jacob_m

It’s been a long time since my last trip report and basically any trip worth mentioning.
Quite busy at work where a rather sizable project requires both overtime and some weekends at work and with very small chances to take some days off.
I still felt I needed a break though, at least to recharge the batteries, and while reading through some old trip reports (one in particular) I got the really crazy idea of taking one day off work and do an ultra-longhaul weekend trip, something like leaving Thursday evening and be back again late Sunday evening.
Singapore has always been one of my favourite cities and also offers lots of possibilities to combine routings and airlines and the fares also seemed to be reasonably acceptable.
Well I got my day off approved and the booking was made a day later through Expedia with a nice combination of airlines and with everything in business class, although still with a feeling that this must be one of the more crazier things I’ve got into.
Having read a lot of positive things about the Shangri-La Singapore I had a look at their website and was pleasantly surprised to find good weekend rates, a few minutes later also that booking was made…

So it’s time to head to the airport again…

Read all my latests trip reports here!

To the airport and check-in at Arlanda airport

I left the office at 4.30 pm, a little over two hours before departure. I had prebooked an “airport coaches taxi” (flygbusstaxi), which means that you call latest an hour before desired pick-up time and then a taxi picks you up at any address in the city and takes you to the nearest bus stop of the airport bus.
Quite a good option which I have used several times as it’s far more convenient than using public transportation and far less expensive than taking a taxi all the way to the airport which is a good 40 km from the city centre.
I knew well which the nearest bus stop was but the driver suggested going to the Central station instead (where the airport buses originate) to avoid the rush hour traffic where we would most likely be stuck for some time.
I agreed and the ride was indeed very quick, however since I was now unexpectedly at the railway station I decided to treat myself to the high-speed train to the airport instead, Arlanda Express. Not the cheapest option, but hey 20 more minutes in the lounge to make good use of the self-service bar is always a good excuse…

There were not a lot of people in the departure hall of terminal 5 and the premium check-in area was almost deserted. Just one person in front of me waiting for the single Star Gold check-in desk and he was checked in within a minute.
There was a friendly young woman at the check-in desk, she seemed to be quite new at her position though so she had a colleague assisting her through the whole process.
Since I had quite a few hours of flying ahead of me she could only check me in for the first two legs and her colleague explained to her (and me) how to tag the bag manually when check-in is not open for all flights.
Anyway, easily sorted out, my bag was tagged to Singapore, a priority tag was attached accordingly and I also received boarding passes for two of the flights.

With still some time left I headed over to Sky City located between terminal 4 and 5 for some last minute shopping and then used to fast-track security which is available to SAS Gold (EBG) as well as SAS business class and SAS economy flex passengers but unfortunately not other *G (at least not officially) which is a shame as I think these benefits should be universal and extend to all *G passengers.

Pics
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a132/jacob_m/Singapore2007/IMG_3923.jpg]SAS business class/Star Gold check-in at Arlanda airport (Notice all the Swedish celebs above the check-in desks, do you recognise any of them?)
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a132/jacob_m/Singapore2007/IMG_3921.jpg]Christmas decorations in Sky City

SAS Scandinavian Lounge, Stockholm/Arlanda

The lounge was fairly crowded this evening, at least the Scandinavian lounge, the business class lounge to the right of the reception seemed a lot quieter.
I had no problems finding a seat though and got some food and a glass of red wine from the
self-service buffet. Unfortunately the food wasn’t as good as it usually is, on a good day you can find roast beef or chicken salad, on a not so good day it’s more like something to put on a bread roll like some slices of ham, and this was one of those days.
The drinks selection is pretty good though, plenty of spirits, always two reds and a coffee machine that makes very tasty espresso.
Nowadays they also have free wifi in the lounge which is great so I took the opportunity to send a last-minute e-mail to a colleague.
After an hour in the lounge the monitors indicated it was time to head for the gate.

Pics
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a132/jacob_m/Singapore2007/IMG_3924.jpg]The entrance to the SAS lounges at Arlanda airport
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a132/jacob_m/Singapore2007/IMG_3925.jpg]A very crowded SAS Scandinavian (Star Gold) lounge

Stockholm/Arlanda-Frankfurt, flight LH 3005 operated by Lufthansa
Departure: 18:50
Arrival: 21:00
Aircraft: Airbus A320
Class: Business Class
Seat: 04A

At gate 6A boarding had already started but there were still quite a few passengers in line, the flight seemed to be very full and this proved to be true onboard.
Scandinavian and International newspapers were available at the gate for self-service.

