T RIED AND TE ST E D H OT E L
BE ST FOR ...
Parkroyal on Pickering, Singapore
B A C KGROUND Parkroyal on Pickering opened in 2013. We first reviewed the hotel in 2015, calling it an “urban oasis in every sense” and praising its “Martha Stewart- style” club lounge. Invited back over Chinese New Year, I decided to put the hotel through its paces again to see if it still off ers a top-notch experience.
WHERE IS IT ? Opposite Hong Lim Park, which is the only place in Singapore where you can legally stage a protest. Major business centre Raff les Place is an eight-minute walk and you can get to Gardens by the Bay in five minutes by taxi. Another major attraction, the National Gallery of Singapore, is a ten-minute walk.
WHAT ’S IT LIKE? Immediately imposing and impressive. The hotel stands out from its surroundings and looms over you. It’s the kind of hotel that, if you had not looked up pictures of it ahead of your stay, would elicit a positive “is this where we’re staying?” response upon first encountering it.
ROOMS I was in an Orchid Club room, which comes with access to the 16th floor Orchid Club Lounge. As with the hotel’s exterior, I was immediately impressed with the design of the room. Your anticipation builds as you exit the 15th floor lift and walk down an open-air corridor with a breathtaking view to your left. Entering your room feels more like entering a chalet than an ordinary hotel room. Another stunning view is on show, this time from the other side of the building. The room’s design incorporates a lot
of wood into the floor and walls, feeling more like a resort than an urban hotel and giving the room a natural feel. This impression is reinforced by features such as glass water bottles that are refilled daily or upon request, in lieu of plastic bottles. The bathroom, shower and toilet open on to the bedroom, but you can close a sliding
bus ine s s tr a v el ler .c om
Great views of the city from the room, pool and executive lounge.
D ON’ T MI S S...
Evening cocktails in the Orchid Club Lounge. P R ICE
Internet rates for an Orchid Club room in mid-May start from S$470 (US$347) per night.
C ONT A C T
panpacific.com
can choose from a menu of six. This is accompanied by an impressive buff et. The breakfast, which I ate all three mornings of my stay, was equally impressive.
The room still manages not to be so resort-like that the average business traveller would be turned off
door if you need some privacy. There is a selection of St Gregory toiletries. The room still manages not to be so
resort-like that the average business traveller would be turned off ; it has all the amenities you need for a business trip and, if anything, it makes a nice change from the relatively gloomy and unimaginative rooms you may ordinarily find yourself staying in for work.
LOU NGE The 15th floor Orchid Club Lounge is a spacious, high-ceilinged aff air furnished with light-toned wood. It’s cleverly divided into four sections, giving each area its own sense of privacy – when the lounge is not busy you can find yourself getting an entire section to yourself. On Tuesday, I went to the lounge for the afternoon tea, which is served between 2pm and 4pm. I was off ered tea or coff ee, and chose Sencha green tea. There was a delicious selection of sandwiches, cakes and scones available. There was also some tasty water infused with apple, lemon and mint. The lounge also off ers excellent cocktails; you
L EIS U RE The hotel’s standout leisure facility is the fifth-floor infinity pool. For better or worse, this pool has become decidedly “Instafamous”, meaning you will probably see a lot more posing for selfies than actual swimming. From the perspective of a business traveller who just wants to get in a quick morning or evening swim, this pool probably isn’t ideal. It’s aimed more at tourists and people looking to spend a lazy afternoon on one of the deckchairs or inside one of the yurt-like structures around the pool area. Still, the gym, which is just behind the pool, is pretty decent – and you have a stunning view to look at while working out on the treadmill or exercise bike. However, I did find that the safety cord on one of the treadmills was broken.
VERDIC T A beautifully designed, modern hotel that is located within easy reach of Singapore’s CBD, major dining areas and tourism hotspots. The Orchard Club Lounge is a very well-catered space with excellent service amid a beautiful setting; I recommend you spend the extra to get a room with access to this lounge, as it really does give you a premium experience that is worth the extra expense. The long checkout queue was a minor annoyance, but didn’t spoil my appreciation of the rest of my stay. Michael Allen
AP RIL 20 19 63
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