The Plot Hostels Singapore Staycation Review

Sponsored Staycation

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I thought this would never happen in a million years but thanks to The Plot Hostels, I can finally do this – stay in a hostel to my bucket list! Hurray! Prior to this hostel experience, the very idea of sharing a room with complete strangers is exceedingly intimidating and bothers me a lot. Even misterchewy was completely taken aback by my decision to review The Plot Hostels because he’s well aware of this unexplainable paranoia of mine. But I have to say that I was quite impressed by what I saw on The Plot’s website, so much so that I was convinced enough to give it a shot.

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Now, the question is, “Why The Plot Hostels”?

The best stories have a great plot. And at The Plot Hostels, you will encounter lots of intriguing and interesting stories from other travelers and backpackers. Then, once you’re finishing interacting and sharing stories and your best travel adventures with other backpackers and travelers, it’s time to plot your future travels. Plotting journeys is part of the fun for backpackers! Plot your next solo adventure or join forces with one of the other adventure seekers that you’ll meet at The Plot Hostels. It’s a place to forge new friendships, to share stories and delightful conversation and it’s the perfect place to plot your journey and plan your next adventure!

Conveniently located within walking distance of Chinatown, Tiong Bahru and Outram, along with the local heritage area, travellers staying at The Plot Hostels will discover a unique blend of Singaporean cultures.

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I didn’t see the need to wake up bright and early that Saturday (for the record, I woke up at 12.30pm) since the check-in could only be done from 3pm onwards. The husband and I took a cab from the East and reached slightly around 3.15pm. Guests had to produce either their identification cards or passports, of which a photocopy will be made upon checking in. We were each given a security access key which came in the form of a silicone rubber wristband.

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One of The Plot’s friendly staff showed us up to our room on the fourth level, which is also the highest level.

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This is how the access key looks like. Pretty cool right! And you don’t have to worry about misplacing it because you should be wearing it around your wrist everywhere you go, even in the shower since it’s waterproof. The wristbands come in two colors – blue if you are staying in a Mixed room and red for Ladies room.

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The Plot Hostels consists of 11 rooms, all of which are air-conditioned. The mixed rooms are available in 3 different configurations – 4-Pod, 6-Pod, and 8-Pod, which you can select during your booking process. Room rates are around SGD35 to SGD50 per person per night, depending on room type, length of stay and stay period. We were assigned a 6-Pod mixed room which comes with an ensuite bathroom and shower. You can easily identify your own pod based on the alphabet indicated at the side of the personal lockers attached to each pod.

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When we first stepped into our room, I knew for sure that pod B was occupied by another guest because the curtain had been drawn shut and told misterchewy, “Oh no! We have another male companion in our room!” He asked how could I be so sure that it’s a male and I went, “Why would any solo female traveller want to stay in a mixed room if there are ladies rooms available? Unless…”

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I don’t sit on my bed if I’m not showered and in clean clothes but I made this an exception since we were only going to stay for one night. Besides, sitting at the side of the bed wouldn’t hurt right? πŸ˜› I used to think that staying in a hostel is almost akin to staying under slum-like conditions but The Plot Hostels proved me very wrong. Our room was impeccably clean, reasonably spacious and brightly-lit. It really made me feel right at home.

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The husband’s pod was just above mine. I was actually quite worried that he would roll off the bed in his sleep given the fact that he’s quite a heavy sleeper at times.

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Every individual pod includes a personal locker which has ample space to store your bags, personal valuables, and definitely that precious tablet or laptop which you cannot live without.

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There is an international electrical outlet for charging your devices and also a light switch if you wish to do some packing or reading within the comfort of your own pod. Blankets are provided for and if you need towels, you can request for one at the reception.

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Washing up area at the other end of the room.

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There are conditioning shampoo and shower gel dispensers in the shower room. And for those who are concerned, there definitely is hot water.

