Hotel Jen Orchardgateway Singapore Staycation Review

Sponsored Staycation

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The recent opening of Hotel Jen Orchardgateway Singapore in September 2014 marked the launch of the new Hotel Jen brand by Shangri-La International Hotel Management Ltd, which seeks to be fresh, friendly and fuss-free. The Hotel Jen brand is inspired by the virtual persona Jen, a professional hotelier who loves life, travel and the adventure of discovering new places. Hotel Jen takes care of guests with efficiency and care, while also giving them informed access to the best a particular destination has to offer. The location of Hotel Jen Orchardgateway is just perfect, giving direct access to Orchardgateway shopping mall. It is right smack in the middle of Orchard, where all the other vibrant shopping centres are.

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There are a total of 502 rooms within Hotel Jen Orchardgateway with a choice of four room types – Superior (27 sqm), Superior Cityview (27 sqm), Deluxe (32 sqm) and lastly, Premier Panorama (41 sqm), which we had the luxury of checking into. When we first stepped into our room on the 17th floor, we were blown away by the floor to ceiling glass window, which is very unique because it leans outwards, thus enabling you a better view of Orchard Road.

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The layout of the room is also rather uncommon. The work desk is actually quite hidden from view, unlike in most hotels, the work desk and bed are placed so closely together. I guess in this case, it demarcates the boundaries between work and play (or sleep). Most business travellers should appreciate this!

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If you notice, our Premier Panorama room is surrounded by plenty of windows, making the room look really spacious!

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This is the super comfortable King-sized bed which gave all of us a great night’s sleep. My only gripe is that the pillows are filled with down feather. As much as I enjoy the cushiony pillows, the smell of the down feathers was a bit too overwhelming for me.

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Hotel Jen Orchardgateway’s 46-inch Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) system is something to boast about. And if you are lucky, you might even have one in the bathroom!

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Apart from the usual coffee and tea making facilities, the fresh cut fruits and my favorite childhood iced gem biscuits were a pleasant surprise.

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There isn’t a separate rain shower in the bathroom, which means that there is no way I can avoid having to climb in and out of the bath tub even when all I wanted was a shower and not a bath. However, I’m glad that there is plenty of space around the tub for me to place my toiletries. This is very important, considering the amount of toiletries I have!

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Baby Chanelle enjoys hotel staycations too! Here’s a photo of her testing out the firmness of the bed. See how upright she is sitting up?

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Look, Papa and Mummy! I can chill here all day!

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A mandatory family photo before we head out! We had been granted access to the Club Lounge but did not manage to make it for cocktails from 5.30pm to 7.30pm because I had an eyebrow embroidery appointment with Browtisan. By the time I was done, it was time for dinner.

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Dinner saw us having a feast at Makan@Jen! The variety is really remarkable; they had everything we could think of, and more!

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The automated WineStation has got to be the coolest thing around at Makan@Jen!

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I love buffets because it’s a good time for me to get my salmon sashimi and oyster fix!

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Very yummy curry chicken and pork knuckle.

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Yay to having prawn noodles for dinner!

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I like the baby chairs provided at Makan@Jen because they come with food trays, which are great if you wanna let your baby self feed.

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Gave Chanelle different types of bread to nibble on.

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It was our first time having buffet togther as a family! Bread and cucumber buffet for Little misschewy but towards the end of the dinner, she started hurling food everywhere because she got cranky.

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After dinner, we took a leisurely stroll along Orchard Road to enjoy the Christmas lights.

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Good morning! All of us are well rested and ready for breakfast!

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Decided to check out the Club Lounge on the 19th floor and also avoid the morning crowd at Makan@Jen.

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I would expect the variety at Makan@Jen to be much more impressive, but this one at the Club Lounge is also adequate. Most importantly, there are waffles and eggs!

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Here’s the gymnasium if you desperately want to squeeze time out for some exercise before check-out!

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Gotta love Hotel Jen Orchardgateway’s very own infinity pool!

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Very nice place to lounge around with a good book and a glass of beer.

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Alas, all good things must come to an end. Felt very reluctant to check out after such an enjoyable stay at Hotel Jen Orchardgateway! Room prices start from S$215++ per night. There are various promotions that cater to the needs of different travellers, so be sure to check them out here!

