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

Holiday Inn Express Singapore Orchard Road Staycation Blog Review

Sponsored Staycation

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In July this year, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) opened the first ever Holiday Inn Express in Singapore, located in the heart of the country’s vibrant shopping district and entertainment hub, Orchard Road.
Holiday Inn Express Singapore Orchard Road is the first of two Holiday Inn Express hotels planned for Singapore during the brand’s rapid expansion across South East Asia. With so many hotels concentrated in Orchard, it is needless to say that travellers will inevitably be spoilt for choice.

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I was invited to discover the Holiday Inn experience for myself and since misterchewy was working that day, I checked into the hotel on my own that morning. I wasn’t the least bit worried about not being able to locate the place since I had been told that Holiday Inn Express Singapore Orchard Road is situated in between The Heeren and Paragon. Talk about prime location!

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Upon stepping into the hotel, I was warmly greeted with a smile at the 24-hour reception. Check-in procedure was straightforward, swift and hassle-free.

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Our room was on the 15th floor, highest being the 16th. There are 221 queen-bedded and twin-bedded rooms with complimentary in-room wifi. In fact, the hotel offers free and fast Wi-Fi access throughout the hotel, so guests can stay connected all day, every day. In this day and age, not many of us can survive without Internet connectivity!

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Holiday Inn Express’ STAY SMART concept revolves around making sure that every valued guest can expect a fuss-free and refreshing stay with guaranteed comfort and convenience at a reasonable price.

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A panorama photo of our queen-bedded room taken with my iPhone 5.

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All rooms feature high quality bedding with pillow top mattress and duck down duvet.

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Interestingly, guests have a choice of soft pillows..

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..or firm pillows. We preferred the firm ones!

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To my delight, there is also a comfy couch for people like me who abhors lying on the bed before taking a shower. To me, the bed is sacred. I’m not joking. Haha.

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There are also 40 inch LCD televisions, ergonomic desk chairs and efficient work stations in every room.

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Tea and coffee making facilities

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I was quite surprised to find an un-stocked mini bar but honestly, with so many supermarkets and convenience stores around the vicinity, I would rather choose my own selection of drinks and snacks.

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In-room safe

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En-suite bathroom

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Holiday Inn takes pride in its green initiatives and Holiday Inn Singapore Atrium recently received the Singapore Green Hotel Award 2013.

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Pleased to find liquid handwash instead of bar soap!

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Silly me, I was busy taking photos of the bathroom amenities and then realized in a state of shock that I had not seen the shower area. I was almost ready to believe that there could be another shared bathroom within the hotel.. until I saw the handle of the door! Phew!

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Guests can recharge after a long day exploring Orchard Road by utilizing the refreshing power showers in the bathrooms with three-head massage showerhead.

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There was a tour around the hotel and the first thing I noticed was “SMART is having your own set of wheels”. So there you have it, Holiday Inn Express provides trolleys for guests to conveniently wheel their luggages into their rooms.

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Complimentary internet stations and self-service business centre

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Complimentary Express Start breakfast is made available at the Great Room.

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There is also a Grab & Go option for guests who do not have the luxury of sitting down to enjoy their breakfast. More on this later.

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On the 4th floor of the hotel, a compact meeting facility for 12 persons can be booked, subject to availability.

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The self-service laundry and and ironing facilities are also located on the 4th floor.

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After the tour, I bought McNuggets’ meal at Cineleisure, which was about a 10-minute walk away, and enjoyed a quiet lunch in the comfort of the hotel room.

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Watched a couple of movies while resting on the couch before meeting misterchewy, misstamchiak and her fiancΓ© for dinner. There will be a separate post for this!

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Featuring our OOTD! Hehehe.

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Breakfast ends at around 10am each day and we made sure that we got there by 9.30am.

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Scrambled eggs

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Chicken sausages

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Fried beehoon

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Prawn dumplings

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Besides the usual coffee and tea, you can also have hot chocolate. Kids will definitely love this.

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This is the Grab & Go breakfast option which consists of a cup of hot beverage, muffin and fruit. Busy guests don’t have an excuse for skipping breakfast. Very thoughtful of the hotel!

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Packed our stuff and spent a relaxing moment in the room before checking out at 12pm.

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The new Holiday Inn Express Singapore Orchard Road is the smart choice for savvy travellers who are looking for the best location combined with the best value. The Smart Stay experience offers value-conscious guests everything they need and nothing they don’t. We personally felt that everything that was provided during our stay was adequate and we were very satisfied!

