James and I stayed at Swissôtel Merchant Court a few weeks ago and we felt like we were literally a stone throw away from all the activities we can do in Singapore. For example, we are close the most happening nightlife places there.
You can also reach Orchard Road or City Hall in less than 10 minutes with a taxi ride.
The check-in process was swift and I was also given Niu Niu upon check-in. You can see him later. I was given the Swiss Executive Room which entitles me to visit their Executive Lounge for some drinks in the evening or breakfast in the morning. One bonus point was that their staffs were really attentive.
I opened the door to a bright and cheery room created with fruits & chocolates. Yes, the cute cow you see there is called Niu Niu, which slept with me through the night.
I have always loved hotel beds and fluffy white blankets and those at Swissôtel Merchant Court were no exception.
The toilet was spacious and all the amenities I needed were present. I thought that they have very good shampoo & conditioner though. Some hotels provide the duo that leaves my hair dry and tangled but I had absolutely no issues with Swissôtel’s own Purovel brand. Purovel is also the name of their new spa – Purovel Spa, which is convienently located right at level one.
Right after exploring the room and finishing a movie in there, we walked over the the Swiss Executive Lounge which is located at the same level. You can enjoy snacks and beverages while reading the latest happenings on the news paper. Psst: Alcohol is included as well!
We were given the choice to have our breakfast at the lounge or at their Ellenborough Market Cafe which was revamped and opened a few years ago. James’ even celebrated his birthday there last year.
They have a very good variety of food from Chinese to Indian and to Western.
What makes the hotel stand out has got to be their pool. When you are there, it gives off a resort feeling and the pool event comes with 2 slides. Tell me, how often do you come across a hotel pool with slides?
Little did I know that there are various OOTD spots around the area too. Spot another one on my Instagram (@maybelinesim) sometime this week.
James is the healthy one so he went up to the Fitness Centre to gym 1 hour after breakfast. I don’t know how well equipped a gym should look like but he commented that the gym’s facilities are pretty decent. In fact, better than what he had expected.
My overall experience was fantastic! I love the walking distance to Central (for a bowl of hot ramen) and the happening night view at night.
Adress: 20 Merchant Rd, Singapore 058281
Nearest MRT Station: Clarke Quay
staycation
REVIEW: Mercure Hotel Singapore Bugis
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
Hotel Review : 4 Reasons to go for Le Meridien Singapore, Sentosa
Love doing staycations in Singapore?
Here’s 4 reasons why you should consider Le Meridien Singapore Sentosa, a contemporary 5-Star hotel featuring 191 guestrooms situated next to Imbiah Station.
1: Superb Location – Wake up next to Merlion!
Unlike other hotels you can get in town, staying in Le Meridien Singapore Sentosa will make you feel like you are on a mini vacation as you are on another island; an island not to be missed especially if this is your first time in Singapore!
I am going to dive right into the biggest selling point for its location! You have the most iconic Merlion right beside you!
Imagine waking up in the morning with the iconic Merlion greeting you!
Furthermore, it is a stone’s thrown away to the key destinations within Sentosa such as RWS, Universal Studios Singapore, S.E.A Aquarium, the newly-opened Kidzania Singapore as well as world-class culinary delights. This means that you can walk to the casino, theme park & even Michelin-starred restaurants within minutes.
2: Spacious & Comfortable Room – You won’t feel like leaving the room once you stepped in!
We were fortunate to be hosted at the Heritage Suite situated at the Heritage Wing which left quite an impression.
Be ready to be greeted with a spacious ‘living room’ as you open the door! It is like a long hallway with a comfortable sofa that can easily fit 3-4 pax. The cosy space here allows you to plan a movie night with the large LCD TV for 5-10 pax while you guys enjoy a nice cuppa Nespresso made from the Nespresso machine.
Making a beeline down the ‘living room’, your eyes will be greeted with a big king-sized bed (image above) big enough to even cater to European heights.
Even better what lies on that bed if you are really famished by the time you checked in. Be sure to try their palatable pastries which is also served during their Hi-Tea sessions (more to be shared below).
Coming to the toilet! There is a large bathtub, a shower room, toilet bowl area all partitioned by transparent glasses. We appreciate that there are two sinks within the toilet so that couples like us do not have to fight over the use of sink in the morning!
A very comprehensive set of bathing & post-bath necessities are kept within bamboo baskets e.g. cotton buds, shower caps, toothbrush, shaver & cream etc. They even gave a packet of bath salt should you wanna soak in the hot bath tub to dissolve that long-accumulated stress away!
3: 24 Hour Gym & Photogenic Swimming Pool – Burn your Calories anytime!
Who cares if you ate too much during this staycation! They have a ready ‘pool’ of avenue literally to burn those calories!
I really appreciate the fact that they made the gym 24 hours and it is well-equipped with the latest equipments from Technogym.
In fact, I was having a bit of an insomnia that staycation night.
So guess what? I decided to take it to the gym till the wee hours without any worries that any of their friendly staff politely asking me to stop my exercise! How cool is that!