Hotel Jen Orchardgateway
277 Orchard Road
Singapore 238858
Tel: 6708 8888
Email: hjog@hoteljen.com

Hotel Clover The Arts Singapore Staycation Review

Sponsored Staycation

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Having stayed in a number of hotels in Singapore, our recent staycation in an art-themed boutique hotel was a first for us. Hotel Clover The Arts, situated in Chinatown, is a 6-storey and 44-room hotel which opened in April this year. This new hotel builds on its conviction to create a unique arts experience through its individually-themed rooms. Designed in styles as diverse as retro kitsch, urban street art, Pop Art vibrance and line art minimalism, each room in Hotel Clover The Arts creates its own distinctively unique experience.

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In a bold move to lend a voice to the Singapore’s brand of creativity, Hotel Clover The Arts invited students from different arts and design schools in Singapore to participate in a mural competition for 19 rooms. Independent professional artists were also commissioned to create art for Hotel Clover The Arts, including local artist Ceno2, who has his own distinctive brand of aerosol art, otherwise known as ‘Graffiti Fine Art’.

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Ceno2’s work can be found in the lobby of the hotel. The idea behind incorporating Singapore’s iconic attractions onto public spaces of the hotel is to create a talking point to encourage guests and staff to mingle by sharing stories, experiences and memories of subjects which they hold dear to their heart.

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As strange as it may sound, we felt that we could very much connect with the hotel because of all these paintings of Marina Bay Sands, Singapore Flyer and the like. It certainly gave us a sense of home.

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Love the cute idea of having a little sneak preview of each hotel room.

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We took the lift and checked out every floor of the hotel. Interestingly, you will be able to find the painting of a black cat on most levels. Kudos to the artist who managed to cleverly incorporate unsightly elements into the murals across all lift lobbies, transforming different corners of the hotel into a visual feast.

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As mentioned previously, each of the 44 rooms feature artworks which are strikingly different, ranging from stunningly picturesque mountainscapes to vintage-inspired comic art.

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Because each room is different, you will be guaranteed a whole new experience and an element of surprise each time you stay with the hotel. Perfect reason to keep heading back!

Mount Fuji Room
Photo Credit: Hotel Clover The Arts

We had the privilege of staying in this beautiful Arts King room, the highest of the 6 room categories available. Once again, Ceno2 lends his signature touch of creative genius to a breathtaking mural of Mount Fuji, depicting nature at its best – amidst clear blue sky, crystal waters and inspired forals. We were simply blown away by the magnificence of our room, not so much in terms of its space, but the dazzling beauty of Mount Fuji and cherry blossoms.

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All rooms come with a postcard featuring the design of the room, for guests to bring home as a momento or keepsake. It might seem as a small gesture but I think it’s a really nice personal touch.

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The 3 Arts King rooms at Hotel Clover The Arts include the following:

– Fully air-conditioned with individual control
– Laptop-sized safe
– Branded bathroom amenities
– Hairdryer
– Laundry & dry ceaning service
– Nescafe Dolce Gusto coffee machine
– Daily housekeeping service
– LED HDTV with satellite channels
– Complimentary Internet & local calls
– Iron & ironing board (upon request)
– Secured key card locking system

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We took a little tour around the hotel and guess what we found! A giant tea cup!

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There is a roof terrace garden where guests are welcome to unwind with a book or even do yoga. Hotel Clover The Arts does not have a swimming pool but guests can hop over to its sister property Hotel Clover 5 Hong Kong Street and utilize its swimming pool there.

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Art lovers will appreciate the striking scenic view of a larger-than-life waterfall which literally cascades down the external facade of the hotel, bringing a charming and quaint feel to the quiet evening. The best time to check this out is early in the morning or late evening before the sky turns dark.

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I checked that the hotel does not provide baby amenities, so we brought Little misschewy’s inflatable tub along. Doesn’t she look like she’s having a whale of a time soaking in an onsen with an awesome view of Mount Fuji? 😛

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According to Hotel Clover The Arts’ Facebook page, their comfortable and fluffy guest room beds have 350 thread which will make you feel like you are sleeping on a cloud. We couldn’t agree more!

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There were only 3 to 4 tables but thankfully, the table turnover rate was high. Even though the breakfast selection was limited, the food surpassed my expectation! Even misterchewy who doesn’t usually have much of an appetite in the morning, went for a second helping.

