Review: The Singapore EDITION (Fine EDITION, But I Wouldn’t Return)

For the next hotel stay of my Iceland to The Residence via Cambodia trip, I spent one night at the 204-key Singapore EDITION. Okay, I’ve gotta be honest, I’m not the biggest fan of the EDITION brand, and this also didn’t even rank among my favorite properties in the EDITION portfolio.

So, why would I book this in the first place? Well, I had an Amex Platinum hotel credit to use, and I was one night short of requalifying for Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador status, so this seemed like the best option that allowed me to use the credit and get an elite night.

Ultimately the Singapore EDITION is a perfectly nice yet generic EDITION, with the breakfast being the one thing that stood out really positively to me. If you’re a fan of the EDITION brand, you’ll probably like this hotel. Meanwhile if you’re not, this isn’t the property that’s going to change your mind.

Booking the Singapore EDITION

For the night I was staying, the Singapore EDITION was running a little under $500 (USD). I booked using my Amex Platinum Card $300 hotel credit, and also booked through Fine Hotels & Resorts, which offers perks like a $100 property credit, complimentary breakfast, and more. Keep in mind you can still earn points on these bookings, so I could attach my Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador status to the reservation.

As a point of comparison, if I had redeemed Bonvoy points, the stay would’ve cost 92,000 points for the night. I value Bonvoy points at 0.7 cents each, so to me, paying cash was definitely the better deal (especially when factoring in the $300 credit I was using, the extra property credit valid during the stay, the free breakfast, and more).

Singapore EDITION location

The Singapore EDITION has a pretty central location in Singapore. It’s located at 38 Cuscaden Road, at the western end of the Orchard Road shopping district. It’s also within walking distance of the Orchard MRT, and near the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

The EDITION is very close to properties like the Conrad, the Grand Hyatt, the St. Regis, etc. So if you’re a fan of being in the Orchard Road area, then the location of this hotel is ideal.

In terms of getting to & from Singapore Changi Airport (SIN), the hotel is a roughly 20-25 minute drive away. Options are a bit less convenient by public transportation, with the most direct option being a bus that takes 50+ minutes, and all other options involving transfers and 60+ minute journey times.

Singapore EDITION lobby & check-in

As you walk into the hotel, there’s no mistaking that you’re in an EDITION, based on the overpowering scent and minimalist, beige design, with a lot of greenery.

Inside the entrance I turned right, and found myself at the reception desk. I’ve gotta say, for a 200+ room hotel, the check-in desk felt mighty small.

That’s especially the case when they bring you a nice tray with an iced tea welcome drink, water, and a cold towel. It’s a nice gesture, but the whole thing feels a bit like an afterthought, when there are other people lining up to be helped as well.

The check-in process was quick, friendly, and rather impersonal, and I was informed that I had been upgraded to a deluxe king larger guest room, on account of my status and booking. As a Bonvoy Ambassador member, I was also given the option to choose from one of a few different discounts, like 15% off a 60-minute massage, a complimentary chicken samosa at the rooftop bar with every two drinks ordered, etc.

Honestly, I don’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth, but it almost seems cheap to have someone make such a selection a check-in, especially when none of the options interested me. At least make it relatively lucrative… a free samosa with every two drinks is hard to get excited about!

Within a few minutes I had keys in hand, and headed toward the elevators. I also stopped for a second to check out some of the nice seating in the lobby, surrounded by greenery.

Singapore EDITION room

The Singapore EDITION has eight floors, and I was assigned room 424, located on the fourth floor.

As is standard for EDITION properties, the hallways were super generic and (in my opinion) cheap-looking.

The deluxe king larger guest rooms at the Singapore EDITION are marketed as being 516-560 square feet (48-52 square meters), so they’re spacious. That being said, I found the design and decor to be pared down, and quite bland.

The room featured an entryway with a walkway straight ahead, and then the main part of the room was to the right, and then the bathroom and closet space was to the left.

The room featured a comfortable king size bed, a large L-shaped couch, and a desk with a chair. I appreciate that there was a proper desk and sitting space, since so many rooms don’t have that anymore.

Unfortunately the room’s view wasn’t much to get excited about. The hotel is located on a fairly quiet side street off Orchard Road, with a view of Artyzen Singapore, plus a construction site.

The bathroom was back toward the entrance, and was a good size. It boasted double sinks, a soaking tub, a walk-in shower, and a bidet-style toilet in a separate room, with toiletries from Le Labo.

The minibar was also right by the entrance, and had a Nespresso coffee machine, a tea selection and kettle, and a variety of drinks and snacks for purchase.

I found all the controls in the room to be pretty easy to use. I also appreciated that there were electric curtains and shades, which is sadly not always the standard at EDITION properties, in my experience.

