In Singapore I stayed at the Regent hotel located at the west end of Orchard Road.
I know from previous visits to Singapore that top-end hotels there are very affordable, very good value for money, and the service is often exceptional, so I didn’t think twice about what type of accommodation to go for.
I had originally planned to stay at the Shangri-la hotel which I know is supposed to be amazing, but just a few days before I was going to make the booking they raised the prices and it ended up being too expensive for my budget.
My second choice was the Regent hotel, part of the Four Seasons group, it had also received excellent reviews on the internet.
They actually had a very good suite deal on the internet which I could not resist booking. It had to be booked some time in advance though, but that was obviously not a problem.
The suite on offer was a Four Seasons Executive Suite, 75 sqm in total!! The suite deal also included free breakfast and a complimentary upgrade to the Regent Club if staying for a minimum of two nights (and as a coincidence I was planning to stay two nights).
Since I was very happy with my stay at the Regent I thought I should give a short review before continuing with the flights.
I took a taxi from the airport and asked the driver to go to the Regent hotel.
Upon arrival at the hotel my taxi was immediately surrounded by people, they offloaded my luggage from the boot while I paid the taxi driver.
Seconds later the car door was opened and I was greeted by name and welcomed to the Regent Hotel.
I was so surprised they knew my name before I had even got out of the taxi, but apparently they had checked the baggage tag on my suitcase (which obviously had my name on it) and there was also a woman standing at the entrance with a list of today’s arrivals.
I was so impressed they managed to do that in less than half a minute. Well done!! ^
I was escorted inside the lobby to the reception desk where check-in was taken care of.
I enquired about the complimentary upgrade to the Regent club as I was staying for two nights.
Unfortunately the Regent club floors were full (not sure what they difference was anyway as I was staying in a suite), but I was told I was most welcome to use the club lounge and I was also given a key card with Regent Club printed on it which I could show to get all the extra benefits.
I was then escorted to my room, I think it was the first time that has ever happened to me, unless being escorted by a bellboy with my luggage of course, but here the luggage actually arrived a few minutes later.
I was given a “guided tour” of the suite and the nice guy also explained all the facilities in the hotel and all the extra benefits I got as a Regent Club guest.
Very nice! After checking I was happy with the suite and all the arrangements he wished me a nice stay and left, minutes later my luggage also arrived
The suite was huge, 75 square meters. It had a huge king-size bed, a sitting area, two desks, two balconies, a walk-in closet, CD-player, two TVs, and two toilets.
The latter was probably the most interesting feature, don’t we all need to have a choice when we need to go to the loo??
Well at least I had…
Overall the place was really nice and very nicely decorated. There was also an excellent selection of minibar drinks and snacks and basically every possible glass, cup or plate you may need stored in a cupboard. Plenty of complimentary coffee and tea were available as well in a nice wooden box.
In the evening I visited the Regent Club on the 11th floor which was also excellent.
Very nice lounge attendants inside who were happy to help you with anything you may need. They also had complimentary food and drinks (including alcoholic drinks) between 5-8 pm.
I asked the guy who escorted me to my room what they had on offer in the lounge, and he said mostly cocktail snacks and light food, which sounded rather unremarkable.
But in fact they had a full buffet in the evening with plenty of hot food including chicken, skewers, oysters, meatballs, potatoes and prawn cocktails (it varied day by day). There was really so much to eat (and fairly few people eating anyway) that I actually skipped dinner one evening as I was really not hungry after the lounge visit.
They had a very good selection of drinks as well, plenty of spirits and two reds and two whites on offer. Of course also soft drinks, freshly squeezed fruit juices and excellent coffee.
Two internet computers were also available free of charge, in the main business centre you had to pay for internet access.
The buffet breakfast in the morning was also very good, extremely extensive. They were even cooking pasta with garnishes of your choice if you felt like eating pasta for breakfast.
Overall the service in the hotel was superb. Every time I passed a member of staff they greeted me, it the corridor, in the lobby, everywhere! And it didn’t matter who it was, housekeeping, bellboys, reception staff, everybody!
Every time they got the chance they also addressed me by name, each time I visited the reception or the concierge for example they instantly asked for my room number so they could find the name in the reservation and address me by name.
The service was really excellent, very polished, but at the same time friendly and relaxed and not intrusive. It was just the way I like it! ^
The turndown service also worked very well, they did a very good job there!
And some pics:
Pics
The nice lobby (well a part of it)
Another photo of the lobby
The large atrium inside the Regent hotel
The atrium again, I like the cool lifts, there are four of them
The entrance to the Capers restaurant where breakfast is served
My Four Seasons Executive Suite
The sitting area
The large bed
The bed, the walk-in closet and one of the TVs
The second TV and the minibar cabinet
The entrance to the Regent Club
Inside the nice Regent Club
Free drinks in the lounge in the evening
Some of the food in the lounge
And finally a photo of central Singapore at night, after all it’s soon christmas:
Nice christmas decorations on Orchard Road