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We certainly had a very memorable stay at Hotel Clover The Arts. Waking up in the Mount Fuji room made us feel like a million bucks! It is definitely something that we want to experience all over again. Stay connected with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy and on Instagram @missuschewy and @misterchewy 🙂

Hotel Clover The Arts
58 South Bridge Road
Singapore 058689
Tel: 6439 7088
Email: enquiries@hotelclover.com

Park Hotel Clarke Quay Staycation Review

Sponsored Staycation

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It was more than half a year ago when misterchewy and I last went for a staycation in Singapore. Very long ago right! I still remember I popped 18 days later. Hehe. Our recent staycation at Park Hotel Clarke Quay was our very first one as a family of three. Really glad that we brought Little misschewy along because our wedding anniversary and misterchewy’s birthday was a few days later, so we wanted to celebrate the occasion together. I was thrilled about staying at Park Hotel Clarke Quay because I love its classic architecture which is inspired by Singapore’s colonial past. Besides that, I like that the hotel is strategically located in the heart of the city and the nightlife at Clarke Quay is very vibrant. Perfect for party goers and foreigners who want to experience the nightlife in Singapore.

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There are 336 well-appointed rooms and suites at Park Hotel Clarke Quay which all showcase modern baroque furnishings, elevated ceilings, as well as floor-to-ceiling windows that offer guests sweeping views of the Singapore River and the city skyline. Our Club room located on the 9th floor wasn’t too big but there was space for our small luggage, baby playpen and stroller, with room to walk around comfortably.

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Baby Chanelle was just as excited as Papa! She was in a bright yellow summer dress, courtesy of Aunty Mag 😀

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Do you know that children under 12 years old stay for FREE at all Park Hotel Group’s establishments? Kids meals are also complimentary!

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In-room amenities tailored for little ones are also available at no additional charge. A bottle sterilizer in the room makes things much more convenient for us.

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Very impressed with the wide selection of snacks!

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As a breastfeeding mother, the first thing I did when I opened the mini fridge was to check if it’s cold enough to store my expressed milk and not what’s inside the fridge. Felt that the fridge wasn’t cold enough and there wasn’t a freezer compartment to freeze the cooling panels of my cooler bag 🙁

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It was Chanelle’s nap time so we let her have the queen-sized bed.

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Little girl woke up about an hour later and we simply had to show her the view from our room.

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Before dinner, we pushed Little misschewy around in her Maclaren Denim Quest Stroller. For an extra cushy ride, I got her a Skip Hop Memory Foam Stroller Liner from Agape Babies. They are currently having a diaper bag sale and also 15% off playmats!

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I really love the stunning pool that overlooks the panaromic city skyline. With state-of-the-art audio and visual equipment and superior standards in service, the hotel is an ideal venue to host wedding solemnizations, events and conferences. In fact, there was a wedding ceremony that took place that day!

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We were treated to a delectable weekend seafood buffet at Brizo Restaurant & Bar.

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Brizo offers contemporary Asian and Western cuisines with seafood specialities. Helmed by Executive Chef Wilson Shum, guests may embark on a voyage through a menu of well-executed fusion creations.

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We enjoyed the wide selection of fresh seafood and hot cooked food.

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We had to scrap our initial plan of taking a stroll around Robertson Quay because it started to rain after our dinner. Baby Chanelle was in good hands while I took a quick shower 😛

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Behind-the-scene action. Hahaha.

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Pigeon baby bath amenities and bath tub are provided.

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Little misschewy was probably scared when we left her to sleep in the playpen given that the environment was an unfamiliar one.

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When she was finally drunk (on milk, not wine!), we transferred her back to the playpen. Hehehe.

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Our little bubba is clearly a morning person! 😀

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Thanks to Chanelle, we never really had to set our alarm on weekends because she would be the one waking us up by 9am. Lol. We were in time for breakfast at Brizo! It was Chanelle’s very first time on the high chair, which was too big for her. Anyway, we didn’t have much appetite so we only grabbed a few bites. The egg station is not to be missed!

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Someone was interested in the bacon. Lol.

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It was a nice family staycation for us and we are looking forward to our next one!
Do check out the hotel’s website for the various ongoing staycation promotions that suit you best!

Stay connected with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy and on Instagram @missuschewy and @misterchewy 🙂

Park Hotel Clarke Quay
1 Unity Street
Singapore 237983
Tel: +65 6593 8888
Email: info.phcq@parkhotelgroup.com