scubaccr

IC Singapore

Were you (or for multi-stayers are you generally) happy with the hotel/stay?
Yes, definitely

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
o Booked cheapest Deluxe Room as first stay for some time and room naming all changed. To allow me to check room I wanted and upsell during 9.30am checkin.
o For RA the Deluxe jumps 2-cats to Club IC on old club floors
whilst the IC Club jumps to Premier Suite (old Junior Suitee)
o Paid for upsell to IC-Club , and helpfully given foc +1 extra 3cat upgrade to Heritage Suite (old Shophouse Suite) as all Premier Suites occupied

How are the rooms?
Just 8x Rooms on 2nd + 3rd floors overlooking shopping mall. Two large double width room suites, separate rooms (Sitting and Bed Rooms) with balcony for one of the rooms, and a large bathroom with separate bath and shower cubicle.
3rd Floor suite windows have malls gym level right across just 5m away. The gym opens it's window blinds 6am-10pm when open BUT I noticed the blinds opposite rooms 360+362 remained closed all day.
In fact one room of 362 is opposite the passage as against gym, no doubt why noted FTer UK1 famously always requested room 362.
Nice TV (x2) and plenty of channels, reasonable minibar.

How is the exec. lounge?
o New lounge is on floor 2 (used to be 11th floor)
o Checkin/Checkout staff very professional and helpful. Also empowered regards room allocations w/o needng to refer to management (eg foc extra cat upgrades if need be
o Other lounge staff all polite, helpful and attentive too.
o Nice and large, 1/4 is sofa type seating, 3/4's table seating
o 2x Apple computers, 1x colour laser printer (wifi enabled ! )
o lounge breakfast is nice enough. no cream cheese for smoked salmon so buy your own
lounge acccess allows restaurant b/f too, for more choices, again no cream cheese for my smoked salmon. (nor pastrami)
o lounge tea is now brought out on tripple level platter. Sandwhiches, Scones with Whipped (not clotted) Cream + apricot Jam (yes was not strawberry jam ??) and couple og chocolates
o Lounge evening. Not my fare types. If early enough I made myself a couple of cheese rolls.
No champagne, a sparkling Proseo which I found poor and too acidic. I made up Chablis+soda Spritzers or drank beer. Tiger and Heineken (bottles and Cans).
The staff also knock up cocktails from the spirits, cocktail menu list on the table

Did you receive a welcome gift?
Tin with bag of IC Singapore Heritage tea inside
(Lion gift now finished as Singapore 50th is over)

How was the minibar?
no champers, half bottles red+white wine, 3beers, 5x sodas (sprite, cola. cola-zero, soda, tonic) and OJ + minature spirits (2x Chivas, 1x Brandy, 1x Vodka, 1x Rum)
(bottled OJ was terrible, strongly suggest grab 2x OJ bottles at b/f at either lounge or restaurant)

What was good and what was bad?
+Good
+ Lounge Checkin. 2nd Floor reachable w/o a room card
+ Lounge staff, took time to show me refurbed rooms
IC-Club, Heritage Suite (Shophouse Suite), Exec Suite (no Prem suites empty)
+ all RA bennies w/o asking, early checkin, late checkout (not needed), minbar etc
+ Easy to understand RA upgrade program of +2 Cat from booked room, always with lounge access.
+ location , Orchard road is 20minute number 7 bus ride s$2 to driver (easier than metro which requires line change). Taxi back circa s$10

-Bad
Absolutely nothing.

Value for $ or Priority Club Points?
Deluxe at s$218++ for club room OR IC-Club s$321++ to J-Suite all with lounge access is a steal compared to Europe (London/Ams/Paris)
ex rate:= £1 => s$1.95
Would not use points here unless deluxe rate much higher or if points rich, I'd much rather have paid night towards RA Qualification.

Would you return?[/QUOTE]
without hesitation