- A380 Extravaganza: Introduction
- A380 Extravaganza: Singapore Airlines Silver Kris Lounge San Francisco
- A380 Extravaganza: Singapore Airlines Suites Class San Francisco to Hong Kong
- A380 Extravaganza: Singapore Airlines Silver Kris Lounge Hong Kong
- A380 Extravaganza: Singapore Airlines Suites Class Hong Kong to Singapore
- A380 Extravaganza: Conrad Singapore
- A380 Extravaganza: Shangri-La Singapore
- A380 Extravaganza: Skyview Lounge Singapore
- A380 Extravaganza: Cathay Pacific Business Class Singapore to Colombo
- A380 Extravaganza: Araliya Lounge Colombo
- A380 Extravaganza: Cathay Pacific Business Class Colombo to Singapore
- A380 Extravaganza: Emirates Lounge Singapore
- A380 Extravaganza: Emirates First Class Singapore to Dubai
- A380 Extravaganza: Park Hyatt Dubai
- A380 Extravaganza: Emirates First Class Lounge Dubai
- A380 Extravaganza: Emirates First Class Dubai to London Heathrow
- A380 Extravaganza: Coworth Park London (Ascot)
- A380 Extravaganza: British Airways Concorde Room London Heathrow
- A380 Extravaganza: British Airways First Class London Heathrow to Seattle
I shared my frustration with the Singapore hotel market in this post. Basically I find a majority of Singapore chain hotels to be past their prime and not only a poor value in cash, but an even worse value on points.
In the end I decided to book one night at the Conrad hotel using Hiltons “points AND money” reward option, which made this hotel 20,000 points plus $110USD per night. I thought that was a fairly good value, especially given the alternatives.
I took a taxi from Changi Airport in the early afternoon, which cost under $20USD and took about 25 minutes. At the door I was welcomed by the bellman and escorted to check-in.
Hotel exterior
Hotel entrance
The lobby of the hotel was impressive, with high ceilings and a “grand” feel to it.
There was no queue at check-in, and the process was fairly quick. My Hilton Honors Gold status was noted and I was escorted to my room. I’ve still yet to figure out the purpose of being escorted to rooms. Surely everyone can figure out how to get there on their own, and unless it’s a super-high tech room, there’s not a whole lot of explaining that needs to be done.
Lobby
Lobby
Lobby
I was assigned room 1017, a king non-smoking room on the 10th floor.
Hallway
Room door
As the agent showed me the room I opened the welcome letter, which noted I had been upgraded to the “business floor,” which included $20SGD laundry credit, a shoe shining service, etc. I asked if it was also possible to get executive lounge access, and she noted that I could choose between the business floor amenities and executive lounge access. I of course went with the latter, so she returned to the front desk to update my key cards to reflect that, and brought them back to my room within a few minutes.
The room itself was quite nice. It was comfortably furnished without being shabby or modern.
There was a firm king bed, desk, and comfortable chair near the TV.
Room entrance
Bed and desk
Bed
Chair and TV
Desk
View from room
View from room
On the table was a Conrad bear, which I enjoy collecting.
Conrad bear
The bathroom was great, with a tub, shower, sink, and toilet. Near the bathtub was a Conrad duck, which I also swiped to add to my bathtub duck collection at home (which is made up mostly of characters from the Lufthansa First Class Terminal in Frankfurt).
Bathroom
Shower
Bathtub
Toilet
The Wi-Fi speed was reasonably good in the room. Nothing like what I have at home, but much better than I’ve found at many hotels in Asia. On the down side the room did have a bit of a musty odor. Nothing unbearable, but it was definitely present.
The club lounge was located on the 31st floor, and served cocktails and appetizers from 5:30PM till 8PM. I wasn’t hungry in the least since I was still full from 21 hours of flying, though I did sit up there for a bit to get some work done with some drinks.
The lounge is a decent size with several rooms to make it feel smaller. It was crowded during the happy hour, though the attendants were on top of things and service was always prompt.
Club lounge
Club lounge
Club lounge
The actual buffet consisted of cheese, bread, a couple of hot options, and several tasting “spoons.” The most impressive part was the dessert spread, which consisted of pralines, lady fingers, tiramisu, chocolate cream puffs, rhubarb crumble, and fruit.
Evening spread
Evening spread
Evening spread
Evening spread
Evening spread
Evening spread
On the whole it was an impressive lounge, especially considering that access is free for Honors Gold and Diamond members.
In the morning I had the choice between breakfast in the lounge (served from 6AM till 10:30AM), breakfast at Oscar’s (also served from 6AM till 10:30AM), or in-room continental breakfast. I decided to check out breakfast at the restaurant, which boasted a fantastic spread.
Oscar’s
Oscar’s
It wasn’t as outrageously awesome as the spread at the St. Regis Abu Dhabi or Le Meridien Bangkok, though it was definitely one of the better spreads I’ve seen.