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Guests are free to use the common bathroom and shower area located outside the rooms on each level. The Plot Hostels is also thoughtful enough to cater to travellers with physical disabilities.

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Taking a selfie in the room. Darn, should have backfaced the green-tinted windows πŸ˜›

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Taking the elevator down to fetch our guest of honour. Haha!

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We were pretty much entralled by the futuristic outlook of the elevator. No chance to take photos earlier as we were accompanied by The Plot’s staff. Paisey la πŸ˜›

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Communal TV lounge with movie screening

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Comfy seating area

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Complimentary use of iMac computers

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Mini library

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Hot & cold filtered drinking water dispenser

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Chargeable snacks and mini bar

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Guests are free to do light cooking in the kitchen. There is a refrigerator and a microwave, as well as cutleries and crockeries.

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There is also a Laundry Area with a coin operated washing machine, coin operated dryer machine and communal drying area.

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Still very fascinated by the elevator.

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YP and I πŸ™‚

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Balcony area where you can get some fresh air, chill and exchange stories with fellow travellers.

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We headed out for very late lunch around the area. It was almost 5pm and I had not eaten all day! Little misschewy must be very hungry but still had tremendous strength to kick me. LOL. Hopefully I will have time to do a separate review on The Orange Thimble πŸ™‚ There are plenty of cafes and eateries located near The Plot Hostels. Thumbs up for its strategic location!

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After late lunch, we had late high tea at Drips Bakery Cafe, a place which specializes in tarts. I chose the Lemon Meringue tart which had just the right amount of sweetness and its zesty lemony taste was very refreshing.

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We also shared the Chocolate tart (raspberry was from the lemon meringue) which was slightly bitter as it was made with dark chocoaltes. Reminded me of Awfully Chocolate’s dark chocolate truffles. Yummy!

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By the time we were done with our mini pigging out session, it was 7pm but this didn’t stop us from wanting to eat dinner. We agreed that the best way to work up an appetite was to take a 2-hour nap πŸ˜›

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The husband was teasing me, “Eh? You haven’t shower, so dirty leh. You dare to lie down on your bed ah?” -_-

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YP highly recommended Tian Tian Seafood, a mere one-minute walk from the hostel. Fish head steamboat!

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Ordered additional sliced pork, golden mushroom, fried yam and hotplate beancurd.

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Decided to relax at the communal area after dinner. YP and I caught the last 20 minutes of Life of Pi while the husband updated himself with soccer news and MapleStory on the iMac. The three of us then trotted over to Cheers to get bottled water.

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After a nice hot shower! Pardon my eyebrowless face and dark circles >_<

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A group selfie before lights out πŸ™‚

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The guy at the reception sure wasn’t kidding when he emphasized that “simple breakfast” will be served.

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Plain white bread or wholemeal bread with peanut butter, margarine or strawberry jam. You can also help yourself to the toaster.

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I had cocoa krispies with milk. Headed back to our room to pack up and nua a bit more before checking out at 11am πŸ™‚

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It was a very delightful experience for us staying at The Plot Hostels for one night. The amenities were more than just basic, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the seasoned backpacker found himself being pampered during his stay. I strongly recommend The Plot Hostels not only to travellers seeking maximum comfort and value at a low cost, but also to locals who are keen on organizing staycations for large groups on a budget.

Click here to check out our list of Singapore staycation reviews! Stay connected with us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/missuschewy and on Instagram @missuschewy and @misterchewy πŸ™‚

The Plot Hostels
259 Outram Road
Singapore 169056
Tel: +65 6223 5866
Fax: +65 6223 9626

Central Reservation
Tel: +65 6298 8889
Fax: +65 6396 8356
Email: reservation@theplothostels.com

Village Hotel Katong Singapore Staycation Review

Sponsored Staycation

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It had been a good 3 months since the last time misterchewy and I went on a romantic staycation in Singapore. It’s always nice to spend quality time with your spouse over the weekend, experiencing a totally new yet comfortable and chic environment such as the newly launched Village Hotel Katong, which is the latest addition to Far East Hospitality’s growing portfolio of hotels and serviced residences.