Once onboard I quickly found my seat on the fourth row. The A320 has a 3-3 configuration but in business class the middle seats are blocked and replaced by table which is a nice touch and also gives a lot of extra space for hand luggage and drinks.
My jacket was taken and magazines were offered before we pushed back around at 7 pm and took off shortly afterwards from runway 19R.

During the flight a cold meal was served in business class which consisted of salmon and fish, cheese, and berry compote and two chocolate pralines as dessert. Bread rolls were also offered as well as drinks.
Fairly tasty meal, but on SAS you get a hot meal on this route in business class and honestly there could have been a bit more food on the tray, after all this was supposed to be dinner.
The service could also have been much better, after the meal trays had been handed out there was one drink round, but after that the two male FAs who worked in the forward galley disappeared to serve economy class.
This is perfectly understandable on a full flight but the problem was that there was no check whatsoever of the business class cabin. I had hoped for an extra bread roll for the cheese, that did not happen. The passenger in front of me pressed the call button to ask for something, but it took over 15 mins before anyone noticed it.
I just don’t find that acceptable when flying up front. A second drink round was eventually made, some 40 mins after the first round, when everybody had already finished their meals anyway.
I’ve been quite happy with Lufthansa over the years but this was definitely below standard.

Pics
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a132/jacob_m/Singapore2007/IMG_3927.jpg]The new terminal building of terminal 5 seen from my seat
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a132/jacob_m/Singapore2007/IMG_3931.jpg]Inflight service to Frankfurt in business class

Transfer in Frankfurt

We landed right on time in Frankfurt and taxied to, surprise surprise, a remote stand.
Why can’t they build more passenger bridges in Frankfurt? They are so badly needed!!
Well it turned out the bus was going to drop us off at the B-pier, which actually wasn’t inconvenient at all since my next flight was leaving from that pier, I suppose a bus ride is still better than a lengthy walk, especially when talking about Frankfurt.
After an ultra-quick passport check I was in the transit hall again ready for some last-minute tax-free shopping and a visit to the Senator lounge.

Pics
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a132/jacob_m/Singapore2007/IMG_3932.jpg]All evening departures from the pier B including my flight to Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a132/jacob_m/Singapore2007/IMG_3942.jpg]The transit hall at Terminal 1 / B-pier in Frankfurt

Lufthansa Senator lounge, B-pier/Non-Schengen-area, Frankfurt

The lounge is located one floor above the main departure level, it was fairly crowded when I got there but lots of people left just minutes later as there were many subsequent departures at that time.
No problem finding a seat and afterwards I got some food and wine from the extensive self-service buffet. The food in the LH Senator lounges is very good and my very late lounge dinner this evening included ham and potato salad, a bread roll, a muffin and chocolate and almond biscuits.
I also found the latest copy of the Business Traveller magazine which was very interesting to read and included reviews of BA first class and the new Eurostar service and some info about the new SQ A380 service.

Although the food and drinks in the lounge is pretty good the B-pier Senator lounge is not particularly pleasant, it’s too large and impersonal and can get extremely crowded, I very much prefer the Senator lounges in the A-pier if I have a choice.

Pics
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a132/jacob_m/Singapore2007/IMG_3933.jpg]The entrance to the LH Senator lounge in the B-pier
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a132/jacob_m/Singapore2007/IMG_3935.jpg]Inside the Senator lounge
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a132/jacob_m/Singapore2007/IMG_3937.jpg]The self-service buffet area
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a132/jacob_m/Singapore2007/IMG_3934.jpg]Nice food to eat and a glass of red wine

jacob_m

Frankfurt-Bangkok, flight LH 772 operated by Lufthansa
Departure: 22:45
Arrival: 14:55
Aircraft: Boeing 747-400
Class: Business Class
Seat: 09K

I left the lounge around 40 mins before departure and headed to gate B22. The flight seemed to be quite full this evening, the gate area was packed.
LH 772 actually has two destinations, it goes primarily to Bangkok but then continues an hour later to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.
Shortly afterwards the boarding started with priority boarding offered for first class and business class passengers (not sure if they mentioned Star Gold) so I could walk straight onboard.

