PayItForward

Since they are both 12,000 points, you may want to consider Westin.
Way more updated and their tubs are fabulous.
Always check your bill for extras though at the Westin. Both times I stayed there I was charged for food / drinks that was not consumed but apparently, the sensitive sensors triggered the charges.
Another caveat is that within walking distance, there is only 1 mall near Westin (Marina Bays Sands) but there are many many malls near Sheraton at the Orchard Road.
If you are familiar with the trains or fine with the cab system, then this would not be an issue.

mahasamatman

Depending on the person, that could be a plus or a minus for either property.

MSPeconomist

There's a small underground mall between the Westin and MBS.

generikz

It/s called Marina Bay link, connecting to the Downtown MRT but it's mostly about food as it's the place of choice for the CBD (MBFC) people to get their lunch.

At least the Din Tai Fun isn't too crowded on week-ends!

Julien

MSPeconomist

Yes, that's it.

ORDPLATAA

Thanks all - I think we are going to go with the Westin. We've done the MRT before (fantastic system by the way!), so getting around will not be an issue. Really appreciate all of the input.

Absolute

Just stayed at The Westin Singapore on Sunday - great stay, although keep in mind that it's surrounded by skyscraper construction on all sides but the south (shipping dockyard), so it'll be noisy out on the patio and pool.

I still enjoyed floating in the pool though, occasionally watching the ships being unloaded and the construction cranes at work. Keep in mind that with the skyscrapers around, the sun will only shine on the patio until about 2 or so on a good day.

I didn't hear any construction in my room though, and I was in an xx04 room (2nd from the end facing the pool).

Friendly staff too - I was running on the treadmill (which has an unobstructed view of the dock), and the Running Concierge (who organizes the daily 0630 run) came in to talk to me. He had a great history of the area, and mentioned that when the hotel was first constructed he would come in every morning to watch the sunset on the patio.... which is now blocked by the new construction.

No issues with traffic even with the construction - lots of taxi's available, especially with the offices attached. Ubers took anywhere from 3-6 minutes to arrive, as well.

MSPeconomist

Note that major construction in Singapore is somewhat active until late at night, generally seven days a week.

I don't know if he's still there, but I had some extremely interesting conversations with a young concierge who was a Singaporean guy who had studied architecture and city planning. He seemed to know everything about the city, its history, and the holidays/festivals celebrated by various groups.

Absolute

In case it helps, I was preparing my TripAdvisor/SPG review, and had this image.

This is the view from my xx04 room; behind the centre glass building is the Marina View (the three towers with the connected roofs), and to the right there is also a second tower under construction beside the one you can see, at almost the same height.

Those towers block your view of the Gardens By the Bay flowers, unfortunately (http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/08/world/...s-gardens-bay/).

MSPeconomist

You still see the "flower petal" museum and IIRC the iconic theater building that looks like an armadillo.

yosithezet

The "lotus" is the Art Science Museum and the Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay complex would be shaped like a durian.

BTW the pizza at Extra Virgin Pizza at ground level in the complex with the Westin is amazing!

gcashin

Will be in Singapore in May, and trying to decide between the Westin and the W. It's a fairly short stopover at ~30 hours and the first time visiting, so we'd like to see a bit of the city, but also relax around the hotel.

From what I can tell, the W looks super nice, but maybe a bit removed from the city. Westin looks like it may be aimed a bit more towards business travelers? We'll be there on a Friday night/Saturday if that matters, and I have Platinum status.

Westin is a Cat 5 at 12,000 points and W is a Cat 6 at 20,000. The Westin definitely seems to be better value on points, as the room rate for that weekend is higher at the Westin, even though it's less points.

Any thoughts on benefits of the Westin vs. the W for a short visit? Is the W worth the extra points? Given the short stay, is one of them easier to get to/from the airport?

shuuy

Everything is easy from the airport, but Sentosa would be an additional 10 minutes.

Westin is much better for business given proximity. Both are away from the action Friday/Saturday, but the Westin is better positioned to get you there faster.

Any reason why you haven't considered the St. Regis? (probably the best for everything you're looking for)

travelswithmyself

I agree. Your choices for your duration of stay (short) and for convenience (since the stay is short) are probably:

Sheraton/StRegis >> Westin >> W

Based on personal experience:

Sheraton - cheapest usually. location v convenient. hardware reasonable since renovation. upgrades to suite very hard, apparently due to number of plats staying there. nice lounge with decent offerings

The other three are usually priced in the same range, with the W slightly higher, and the Westin going mad every now and then when it sells out.

St Regis - location almost as convenient. hardware good. upgrades to suite infrequent. no lounge, poolside evening hors d'oeuvres pathetic

Westin - location so-so. hardware very good. upgrades to suite frequent but sometimes hard to come by even on weekends as locals come in for "staycation". nice lounge with decent offerings

W - location poor (for a 1.5 day stay - definitely adds more than 10 mins to journey because of traffic). hardware very good. upgrades to suite frequent and numerous suites, but sometimes hard to come by especially on weekends as locals come in for staycation and W-organised weekend pool parties. no lounge, no afternoon tea


Personally for a brief stay like that I would just save money/points and take Sheraton, if you don't mind only getting a standard room. Prices there are also usually lower from Fri-Sun. You could also ask them for an upgrade to a poolside Cabana Room instead of a suite which is quite a nice compromise. The rooms are built separately from the main building on the ?5th floor and being poolside with ?palm/coconut trees almost makes it look like a resort.

I should qualify that when I mean convenient location I mean to the main tourist/shopping belt.

gcashin

Thanks for the info, folks! As far as not initially considering the Sheraton or St. Regis, I figured the Westin and the W looked like better options at the respective points level. I'm not familiar with Singapore, so my logic had been as follows: Sheraton and Westin are both Cat 5 and Westin looked closer to the water and I figured all things being equal the Westin would be better; St. Regis and W are both Cat 6, so I figured the W would be the better option for a couple of 30-somethings, and the pictures looked pretty amazing!

The info on location/lounges/upgrades is really helpful, so I'll take a closer look at the St. Regis and Sheraton now. The cash rate for the Sheraton is pretty reasonable even though it's the same number of points as the Westin.