Singapore Travel Guide

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Inside a Deluxe Room at the Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 7 Raffles Avenue, Singapore, Singapore
February 10, 2012 at 4:35 PM | by | Comments (0)

Okay, so we've already raved about something as simple as the bedside tables at the Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore, but what of the rest of the room? Well, first let us say that it is completely worth it to opt for the marina-side, because the view is half the luxury.

The Ritz-Carlton Millenia sits closest to the famous curving pedestrian bridge over to the Marina Bay Sands, and its location means crazy awesome vistas of downtown, the marina and more hotels one way, and the Singapore Flyer ferris wheel the other way. As lovely as the rooms are (and they are lovely), you'll likely spend at least half the time entranced by the metropolis, staring out the room's nearly floor-to-ceiling windows.

Speaking of, the windows include a massive octagonal portal found, in most rooms, above the bathtub. There'll be no missing out on the nighttime marina laser show if you'd like to have a soak.

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Now THIS is a Hotel Bedside Table

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 7 Raffles Avenue, Singapore, Singapore
February 9, 2012 at 11:54 AM | by | Comments (0)

Check it out. This is a bedside table found in the rooms of the Ritz-Carlton Millenia, Singapore. Technically there are two, one for each side of the bed, and though easily overlooked they are some of the most well-designed pieces of functional hotel furniture we've ever seen.

Tomorrow we'll take you further into a Deluxe room at the hotel, but for now, let's geek out over furniture design. Here's why we love this table:

· Control panel—for both the room lights and the shades—stashed in table, camo as a middle drawer.
· Drawer closest to bed has single universal outlet with plenty of room around it for Apple Magsafe adapters and cord storage.
· Double level means you're able to take all the hotel stuff (notepad, breakfast menu, alarm clock, phone) and put it underneath glass panel, meaning total space for putting your own things (laptop, magazines, Moleskine, guidebooks, water bottle) and have it all fit.
· Glass top means no worrying about cup rings and using coasters on wood
· Contemporary design with the light beaming through glass panel edges makes it look super cool

[Photo: HotelChatter]

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Two Lobbies Fit for Hotel Geeks at the Shangri-La Singapore

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 22 Orange Grove Road, Singapore, Singapore
February 7, 2012 at 5:18 PM | by | Comments (0)


Reception at the Tower Wing (left) and reception at the Valley Wing (right)

It's really a tale of two lobbies, the Shangri-La Singapore. There's the original, red and gold grand lobby of the Tower Wing, opened in the early 1970s. Then, there's the white marble and gold of the modern Valley Wing next door. While the Valley Wing has its exclusivity and free champagne and fancy breakfast in the Summit Room, the Tower Wing has that classic appeal plus many mega chandeliers and the many decades of afternoon tea enjoyed on the Rose Veranda.

Yes, you already know what major hotel geeks we are—heck, you are reading this on HotelChatter.com, but please let us stress the appeal of the main Shangri-La lobby to those who really appreciate these things. It's a proper grand dame lobby, but with the added intricacies of Asian feng shui and luck-influenced interior design.

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Inside a Deluxe Suite in the Valley Wing of the Shangri-La Singapore

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 22 Orange Grove Road, Singapore, Singapore
February 6, 2012 at 5:35 PM | by | Comments (0)

Did you know...that the Shangri-La Singapore is the original of the Shangri-La chain of properties? Did you also know that it is a hotel with three distinct wings, each with a different feel and luxury level? Serious hotel geeks will have answered yes to both, but it's no matter because right now, we're taking you inside the a Deluxe Suite in the Valley Wing, a one-bedroom abode with butler service, signature Shangri-La orchids all over the place, and—joy of joys—free champagne and decadent nibbles.

You can't get much fancier than this at the Shangri-La Singapore; there's only two room categories higher than the Deluxe (a 2-bedroom and the Shangri-La Suite), and its location in the Valley Wing means a separate, more private entrance and lobby, complimentary breakfast in the formal Summit Room, and round-the-clock extras (like afternoon tea or mini dessert cakes) at a lobby bar. This is where you'll find the complimentary, free-flowing champagne...and wine...and everything else. Pour your own Perrier? Pssh! In the evening, there's a proper attendant—starched shirt and welcoming smile—to do all that bothersome cap-twisting for you.

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A Look at the Outer Space Suite Inside Singapore's Wanderlust Hotel

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 2 Dickson Road, Singapore, Singapore
February 6, 2012 at 2:33 PM | by | Comment (1)

It's been in magazines and on design blogs aplenty, but the "Space" Suite at Singapore's Wanderlust Hotel is a space you've got to see with your own eyes to appreciate.

Every duplex suite on the top floor of this 29-room hotel in the Little India neighborhood has been conceptualized by local design company fFurious; the "Space" suite is just one of the many looks, and by far the most popular. Maybe the allure comes from the mystery of outer space, or a youth spent sleeping under astronaut-covered sheets? Our guess: it's because the room is pitch-black with only a fiber optic ceiling of stars at night—great for a fantasy night of romance or if you're anticipating a crazy hangover.

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At the Raffles Hotel Singapore: Inside the Lobby and a Courtyard Suite

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 1 Beach Road, Singapore, Singapore
February 3, 2012 at 4:24 PM | by | Comments (0)

Walk right into the multi-story, Victorian era lobby of the Raffles Singapore and you won't get very far. There's a "residents only" velvet rope reminder, though that doesn't halt half the curious travelers who wander in to either hit up brunch in the Tiffin Room or just snap a photo to say, "I was here."

