the room, let’s check out their amenities! I am glad they have an Infinity Pool & Gym as these are the two places I will always visit when I stay in a hotel.

Even though the infinity pool here does not offer the picturesque, breathe-taking view of any 5-star hotel, there are two things I absolutely like about it: An undisturbed Nature’s view & glass protection. This allows anyone especially parents to have a peace of mind while enjoying this sanctuary.

While my dear M is indulging in her poolside shots, I get to indulge in my manly business aka Gym! Technically, its for me to burn off all the calories built during the scrumptious food tastings within this hotel (which I will share more below)!

Do not expect an extremely well equipped big gym. Nonetheless, they have all ample equipment for you to sweat it out with!

Complimentary Breakfast

The stay comes with a complimentary breakfast the next day to cure your hungry stomach.

Be sure to come down early especially when the occupancy rate is high during holidays. You are sure to get your seats at the popular ‘ Street50’ restaurant due to its large seating capacity. BUT I cannot guarantee you will get your favorite food if you are late!

The chef consistently ensure that you get hot pipping food served! Yummilicious!

The spread they have for breakfast is also pretty generous! M was totally head over heels with their Chocolate Donut balls which seeks to satisfy the sweet-tooth! For me, it just had to be their hot crunchy nuggets! I had like a 20 piece nugget meal myself!

Other food includes scrambled eggs, Ham, Croissant, yogurt, muesli, waffles, different variety of cheese, hash browns and many more!

A hearty breakfast accomplished!

For all those who are in for shopping spree & beaches, this hotel is a definite must stay! Where else can you get an affordable room in the central which is within a stone’s thrown away from the biggest shopping complex and our iconic beach, Sentosa!

ROOM DISCOUNT when you quote “Maybeline Sim”
Exclusive: 10% Off Best Available Rate plus buffet breakfast for 2 persons
Valid for stay between 21 Aug to 30 Sep 2016 only; subject to room availability
Not applicable for the period of 15 – 18 Sep 2016.

‘SINGAPORE FOOD STORY’ Weekend Buffet Lunch (For those who are Foodies only!)

If you are planing for food venture tour instead of a shopping spree, I will highly urge you to try out their ‘Singapore Food Story’ Weekend Buffet lunch!

Why?

For Foreigners – Unless you are staying for a good one week in Singapore, chances is that you are going to miss out either one or two of our famous local delicacies. With this buffet, you are almost able to capture all our famous local delights across different races eg Malay Satay, Indian Rojak etc.

For Locals – Yes, you guys might already be familiar with the local delicacies since you stayed almost half your life here. It would then be the affordability and quality of the local food!

I would say the new chef makes a good concerted effort with perfecting every local cuisines on the table here especially the Laksa which Maybel had two bowls in a row. For me, it’s their satay as he made it extremely palatable without overly burning it! Especially, I have see really ‘carcinogenic’ ones elsewhere!

Apart from local cuisines, they also have additional ‘Grill’ Stations that prepares Grilled Beef, Chicken and etc. So in totality, their spread is definitely generous and bang for buck!

Additional Details

Every Saturday & Sunday, 12pm to 3pm

(After the special debut on National Day, 9 Aug 2016, 12pm to 3pm)

Adult: $42 ++, Child (6yrs to 12yrs): $20 ++

(Children below 6 yrs dine for free with every paying adult, subject to maximum of 2 children per table)

Bay Hotel is located at 50 Telok Blangah Road Singapore 098828.

Village Hotel Changi: Corporate Retreat – MFP Pool Party

August 4, 2016maybeline

I am not a very sunshine person because I can’t swim and I don’t enjoy swimming or playing in Singapore’s beaches because they are usually quite dirty :/

But whenever I am staying in any hotel for a staycation, I WILL VISIT THEIR POOL FOR SURE!! My Fat Pocket held her first pool party at Village Hotel Changi with the company of unicorns, Team My Fat Pocket and their bloggers. Even though I am already a resident blogger for the last 3 years, this is my first official team-bonding party with them! It is good in a way to know how the people in the office works, and put a face to their names.

Official Sponsors for the Party:
Hotel venue and food catering: Village Hotel Changi
Beachwear & Bikini: Roxy Singapore and Quiksilver Singapore
Sun Protection: Sunplay Singapore
Moisturizer: Hada Labo Singapore
Floats: @letsfloatsg

We were first given a tour of the hotel and GOSH, I never knew that it was so huge! They have Standard Rooms, Club Rooms, Meeting Rooms, Ballroom and more.