I entered the cabin through door 1L of the B747-400 and was greeted by a female FA who directed me to my seat 09K. The reservation agent at SAS had done an excellent job securing 09K for me which is a window emergency exit seat with lots of legroom and with no need to climb over the person in 09H when visiting the lavatory for example. Very appreciated!
Once seated another FA welcomed me onboard, a young and very friendly Thai woman this time, she offered to take my jacket and minutes later she was back offering pre-departure drinks, I naturally had a glass of bubbles.
Amenity kits were also offered and a pillow and a blanket were already available at the seat.

We pushed back quite late, I have no idea why (maybe late transfer passengers?) and took off around 11.15 pm from runway 25R.

Pics
The business class cabin onboard the B747
The forward business class cabin
The Lufthansa business class seat
A glass of champagne before departure
Amenity kit

Meal service

Immediately after the seatbelt sign had been turned off the inflight service started with more drinks (more champagne!) and nuts.
The menu was also handed out and included both the dinner and brunch service and the drink list. Quite a good drink list with a very good description of the different wines on offer.

Pics
The business class menu

This is what was on offer during the flight to Bangkok:

My first thought was that the food sounded delicious, and in fact it was.
I decided to start with the rabbit roulade followed by the goose as main course. They were both excellent, very tasty! And what a very nice change from the usual chicken and beef. ^
Frequent drink rounds were made in the cabin during the meal service, although I didn’t count I’m sure they passed 6-8 times offering more drinks. I had some more champagne to drink, the Jacquart champagne is not bad at all, but I decided to switch to red wine with the main course and opted for the French one.
As dessert they served what appears to be (according to the menu) some kind of yoghurt, very nice, certainly something different. Coffee and tea were also offered although I declined as it was well after midnight and very soon bedtime.

Pics
Macademia nuts and a glass of champagne after departure
Appetizer and salad
Main course
Dessert
Drink service in business class and watching a documentary about an LH MUC-SFO flight

Inflight entertainment system and time for some sleep

The inflight entertainment system (Avod!) was very good offering a good variety of movies, documentaries, TV-series, games and music.
I was very positively surprised to find a documentary about a Lufthansa flight from Munich to San Francisco “from a pilot’s point of view”. Funnily I have actually taken that flight myself, LH 458, so I watched the one-hour documentary with great interest and got a good insight into the work in the cockpit and some of the fantastic scenery they get on this flight from the cockpit.
During the meal service I also watched Mr Bean’s holiday, yes a stupid movie indeed, but after midnight and after a few glasses of champers the movie works surprisingly well.

Soon I was feeling quite tired I got ready for bed and reclined my seat.
The seat is not completely flat but “lie-flat”, although I still found it very comfortable to sleep in, I got about 5-6 hours of sleep without any problems. Another good thing is that there is a divider between the seats (in my case seat 09H and 09K), so when both seats are fully reclined you don't see your seat neighbour and it feels fairly private and you won't be bothered at all by the person next to you.

The seat control and video console
The inflight entertainment system

Brunch

Around two hours before landing in Bangkok, somewhere over eastern India, the second meal service started.
They call it “brunch” which I suppose would be more accurate than breakfast since it was noon local time in central Asia.
On offer they had either a “cold brunch” or a “hot brunch”, i.e. either a plate with cold cuts or a hot dish consisting of a cheese crêpe with spinach, I chose the latter. Coffee, tea, soft drinks, breads and croissants were also offered with frequent refills.
The food was quite allright, but really on the smaller side to be longhaul business class, I think they could have served something more.
I also watched another movie through the inflight entertainment system, they actually had a few foreign movies on offer and I was surprised to find a Swedish one among them, a recent movie I had not even seen but which was very entertaining.

Pics
About two hours left before landing in Bangkok flying over eastern India
Brunch in business class

As the meal service was over we slowly started our descent into Bangkok and landed roughly on time at 3 pm on runway 01R at the one year old Suvarnabhumi airport.
The standard landing announcements were made in English and German while the young Thai FA who had mostly been serving me (and who was sitting right opposite me) was repeating everything in Thai afterwards. She was easily the best FA onboard and actually addressed me by name a few times.

We parked at the D concourse and all business class passengers disembarked through the front door 1L. Passengers continuing to Ho Chi Minh City also had to get off as the plane was to be cleaned and re-fuelled and there would also be a new crew onboard.

