T RIED AND TE ST E D H OT E L


Royal Plaza on Scotts Singapore


B A C KGROUND An extensive renovation of this 511-room property was completed in December 2018.


WHERE IS IT ? A few minutes’ walk from Orchard MRT station. The Grand Hyatt is across the street, and The Tanglin Club and The American Club are both within walking distance.


WHAT ’S IT LIKE? The lobby looks fresh and welcoming following the refurbishment, with two carpeted staircases leading upstairs to the left and right and a chandelier hanging overhead. By the guestroom lifts is a small internet lounge in case you don’t have your computer with you.


for working, and a Nespresso machine with three types of coff ee pods, including a decaf option. There are also two types of TWG Tea: Emperor Sencha and Earl Grey, as well as a free minibar. But don’t get too excited – it’s all non-alcoholic. My room’s window overlooked another property managed by Royal Plaza on Scotts: 8 on Claymore Serviced Residences. The highlight of the bathroom is the


rainfall shower. There’s also a good-sized bathtub. A selection of amenities are replenished daily, though bear in mind there is no mouthwash provided.


E XECUTIVE LOU NGE The 15th-floor Club Lounge is a fresh-feeling, well-lit


of international cuisine, including “seafood, Mediterranean, Asian and Japanese”. One of the latest additions to the Carousel buff et includes the Brazilian churrasco station, which off ers smoky 24-hour marinated meats. There is also a signature bread and butter pudding that the hotel has been off ering for 45 years. Carousel is open for breakfast (6.30am-10am), lunch (noon- 2pm), high tea (3.30pm-5.30pm) and dinner (6.30pm-9.30pm).


L EIS U RE The fifth-floor gym is small but was never busy. On Sunday morning there was only one other person in there. One downside was that the headphone jack on the machines didn’t match that of my headphones, so I couldn’t listen to the TV while exercising. I mentioned this to general manager Garcia Fiat and he said the hotel plans to distribute compatible headphones to gym-users in future. There is a water station with paper cups,


BE ST FOR ... 64


A great location coupled with friendly and attentive staff .


D ON’ T MI S S...


Making good use of the comfortable, quiet and well-catered Club Lounge.


P R ICE


Internet rates for a midweek stay in mid-January in a Royal Club Premier room start from S$449 (US$311) including tax and surcharges.


C ONT A C T royalplaza.com.sg


ROOMS I stayed in a Royal Club Premier room on the 14th floor with access to the Royal Club Lounge on Level 15. The bed pillows, yellow armchair and paintings above and next to the bed lend a freshness to the room. There are ample power sockets and there’s also a portable wifi device, giving you internet access outside of the hotel. Some hotels are opting for Handy-brand smartphones, but the Royal Plaza on Scotts’ general manager Patrick Garcia Fiat told me they opted for the portable wifi as they think guests prefer to connect with their own devices. The welcome gift was a Singapore-


themed cup. There is a desk and off ice chair DE CEMB E R 20 19


The lobby looks fresh and welcoming following the refurbishment


space that, during my three-day stay, was rarely busy, even during breakfast. However, since my stay I’ve learnt that


the lounge is going to undergo some changes and move more towards a self- service lounge.


FOOD AND DRINK Guests without Club Lounge access can try the hotel’s newly renovated buff et restaurant, Carousel, which has up to 17 food stations


which seems more eco-friendly than giving out bottled water as some hotels do. Near the gym is the pool, which is small but also not busy. The first time I went to look at the pool there was a family using it, but when I took a swim on Monday evening I only had to share it with one other person.


VERDIC T A well-located hotel whose recent refurbishment has given the entire property a fresh feel. The rooms are great and the Club Lounge is an excellent place to get some work done while enjoying the service of the attentive staff , though its future is uncertain with the upcoming move to a self-service concept. Michael Allen


bus ine s s tr a v el ler .c om


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