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!

Holiday Inn Express Singapore Orchard Road
20 Bideford Road
Singapore 229921
Tel: +65 6690 3199

Novotel Singapore Clarke Quay Staycation Blog Review

Sponsored Staycation

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Happy long weekend chewys! I’m back with a new blog entry! If you have read our previous post, you should have anticipated today’s hotel staycation review ya πŸ™‚ The husband and I enjoyed a one night stay at Novotel Singapore Clarke Quay, a splendid 4 stars hotel situated in the heart of Singapore.

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Novotel Singapore Clarke Quay features over 400 rooms which had been recently upgraded, each with a magnificent and amazing view of the Marina Bay, Singapore River, and also the spectacular city skyline of Singapore. We had the luxury of staying in a Premier room on the 22nd floor which is extremely spacious, complete with a balcony which can be accessed upon request for the sliding doors to be unlocked.

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One substantial enhancement of the hotel was the discontinuation of queen sized beds such that there were only king sized beds even in Novotel’s smallest rooms.

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All rooms have been designed to Novotel’s latest standards offering state of the art amenities. I was busy taking photos while misterchewy entertained himself by browsing channels on the LCD televisions with easy media connectivity panel. Oh did I mention that there is complimentary high-speed WiFi too?

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Nespresso coffee machine

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Some of the snacks available but are chargeable. FYI, 7-Eleven is conveniently located just downstairs.

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iPod docking station. It’s a pity that it’s not compatible with iPhone 5.

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The bathroom is also quite spacious. I wish I had my wide angle lens with me πŸ˜›

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I like the colors that Novotel picked for the packaging of the toiletries.

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Photo taken and very heavily edited by misterchewy using his iPhone 5. Hahaha. But the photo sure doesn’t lie that it was a hot and sunny day! Perrrrfect for a swim!

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Totally got this resort or holiday feel right? *Sigh*

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It was nice having a staycation at Clarke Quay for a change! So many pubs and clubs in the area and you don’t have to worry that much about getting drunk because all you need to do is stagger a little to get back to Novotel. Hahaha.

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The night view from our hotel room is also very nice!

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We got to enjoy the MBS laser show as well. We could have watched the NDP preview fireworks display too but the husband had already made reservations for dinner. Boohoo.

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Premier room guests get to enjoy Premier Floor benefits all day, such as having access to the newly-upgraded Premier Lounge, complimentary American breakfast, WiFi, express check-in / check-out and complimentary use of the boardroom for those all- important business meetings and cocktail hours complete with free flow drinks and canapes every evening. Premier guests have the option of having breakfast at this Premier Lounge or The SQUARE on level 7, or maybe both if you have the stomach for it.

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I admit that I was lazy to get out of bed and told misterchewy to eat breakfast on his own πŸ˜› He chose to have breakfast at the Premier Lounge. We had been to The SQUARE for a brunch tasting last year and the husband concluded that the variety was much wider there even though the Premier Lounge was more exclusive.

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My simple breakfast from 7-Eleven and The Sunday Times from the hotel! Breakfast in bed for me πŸ˜›

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It was a great way for us to spend our dating anniversary at Novotel. Stay tuned to our next post as we will be showing you how we did our miniature food clay art as a couple! πŸ™‚ Stay connected with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy and on Instagram @missuschewy and @misterchewy

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

Novotel Singapore Clarke Quay
177A River Valley Road
Singapore 179031
Tel: +65 63383333
Email: H5993@accor.com

Movenpick Heritage Hotel Sentosa Singapore Staycation Blog Review

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Whoohoo! The husband and I were lucky enough to win a two-night stay on Sentosa Island after getting the most number of votes for an Instagram contest, thanks to the support from our friends and readers. It was our very first staycation at Sentosa, and also our first local hotel stay of 2013! πŸ˜€

The hotel was not revealed in the intial stage, but only after I won the contest. Was hoping W Hotel or Capella but I was also contented with MΓΆvenpick Heritage Hotel Sentosa la! πŸ˜› We chose to split our stay so we only stayed for one night. Will be going there again a couple of months later! We like how convenient it was because the hotel is located right next to the Sentosa Express monorail station. Highly recommend this hotel to all, especially tourists visiting Sentosa! You can also get to take tons of photos with our iconic Merlion YO!

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The hotel reception was actually located downstairs and one of the female service staff promptly took our bags from us and led us the way to do our check-in at the counter.

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We were given a room on the sixth floor, which is also the top floor.