I still had some time left before my next flight so I decided to check out the Thai Royal Silk lounges at the new airport….

jacob_m

Transit at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi airport

I still had plenty of time before my next flight to Singapore so decided to check out the Thai Airways Royal Silk lounges, especially to have a refreshing shower after 15 hours of travelling so far.
I first visited a transfer desk to have my boarding pass to Singapore issued since they were not able to do that in Stockholm. They had separate desks for economy class passengers and Royal Silk/First/Star Gold passengers, the line for the economy class transfer desks was horrendously long so I was very happy to be able to bypass that line.
I was quickly checked-in, my baggage number was entered in the reservation and I was also given an invitation to the Royal Silk lounge which also had a printed map of the different lounges available at the airport.

Pics
The Thai Airways transfer desks in the transit hall, I’m so happy I didn't have to join that economy class line
Plenty of duty free shopping

Thai Airways Royal Silk Lounges, Bangkok

I started off at the D-concourse lounge which is the largest out of the five (?) Royal Silk lounges in Bangkok. I enquired already at the reception desk if they had any showers in the lounge but was told they had none, instead I was directed to the C-concourse lounge just a short walk away.

The C-concourse lounge is marketed as a lounge for transfer passengers. I personally don’t think there is much difference between the lounges but at least they had several shower rooms available and I think I saw a resting area as well.
I had a refreshing shower in one of the very large and modern shower rooms and 15 mins later I felt like a new person.
I had a seat in the main lounge and got some food from the self-service buffet. The food offerings were pretty good with plenty of snacks, miniature pizzas, sandwiches, fresh fruit and pastries. They also had plenty of drinks, especially plenty of spirits, but I was very surprised to find that they had no wine in the lounge. I even asked about it but was told they had none, a bit strange in a large business class lounge at a major international airport.
The Singha beer was as good as always though and I very much enjoyed the great variety of snacks.

Overall the lounge was very nice, great modern interior with comfortable armchairs and a very nice view of the apron and the massive C-concourse. There was also plenty of staff in the lounge, always happy to assist with food and drinks and the tables were regularly cleared, at least every 10 mins. Overall a nice place to kill some time inside and another good thing was that every table had a power socket so I could use my laptop.

Pics
The entrance to the Thai Airways Royal Silk lounge in the C-concourse
Inside the lounge
The self-service buffet area
Nice sitting areas in the lounge overlooking the C-pier
Nice snacks and Singha beer!!

I spent about an hour in the C-concourse lounge and then decided to have a look in the transit hall to stretch my legs. There were quite a few shops available but they were not particularly cheap and the assortment was by no means spectacular.
At this point I also got an error message on my camera that I was running out of battery power. Crap! Well I did have a charger for my camera…very safely stored in a drawer some 8700 km to the west.
I asked in pretty much every electronics shop if they sold battery chargers for digital cameras or if they had new batteries, but of course they had none and just tried to sell me a new overpriced digital camera which was not quite what I wanted.
Anyway I just hoped there would be sufficient battery power for some last photos during the Singapore flight, in Singapore there should be no problem finding a new battery charger.

I went back to the Royal Silk lounge in the D-concourse which I had originally planned to visit.
This is the largest Royal Silk lounge in Bangkok, 2410 square meters with a seating capacity of 291 passengers according to the TG webpage.
I think there were at least three self-service buffet areas in this huge and very modern lounge and of course plenty of seating areas with comfortable armchairs.
I had some more to eat and drink from the self-service buffet. Basically the same drinks selection in this lounge as the previous lounge, i.e. still no wine, but the selection of food was much better with hot food available like spring rolls and noodles with chicken and vegetables. Very nice!
I had some more Singha beers before it was time to head to the gate for the next flight.

Pics
Inside the vast Thai Royal Silk Lounge in the D-concourse

polo123

thanks for posting the trip report.i really look forward to reading the rest of it.

camsean

Thanks for an interesting trip report.

tsastor

Thanks jacob_m, your trip reports are great! Btw. do you recall the name of the Swedish movie shown on your LH flight to Bangkok?

jacob_m

Bangkok-Singapore, flight TG 401 operated by Thai Airways
Departure: 19:55
Arrival: 23:15
Aircraft: Airbus A300
Class: Royal Silk Class (Business Class)
Seat: 22A

Last flight of the day was Bangkok-Singapore on Thai Airways in “Royal Silk Class” as they brand their business class.