I just trained with half of the equipment in the gym that night & back to complete the others during the next afternoon before we checked out!
Another noteworthy amenities is their swimming pool.
You could just laze & suntan your afternoon away on the chairs lining the shallower side of the pool!
See how happy and satisfied I am with the clean pool which is 1m in height; Guess it is relatively safe for kids, hence I noticed some parents bringing their children down for a dip!
The pool seems to have a magical way of draining away time without you realizing it! Maybe it is because I had been too indulged in the serenity. Lol! ><
Well, that is exactly what I am here for : Auto Switch to ‘De-stress’ mode!
3: Spoilt for Great Deal of Culinary Delights – You might not even need to explore other parts of Sentosa for food!
The meals (eg Hi-Tea, Buffet Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner) are served at a their in-house restaurant by the name of ‘Latest Recipe’.
Lets start with the Breakfast after a good night rest on our fluffy bed!
Their breakfast buffet spread is good; with a good array of Western, Indian, Chinese offerings.
Some of our favourites are their freshly squeezed Calamansi & Chocolate Dinosaur to awaken your palettes.
I had quite a few servings of their nicely sliced assorted Cold Cuts! Best with some crusty bread and Thousand island salad sauce!
Chocolate Bagels, anyone?
Other delights include the mashed Beef, Teriyaki Chicken with special marinate etc. The list just runs on…
We had one of the most scrumptious hotel breakfast!
When you have such a heavy breakfast, it gives you enough time to digest till the Hi-Tea during the mid afternoon hours!
We had the Champagne High Tea Set at $78++ for 2 pax. For non-alcoholic lovers, you can opt for the non-alcoholic version at $69++.
The price is reasonably-priced because of the quality & quantity of delectable pastries they lay on your plate.
You get a portion of Shucked or Baked Oysters or Baked Lobster with Cheese (front of the image below) of which I picked the former while M went for the latter!
Even better, you get to do pastries/canapes-pairing with a glass of red, white wine or Champagne.
That is not all! You are given a pot of tea of your choice which can help with cleansing your palettes and aids in digestion. You couldn’t have asked for more during this Hi-Tea!
4: *Attention aspiring Influencers* – A lot of Instagram-worthy spots!
A picture paint a thousand words, so I am just going to save my words & let the pictures below do the talking!
With the 4 points mentioned above, it is no surprise that we score this hotel 5/5! 🙂
If I had to nitpick this hotel, it would be just to upgrade the bath tub which took quite a while to fill up when I was very much looking forward to relaxing in my warm water bath! In its defense, the bath tub is probably bigger than conventional ones! Haha!
All in all, we felt very rejuvenated & pampered by the huge space, beautiful interior and luxurious feel to this whole hotel. It was worth every single minute of our weekend! This is definitely one of the hotels we will return to the next time I decide on another staycation!
Staycation Review: Oasia Hotel Downtown Review
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.
6 reasons why you should stay at The Quincy Hotel
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!!
Atrium Restaurant @ Holiday Inn Singapore
Zouk zouk zouk? Yea, we all know about the famous Zouk. But when people talks about Zouk, the first impression always leads to Holiday Inn Hotel. I used to visit the hotel there for drinks and dinner but my last visit was almost 1.5 year ago.
Last week, I was back at Holiday Inn for a dinner buffet at Melting Pot with J. We had the same thoughts when we stepped into the hotel – “Wow, is this Holiday Inn? It looks different!!”
Then… We realised that the 512-room Holiday Inn Singapore had revamped their lobby, refurbished their guest bedrooms and all-new dining concepts to offer their guests a more modern and contemporary experience. The location is pretty ideal as it is suitable for people who are here for both business and leisure as it is only minutes away from Singapore’s Central Business District and our popular shopping districts – Somerset, Orchard Road and more.
The food at Atrium Restaurant has also changed. It was formerly known as Melting Pot Cafe but now, Atrium Restaurant. As compared to the old Melting Pot, Atrium Restaurant is now brighter and gives off a very modern feel.
New interior, New Chef -Executive Chef Chua Yew Hock, New menu. Chef Chua enhanced the restaurant’s offerings to include his signature dishes, Mussel Otah-otah, Curry Laksa, Asam Fish and Chilli Crab.
I like the Laksa section because because you get to DIY and cook your own laksa. Pick the ingredients you want (I spammed the prawns and eggs and left the bean sprouts out). Hehehe. “Customisable” food always make my tongue happy.
I didn’t know it was a DIY section so I asked one of the chefs there to cook for me LOL. I cooked my second serving after that.
All the yummy egggggssss. I love the soup so much that I had 2 bowls of laksa (with extra egg and prawns) and a third bowl of the soup alone. The soup was not overpowered by the taste of coconut milk even though it was quite creamy.
They have a kid’s corner too! Your kids are so not going to pick on the food because they are so cute!
James loved the seafood section the most. See what was on his plate!
