Ok, so I haven't been posting for almost 3 weeks. My bad. Well, that's what happens when you get a new kindle, have a birthday week and get caught up in the Pokémon Go fever. But ok, the birthday celebrations are over and the kindle and Pokémon addiction has abated a little. So here I am, back with a review from a recent staycation.
(The Kyushu posts will resume after this)
In recent years, I've been making it a point to pamper myself with at least a couple of staycations a year, especially so on my birthday. I'm an introvert by nature and given my occupation and surroundings, I often look forward to a staycation by myself.
Yes, I love staying on my own. I need the peace and solitude to recharge.
And no, it doesn't feel strange to be alone.
So anyway, given this indulgence of mine, I subscribe to quite a number of hotels' Facebook pages. This allows me to stay updated should there be any promotions or good deals. A particular one popped right up on a day when I was feeling supremely exhausted and my birthday staycation was hence decided.
Swissotel The Stamford
I had booked the Swiss Advantage Room (with a King bed) for a total of 2 nights (12 to 14 August). Interestingly, while completing the online booking, I noted that the hotel did not immediately charge my credit card. Instead, I was sent a confirmation email which also stated that payment was due.
However, as I subsequently did not hear from anyone, and my card was not charged (by their stipulated due date), I had to send an email myself to confirm my room booking. While the response was immediate, it was only then that I received confirmation and my card charged for the stay.
Yay. At least I know I have my peace and solitude.
Checking in on the day itself was efficient. I was early and the young guy at reception let me know what time to be back. He was polite and professional. In fact, I found it a little too professional. Well, I personally thought he could add a bit of personal touch. At least the older fella when I returned did so, and that made me feel more welcomed.
My allocated room was on the 25th floor, with the balcony facing inwards towards the pool. Unfortunately, it was raining quite a bit during my stay, so I didn't get to enjoy the balcony view as much as I would have liked.
While the room itself was pretty spacious, I think the hotel itself could probably do with a little renovation and maintenance. The furniture and décor looked tired and worn out. In fact, the small side cupboard holding the wine glasses and cups couldn't close properly at all. It stuck out like a sore thumb no matter how much effort I tried and I had to be careful not to knock myself onto it.
Otherwise, it was clean and quite comfortable. I slept really well on that king bed and that's a plus since I don't always do well on hotel beds. Oh, and my nose didn't react (I'm pretty "allergic" to dust) and that's my usual standard to measure room cleanliness.
What made me squeal though (yes, I really did and it's ok since I was alone) was that there was a nespresso machine in the room! Awesome! For someone who loves her caffine, this was an awesome plus for me. Heh. I also enjoyed their TWG tea packets. Really decent stuff set out.
Heh. I only got a picture of the exterior of the mini-bar because I was amused by the automated billing. At least they left the bottom shelf empty for guest's use. I encountered an automated one previously (in another hotel) which was fully stocked and got into a bit of a hassle trying to sort out the bill.
The bathroom itself was adequate and decently stocked with amenities. They even included shaving kits and sewing kits. However, instead of shower curtains, there was only a partial glass panel. Not exactly helpful since I still managed to get quite a bit of water all over the floor when showering but it did contain most of the damage.
What did irk me a little though was that the pipes and shower heads were leaky. Plus I had a bit of trouble with the sink; it got jammed when I stoppered the sink. Took some effort to unplug it and I didn't fool around with it thereafter.
Like I mentioned earlier, the hotel is probably overdue for some maintenance works. But since those defects were relatively minor and didn't really bother me, I did not ask for a room change.
However, such issues/defects even if small, do contribute to the overall presentation and image of a hotel. After this, it definitely would not surprise me if I were to hear of a complaint about the state of the rooms. Plus, if location was not a priority, then this would not be a place I'd immediately think of recommending to someone.
The above 3 photos were taken from my room balcony. If you're afraid of heights, then avoid the high floors. Otherwise the views are pretty decent. I figure it would be a lot better still if you had a room on the higher floors. It'd be great to wake up to Singapore's city skyline!
Since the pools looked tantalizing from the balcony, I made a trip down the next morning to check it out.
Up close, it looked even better. There was a kiddy-pool and a second 1.8 metre deep pool for adults. There's also a pool side café in case you get hungry or thirsty after doing your (abet short) laps. Do note however, that there's a sign that prominently announces that there's no life guard on duty, so parents please do mind your kids.
The hotel also boasts of a tennis court. I hate racquet games. I have major hand-eye coordination issues, so I didn't bother with that.
If anything, the selling point of Swissotel The Stamford is definitely it's location. It located right on top of a central train station (City Hall) and is linked to a shopping mall. So if you're staying here, you're guaranteed easy access to transport, food and most amenities.
Since it's so central and public transport is so easily accessible, it's also easy for you to move around. During my short stay, I made trips down to Orchard and Bugis for errands and always returned within an hour. Apart from that, I got my meals at Raffles City Shopping Centre (that's the mall linked to the hotel) and did all my birthday shopping there!
Yeah. I kind of over-spent since I got carried away with all the shopping.
Oh and by the way, there's quite a few pokestops around the hotel if you're into Pokémon Go. I definitely made use of them ;)
Swissotel The Stamford
Address: 2 Stamford Road, Singapore 178882
DID: +65 6338 8585
Fax: +65 6338 2862