The flight departed from gate C10 so again a longish walk from the lounge, the terminal building at the new Suvarnabhumi airport is simply gigantic!
At the gate boarding started very late, something like 10 mins before scheduled departure time, we were never given an explanation why.
I had hoped they would offer priority boarding for business class passengers so I could sit down and enjoy a pre-departure drink while waiting for the rest of the passengers to board, that did not happen, in fact quite the opposite happened.
A rather fierce woman was standing at the gate announcing that only economy passengers were allowed to board starting with those sitting at the rear of the cabin, and she meticulously checked boarding passes. One business class passenger actually tried to board but was stopped and was told he had to wait at the gate.
Although I understand why they did this, to speed up the boarding process, it was not particularly nice to the premium passengers on the flight.

Eventually it was our time and we boarded the Airbus A300 through the front door.
I had some difficulties finding my seat, I had been assigned seat 22A which sounded like somewhere in the middle of the cabin, but as a matter of fact the first three rows were numbered 11, 12 and 14, followed by rows 22 and 23.
I would be very happy to get an explanation of the logic behind this! Anyway, it thus meant I was seated on the fourth row.
Business class had five rows in total with a 2-2-2 configuration and a 38” seat pitch (in economy class the configuration is 2-4-2). The cabin interior on the Airbus A300 wasn’t exactly modern, it felt very retro probably dating back to the 80’s or 90’s. I still found the seat very comfortable though and overall the interior gave me flashbacks of the time before airline cut-backs and LCCs.

Once seated I was immediately approached by one of the flight attendants who offered to take my jacket. Pre-departure drinks were also offered including champagne, orange juice and water, didn’t have to think twice about that one!
They also offered a very good selection of newspapers and magazines including for example Newsweek, The Economist and Time.

Pics
The rather old business class cabin onboard

We finally pushed back almost 30 mins late, apparently they waited for some late transfer passengers.
A safety demonstration video was shown on the main screen before the cabin was prepared for take-off.

Meal service

Once in the air more drinks were offered as well as the menu for the flight.
I had a look inside and was very positively surprised of what I saw, on this two hours flight they served a three courses dinner with three choices of main course. Not bad at all!!
I was also very surprised to be given a drink list. Last year I flew Thai Airways BKK-HKG in F as part of my RTW trip and one thing I really missed was a drink list, and that was in first class.
They seemed to have taken the customer feedback seriously, the drink list they have now is very detailed.

Pics
The menu and drink list in Royal Silk Class

Here is what was on offer this evening in Royal Silk Class to Singapore:

I had some more champagne to drink and was also offered cashew nuts, shortly afterwards the FAs was back to take the meal orders.
The table was set with a white and purple tablecloth and Thai Airways china and afterwards the meal service began.
The first course, the prawn cocktail and Waldorf salad, was superb. As main course I chose the chicken satay with nasi goreng which is one of my favourites, really tasty! I decided to switch to red wine with the meal and had a choice of three reds, the FAs also offered breads from a basket.
Finally there was cheese and crackers on the tray and as dessert they served a fruit jelly cake together with tea and coffee.
The FAs also made last round with the drink trolley offering a pretty good selection of liqueurs and spirits so I had a glass of Chivas Regal whisky.

Pics
Appetizer
Main course
Dessert and a glass of Chivas Regal

Overall the service onboard was great. There were four or five FAs working in the business class cabin which is definitely more than I’m used to in Europe, and they were all very friendly and charming and provided very attentive service.
Several drink rounds were made during the flight with a very good selection of drinks and the food was in fact really tasty! On the whole I was a very happy passenger. ^

Arrival in Singapore

All too soon we started our descent and landed ten minutes late at runway 01L at Singapore Changi airport. As I was sitting on the left side I got to see most of the city and the waterfront during the final approach and it just amazes me every time what a huge port Singapore is with the massive number of vessels anchored outside the city.
We taxied to terminal 1 and at the gate two passenger bridges were used for the aircraft, one for business class passengers and one for economy class passengers.
Immigration was a breeze, even as a foreign national the whole process is completed in only 30-45 seconds, amazing!
And in the baggage hall I was once again amazed by the ultra-quick baggage delivery, the first bag appeared on the belt basically at the same time as I got there. And in Singapore the priority tags actually work, exemplarily, the only problem was that there were quite a few status passengers onboard so there was still a short wait before my bag appeared, but at least they did everything according to the rules.