As compared to some of the hotels, Village Hotel Changi rooms are slightly more spacious and the fact that they are located at the far end of the east, it felt as though we were on an excursion trip out of Singapore. We felt even more relaxed than usual.

The design and the colours inside the room were also welcoming.

The Club Rooms were just revamped and all the room comes with a posturepedic bed. Some of them comes with a sea view too!

Other than the bed, I love the flooring of the revamped rooms because I think it is more hygienic.

Half of us in Group 2! Love the attendance that day!

Not to mention, their gym is also a lot bigger than expected!! I think if we ever do a staycation here, James will spend half of his day here!

There were quite a few meeting rooms of different sizes and agenda. One of it comes with a a mini kitchen too!

If you are planning of a wedding, they have a ballroom that seats 350 guests comfortably.

Other rooms like team bonding, leisure, and brain-storming room are also available for bookings. If your company ever need a retreat, consider Village Hotel Changi!

The hotel also prepared two rooms for us. We were split into two rooms for the yoga session.

There were also other activities like Kickboxing and Jog by the Boardwalk to choose from if you like. Just let the hotel know and they can arrange it for you. I must emphasize this again – this is such a good place for a corporate retreat!

They have two pools in the hotel. One at Level One and the infinity pool at the top level. The weather was crazily sunny and hot in the afternoon. Luckily, we were all well protected by SunPlay!

Again, another cheery shot of Group 2!

We were then greeted by unicorns, swans, ice-cream floats and all things colourful!!

Not forgetting, all of us were decked in Roxy for the girls and Quiksilver for the guys! Roxy has seriously so many cute outfits!! I was quite stuck with a few but decided to just go with the bikini top. We got ours from their outlet at Orchard Central. It is summer all year round for Singapore. So stock up whenever they have any new collection before the size runs out!

Alethea was super happy with her paddlepop tank too! All my swimwear are seriously boring and dull until Roxy came along….

Thank you Village Hotel Changi again for the widespread of buffet!! We were so hungry after the workout and pool party. The food were so yummy that some of the dishes were cleared within half an hour.

I swear everything was well prepared for us. The staffs were so thoughtful in the planning and all. If you need a corporate retreat or have something big in mind, I will strongly recommend what we had last week 🙂

Village Hotel Changi is located at 1 Netheravon Road Singapore 508502
Email: info.vhc@fareast.com.sg
Hotel: +65 6379 7111 / Reservations: +65 6881 8888

For more information, please visit: http://www.villagehotelchangi.com.sg

Staycation Review: Oasia Hotel Downtown Review

July 24, 2016maybeline

Oasia Hotel Downtown has a interesting concept that we really love. Even though we are right smack in the middle of the city, it felt as though we were in a resort.

There are two check-in lobbies with one for the normal rooms and the other for Club rooms. We stayed at their Club rooms for the weekend. If you need a getaway from the buzzing Singapore life, I suggest you to do a staycation at Oasia Hotel Downtown because it can really make you feel like you are on a holiday.

“Set against an urban landscape of concrete, steel and glass, Oasia Hotel Downtown stands out with a unique silhouette covered by a lush green façade that is a massive vertical garden. This greenery is enhanced by alternating 30-metre tall sky gardens and sleek architectural details to form a tropical skyscraper in the Central Business District.

The 27-storey iconic business hotel is located in the downtown Tanjong Pagar area which is set to be transformed into Singapore’s next waterfront city with a hive of business, commercial and residential activities. With Tanjong Pagar MRT Station right at the hotel’s doorstep, guests are minutes away from Raffles Place, Clarke Quay, Sentosa, Orchard Road and Marina Bay.” – http://www.stayfareast.com/en/hotels/oasia-hotel-downtown-singapore

Let us start on the surrounding, if you look at the two pictures below, you will be able to feel what I meant by resort. There is also a lawn right in the middle of the lobby where guests can practice Yoga in the morning. The hotel believes in Refresh, Recharge and Refuel.

Creepers are also seen everywhere on the external structure of the building. In another few years, the creepers will grow all over the outside to give off an even more resort feel!

I love the huts especially. I am not too sure if I have seen it at other hotels yet but this idea is simply amazing! I can spend hours and hours there.

For the Pools & Gym – There are 3 pools in total with 2 mirrored pools located right at the highest level (Level 27) and one at Club Room level (Level 21).