Other food like Sushi and Cheese are also available!
The desserts spread is also good for people who have sweet tooth! They have macaroons to cakes to pies to chocolates to ice cream!!
Well for me, it’s the usual. Macaroons first! James loved the pralines. They had Lychee Praline and Champagne Praline that night.
This dark chocolate pie is good!
Other than Atrium Resturant,there is also an upcoming Atrium Bar 317 scheduled to launch this month and the ever-popular Xin Cuisine Chinese Restaurant which serves authentic Cantonese cuisine.
“The makeover is indeed timely for us to offer something new to our loyal guests and to cater to visitors to Singapore, as well as residents here. We are looking forward to a robust season especially with the re-launch of our new all-day dining restaurant, lobby bar and guest bedrooms,” said Anne Johnston, newly appointed General Manager, Holiday Inn Singapore Atrium.
Holiday Inn Singapore Atrium is located at:
317 Outram Road Singapore 169075
Visit them at http://www.holidayinn.com/sinatrium 🙂
Weekend Staycation at Holiday Inn Express
This is my third time doing a hotel staycation but first sponsored staycation. Weekends staycations are the cheapest alternative to a holiday. I was having an extremely busy week but with much thanks to HolidayInn Express, I get to chill and relax the weekends away in Holiday Inn Express at Clarke Quay!
I have to work on Saturdays so I was very much looking forward to the post work activities. James picked me and TC from our workplace and OFFFFFFFFF to the land of laughters.
The check-in process was kinda fast as it took the staff only 5 minutes. The staffs at the reception area was all chirpy and friendly! The guy who served me even told me he knows My Fat Pocket!
I also realized that there was a vending machine that sell snacks. Totally what is needed during a staycation. If you or partner can’t sleep and need something to chew on, just hop over to the machine.
After checking in……. Being anal, the first thing that I went to check was the toilet. I went to look for the hand soap and hair dryer first. LOL.
There were 4 pillows on the queen sized bed. You can pick if you want the soft or firm pillows. This is way too considerate. Save you the trouble of calling the reception for a change of pillows. The helpers also asked me if I wanted more towels for when I bumped into him after swimming. They were all very helpful.
2 thumbs up for all the staffs at Holiday Inn Express Clarke Quay!
I like hotel beds a lot because they are very comfy and clean. I have a thing for ultra clean bedsheets. So I had a very good sleep that night as well!
The room is also very functional because you can open up the side wall and you will be able to wash your hands without the need of walking over to the toilet.
Pssst. Each room comes with a 32-inch LED TV, an iPod dock and free wifi access!
As the rooftop pool closes at 9pm, the pool was the next stop after checking out the rooms!
The highlight of my entire staycation was the rooftop pool. It was very relaxing and we had A WHOLE TRUCKLOAD OF FUN THERE! William and Shaun met some korean tourists there and took a few shots with them. LOL. How cheeky.
Know what? You can see pictures of the lower part of the body of others when they are swimming. Too cool!
James, William and TC …. Skinny Dip? Well, maybe not. LOL.
And here comes Joyce! My partner in crime for the night.
My favourite picture out of the entire album was this. Perfect pictures don’t happen when you take it intentionally. This was one beautiful accident which was captured by William. Real smiles are BIG.
There is also a gym next to the pool. As it is open for 24 hours a day, you can head up to the gym to work a little if you can’t sleep.
The boys wanted to wake up at 7am for the gym but…..
It was nearly 7 when we left the pool. Back to the comfy room to clean ourselves up before dinner.
As HolidayInn Express Clarke Quay is located only 700 metres from Clarke Quay MRT Station or 1km from Chinatown, we were literally surrounded by good food hideouts. However, we went on to Central for good ramen and supermarket shopping.
We got chips and some drinks from the Japanese Supermarket nearby. And a Magnum minis to end the night. Or probably, to make the night a little sweeter.
If you are one party people, there are a lot of places and bars for you to chill out before heading back to the hotel. 
As each room accommodates two, not all stayed. Nonetheless, it was a great experience and night!
Breakfast is the first meal of the day and it is important to start it well. I like hotel breakfast because I would stuff myself with their scramble eggs!!
The seats were easily available everywhere. You can have it inside the hotel or outside at the open space area.
High chairs, tables, sofa, or couch, pick any two that you find most comfortable.
You can have it Chinese, French or Western. From noodles to congee to sausages to pastries. This is to cater to the different groups of tourists.
Look at how the scramble eggs were cooked to perfection. I had double servings of that!
The day started out really good and I was feeling all pampered by the hotel. I had bad experiences at other hotels before but I would sincerely recommend Holiday Inn Express for a reliable and fuss free stay.
Thank you #StaySmartCQ; HolidayInn Express Clarke Quay for giving me the chance to experience such a wonderful staycation.
The hotel is located at 2 Magazine Road Singapore 059573 (right beside Central Mall).
For more information: https://www.facebook.com/HolidayInnExpressSingaporeClarkeQuay