With a quick arrival, quick immigration and quick luggage delivery I was sitting in a taxi on my way from the airport in absolutely no time. In fact I was checking in at my hotel in central Singapore just 45 minutes after landing which is incredible. Very well done!!! ^

Moomba

Hmm are you my doppelganger?

When I read TR's where the menu is transcribed I always think what would I choose? So far it has been exactly what you have.


Another great TR jacob_m it makes me eagerly await 2008 when I am set to go nuts once again in the pointy end.

Frequent_Flyer1

Great tripreport as usual, jacob_m! Well done, did really enjoy reading it! ^

Yeah, the documentary on LH about the MUC-SFO flight is really interesting to watch. Enjoyed it last week on my way to ICN. It's sometimes really funny, especially if you can speak German and understand the comments the crew makes on their way to SFO...

MACH81

Another great Trip report jacob_m! ^

Any pics with FA on your lap?!

jacob_m

Many thanks for the comments!! I'll try to get the next instalment posted tonight...

The movie was Heartbreak Hotel starring Helena Bergström and Maria Lundqvist. Hilarious movie!

Not this time...
Although one of those Thai FAs on my lap for a photo would have been awesome!!

Rejuvenated

Excellent report with beautiful pics! ^

Rejuvenated

One can only dream!

jacob_m

Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore

After having read lots of positive comments about the Shangri-La Singapore I had a great urge to include it as accommodation on this trip, of course assuming I could find a reasonable rate.
I was very happy to learn they offer weekend rates which are lower than the standard rates and also include breakfast. On top of that this autumn they offer 24 hours of free internet in the room if making the reservation on the website.

The Shangri-La Singapore has three distinctive wings, each with a separate theme.

*The Tower Wing: Modern contemporary design, also the location of the Horizon Club floors

*The Garden Wing: Tropical feel, generally larger rooms than the Tower Wing

*The Valley Wing: The most luxurious option, including free champagne and canapés in the champagne bar and a separate entrance if arriving by car

I was really tempted to book the Valley Wing which I had heard so much about with unlimited champagne in the bar. But as I was arriving at midnight and just staying one day probably tired and jet-lagged I figured I’d rather leave it for some other time when I have the time and energy to enjoy it, I got enough champagne with compliments of Star Alliance anyway…
I ended up booking the Garden Wing instead, the rooms there are generally larger (and more expensive) than the Tower Wing.

Arrival

I arrived at the hotel just after midnight and after the taxi had stopped a bell boy (in a cool “Shangri-la dress”) came to greet me and also unloaded the luggage while I paid the driver, I was given a small receipt for the bag.
I entered the hotel and the first thing inside was the huge lobby in what seemed like marble, very elegant, especially at night with all the lights.

At the reception desk a very friendly receptionist immediately came to assist me. A form had already been printed with my details so just for me to check and sign, I also made sure the frequent flyer card was in the reservation (although actually the points still haven’t posted yet).
The check-in process was very quick and smooth and after the formalities were completed he asked for my baggage receipt and told me they would bring the bag to my room in a few minutes.
I was given a brief explanation how to get to the Garden Wing and my room, it’s quite a large hotel. Later I found out there is actually a reception in the Garden Wing as well with staff available 24 hours to help you with anything you may need, in fact there were staff available absolutely everywhere in the hotel.

The main entrance to Shangri-La Singapore
The huge elegant lobby
The corridor to the Garden Wing and the Garden Wing reception

My room in the Garden Wing

The receptionist seemed to have been very nice to me, I was given a room on the 9th floor which is the highest floor in the Garden Wing with a rather decent view.
On top of that he gave me a corner room where the balconies are roughly twice as large as the standard balconies, I could easily have hosted a dinner party for ten people on that balcony.

The room had a rather ‘tropical’ feel just like the description on the webpage, but honestly I had expected it to be slightly more contemporary, this room felt more like late 19th century colonial Singapore. Well I didn’t mind…
Very spacious room though, something like 50 square meters with a huge bed, a sitting area with a sofa, an armchair and a table (with fresh fruit) and a very good working area with a huge desk. 24 hours of free internet access was available as advertised.
Furthermore there was of course a very spacious bathroom with both shower and bathtub and lots of nice toiletries.