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Located in the eastern region of Singapore, Village Hotel Katong is a non-smoking property housing a total of 229 hotel rooms and is integrated with the family-friendly shopping mall, Katong V. Being just a 15-minute drive to the Changi International Airport, Central Business District and Orchard Road, the hotel provides excellent connectivity to key business and leisure locations. It is also within a 5-minute walk to the Parkway Parade Shopping Mall and 10-minute walk to the East Coast Park. Superb for family staycations as well.

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My parents dropped us off at the ground floor of Katong V and we took an escalator up to the lobby of Village Hotel Katong. The husband and I waited in line for quite sometime and we both thought that the check-in process could be faster and more efficient.

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This was our lovely home for one night, an expansive 35 square metre Club Room on the 6th floor of the hotel. Do note that the larger rooms are all situated on the lower floors. Our club room, in a soothing shade of blue, was not only cosy but very homely. I was already making notes for our future abode! We certainly don’t mind coming home to this every night πŸ™‚

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In line with the Village brand’s philosophy of drawing inspiration and vitality from its surrounding neighbourhood, Village Hotel Katong reflects the strong Peranakan heritage of the surrounding Katong and Joo Chiat district in Singapore.

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The larger rooms are also designed with a comfortable couch sitting area where you can relax with a good book and a pot of hot tea.

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Adequate supply of complimentary coffee and tea.

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Clearly, misterchewy was very impressed with this. He exclaimed, “WAH! New one! For iPhone 5!” The iPod docking systems that we encountered during all our previous staycations were designed for the older iPhone models and not suitable for iPhone 5.

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A sliding glass door separates the bathroom from the room.

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Our room didn’t come with a bathtub. The husband phoned reception in order to satisfy my curiosity and they mentioned that rooms with bathtubs were not ready yet. We weren’t exactly affected anyway because of my pregnant state, it’s not advisable for me to take hot baths.

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All bathrooms are equipped with a powerful standing rain shower to revitalize and refresh tired guests after a long day of work or shopping.

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My OOTD for this staycation was from Maternity Exchange! Absolutely love this black number from my maternity sponsor as the cut is flattering and it accentuates my baby bump. Best of all, the material is light and stretchy (made of lycra fabric if I’m not wrong) which does not trap heat or cling to my skin. To jazz up my outfit, I paired it with my black and gold necklace from Diva πŸ™‚

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I would also like to thank Beauty Direct for the Star Lash falsies in Dark Brown #17 which is very natural-looking.

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I was kinda starving as we didn’t have lunch. It was almost 4pm when misterchewy came back with 328 Katong Laksa! He took only 20 minutes (including having to wait for the food). Plenty of eateries around the area! It’s too good to be true! Anyway, I have been avoiding cockles ever since I became pregnant. Somehow, laksa doesn’t taste as shiok without cockles but this was quite good. Very satisfying lunch for the both of us πŸ™‚

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Not only is Village Hotel Katong integrated with Katong V, NTUC FairPrice Finest is just directly below the hotel, on the ground floor. Talk about ultimate convenience. For those who have always wanted to check out Group Therapy Cafe, it’s there too!

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Staying in the Club room combines exceptional comfort with a host of exclusive privileges like access to the Peranakan Lounge for daily breakfast and evening cocktails from 6pm to 8pm, in a comfortable environment, both for both work and leisure that will make you feel right at home, Peranakan style.

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We popped by the Peranakan Lounge for some light bites at 6pm and saw that finger food such as cold cuts, chicken satay, seafood quiche and pastries were available. The husband had two cans of beer while I opted for freshly squeezed orange juice.