The infinity swimming pool on Level 21 is only exclusively open for guest who are staying in Club Room. Our favourite spot is right at the end of the infinite pool where we can rest and relax while watching the urbanized city from far. We even got some nuts from the Club Lounge while enjoying the serenity at the pool.

Here’s a full view of the infinity pool taken during sunset (image taken from Far East website).

The swimming pools located on Level 27 are extremely pretty as well. We couldn’t help but swim at both pools. They are called mirrored pools because there are two exact looking pool at both ends – one with sunlight and one without.

Isn’t this smart? Me, of course, will only be seen at the pool without sunlight.

The swings made the hotel look less urbanized. It felt like me going back in time too. Back to my younger days where stress was nothing.

James even brought his laptop down to work by the pool.

The Gym is open 24 hours a day. So at any point of time where you can’t sleep or need to work out after a feast, head over for some exercise!

For the room wise, the room is as spacious as expected. Club Room comes with a pool view. Not only that, there is also a small bottle of complimentary pillow mist for the guest. This is to ensure that you will be able to completely relax your mind and have a good night sleep.

Premium Biology amenities from Australia were also provided so you can keep your usual shampoo at home. Oasia Hotel Downtown only give you all the good stuffs. Iron, ironing board, bathrobes and hair dryer are all provided as well.

The wellness drinks in the fridge are also complimentary. James was delighted when he saw Perrier Water and Coconut Water.

All Club Room comes with bathtub. You can choose to close or open the door while soaking. Leave it open and you can enjoy your movie while you soak yourself after a long tiring day. I absolutely love the wood decor because it gives off a very homely yet resort feel.

Breakfast starts from 7am to 10.30am everyday. We chose to have our breakfast at Club Level instead of heading down. I like how we can order our eggs – scrambled, omlette, sunny side up – on the spot. Served hot and fresh!

Cin Cin is located at Level 1, just right underneath the hotel rooms. Pop over anytime you need a quick drink.

Other services that comes with a stay in the Club:

Complimentary evening cocktails and healthy canapés from 6pm to 8pm
Nespresso Coffee Machine with Tripod Coffee capsules and TWG Tea
Complimentary 13-seater shuttle from 8am to 9.40pm to 77 Robinson Road, Marina Bay Financial Centre and Battery Road (available on Weekdays only, reservation required)
Complimentary hop-on hop-off city tour to discover Singapore
Two hours of airport lounge access at any Changi Airport Terminal

You can also find The Mamalade Pantry at Level 1. I missed dinner because we were out with some friends.

As for the services, the staffs were very efficient and detailed and so was the complimentary WIFI. You know I get very irritated when the WIFI is laggy because it can affect people who are on work trips.

FYI, there is also an on-going promotion where some rooms are at 50% off! Hop over to http://www.stayfareast.com/en/hotels/oasia-hotel-downtown-singapore for more details!

Oasia Hotel Downtown, Singapore is located at 100 Peck Seah Street Singapore 079333.

Contact: +65 68126900

Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar.

Places to eat near the hotel: Famous Ramen Keisuke at 1 Tras Link.

Durian High Tea Buffet at Marriott Cafe

June 24, 2016maybeline

What are most Singaporeans excited about this season? DURIANS!! Many travel out from Singapore to Malaysia just to eat good durians. Here’s one place you shouldn’t miss – Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel!

Other than their usual international buffet, be sure to expect the bittersweet taste, fleshy meat and creamy texture desserts!

Let me first comment on their food. If you thought since the desserts was the main course, NEH, you’re wrong! The food was as good as their desserts! I love the local delights most. The Fried Carrot Cake and Char Kway Tiao was GOOD! Even their seafood was fresh and sweet.

Below are some food you can expect at the buffet before I go in and talk about the desserts. To name a few: Baked Char Siew Sou, Pork Square Ribs, Seafood Crepes, Egg Tarts, Dim Sum, SzeChuan Chicken Feet, Freshly Baked Pizza and more!

If you love seafood, they brought the ocean over. Be pleasantly wowed by a plethora of Singapore’s classics and an International fare. Other than just Freshly Shucked Oysters and Prawns, there were fresh salmon prepared too!

It is rare for James to eat more desserts than the mains for his meal. But he treated himself to quite a few durian puffs!

You will be able to find Fried Durian Balls, Durian Swiss Roll, Mini Durian Mousse in Cups, Durian Puff, Cakes and more. Every bite was so flavorful and you can find chunks and chunks of D24 druian flesh inside. Although they may look small in size, but do not doubt their flavor. It is big as hell! In fact, I would think that one buffet is never enough as they are satisfyingly decadent.