Pretty much the entire room could be controlled from a small panel on the nightstand, that meant every single light in the room, the air conditioning, and both the ‘day curtains’ and ‘night curtains’ in front of the window and balcony.
On the panel you could also set the alarm clock, call for service or indicate at the entrance to the room that you wanted privacy.
What a practical feature!!

Inside my room in the Garden Wing
The large bed and the sitting area with fresh fruit and a newspaper delivered every day
The huge balcony, this is just half of it

The garden and pool area

The hotel has a really nice tropical garden and a nice pool area where you can relax during the day, naturally there is a poolside bar where you can order both food and drinks delivered to your sun chair. A couple ordered a large bottle of champagne that was delivered in a large ice bucket which they finished during two hours in the sun.
There is also a good health club available with gym, massage and spa treatments, and there are also two tennis courts available.

The large tropical garden seen from the ninth floor
The tropical garden and the pool area
The large pool and jacuzzi

Lobby bar

Although there are plenty of restaurants and bars inside the hotel I only visited the lobby bar for an evening drink, they offer live piano music most of the evenings which is very nice.
I noticed later that there is actually a bar and restaurant on the 24th floor in the main building called Blu which would have been fun to try, I can imagine the view up there is spectacular.

The lobby and the lobby bar during the day
The lobby bar in the evening with live piano music

Breakfast

The breakfast was served in the “The Line” restaurant, one floor below the main lobby.
The restaurant has a really modern and contemporary design, immensely stylish if you ask me.
Everything imaginable was available including traditional English breakfast dishes, Asian hot dishes, a chef making omelettes and pancakes, lots of fresh fruit, bread, pastries, cold cuts, plenty of freshly squeezed juices, fish and salmon, and probably quite a few other things.

The breakfast restaurant “The Line” and a small part of the buffet
Inside the restaurant, you can also have breakfast outdoors next to the garden and pool area

Verdict

In retrospect I am most happy with the stay, I don’t really know what there is to comment about really.
The location isn’t great though, the hotel is located northwest from the main shopping street Orchard Road, around 10-15 mins walk from the “Orchard” MRT station.
There is a free shuttle bus running between the hotel and the Orchard MRT station though at least once an hour, but I didn’t find the walk too much of a hassle and of course taxis are very cheap in Singapore.
The turndown service also worked very well, around 7 pm in the evening. The curtains were closed, slippers were placed next to the bed and any complimentary bottles of water I had finished were replaced.
In the morning I also left a pair of shoes I wanted polished and they were returned in the evening with the turndown service.
Fresh fruit was also available in the room every day and a newspaper (The Straits Times) was delivered to the room in the morning.

I will definitely consider the Shangri-La Singapore again (or any Shangri-La for that matter), next time I’ll give the Valley Wing a try…

jacob_m

OK so it’s time to go back, another ~18 hours of travelling and another few glasses of wine and champagne coming up...

Check-in at Singapore Changi airport

I checked out of the hotel after breakfast and took at taxi back to Changi airport where I arrived around 10 am, the taxi driver dropped me off outside terminal 1 which is the terminal used by Thai Airways.

I found the Thai Airways check-in desks immediately in front of me when entering the terminal. There were two desks assigned for Royal Silk Class and Star Alliance Gold and both were empty.
A very polite and friendly young girl was working at the C-class check-in desk, Thai Airways check-in is handled by SATS in Singapore so she was wearing the distinctive blue jacket all SATS employees wear at Changi airport.
She quickly found my booking and tagged my bag all the way to Stockholm, she also attached a Thai Royal Silk priority tag to my bag. Fortunately she could issue all my boarding passes which I very much appreciated due to tight connections, I was also given an invitation to the Thai Airways lounge in the transit hall.

Just above the check-in desk there was a sign saying “Royal Silk passengers may proceed to Premium Check-in Lounge” (you can even see it on the photo below), I didn’t really know what that meant but on the way to passport control I noticed what it was.
SATS operates a premium check-in lounge for most (or even all) airlines handled by SATS operating out of terminal 1, it is available to first class and business class passengers.
I had a quick look inside and it was basically a secluded room with a few check-in desks and a few armchairs, a bit similar to the Singapore Airlines first class check-in room.
Quite nice, certainly a lot better than the main departure hall, but in my case there was no line for the regular check-in desks anyway.

