Showing signs of age but still a very nice property

100   Recommended
Grand duplex suite
March 12, 2016 by EXPERT

 Map | 4 Reviews | 100% Recommended
Share
Save
Liked:
Location
 
Service
 
Food
 
Amenities
 
Room
 

{{ oRightNav.heading }}

Grand Hyatt Singapore
 Map | 4 Reviews | 100% Recommended

Save

Share

Grand duplex suite

Liked:
Location
Service
Food
Amenities
Room
Stats
Room
Grand duplex suite

I've long wanted to try out this hotel after my parents stayed almost three years ago and, despite a couple of hiccups, were very impressed. My usual Singapore digs are the Hilton or the Conrad whose prices seem to be noticeably lower than the Hyatt's. But I had a DSU expiring and I managed to get a BRG approved that made it much more bearable.

Check In

I had arrived very early off an overnight flight and my room was ready. The check-in agent was polite and efficient but there was little else: no mention of my Diamond status; no offer of the 1W or amenity; no information about the lounge.

Room

My DSU got me into the standard DSU room of a grand duplex suite on the top floor, very close to the grand club lounge. The carpet in particular was showing its age and the furniture was also dated but there's something a bit specky about being in a two storey hotel room. There was a large six seater table that was more intended for meetings than dining. A small kitchenette area lead into the guest WC. The sitting area was large with a huge TV and there was also a separate work desk. There were ample connectivity points.

Upstairs is the bedroom with a comfy king bed and large bathroom with WC, shower and tub all separate. Regular size June Jacobs amenities were provided. I had no issue with water temperature. There is a separate parlour or ladies powder room that overlooks the street. The bedroom area has a good size TV and a relaxing single chair with footstool.

The upstairs part is more of a loft or mezzanine-type level whereby it is open to the lower level. This makes it probably less suited to families who might require a separate bedroom area for a young child or even a spouse while the other conducts business. It is possible to enter the suite from either level.

Despite not being given a choice of Diamond amenity there were three small boxes of treats placed in the room later on the first day, along with five pears.

Service

At check-in I sought some information on travelling to Johor Bahru and that was easily provided. Concierge later provided more detailed information. Service in the grand club lounge was very friendly and professional and was hard to fault. The majority of staff I encountered in the common areas and hallways were professional enough to smile and say a polite hello.

Disappointingly there was no evening turndown service. This is obviously a published Diamond benefit but I would expect a hotel of this calibre to provide it to every guest.

On check-out I was not asked how my stay was although it was the same agent who checked me in and she did enquire how I got on with Johor Bahru.

Dining

I found the grand club lounge to offer a very nice selection of canapes and evening drinks. There were several little stations of food, including cold canapes in the fridges. There were a couple of hot dishes including pasta as well as an extensive selection of cheeses. Alcohol could be self-serve but I got the impression staff preferred to do it for you, particularly if you wanted spirits. Grey Goose was the vodka on offer which is a far cry from the cheap and nasty Absolut vodka offered in the lounge at the Grand Hyatt KL.

Breakfast was served in the lounge. I understand that is the norm for Diamonds although not having been given any information about the lounge at check-in (including the hours) I can't be sure that is in fact the case now. The spread was more than adequate and included a chef cooking omelettes and other egg dishes to-order.

Location

The hotel is a stone's throw from Orchard Rd and there's nothing wrong with the location in my opinion.

Pool

I found the pool and surrounding area to be an oasis. The temperature was perfect, the sound of water crashing at the hotel's waterfall drowned out the sound of traffic. There are plenty of lush trees and greenery to make it a very relaxing area where I could easily have spent several hours if I wasn't so pressed for time. That said, I didn't think it was a particularly large pool or area given the size of the property and I could understand it getting quite crowded.

Transportation

Given my very early arrival into Singapore I was in no hurry to get to the hotel. My original plan was to take the train but a gentleman at an airside information counter said it would require two train changes. He suggested the airport hotel shuttle instead which I caught from T1, near Burger King. The cost was SGD9 and went straight to the door in about 25 to 30 minutes on a weekday morning. I did have to wait about an hour for a shuttle, though. Again, that wasn't an issue given my early arrival and I just watched a movie on my iPad.

On the return I had intended to catch an Uber but I was automatically locked out of the hotel's wifi once I had checked-out so I couldn't use it to book a car. I just took a taxi and it could SGD19 and I was back there in about 20 minutes at midday on a Saturday.

1106 Comments

This review lives in the Grand Hyatt Singapore REVIEW - MASTER THREAD (closed Sept 22) - reopens 2024? thread.
1106 comments and Y review
Comment In Thread

Hotels you may also be interested in