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Immediately after we putting down all our stuff, we headed to Tanjong Beach Club in our beach wear for some drinks and truffle fries. Oh yeah, all guests staying in MΓΆvenpick Heritage Hotel Sentosa are given complimentary monorail passes in case you wanna get out of Sentosa during your stay. Appreciate the thoughtful gesture!

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The only thing we did other than eat at Tanjong Beach Club was to fall asleep on the sand for about half an hour (believe me, it was not part of the plan) and then we returned to our room to shower and change. Didnt have time for other beach activities because we had a dinner tasting at about 6-ish.

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Let me give you guys a little virtual tour of our hotel room! Ours was a 30sqm Deluxe Room with a king size bed, which felt reasonably spacious for the both of us, as evident in this photo. The room features natural wood furnishings and warm neutral colors which create a calm and tranquil atmosphere.

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The LCD flat-screen television comes with Bluetooth connectivity but our only gripe is that wifi is chargeable.

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The granite bathroom is equally spacious and has a contemporary vibe which I like.

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With a see-through bathroom door like that, I think it’s gonna be awkward for non-couples to be staying together. At least there is a separate shower room (pictured above) but that would mean you have to change in and out of your clothes in the shower room which can be a tad inconvenient.

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I find that granite is a good idea because its coarse-grained texture gives relatively more friction as compared to some bathroom floors.

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Dim Sum in the toilet? No laaaa. It’s cute though! Guess what’s inside? πŸ™‚

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The bamboo steam baskets contain bathroom amenities like toothbrush, toothpaste, cotton bud, etc.

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The loofah certainly came in handy in scrubbing away the suntan oil which we had applied earlier.

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Besides the standard minibar and complimentary bottled water, there is also a Nespresso machine, a CitiZ 110 – Fire Engine Red, to be exact.

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Pulling out the drawer reveals an array of drinking utensils. Nice to find wine glasses in there because you will need them if you are celebrating special occasions over a bottle of wine!

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I’m not addicted to caffeine and coffee has absolutely no effect on me. Not sure if that’s a good thing but oh wells. Made a cup of coffee for the fun of it πŸ˜›

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The yukata matches the bedroom slippers. Cute huh?

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Featuring my OOTD! Bought this navy blue maxi dress sometime back but didn’t get the chance to wear it. There’s a peekaboo area around the small of my back. Hahaha. Since we’re on the topic on clothes, Zalora is having a GSS meltdown sale on over 8000 items, and up to 80% off! Often times, I find myself browsing through not just the women’s clothes collection but men’s as well because the clothes are really fashionable and trendy.

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Not forgetting misterchewy’s OOTD! Love the color combination.

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This is the view of the swimming pool that greeted us the moment we stepped out of our room and looked down. I immediately went, “Wah! So nice leh!”

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And so, we went down to check out the swimming pool.

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The gymnasium looks well-equipped.

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We took one of the Sentosa feeder buses to Quayside Isle and it was our first time there! Kill two birds with one stone since we were already at Sentosa.

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Such a pretty sight in the late evening! Kinda like Keppel Bay.

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Our dinner tasting was at Museo, which will be featured separately in another blog post πŸ™‚

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Earlier in the day, we were toying with the idea of catching a late night movie at VivoCity but decided against it because old people wanna go back and sleep liao. LOL. Anyway, we thought that the Merlion looked kinda scary here! Hahaha! Wonder what would tourists think if they came here at night.

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Was quite amazed that the Merlion changes into a myriad of different colors at night! This is my favourite color!

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Showered and hit the sack! The husband and I slept really really soundly. Mine was quite extreme because I had a horrible nightmare. Shall not tell you what I dreamt about but I was crying in my sleep! Woke up and almost drowned in my own ocean of tears. I’m not exaggerating. On a positive note, it shows that the bed was really too comfy that I just continued crying and crying in my sleep, not being able to wake up earlier. LOL. The best part was waking up next to misterchewy and discussing if we should go for a swim or eat breakfast first.

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We decided to eat breakfast first because the buffet closes at 10am! A copy of The Straits Times was found at our door. Can catch up on the news while having breakfast!

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Breakfast buffet was at MΓΆvenpick’s flagship restaurant, Tablescape.

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The full International buffet includes an egg station and in keeping with the hotel’s promise to deliver the best of Swiss hospitality to guests, diners can also select from the Chef’s a la minute menu options.

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The egg omelette was really good! We will definitely eat this again the next time!