I passed passport control which was as quick as always in Singapore and entered the transit hall.

Pics
Thai Airways Royal Silk/Star Alliance Gold check-in
The SATS premium check-in room for first class and business class passengers

Singapore Airlines Business Class Lounge, Singapore

Just a few days earlier I noticed an interesting thread in the Thai Airways forum about lounge options in Singapore, one FTer had successfully entered the SQ lounge flying Thai in C.
I was well aware of the "no access for *G flying Y"-rule, but it never crossed my mind that business class passengers of other Star Alliance carriers may get access as well .
Since a fellow FTer had successfully gained entry I decided to give it a try myself.

I took the skytrain from terminal 1 to terminal 2, a quick one minute ride, once in terminal 2 I knew exactly where to go as I had been to the SQ lounge before.
I had prepared my best possible smile, lots of charm, and a good story about poor me having too much time to kill at the airport, to get into the lounge. But none of it was actually needed!
The friendly girl at the reception desk of the SQ lounge just looked at my BP, told me “just so you know your flight is leaving from terminal 1”, had a quick look inside the lounge to see it wasn’t too crowded, and then let me in.
That’s it!! I certainly hadn’t expected that!! But awesome!!!

The lounge wasn’t crowded at all, very few people in the lounge, but I suppose 10.30 am isn’t peak time in the SQ lounge.
The lounge was very large with lots of seats and I believe as much as three self-service buffet areas. There was also a bar, albeit closed, with plenty of alcohol, a few computers with free internet, a good selection of magazines and newspapers and some TVs.

I had a seat and got some food and drinks from the self-service buffet.
They still had breakfast available, but a rather decent selection! I had both an omelette, and pancakes with syrup, some fresh fruit, a muffin, a cake and a very tasty freshly brewed espresso. As I said a very decent breakfast, one of the best lounge breakfasts I’ve had!
In the buffet area they also had some French cheeses (looked like brie or camembert), lots of soft drinks, alcoholic drinks (especially spirits), and some Asian dishes.

Overall a very enjoyable lounge visit, especially since the lounge wasn’t very crowded.
Singapore Airlines is the best when it comes to airline food and lounge food!! ^

Pics
The entrance to the Singapore Airlines lounges in Singapore, the Raffles Class lounge is to the left
Inside the lounge
One of the self-service buffet areas
Newspapers and magazines
The bar with plenty of alcohol
Sitting areas and aquariums
Decent “lounge breakfast” with pancakes, fresh fruit, pastries and freshly brewed espresso

I headed back to terminal 1 using the Skytrain, getting back and forth between the two terminals is very easy and there are no boarding pass checks or security controls, you just get on the train and that's it.
Back in terminal 1 I had a look in the shopping area, there is a large number of shops available, the assortment is pretty good and the prices are often competitive.
I also found a pretty “Santa’s village” in the transit hall, great for the children.

Pics
The “Skytrain” which runs airside between terminal 1 and terminal 2
Plenty of shopping in the transit hall
”Santa’s Village” in terminal 1

Thai Airways Royal Orchid Lounge, Singapore

I headed over to the Thai Airways Royal Orchid lounge which I was supposed to use and to which I had an invitation.
I visited that lounge last year and back then it was a rather dull affair, although there wasn’t anything wrong with the lounge is was old and rather worn and in a great need of a facelift.

On this visit I found out the lounge had been completely refurbished, it is now an immensely stylish lounge with a great interior, I honestly was very positively surprised. ^
There was a self-service buffet area in the lounge with some food and drinks. Food was OK but not spectacular, they had some soup, snacks, finger sandwiches and pastries to eat, as I said perfectly allright but nothing really remarkable. Drinks was also the standard selection of soft drinks, beer and spirits.
They had a widescreen TV in the lounge showing CNN, plenty of magazines and international newspapers (including several European ones) and I was happy to find three massage chairs in a separate room that could be used free of charge.

Overall a rather nice lounge, the only drawback is that there are no toilets in the lounge, lounge guests have to use the public ones just around the corner next to the BA lounge.
A boarding announcement was made in the lounge prior to departure, they basically told us to wait as long as possible in the lounge as the gate area was very crowded.

Pics
The entrance to the nice Thai Airways Royal Orchid lounge
Inside the very stylish lounge
Sitting areas
Food in the self-service buffet area
Drinks in the self-service buffet area