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We were supposed to check out a newly opened restaurant for dinner at 8pm but we changed our minds since it was raining and also because of the fact that we were kinda full from the numerous sticks of delicious chicken satay. Earlier in the day, Judy the baker from Happy Avenue delivered her homemade kueh lapis and cupcakes to us. My intention was only to try a few slices of kueh lapis but misterchewy and I ended up finishing up the whole box! :O

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We felt so guilty that we woke up at 6am the next morning to… take photos of the gymmasium.

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Just pretending to be working out.

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I was quite amused by the swimming pool. Does swimming around the circumference count as one lap? πŸ˜›

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Katong Kitchen, located on the 4th floor of the hotel, opens as early as 6am for breakfast. I’m glad we woke up really early for our best meal of the day!

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This is by far my favorite at Katong Kitchen, the Nasi Lemak station! πŸ™‚

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If you have enjoyed our Village Hotel Katong staycation review, check out the opening promotion valid till 9 February 2014 or take advantage of the Holiday Savers+ and get 25% off per night when you book now till end January 2014!

Click here to check out our list of Singapore staycation reviews! Stay connected with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy and on Instagram @missuschewy and @misterchewy πŸ™‚

Village Hotel Katong
25 Marine Parade
Singapore 449536
Tel: 6344 2200
Email: info.vhk@fareast.com.sg

Ritz Carlton Singapore Staycation Blog Review

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Happy 2nd wedding anniversary to us and happy birthday to misterchewy! Yes 9th September is another date on the calender that holds tremendous significance for the both of us πŸ™‚ We decided to celebrate one week in advance because I can’t get away from work this week. Today’s post will be a combination of a staycation review of The Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore and how we celebrated this mega special occasion, The Chewys’ style! πŸ˜‰

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We checked in last Sunday, 1st September, at around 3pm after having a quick lunch at Marina Square. The check-in time is one hour later than most hotel’s standard check-in at 2pm. Time is money and money is time. When we stepped into The Ritz-Carlton, we were promptly whisked to the check-in counter and then asked if we wanted coffee, tea or juices.

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Before giving you a virtual tour of our hotel suite, here are some parts of The Ritz-Carlton that we explored. This is Chihuly Lounge, which is named after famed American Dale Chihuly. How does high tea sound?

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Greenhouse offers an attractive Sunday vintage champagne brunch from 12pm – 3.30pm, featuring an unlimited flow of MoΓ«t & Chandon, wines and selected cocktails accompanied by freshly shucked oysters, seafood, roasts, 50 French farmhouse cheeses and freshly baked soufflΓ©s.

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Swimming pool with plenty of sun tanning chairs.

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The gymnasium is located on the same floor as the swimming pool and is extremely well equipped.

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It is also the largest and most impressive hotel gym that I have come across so far.

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Business Centre

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Ok here comes the exciting part! I made reservations in mid July and prior to that, I chanced upon a Happy Birthday package on The Ritz-Carlton’s website (which I think is no longer available) and decided to take it up since we could upgrade to a Premier Suite upon availability at check-in. I’m not sure if this is common but we were elated that we were lucky enough to score a suite room on the 7th floor! πŸ˜€

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The Ritz-Carlton houses one of the largest guest rooms and accommodations of any hotel in Singapore, averaging 550 to 650 square feet, and The Ritz-Carlton Suite boasts a lofty 2347 square feet. Our luxurious suite spans approximately 646 square feet and features an unobstructed picturesque scene of Marina Bay.

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The separate bedroom also has an element of timeless elegance, which seem to be consistent with The Ritz-Carlton’s definition of the essence of luxury, evident from its contemporary furnishings and state-of-the-art technology.

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Doors separating the bathroom and living room from the bedroom can be closed for enhanced privacy.

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The Ritz-Carlton is the first hotel in the world to be furnished with flushed wall-mounted 46-inch Hospitality LED TVs. There was one in our bedroom and another one in the living room.