They had every western option imaginable, several Asian options, and an ice cream sundae bar. You heard me right, an ice cream sundae bar for breakfast. That alone makes this hotel worth returning to!
Breakfast spread
Breakfast spread
Breakfast spread
Breakfast spread
Breakfast spread
And while I didn’t use the other facilities, the hotel does have a large pool on the 4th floor, and also a 24/7 fitness center.
Pool
Gym
Gym
The Conrad actually exceeded my expectations, and is a great value in Singapore. I especially love the location of the hotel, as it’s close to the waterfront, an area I far prefer over Orchard Road, for example (though I realize I’ll get yelled at for that opinion).
I don’t think this is an “aspirational” property by any stretch and I’d still like to try out the St. Regis, but I’d definitely return in a heartbeat if I got a good value.
@ Mr. N -- You only pay that tax for the cash component of the stay. If you only use points you wouldn't have to pay the tax at all, while if you used part points and part cash like me, you'd only pay it for the cash component.
What about 17.70 % per room per night at this Hotel? If using points only, do we have to pay taxes?
I'll be here for 8 nights over CNY. Hope that doesn't cause it to be too full as I would love to have lounge access.
Ahhh... beautiful views of Suntec City from the hotel!
@ Mark -- You'll get better perks as a Hilton Gold than Priority Club Diamond, so I'd go with the Conrad. You'll get free internet and breakfast at a minimum, while you won't get either at the InterContinental.
I'm not sure if you noticed, but your simple "change" from a business floor room to one that included executive lounge access is actually an upgrade typically reserved for HH Diamond members! There is a separate "business floor" breakfast lounge for HH Gold members that is next to the pool on the 4th floor. We just asked for it at the desk, and they printed out a new letter right there on the spot.
We...
I'm not sure if you noticed, but your simple "change" from a business floor room to one that included executive lounge access is actually an upgrade typically reserved for HH Diamond members! There is a separate "business floor" breakfast lounge for HH Gold members that is next to the pool on the 4th floor. We just asked for it at the desk, and they printed out a new letter right there on the spot.
We stayed there last year, and with the "upgrade" comes the option to eat breakfast at Oscar's. We spent hours there every morning - it made the whole trip worth it. Thanks for the trip down memory lane!
With lounge access, you also had the daily freedom to reserve a business room for two hours a day on the executive lounge level, which is the equivalent of getting your own private living room and dining room. This is where they put us with our young kids, getting around the "minimum age restriction of 12 years old." A tip for Mommypoints?
Right now I have a double room reserved in the middle of April at the Intercontinental and also at the Conrad in Singapore. I am Platinum with Priority Club and Gold with Hilton. This is my first time there, and I am leisure traveling with a friend to sightsee for 2 days and 2 nights as part of a larger trip. Based on that info, do you recommend one over the other? Location is important, but so upgrades and other perks would be nice too! Thanks!
As HH Gold, was upgraded to business floor but denied executive lounge even after I requested. Guess it was probably full during my stay in Dec 2012.
Thanks for the pics of the lounge Lucky. :)
My fav is the St Regis in Singapore. Small hotel, but stylish and opulent. If you get a suite upgrade even nicer. They do not have a club floor, so you get free breakfast, snacks by the pool, and wine tasting at the bar (a bit like St Regis BKK). The french restaurant is quite good too.
I believe the escort to the room is to add a touch of luxury, as well as an opportunity for a tip. Read "Heads in Beds" by Jacob Tomsky, a great inside look at luxury hotels from a long time hotel employee. It is highly readable and gives great insight.
@Mark I always read Lucky's comment section for a gem like that and you didn't disappoint!
@Jake E. said,
"The bellhop at the Westin Nusa Dua...actually showed us the emergency evacuation procedures printed on the back of the door that nobody ever reads...."
Wise up pal - those instructions might save your life someday.
Whoops, sorry. I misinterpreted one of the pictures (reflection in gym mirror). Cheers
@ Mark -- I was staying here alone. Travel buddy with blue shirt?
If your room was a single King bed, where does your travel buddy (blue shirt) sleep? On the floor?
You definitely need more friends in banking in Singapore that can get you access to nicer hotels at very decent corporate rates :)
@ JH -- LOL, I don't believe they did.
Thanks for the tips for asking to access the executive lounge. I should that next time I visit that property (I was there recently but I did not ask :) . Just wondering, did they take away the fruits behind that Conrad bear as part of the business amenities?
Nice write up, it's definitely nice to see the other areas besides orchard!
I had a weekend stay at the St Regis in nov. It's a good 15-20 min walk in the heat to the subway, albeit a pretty lively one. The pool was nice but didn't have any views, especially like of the flyer you posted. Also, all the Lady Astor rooms faced the inside residences and wasn't much bigger than the standard rooms, so just kept it.
The z3h rate makes the price decent.
