From the magnificent
tubular driveway window to inscrutable modern art, this hotel wastes no time in
reminding the guest that it specialises in the art of opulence.The grand scheme of things includes exquisite flower arrangements, science-fiction rings suspended in the Greenhouse restaurant and water trickling down a sculpture standing over two stories. Take the staircase down from the lobby and the scenario suddenly transforms on the lower level into a thin veil of water shimmering and falling over a black marble surface. Even in its simplicity, there is an extremity to it.
What steals the show are the heartstopping views from its rooms, all of which
have an ocean outlook. Octagonal
windows frame the view from the bathtub, the best place for a soak on a lazy
afternoon. The rooms are generally spacious, even the smallest room. My
favourite is the corner Deluxe Suite, with views of Marina Bay and the financial
district.
Additionally, suite room guests enjoy meals and cocktails served at and the facilities of the Ritz-Carlton Club.
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The right mix of Asian fabrics and European styling give the rooms a sophisticated feel. Here, extravagance defers to suggestion. The art of understatement is at its most powerful here. And, of course the view.
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This hotel is so
intent on impressing the hell out of guests that it fails to charm the socks off
them first. Or at least to save them from slipping. The water display by the
staircase is so poorly designed that the staircase landing becomes very wet from
the splashing water - is this another instance of extremity or a genre of
performance art? The plebeian in me could not discern.
The uneven standards of service at the Ritz-Carlton Club were also surprising. Invited by a waiter to have a last helping of the afternoon buffet tea, I pointed out there was no more cream for the scones. He replied, 'There is no more. It is finished,' in what I assume was an endorsement of my observation. He then turned and left me sconeful and creamless. Both invitation and rebuff from the same person were, indeed, hard to swallow.
Shangri-la, Valley Wing
This must be the most
underrated hotel wing of the Shangri-la. If you have overlooked this for the
more obvious hotels, look again. Favoured by diplomats and politicians, there is
a discreet elegance to this 16-year old wing which has a private lift for
maximum security and a lobby that looks out to lush gardens.
What I like best is the lack of meretricious trappings which mark newer hotels. Expect a mature styling which provides sensibly-designed and spacious rooms, understated corridors with light European fittings and an overriding feeling of comfort.
The Valley Wing does not fall short of grandeur at the appropriate venue. The
Summit Room, which serves
breakfast only to Valley Wing guests, is a circular room with ceiling-to-floor
glass windows halfway around the room. Even then, there is a simplicity to the
décor which is refreshingly elegant. If you are not a fan of rich fabrics and
settings that scream luxury from every corner of, say, the Four Seasons
Singapore, try the Valley Wing instead. It is a deeply cleansing experience.
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The labyrinth of rooms in the premier suite is a delight. The living room opens to the bedroom which then opens to a dressing room cum walk-in wardrobe, that leads to the bathroom.
The hotel's health club, overlooking the swimming pool, is brilliantly conceived, with a state-of-the-art look and feel. The ultra-cool modernist décor is cleverly balanced by soft verdant gardens, as viewed from the gymnasium. Among Singapore's luxury hotels, the club is second to none. In terms of style, it is perhaps rivalled only by the Four Seasons health club, which comes a distant second.
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If only the food at Shangri-la is as consistently good as the standards of
the Valley Wing. It is not. For instance,
the Coffee Garden's local servings are mediocre. The beef kway teow I had
recently was utterly indifferent, although it comes with generous meat portions
- but why give more of a lesser quality when one could give less for more?
The Beaufort Hotel
The use of walkways around
courtyards of lily ponds and water fountains exemplifies the best of hotel
designs at this Sentosa property. To say that I had a perfectly comfortable and
easy stay may not seem to be saying much, but it means much more than many
general managers could ever grasp. There is no point piling on the hardware if
the basic design and outlook are wretched (and I have stayed at many such hotels
before).
The Beaufort is blessed with excellent architecture that takes advantage of
its undulating terrain to design rooms which look out to courtyard ponds, or
mature sloping gardens. There is a feeling of staying in a large private
estate and I never tired of walking around in the 27-acre property.
The garden villas are probably Singapore's only resort-style detached villas, with its own terrace and private pool. The décor of these villas has a South-East Asian emphasis, borrowing, or sometimes only suggesting, motifs, textures and colours from Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia.
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The Pavilion bar is a non-airconditioned area, sitting between a lily and
lotus pond, and the swimming pool. The
views here are extraordinary and stretch as far as the eye can see - beyond the
pool is a view of the South China sea, and beyond the pond, one can see
strolling peacocks and peahens, and beyond that, green mountain-like peaks. The
latter is an illusion, of course, there being no mountains on Sentosa, but the
ability to blend reality and fantasy provides relief for escapists like myself.
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A great hotel design cannot erase memories of soggy sandwiches and cold scones served for afternoon tea at the Pavilion bar. The stunning views made me a little less fussy by distracting me from the food. The peacocks' occasional foray into the bar also helped. But, I cannot help wondering how formidable the experience would have been if the food had been more carefully prepared. After all, it is not that difficult to knock together sensible sandwiches and scones, hardly gourmet fare.
Westin Plaza
This is one dark
horse that has crept up on its competitors with amazing stealth. After its
recent makeover last October, what used to be a pretentious lobby with
self-important lights and a cloistered atmosphere is now easily Singapore's most
chic.
Cool marble fountains guard the hotel entrance and lead onto a wonderfully airy lobby whose perspective is amplified by square wooden panels and rock sculptures raised behind the reception. Vertical standing light columns complete the picture.
The rooms, benefiting from a S$45m makeover, have probably the best showers in Singapore hotels. A huge ceiling shower delivers a refreshing water jet in an area separated by a transparent glass panel. A predominantly chrome and glass theme marks the bathroom. The bed is also incredibly comfortable, with the smoothest sheets and a welcome firmness in its mattress.
Select guests have access to the executive club lounge which provides a private breakfast and lounge area, as well as a boardroom and open-air terrace.
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One of the handsomest lobbies in the world and quite the perfect place for
the Christmas tree set up during the
festive season last year. Against the clarified incandescence of the lobby, the
tree was perfectly placed and glowed with an unforgettable silver-blue
brilliance.
A special mention of the service. Although tested many times by me on matters big and small, the staff were unfailingly polite and diplomatic. They displayed initiative and creativity in catering to guest needs.
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The executive club lounge service was warm and sincere, but I did not care
for the extended sideboards of
drawers and food warmers, which gave an airport lounge ambience, surely the last
thing a guest wants to be reminded of. A smarter presentation, together with
flowers and lush fabrics, would have made the guest forget the bustle of an
airport.
Jeffrey Lee