To be honest, we immediately fell into the same awe from the moment we scratched our name into the heavy registration book at reception. To really be at the Raffles—it's an experience from another time, as anyone will say. However, being actual "residents," we just as quickly snapped into eagle-eyed guest mode. Sure, the Raffles is pretty but is it functional too?

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At the Raffles Hotel Singapore: Foie Gras and Long Bar Slings

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 1 Beach Road, Singapore, Singapore
February 2, 2012 at 8:03 PM | by | Comments (0)


Raffles Grill

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think Raffles? Besides luxury and expensive digs, we mean.

The Singapore Sling, right? More specifically, the first thing usually comes to mind at the thought of the Raffles is a fruity, red Singapore Sling from The Raffles Singapore's Long Bar. Of course a visit to the Raffles isn't quite complete without a Sling, no matter how touristy it's become, but there are plenty other dining and drinking options underneath the victorian roof of this historical hotel. Here's a few of our favorites:

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At the Raffles Hotel Singapore: Inside a Grand Hotel Suite

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 1 Beach Road, Singapore, Singapore
February 1, 2012 at 3:17 PM | by | Comments (0)

Two bedrooms, three bathrooms, a parlour, a private verandah and butler service—it must be a suite. Indeed it is, but the Raffles Singapore is exclusively comprised of suites, and this Grand Hotel Suite is but one of the higher categories.

What distinguishes the Grand Hotel suite from the others below it (Courtyard suite, Palm Court suite, Personality suite) is its location just up the Raffles' grand lobby staircase, in the main hotel building. The others, you see, are located in a neighboring wing, around a private "residents only" courtyard.

Okay, it also boasts far more original art, more antique furniture, the extra bedroom and bathroom, a separate office and living area. Add to that the fact that it costs an extra zero from the lowest category suite ($750 SGD for a courtyard suite versus $7500 SGD/$6000 USD for a grand hotel suite), and we are dealing with serious lodgings here.

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At the Raffles Hotel Singapore: Getting Bearings

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 1 Beach Road, Singapore, Singapore, 189673
January 30, 2012 at 3:38 PM | by | Comments (0)

If you want to talk about hotels with storied pasts, the Raffles Hotel Singapore simply can't be left out. Today, its 103 suites (yes, all suites) command over $500 per night and those who can't afford to splurge for a stay still find their way to the hotel's famous Long Bar for a Singapore Sling. Raffles is just one of those places you must hit, and it's been that way since the early 1900s.

All this week we'll be taking you inside the Raffles, beyond the keyed "residents only" entrance gates and into the inner sanctum enjoyed by everyone from Ava Gardner and Charlie Chaplin to modern heads of state. And there will be opium beds.

First, to get our bearings, a look at the Victorian architecture that so clearly identifies the place as the Raffles. All of the hotel suites are located in a period wing, complete with original paintings (as a result, no rooms have the same decorations) and even the newer wings—housing the upscale shops—have been constructed to seamlessly blend with the iconic white structure of the original building.

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Pack Your Trainers and Don't Forget to Grab the Hotel Jogging Map

January 27, 2012 at 2:00 PM | by | Comments (0)

It's official; hotels have finally figured out that maybe—just maybe—guests will want to venture beyond the fitness center and into the wild streets of a strange city in order to get that runner's high. Thus, increasingly we're opening up hotel desk drawers to spy more than just the requisite stationery and Gideon's Bible; there's also little jogging maps of the area.

Granted, you've got to be staying in a hotel that goes above and beyond in other ways than just a jogging map; you won't find extras like this in a Holiday Inn or Best Western. For example, we recently spotted a jogging map lanyard in the rooms at the Shangri-La Singapore, and a jogging map wristband at the Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore.

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The King of the Killer View is, Without a Doubt, Singapore's Marina Bay Sands

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: Bayfront Avenue, Singapore, Singapore
January 20, 2012 at 4:27 PM | by | Comments (0)

Just when you thought a lovely view of a hotel pool, or of a sunset over an exotic beach was the dream scene from our a hotel window, along comes Asia's hotels to burst that bubble. Just tonight, we crossed the Marina Bay Sands off our bucket list by visiting the hotel's publicly accessible SkyPark, and we can say that heading up to take in the view for some cash and a possible line wait is completely worth it. Utterly and completely.

Perhaps you've seen the Marina Bay Sands in photos before, most likely their infinity-edge swimming pool that towers above Singapore. What few who drool over these images realize is that you must be a guest to access that area, but the public is welcome for a portion of the long deck that spans the tops of the hotel's three massive towers. $20 SGD per person ($15.71 USD) and a quick elevator ride brings visitors to a bi-level viewing platform that stretches toward the hotel's similarly vertiginous neighbor, the Singapore Flyer ferris wheel.

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The Shangri-La Singapore Has Its Very Own Orchid

January 19, 2012 at 4:34 PM | by | Comments (0)

"Dendrobium by Shangri-La Singapore." It sounds like a perfume, right? Close, as that is the full name of a variety of orchid that graces several vases in each room at the Shangri-La Singapore hotel. Yes, this hotel has its very own flower and, though you'll spot larger, white orchids around the property as well, these sweet little greenish yellow blooms with their faint violet shading are the ones to watch for.

And if you thought we were joking with that official name of the flower, here's the full details (for you gardeners and flower geeks):

A long-lasting specialty orchid named after the golden sunsets of the Palolo Valley in Oahu, Hawaii. Dendrobium by Palolo Sunshine is the mother plant. The father plant is Dendrobium Pink Spider, a Singaporean hybrid created from Dendrobium Black Spider and Dendrobium Lucian Pink. The Dendrobium by Shangri-La Singapore was named in commemoration of Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore's 35th Anniversary.

[Photo: HotelChatter]

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