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Equally worthy of mention are the roasted potatoes, sausages and sautΓ©ed mushrooms! Mushrooms were so delicious that I had seconds!

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The husband offered to take a photo of me but I refused because my eyes were kinda swollen from crying. FML. Later people think I siao. Go staycation should be happy why cry until like that. LOL. Ok la you will see some photos of me later πŸ˜›

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Perfect weather for a morning swim! πŸ˜€

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Towels are provided so you don’t have to bring along the towels from your hotel room.

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No goggles also can swim! Don’t play play. I started learning how to swim when I was four years old and I have a National Survival Swimming Award (Gold). Ok la don’t haolian already πŸ˜›

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Our staycation at MΓΆvenpick Heritage Hotel Sentosa was quite a relaxing one although the next time round, I think I wanna go to Wave House Sentosa! Click here to read about our staycation reviews on Grand Park Orchard, Wanderlust Hotel, Oasia Hotel, Porcelain Hotel and Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel! πŸ™‚ July is gonna be awesome because we will be celebrating our 3rd year dating anniversary and my birthday!

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

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

MΓΆvenpick Heritage Hotel Sentosa
23 Beach View, Sentosa
(Next to Imbiah Station)
Tel: 6818 3388

Grand Park Orchard Hotel Singapore Staycation Blog Review

Sponsored Staycation

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Hola chewy chewy friends! The kind folks from Park Hotel Group invited misterchewy and I for a staycation experience review at Grand Park Orchard Hotel about two weeks ago! Guess what? This is our fourth staycation this year! πŸ˜€

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Grand Park Orchard is situated in the heart of town, right smack in the middle of where all the bustling activity is! Its strategic location makes it a very popular hotel choice among locals and tourists because there are so many shopping centres nearby. Do you know that the hot and half naked bodies of the A&F guys are just downstairs?!

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Lobby is on the 4th floor and Grand Park Orchard’s hotel ambassador had already positioned himself outside the lift, waiting to greet us with his dazzling smile. We were promptly showed to our room on level 9.

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We were given an ultra swanky room with high speed Internet access simply by logging in with my name and the password written on the card.

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Our 29 to 32sqm Premium Room was simply gorgeous! We love the floor-to-ceiling glass windows which gave the lofty room a more dramatic and posh feel. And not forgetting the artistic designer wall mural! <;3 – sure beats turning up to the office in downtown Singapore!

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A large glass window for your viewing pleasure. Oh no I meant that you could soak in the tub and watch TV at the same time! What a brilliant idea! πŸ˜‰

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Can the hotel be any more generous than this?! It’s as though someone went grocery shopping at the supermarket and picked up every single variety of fruit that she saw. If you like fruits, good for you! If you don’t, I’m very sure there must be something on that plate that you will fancy.

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A handwritten welcome card from the General Manager, which is a really nice gesture πŸ™‚

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The hubs was trying to use the hotel wifi while I continue snapping photos in our room.

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Shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and lotion. All lavender! I like!

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Just about everything that you need, it’s in there.

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I was telling misterchewy that if the bath tub looks enticing enough, we could go shop for a nice shower gel for our bubble bath πŸ˜›

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I knew I didn’t have to worry about misterchewy feeling bored about being left alone because the reclining sofa (not sure what’s the exact term for it) looked really comfortable and he was already glued to the LCD TV.

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Oh let’s backtrack a bit. The hubs wore another set of clothing when we travelled to the hotel and he wanted to change into the set which I had picked out and packed for him. However, the shirt had some creases and I took the chance to use the iron and ironing board in our room to prove my caliber as a good wife. *AHEM*

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A quick look at the mini bar. Only the bottled water, tea and coffee are complimentary.

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The fridge certainly is very well-stocked with most of our favorite drinks in there!

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Takashimaya Shopping Centre is just across the street! I told you Grand Park Orchard’s location is awesome, didn’t I?

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Photo taken by misterchewy using iPhone 5’s panorama function πŸ™‚

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Our outfit of the day! Both our clothes were gotten during our recent trip to Bangkok. I wore a light yellow dip hem maxi dress and paired a metallic gold bangle to go along with it. Cheery colors! πŸ˜‰ The hubs is usually seen wearing jeans because he works as an engineer so I made him wear shorts this time. Totally love the white long sleeved shirt with navy blue anchor prints that I chose for him! πŸ˜€

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We were totally famished and decided walk over to Mandarin Gallery for late lunch at Ippudo because misterchewy was craving for ramen.

