FS Singapore

100   Recommended
Executive Suite
June 11, 2006 by EXPERT

 Map | 4 Reviews | 75% Recommended
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Four Seasons Hotel Singapore
 Map | 4 Reviews | 75% Recommended

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Executive Suite

Liked:
Location
Service
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Executive Suite

On my final night in Singapore I moved to the Four Seasons where I was to meet a fellow FTer coming from the Bali DO. Overall, I liked the Four Seasons the most but it was a stay not without its glitches. I liked the location of the FS and I found the service to be, overall, better than that of the RC. What stood out was the Concierge service and the service at Restaurant 190. The former was outstanding; the latter was a fiasco.

The vitals:

Room booked: Four Seasons Executive Suite, B&B rate, 600 SGD Actual room: 1 BR Standard Suite (paid a supplement to upgrade)

Pro's: Excellent service overall, especially the Concierge Great location High quality food & beverage

Con's: Service in restaurant a disaster Profile requests ignored

Check In

I arrived at the hotel about an hour before standard check-in time. Arrival was smooth with a warm welcome from the Doorman and an escort to the Front Desk. I enquired if there was an upgrade available and I was told by the Receptionist that the hotel does not upgrade. Period. However, I was told that the hotel was running a very high occupancy.

I was shown to the room, a Four Seasons Executive Suite, on the 9th floor. It had a particularly poor view of some other ugly building. I was not too fond of the layout of the suite. I also noticed the temperature setting was incorrect (set at a frosty 15 celcius) and the toiletries were not Bulgari.

Just then the Duty Manager phone me to ask how things were and I asked her the cost of an upgrade to a 1 BR suite. She asked me if there was something wrong and I mentioned that I just don't like this suite. She told me also that the hotel does not upgrade but that she would be willing to show me a 1 BR suite.

She showed me to the suite, this time on the 16th floor, with a view down Orchard Blvd. I liked the layout better, but the decor was hideous. Since this suite would work out better for me I decided to take it and she gave me a one time special rate. Luggage was transferred to the new suite as well as the Welcome note and amenity. I also mentioned that I can't stand Acca Kappa toiletries (which is provided for in the Suites).

From here on, the hotel really picked up its service levels (aside from the restaurant). Housekeeping came up with new L'Occitane toiletries as well as the requested humidifier (I had e-mailed the hotel to request that this be placed in the room upon arrival but there was none in the room; phoning housekeeping rectified this oversight.)

Room

The Executive suite has a small entry foyer with a small powder room to the left and straight ahead the living area with a small round table for 4 and a small sitting area. From the LR, to the left there is the master bedroom with a large closet area (not quite walk-in) and a large master bath with separate shower and double vanities.

http://www.fourseasons.com/singapore..._room_216.html

The 1 BR Standard Suite has a longer entry hallway with a half bath to the right, featuring single vanity, very large stall shower and separate WC. Straight ahead is a larger living room with a small sofa and dining area. The master bedroom has a make up table, king bed, chaise longue type chair, a walk in closet and a large master bath with double vanities, separate WC, deep soaking tub and a huge stall shower. The decor of my room was very 80s "Dallas" riche with lots of pinks and honey colour.......

http://www.fourseasons.com/singapore..._room_445.html

In both suites the televisions and A/V equipment were quite dated; the televisions were quite small. However, the room did not look worn or tired, just very very dated.

Service

Edmund Tan is the Chef Concierge and a member of Le Cles D'Or. He is very very well connected and most knowledgeable. I tested the Concierge at the Ritz Carlton and they were unable to provide me the information I needed. At the Four Seasons, no problems. His team is very friendly and very helpful -- asking about popular local artists and the desire to buy their CDs, one Concierge went and bought them for me!!

In pre-arrival communications the Concierge team went above and beyond supplying me with excellent information and recommendations. This alone, for me, is worth its weight in gold and is the reason why I prefer the Four Seasons.

Dining

We ate breakfast at One Ninety since it the buffet breakfast was included in our rate. A rather pricey breakfast otherwise at 40SGD per person, it was, quite excellent in terms of variety and quality. The chefs made omelettes, pancakes, waffles, and variations of eggs benedict on order to supplement the wonderful cold cuts, cheeses, salads, Asian and Japanese selections in addition to your breakfast standards (cereals, juices, yoghurts, fresh fruits, pastries, bread, cakes, etc)

Unfortunately, the service was pretty awful with not enough servers for such a large room. There did not seem to be a Manager present which usually makes for a poor(er) dining experience. The staff really seemed quite clueless....

Amenities

The hotel is quite beautiful inside, again in a fairly glitzy manner, but I was again disappointed that the decor did not evoke Singapore in any way which is unusual for Four Seasons as most of their properties tend to capture the locality quite well.

Staff are very friendly and try their best to serve their guests. In the Gift shop, there were some "Ty" and "Gund" stuffed animals and I had been searching Singapore for a cat for our collection at home. I mentioned this off the cuff to the agent and she desperately tried to think of places which may carry a larger selection. About half hour later I received a phone call in the room from the Gift store clerk informing me that there was a place in Wheelock Centre which had quite the selection!! Very kind of her. I ended up finding one at Changi of all places!!

Internet access is a shade under 30 SGD; but there is no Room Service charge separate from the service charge on room service orders. Typical for Four Seasons is that they do not charge extra for Express Service laundry.

No water was provided at turndown nor were the sheets untucked, as noted in my profile.

Overall

At check-out, the Assistant Director of Rooms, came to greet me and I mentioned to him that there were glitches but that I would send my comments in an e-mail.

In short, he acknowledged that the hotel dropped the ball on the Profile requests and that the service issues in One Ninety have been forwarded to the Hotel Manager for improvement as quite a few other guests have complained about the service in the restaurant.

I asked for clarification on the comment by the Receptionist and Duty Manager regarding upgrades (as the hotel does participate in AMEX FHR programme and if they don't upgrade, it seems to be in violation of their agreement with AMEX). I sought clarification because in my case I was able to purchase an upgrade but was not offered one complimetarily despite being a Profile Holder. If the hotel was sold out, or upgraded rooms were not available, there is no issue.

It turns out that the hotel DOES NOT in fact upgrade, Profile Holders or other programmes/rate plans which include upgrade if available, if occupancy of the rooms, or the suites, or the hotel overall, is greater than 90%. In my case, the hotel occupancy overall was over 90% and the suite occupancy rate was closer to 96%. This answer was very candid and very satisfactory. I did not expect an upgrade; but I do ask if one is available if I am not offered one, and was very happy with the upgraded I purchased. The room with two bathrooms worked out better for us.

The hotel will also be undergoing renovations beginning later this year, or early next year. Apparently the hotel is still working on the design scheme and room mock-ups but it will also include an upgrade of the entertainment systems.

I appreciated the candor in which Hotel Management responded to my queries.

While there were some minor glitches I still like this hotel a lot. Messages were delivered promptly and accurately; all the staff are friendly and helpful; and the Concierge service is outstanding. I will definitely return and I can't wait to see the hotel after renovations.

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