Singapore EDITION spa & gym

The Singapore EDITION spa and gym is located on the second floor. The spa is open daily from 10AM until 9PM, and it has seven treatment rooms (including one couples room). I didn’t get any spa treatments, but you can find the treatment menu here.

All hotel guests can use the spa facilities, which includes a hot tub, a sauna and steam room, a relaxation area, and more.

The hotel also has a 24/7 gym, which is well equipped, with a large selection of cardio and weight equipment.

Singapore EDITION pool

The Singapore EDITION has a rooftop pool deck that’s open daily from 7AM until 10PM. It’s an impressive pool, as it’s 43 meters long, and 1.2 meters deep.

Expect that views from the rooftop are fairly limited. In one direction there’s a nice view of the city and some nearby greenery, but otherwise the rooftop is largely surrounded by other big buildings.

Singapore EDITION restaurants & bars

When it comes to eating and drinking at the Singapore EDITION, there are several venues:

• FYSH at EDITION is the signature restaurant, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner; lunch and dinner are described as showcasing regional flavors with grilled seafood and meat
• The Lobby Bar serves drinks and light snacks, and is open from early in the morning until late at night
• The ROOF is the rooftop restaurant and lounge, and it’s open from late in the morning until the evening
• Punch Room and Wonder Room are the hotel’s destination bars and nightclubs; unfortunately I was staying one of the evenings where both of these were closed, so I couldn’t check them out

Let’s go over each of the venues I visited. Once again, let me emphasize that Punch Room and Wonder Room are popular venues at the hotel, but I wasn’t able to check them out. Personally, a nightclub isn’t a reason for me to stay at a hotel anyway, but I’m sure others feel differently, as we’re all looking for different things.

FYSH at EDITION is located just off the lobby, and serves breakfast daily from 6:30AM until 10:30AM, lunch from 12PM until 2:30PM, and dinner from 6PM until 10PM. You can find the restaurant’s website here, along with all the menus.

The restaurant is a pretty nice space. There’s some “outdoor” seating that’s really within the interior space of the hotel but outside of the restaurant, for those looking for a faux al fresco vibe.

Then the interior of the restaurant consists of a couple of dozen tables, plus a bar area.

I ended up having breakfast at the hotel (since it was included with my rate), and I have to say, it was excellent. Breakfast consisted of a high quality but fairly small selection from the buffet, plus the option to order up to two things from the a la carte selection.

I found the buffet quality to be very good, with everything from fresh fruit (including berries), to cereal, to cold cuts and cheese, to some really tasty pastries and croissants (which I tried to avoid, but I couldn’t resist trying one).

You can find the breakfast menu below.

I ordered the Singaporean lobster laksa, which I enjoyed immensely. What a lovely breakfast!

My only slight criticism is that the coffee could’ve been better — the cappuccino I ordered obviously came from a machine, and wasn’t barista made.

Beyond the main restaurant, the Lobby Bar is the other main venue, open daily from 8AM until 12AM. It’s a pretty typical lobby lounge concept for the EDITION brand, with a living room-style vibe, a pool table, etc.

While I didn’t eat anything here, I did stop in for an iced coffee, so that I could get a bit of work done from the lobby.

While I didn’t eat or drink anything there, The ROOF is the hotel’s other outlet, open daily from 11AM until 8PM. This is also where all the pool catering comes from.

I ended up meeting a friend for dinner outside the hotel, so I can’t report back on any lunch or dinner experiences at the hotel restaurants. However, jetlag got the best of me, and I ended up being wide awake and hungry around 1AM, so I ordered a delicious prawn noodle dish and the mezze selection, which most definitely hit the spot.

Singapore EDITION service

Singapore generally has a high service standard, and all of my interactions with staff at the EDITION were pleasant. I can’t say anything necessarily stuck out positively in a memorable way, but everyone seemed accommodating and friendly.

Service at the hotel definitely feels a bit impersonal, in terms of the awkward front desk setup, the lack of bellmen at the doors when I’d arrive at and leave the hotel (not that it’s a big deal, but most of the time I opened the door for myself, which is just a bit odd at a nice hotel), etc.

Bottom line

The Singapore EDITION is a pretty typical property for the brand, with generic and minimalist decor, popular food & beverage outlets, and good amenities.

Ultimately my decision to stay here was motivated by wanting to use a credit card hotel credit, while needing one more elite night for the year with Marriott Bonvoy. I probably chose poorly, but I just didn’t love this hotel.

I didn’t love the lack of views, and everything about the hotel felt so generic that I really could’ve been anywhere in the world. Again, that’s totally on me, but next time I’d rather stay at a “grand” hotel in the city, instead of one of these “hip” properties.

What’s your take on the Singapore EDITION?