Ritz-Carlton Singapore Staycation Blog

Ritz-Carlton Singapore Staycation

We have a lot of sentimental value attached to The Ritz-Carlton. Back in 2009, it was our hotel of choice for a small pre-wedding gathering with friends and we booked their suite. Back then we weren’t so familiar with Singapore hotels so we looked at a few and Ritz-Carlton impressed us the most. They had a big spacious room, a beautiful bathroom and we had a very memorable night.

So when we visited them again for a Singapore staycation our expectations were at an all time high. This time we were going to be in their Club Premier Suite and experiencing their club lounge which was just renovated in August 2013.

They had also refurbished all 608 rooms and suites recently in 2011. Their interior and fittings were given a modern update, accented with light teak wood and rich rosewood. Their new look was sleek and well done, giving of a classy and luxurious vibe that matched the style of the hotel well.

Check out this highlight video of our staycation with Korean Blogger Chloe Park!

Ritz-Carlton Staycation Video Highlights

The Rooms

Views from our room

The hotel was designed to give every room a view. They had a fair bit of fortune too because thanks to the development of the Marina Bay area you now get awesome panoramic waterfront views of Singapore’s iconic landmarks. Gardens by the bay, the Merlion Park, ArtScience museum, Singapore Flyer and MBS – where you can see their laser show every night.

Maybe their good luck was due to their octagonal windows. Eight is a lucky number for us Chinese and so some of their windows were designed deliberately that way to enhance the feng shui of the hotel. Fun fact of the day!

We loved that the rooms had huge windows. It gave of a bright airy vibe which went well with their spacious feel. You can also control the roller blinds to these windows electronically via the panels and it comes with two types of blinds – a day blind and a night blind.

We enjoyed their Sealy Mattress which was super comfortable. They had a pillow menu so I asked Chloe which Pillow she wanted to try but told me she was already happy with her pillow. Its a good thing I asked for two because the moment the MicroGel Firm pillow came she snatched it away! It was super soft and filled with synthetic feather-like fibres. I personally liked the Buckwheat pillow which was like a bean bag pillow and supposed to relieve tension, definitely something new.

Tip: Try to request for suites ending in "26" - e.g Room 1026, 2126, or our room on the highest suite floor - 3126! All these rooms in the series are corner rooms with the best views.

Bathroom

The view of the Singapore flyer taken from our bathtub

The Ritz-Carlton has one of the best bathrooms in Singapore – some say the sexiest. They have Asprey bath amenities, dual basins, a huge shower area but what really sets them apart is their bath tub view. It either overlooks the Singapore Flyer or Financial district depending on which room you get. Even though they tell you its a one way window – it still feels dangerously sexy because the view is so clear to you!

Suite Benefits

Rooms start from 51 square metres so even starting tier rooms are really spacious. Their premier suites are at 60 square metres and come with complimentary limousine service to nearby locations! So Chloe had a nice ride to work when she checked out.

Guests who stay at Club Premier Suites and above are entitled to their personalised check-in/out service in room or Club Lounge. It was such a nice feeling to skip the queue at the lobby and do our check-in right in our hotel room. Some of the other things we liked were the micro-fiber bathrobes, Nespresso coffee machine and the Walk-in closet.

Ritz Carlton Club Lounge

The biggest perk of their club access has to be their complimentary “Culinary indulgence” at The Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge which goes on from 7am – 11pm. Its so perfect for staycations because you feel so pampered and never want to leave the hotel. And we didn’t throughout our stay!

Compared to other club lounges, the spread here is really generous – you can have sumptuous mains here and then go for several rounds of desserts while sipping on wine.

Automated wine dispenser

7:00am. to 11am: Champagne breakfast
12noon to 2:00pm: Lunch
2.30pm. to 4.30pm: Three-tier traditional British afternoon tea
5:00pm. to 8:00pm: Hors d’oeuvres & Cocktails
8:30pm. to 10:00pm: Cordials & Dessert

Their newly renovated club lounge also features:

The Library – “A boardroom seating up to 10 guests for meetings overlooking the city”
The Drawing Room – “A quiet alcove where guests can enjoy a leisurely afternoon sketching the views.”

The Drawing Room is a unique concept they don’t have anywhere else in Singapore and you can catch Chloe sketching her Merlion ‘masterpiece’ in our video above!

The club lounge also has Experiential Events that vary daily such as

Bespoke cocktail mixing
Chocolate afternoon tea
Resident caricaturist
Wine tastings with a Sommelier
Handcrafted a la minute authentic Singaporean cuisine presentations
Sunday Champagne Brunches.

Swimming Pool Panorama

Click bottom right button for full screen mode – you can also zoom in and out of the panorama.

Other Hotel Features

Ipod Docking Stations
Sealy Mattresses & Pillow Menu
Baby Sitting
Limousine airport pick-up
Outdoor Swimming Pool
24 hour Fitness Centre with sauna/steam room and hot/cold plunge pools
Walk in Wardrobes (Suites++)

Dining Options

Summer Pavilion – Cantonese Fine Dining
Chihuly Lounge – Afternoon Tea / Cocktails
Shiraishi – Japanese Cuisine
Greenhouse – All-day dining Buffer / a la carte. Check out our post on their Greenhouse Sunday Brunch!

Verdict

Apart from the beautiful spacious rooms and lovely views, another thing that makes The Ritz-Carlton stand out is their level of service. There seems to be a natural sense of pride and service instilled in every staff member we’ve encountered.

From the way they handle your reservation over email, to cleaners who pause their vacuuming to greet you when you pass by to lobby staff who address you by name. Even the gentleman who told us in the nicest possible manner that we shouldn’t be playing their piano (opps!).

Everyone is exceptionally courteous and determined to make your stay an enjoyable one. It made us feel so welcomed to be a guests in their hotel. Right now I feel there is a huge gap between The Ritz-Carlton and the other dime a dozen 5 star hotels in Singapore.

Many years ago before we were travel writers and bloggers, The Ritz-Carlton had already became one of our favourite hotels. Staying with them again but this time as seasoned travelers, has only reinforced this with the hotel managing to exceed all our expectations.