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We were walking around aimless and then misterchewy suggested that we go to *SCAPE to catch some toys! But nothing caught my eye πŸ™ Or am I too old for this? LOL.

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*SCAPE is also one of the more popular locations for casual outdoor wedding photoshoot! I’m giving you people some ideas ok? πŸ˜› Oh yeah, misterchewy was carrying a Sephora paper bag because we bought a really sweeeeet smelling shower gel! πŸ˜‰

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Was tired from all that walking and decided to head back to our hotel room for a short rest before dinner. Took a mini tour around first. The gym faces the swimming pool so if you need some motivation on the treadmill, there you have it! πŸ˜›

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How nice and thoughtful of the hotel to supply gym goers with towels, bottled water and energy drinks. Yes the energy drinks are free!

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Bar Canary is located right next to the pool.

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I think I had stretched my walking limits and was really eager to head back. Sky was turning dark too, from what we see when we reached our room.

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LOL! The hubs was already waiting for me to turn around when I was done with taking photos and was waving at me from the toilet. He then proceeded to act as though he was surprised. -_-

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Besides the hotel stay, we were also welcome to try the dinner buffet at Open House Restaurant.

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Here’s a sneak peek!

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I will be sharing more about the dinner buffet at Open House in my next post πŸ˜‰

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After dinner, we decided to take a long leisurely stroll outside Grand Park Orchard and soak in the Christmas atmosphere! The entire Orchard Road lights up beautifully at night.

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At last! I’m as tall as misterchewy! Hahaha.

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Time to chill out with some drinks at Bar Canary, which is located on the same floor as the lobby.

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Shall tell you guys more about the drinks we had in the next post πŸ™‚

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Earlier in the day, we stopped by Sephora at Takashimaya and bought this Caramel Toffee bubble bath and shower gel. There were about 10 different ones for us to choose from. We smelled every single one and this is the one we liked best! Highly recommended if you and your partner like really sweet scent. A bottle costs only $15 and we used a third which was more than enough πŸ˜€

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The hotel provides bedroom slippers and bathrobes too. So there’s no need for you to pack your pyjamas along for your staycation! The bedroom slippers are of really good quality and very comfy too.

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Good morning sunshine! We were supposed to wake up at 8am but overslept and woke up at 9plus instead! :O By the time we got dressed and reached Open House downstairs, it was nearly 10am. Good thing the buffet line closes at 11am during weekends! Phew! Hey, we both agreed that our bed was really way too comfortable and we had a really good night’s sleep! πŸ˜€

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Selection of bread and pastries are constantly being replenished. Everything is warm and toasty!

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This was misterchewy’s favorite station! We had scrambled and poached eggs.

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You can choose either plain or pork congee and various condiments are available.

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Below are some of the a la carte buffet dishes that we had that morning. We were totally spoilt for choice and tried a bit from each station. My favorite dishes were the mee siam, eggs and waffles! πŸ˜€

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After a hearty breakfast, we just wanted to laze in bed. Good thing it had been arranged for us to check out at 4pm instead! We borrowed Crazy Stupid Love DVD from the concierge at the lobby. There were many other movies but most were already loaned to other guests in the hotel. But it’s ok because I love romantic comedies! πŸ˜€

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We had not watched Crazy Stupid Love before and had a really good laugh at some of the scenes. Ryan Gosling is sooooo suave and hawt! *Drools* πŸ˜›

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The hubs continued to laze in bed and read soccer news on his iPad.

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Made a cup of Gryphon Earl Grey Lavender tea from the mini bar for myself!

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We found that a copy of The Sunday Times had been delivered to our room early in the morning. Decided to make myself comfortable on the reclining sofa and catch up on the news with my cup of hot tea in hand. πŸ™‚

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All in all, the husband and I had a pretty marvelous staycation at Grand Park Orchard and managed to spend quality time with each other over the precious weekend. Currently, Grand Park Orchard is having a Christmas Escapade promotion from 15th to 30th December. Receive your last night free simply by staying for 3 consecutive nights or more! There’s no better way to spend Christmas with your loved ones than a luxurious staycation at Grand Park Orchard. πŸ˜‰

Thank you Park Hotel Group for the kind invitation!

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

Grand Park Orchard
270 Orchard Road
Singapore 238857
Tel: 6603 8888
Email: info.gpor@parkhotelgroup.com
For room reservations, please contact 6603 8829/6603 8830 or email
rsvn.gpor@parkhotelgroup.com