I stayed at the Conrad two months ago for five nights. The room was adequate/nice but the service/food available in the lounge was terrific. I ate breakfast there, sometimes had their tea service in the afternoon, and the evening food was almost enough for meal. Good location.
Not as "aspirational destination but I would go back again.
@ Heather -- The policy is a bit tricky. The Hilton HHonors policy is indeed that you only get lounge access as a Gold if you're on the club floor (while if you're a Diamond member you get it regardless). That being said any individual hotel can go above and beyond and still give access even if you're not on the club floor.
I don't know the policy of the Conrad Cairo, though I would guess they'll let you have access the whole time.
Lucky,
You mentioned that access to the lounge is free for Gold HHonors members.
The Hilton site says:
"If you are a Gold HHonors guest, you and up to one additional registered guest in the same room will be granted complimentary access to the Executive Floor Lounge only if you receive a room upgrade to the Executive Floor or an upgrade to a room type that confers Executive Floor Lounge access benefits."
Do...
Lucky,
You mentioned that access to the lounge is free for Gold HHonors members.
The Hilton site says:
"If you are a Gold HHonors guest, you and up to one additional registered guest in the same room will be granted complimentary access to the Executive Floor Lounge only if you receive a room upgrade to the Executive Floor or an upgrade to a room type that confers Executive Floor Lounge access benefits."
Do you find that to be your experience? I ask because I will be staying at the Conrad Cairo in Feburary (if things calm down) and I booked our first night and last night into Executive Suites, but will need to book a few more nights. If I save my money and get a non-executive level room, will I be able to make use of the lounge? I am HH Gold.
I have stayed at both properties. The lobby at the St Regis is more opulent and there is more of a luxe feel to it. The butler assigned to your room can be a great enhancement provided you take advantage of it. I was there with my kids and they had him draw baths for them and bring them hot chocolate, all for free. As a Plat I was also invited to the bar for...
I have stayed at both properties. The lobby at the St Regis is more opulent and there is more of a luxe feel to it. The butler assigned to your room can be a great enhancement provided you take advantage of it. I was there with my kids and they had him draw baths for them and bring them hot chocolate, all for free. As a Plat I was also invited to the bar for a free wine tasting. All in all, if with your family the "bling" value of the SR far exceeds the Conrad. And its location, two blocks from the end of Orchard Road, is not too bad.
If you are there on your own and are fairly independent, I doubt you will find the extra SR amenities to be worth the extra $$$/points.
@ Jake E. -- ROFLMAO!
@ David -- Hah, thanks.
@ mike -- I've done the Grand Hyatt before, and you can read about my experience here:
https://onemileatatime.com/around-the-world-in-a-week-part-six-the-grand-hyatt-singapore/
I'd say I slightly preferred the Conrad, though I did have one of the old rooms at the Grand Hyatt, which I'm told aren't as nice as the newer ones. So I'd go with whichever is a better deal.
@ Evan -- I haven't done the St. Regis, though would guess it's substantially better than the Conrad. That being said, 8,000 Starpoints per night is a lot to pay in addition to the cash co-pay, so I'd probably do the Conrad. I think. Unless you have a ton of Starpoints.
I actually enjoy reading reviews like this, where your room isn't unattainable luxury. It makes me feel better than even the pros sometimes have to stay in rooms that those of us with many fewer points/miles, have to stay in. Makes the dream redemptions you are able to get stay attainable in my eyes. Thanks for sharing!
The bellhop at the Westin Nusa Dua gave my wife and I a thorough tour of our room, including how to use the phone, that one could order room service and sit on the sofa to eat, and best of all, he actually showed us the emergency evacuation procedures printed on the back of the door that nobody ever reads. And he followed every explanation with "Thank you."
After that awkward encounter, I'll take being escorted to my room anytime.
Glad you liked it! Very nice value when they offer points+cash. I also liked the location of the Conrad more than that of the St. Regis, although the rooms there are extraordinary. And with Executive and free breakfast for HHonors Gold/Diamond you get quite nice benefits vs. just free internet at St. Regis for us non-Plats. FHR does give breakfast at St. Regis though.
Any idea how this compares to the Grand Hyatt? I am torn between the two for my upcoming stay..
I am headed to Singapore in May for 4 nights. I currently have 2 reservations (C&P old rate at St. Regis and AXON rate at Conrad). I am SPG Platinum and Hilton Gold. The $600 isn't that big of an issue and I need SPG nights to re-qualify for elite status anyway.
Lucky - which would you choose?
The breakfast options of ice cream looks like the one I had at the Marriott on Orchard, which is not worth the points IMHO. Better usage for the same amount of points like the JW in HK.
My buddy loved the Conrad there, but you are right about many of the hotels being dated or in between and rarely "aspirational." In terms of value, I stayed at a HI for 20K PC points which was quite a value considering the prices of other Hotels in SG.