Marriott Cafe

Love for Durians High Tea Buffet

1 June to 31 July 2016

Adult: $42++ per person (Monday to Friday) $45++ per person (Saturday & Sunday)

Child: $25++ per child (Monday to Friday) $28++ (Saturday & Sunday)

For dining reservations, please visit singaporemarriott.com/dining, call 6831 4605 or email mhrs.sindt.fb.reservations@marriotthotels.com

6 reasons why you should stay at The Quincy Hotel

June 12, 2016maybeline

Looking for a hotel near Orchard in Singapore where you can do some R&R & forget the world?

This is exactly the post you should read because we found the best spot for you! It is none other than the Quincy Hotel, a Boutique hotel!

Let’s plunge into the 6 reasons why you should total stay at Quincy Hotel:

1)Good Accessibility to Town (Orchard)

Quincy Hotel is located near the heart of Orchard!

To be exact, it is located approximately 10 minutes walk behind Paragon Shopping centre & Mount Elizabeth Hospital.

I would personally recommend coming in from the carpark next to Far East Plaza as it will only take 5 minutes! Time saved! Woot!

For those who are driving like us, it might take a while for you to figure out Quincy Hotel’s carpark. Here is where you might want to tune in to prevent yourself from wasting unnecessary time figuring! Save that time more fruitfully on the myriad of hotel facilities & activities! Just park into the Elizabeth Hotel’s carpark which is located right next to Quincy Hotel. Both hotels are actually affiliated under Far East Hospitality Group.

Nonetheless, this did not in the least affected our state of excitement about our staycation!

2) Warm Welcoming vibes + Stylish, Contemporary Interior design (Best for #POTD)

As we made a beeline for the reception, we could already feel all the good welcoming vibes!!

While waiting for M to check us in, I just could not help making the lobby my personal living room. I can say we have seen a lot of hotel lobbies and Quincy’s is definitely one of the more Instagram-worthy one where you can snap a lot of nice #potd!

Let #JamesnMaybel prove it to you guys!

If you have not already noticed that it is simply because my ‘Living Room’ is filled with a variety of unique & quirky-looking furnitures! Try to identify them on the shelf!

Not just the furnitures but also the color theme, they contrasted so beautifully!

Thanks to the friendly & efficient front desk receptionist with special mention of Frieda, M had time to even plant herself on the pretty cushioned seats while enjoying her welcome drink delightfully!

Oh Yes! Speaking of the welcome drink, for those who walked your way up to the hotel, you will find their citrusy welcome cocktail most inviting & refreshing!

3) Customers are well fed, in fact VERY well-fed at NO extra cost!

If you think you are paying just for the accommodation & breakfast, NO!! The F&B stations offer all-day light refreshments. So much so it is not just you that is taking a short break but also your wallets!

You must be thinking at this point: Are there any additional hidden cost??

Well, you can have a peace of mind that as long as you are a staying customer, ALL dining are free of charge!! Yes you heard me right!

And that is why M is looking so chirpy below! *just kidding* ><

No lack of juices to fill your stomach and quench your thirst!

Totally not surprising that the first booth that my dear sweet-toothed M made a beeline for is this free-flow Vanilla Softee section! You can even top up Dark Chocolate sauce to your heart’s & stomach’s fill!

That was why this girl is just smiling non-stop the whole day in her photos!

Light refreshments for Hi-Tea.

Even the breakfast looks tantalizing, waiting to satisfy every of your taste buds!

4)24-hours well-constructed Facilities (at 12th floor of Hotel)

Even though it is not as infinity as other hotels’ rooftop pools, this beautiful ‘Infinity’ pool is definitely enough to accommodate a good crowd. I appreciate the fact that they put a roof over this one such that the rain would not foil your swimming plan for fear of lightning strike. In fact, it was indeed raining when we used the pool. You can imagine how thankful we were to the shelter.

Appreciate that they open their ‘Infinity’ pool and Gym for 24 hours access! Shop all you want during the day & save your exercise till the night!

This is my favorite corner! I would like to call it the ‘Replenishment’ corner! Friends and family could gather around the table for a light-hearted chat over a cup of coffee made by the coffee machine. Even better, for those whom have sweat it out in the pool or the gym, could reward themselves with a well-deserving complimentary H-TWO-O or bottled water from the refrigerator tucked in the left corner (in image below).