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Even the bathroom is so spacious that guests can enjoy his-and-her sink vanities. Mirrors are anti-fog, so you can no longer use your finger to write “I love you” after coming out from a hot steamy shower. LOL. There is also a separate shower stall with rain shower feature. Wrap yourselves in His and Hers micro-fiber Ploh bathrobes after your shower!

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This is what I call the SEXIEST HOTEL BATHROOM in Singapore with the bathtub just beside The Ritz-Carlton’s signature octagonal window. Sorry this photo was taken in the afternoon when the sun was shining in, but I swear it looks sooo much better and also more romantic at night! The husband assured me that people staying at Mandarin Oriental and Pan Pacific won’t be able to see us because the windows are tinted on the outside. Anyway if you are scared, you can always lower the blinds. Ours was stuck and did not work. Oh wells.

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Asprey bath amenities

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Hair dryer in a bag. I used it after my shower and it gave me ridiculously soft and straight hair.

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Separate cubicle. Told you the bathroom is damn spacious!

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Walk-in closet. Are you thinking about playing hide-and-seek already?

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Back to the living room! There is an iPod docking station at the writing desk but what impressed me was the Bose audio system. Tuned in to 98.7fm and the sound quality was quite good!

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Mini bar stocks a range of beers, wine, water and juices.

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There were 6 lit-up drawers within the credenza cabinet in the living room and pulling each one of them out was like unveiling a mini surprise.

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Our Happy Birthday package was inclusive of a small bottle of champagne.

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Welcome amenity consisted of cupcakes, strawberries and a very adorable Ritz-Carlton lion soft toy! Since our staycation cost us the husband more than $600, misterchewy and I decided to maximize the length of time spent in our suite and agreed on in-room dining. We were also entitled to $30 hotel credit which could be utilized for dining, shopping or spa at The Ritz Carlton, and used it for our in-room dining. Unfortunately, we poured through the menu for 15 minutes and carbonara was the only dish that we wanted to order.

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Glad that Marina Bay Sands was nearby and it was a good chance for misterchewy to try the truffle fries from Au Chocolat because I kept raving about it after a casual brunch session with my bridesmaids earlier this year. So, out went the mister while the missus lazed in the hotel room waiting for her husband to tabao food back from Au Chocolat πŸ˜›

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Truffle fries from Au Chocolat are da bomb! Really the best of all the truffle fries that I have eaten. The husband agrees with me! Still tasted damn good even when they were cold (I ate some leftovers the next morning).

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Spicy Chicken Wings (Au Chocolat) had a tang of spiciness but was quite salty.

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Duck Confit (Au Chocolat) was quite dry and hard, probably because we left it there for quite some time. Busy taking photos πŸ˜›

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The Ritz-Carlton’s Carbonara dish was quite well-executed, thick and creamy but I think the egg could be done better.

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Earlier in the day, I googled and found out that the sun would be setting at around 7pm, so we planned everything well and made sure that our food was served before that. That way, we could watch the skies change gradually as we were enjoying our food.

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We find that in-room hotel dining is an ideal way to spend a intimate and romantic night with your loved ones. You have all the privacy in the world, can be yourself and relax without having to worry about being judged by others. The bonus is having lovely music playing in the background and a spectacular night view of the city. It was just the two of us and we dimmed the lights for a more romantic feel. πŸ™‚

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Feather beds and Sealy mattresses are used in all rooms, Club rooms and Suites. The bed was comfy but quite high. Think I have short legs because I had to tiptoe and hurl myself onto the bed. LOL.

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This was the beautiful night view of MBS that we fell asleep to πŸ™‚

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And of course, we soaked ourselves in the sexy hotel bathtub after dinner and played with bubbles πŸ˜› It was very therapeutic!

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Hope you enjoyed our staycation review on The Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore! Stay connected with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy and on Instagram @missuschewy and @misterchewy πŸ™‚

Click here to check out our list of Singapore staycation reviews!

The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore
7 Raffles Avenue
Singapore 039799
Tel: +(65) 6337-8888