There are more than enough seats and tables situated next to the pool for chillaxing where you can choose to enjoy some ‘underwater view’ or..

..the landscape view of Orchard!However, do not expect a picturesque view of the whole Orchard road else you are going to feel rather disappointed. Nonetheless, the view is still quite a breathtaking sight of the front half of Orchard e.g. Far East Shopping Centre, Paragon etc.

You can also choose to run on their technogym treadmills (with advance multi-media touch screens) and enjoy the landscape view of Orchard!

I love to frequent gym in my ‘ME’ time & I dare claim that their gym though small, is very well-equipped with the necessary equipments to complete a decent workout!

These are not all! They also have shower facilities, sauna and steam room right beside their Gym which unfortunately we did not have the chance to utilize as we were busy with events that evening too! Haiz!

5)Spacious Bedroom with complimentary Mini Bar

How can we ever review a hotel with no mention of their room! It is said that they have two types of rooms: ‘Deluxe’ & ‘Studio. For this staycation, we can only speak for its ‘Studio’ room which was what we were given for this hotel review.

When you hear Boutique hotel, first thought is probably small room space. Correct?

That was what we thought so too! However, you will be delightfully proven wrong once you step into their Studio room as its room space is decently spacious. It spans an area of approximately 26sqm with more than ample walking room around the King-sized bed!

The whole feel to the room can be summarized in three words: Neat, Sleek & Contemporary! Not to mention its amazing view of the city!

The cushy ledge by the window makes for a perfect spot to rest, enjoy the city view or even snap picture for its excellent natural lightings before dusk sets in.

Automatic blind can be brought down for privacy sake.

Even better, we made our own Platinum Class movie night within the room with our own projector! I planned this for M which totally took her by surprise & definitely pleased beyond words!

I am so pleased when I see their iPhone dock! Thought to myself, ‘finally someone upgraded their iPhone dock!’. I had the experience of going into the hotel and find that they are still using the iPhone 4 charging dock!!

I guess it is very thoughtful of Quincy Hotel to let their customers have the best of both worlds by getting a dock which can connect to both older and newer generation IPhones! Small actions speaks volume of their thoughtfulness to the most minute details!

Lost your phone? No worries at all! They also included a handy which allow for free local calls and some selected countries plus free data for your daily usage! With this, I am certainly not encouraging you to lose your phone!

The toiletries are from La Labo Santal 33! You will be able to enjoy them in the hotel from mid June onwards! I am usually very skeptical about hotel toiletries as the shampoo and conditioner can be extremely dying to hair but when I knew they are from La Labo Santal 33, I kept my toiletries into my bag again! Hahaha.

Even though the studio room is their smaller room (vs Deluxe), it still have a bathtub of its own for you to drain your accumulated work stress all away in that hot bathtub at night! I must say the design of their bathroom is rather ‘Sexy’ simply because it adopts an open concept style where you could see through to the room!

You can always make it less ‘Sexy’ by drawing the blinds! However, I chose to enjoy the full benefit of this feature as I watched movies on FOXHD Channel while lazing in the hot bathtub!

The housekeeper did an splendid job with upkeeping the cleanliness of every toilet such that an OOTD shot in it is not an issue at all!

Hot drinks, snacks and drinks in the mini bar fridge are all included in your room booking! So drink & merry-make to your heart’s fill!

6) No lack of Activities within the Hotel

We have heard of couples accomplishing Acrylic painting during their stay previously. This time around, we had something more romantic and sweeter. By sweeter, I do meant it in the literal meaning!

We did Chocolate Truffle-Making session which started at mid afternoon (3pm) of that Saturday!

Isn’t that good? This means that you do not have to worry about having nothing to do even if you did not plan your itinerary!

Not all men enjoy some home economic lessons, certainly not me! Look at my gleeful smile as I stir that melting Dark Chocolate as part of the preparation process!

Tips from the Head Chef: Ideally, to make a good Dark Chocolate truffle, you should use 50-65% Dark Chocolate & mix in whipped cream to make the taste more wholesome!

Our chef was certainly very adventurous to teach us a few different variation of Chocolate Truffle. From left to right: Peanut Dark Truffle, Rainbow Sprinkles Dark Truffles & my favourite one of all, Original Dark Chocolate Truffle!

If you and your spouse do not fancy doing such form of home economics, do not worry as they have art jamming on Sunday as well!

Our package was Qool Wekend Package so the chocolate truffle baking was complimentary! However, if you are not staying under the same package as us, you can opt in at $50/pair 🙂

Opinions & Review

I love how they treat all guests equally and no matter how many request a guest makes, they always serve them with a smile on their face. The service is top-notch in my opinion. Overall, I am satisfied with my stay, my room and the service. I will strongly recommend my readers to check The Quincy Hotel Qool Weekend Package out if you are planning for a stay cation. Remember, it’s Qool Weekend Package!!

Weekend Staycation at Park Hotel

October 5, 2015maybeline

James and I have been spamming our Instagram (@maybelinesim and @james_awyong) these 2 days because we stayed at Park Hotel Clarke Quay for a staycation! Our stay was at Crystal Club and it was a different check-in as the check-in was not done at level 1.

For Crystal Club, check-in will be done at Level 10.

I like Crystal Club because we felt like VIP and everything is so convenient there.

Guest at Crystal Club will be able to enjoy of the the club services like:
– Late check0out at 1500 (subject to availability)
– Buffet breakfast at Crystal Club Lounge from 7am to 1030am with daily newspaper and magazines instead of traveling all the way down to Level 1 as both the rooms and Club Lounge are located on the same level.
– Complimentary wine at Club Lounge from 5.30pm to 6.30pm
– Light refreshments and non-alcoholic beverages throughout the day
– Free Wifi
– 2 pieces of laundry wash daily
– 20% off dining at hotel’s F&B outlets
– Daily use of meeting room for 1 hour/day

Meeting room:

We did spend 1 hour of our time in there to give 100% concentration on work. Work for his and blog for mine.

Club Lounge for tea time, wine, breakfast:

It is open from 7am to 11pm daily. So do chill out at the Club Lounge if you need a drink or some small bites. They are on the house unless you order alcoholic drinks before 5.30pm and after 7.30pm.

We really went over to the Club Lounge just slightly before 7.30pm to enjoy the wines and finished a movie there. The lady even offered us small bites to accompany us as we watched our movie.

Breakfast with a view. But he was too focused on his newspaper instead.

When asked about the differences between dining in Club Lounge and Level 1, Brizo for the breakfast buffet, the staff told us that there will be more variety at Level 1. But judging from the food served at Level 10, I think it was good enough.

Crispy bacons and potatoes were our starters.

The best thing a hotel can ever include in their breakfast buffet is to include all choices of eggs!

So you can see scramble eggs in this pan but….

If you prefer it in other styles, do request for it too.

For omelette wise, you can choose among some fillings like onions, cheese, ham, tomatoes and more.

Lotus Bao for some who prefers chinese breakfast instead.

Other than the typical breakfast, you can also find Salmon, cheese and salad too.

This is my omelette spread out with cheese and bacon fillings!

Poached egg. It comes with bread but we were too full to finish the bread by then.

Room:

We were welcomed by chocolates and cards. Brought the chocolates down to the pool and indulge in it while we swim!

Our room was facing the swimming pool so we had a fantastic view. We can even see Clarke Quay, Liang Court and more from our room.

The room was very comfy and spacious. As you can see, there are 3 pillows for each pax and the bed was soooooo comfy. The air condition of the room was already on before we check-in so yay, no warm or musky smell.

Even the toilteries are so pretty.

Clean toilet and huge mirror calls for a selfie.

Swimming pool:

I think the idea of having a pool and a jacuzzi together is quite a good idea. James can swim around and then look for me at the Jacuzzi (because I don’t know how to swim) without getting out of the pool.

There is also a bar/restaurant beside the pool so you can order a glass of juices and relax beside the pool.

For tourists, Park Hotel Clarke Quay/Crystal Club is just minutes of walking distance away from Clarke Quay where you can shop, chill and eat till late night.

It is also a 5 minutes bus ride away from Orchard where you can do more shopping there.

For people who are looking at staycation, do try out Crystal Club, pamper yourself the way you should be treated 🙂

Their services is simply top notch in my opinion. I will be back for more staycations soon!

Park Hotel is located opposite UE Square;

1 Unity St, 237983

York Hotel Buffet at only $20+

May 3, 2015maybeline

Crazier about Crabs @ Brizo

March 30, 2015maybeline

Availability:	April to June 2015 Monday to Friday 12pm to 2.30pm
Price:	$22.00 per person (Minimum 2 persons)For enquiries or reservations, please call White Rose Café at +65 6830 1156