Short review
Note: 3 is average
Value for money: 3/5 – Quite pricey, but understandable given the offerings
Services: 4/5 – Good services overall, although there were some hiccups
Bedroom: 5/5 – Spacious at 80 sqm, modern, and has magnificent view
Sleep quality: 5/5 – Quiet and comfortable
Bathroom: 4/5 – 1.5 bath; problems with one of the drain holes
Facilities and amenities: 4.5/5 – Location is excellent; pool is fairly large, but water was freezing cold; 6 tennis courts are available
Pros
- Excellent location at the centre of Singapore
- View from the room is breathtaking
- Access to Level 65 Lounge
- Excellent hotel amenities and facilities
Cons
- Cold pool water
- Blocked drain
Long review
Swissôtel The Stamford is a 5-star hotel located at the heart of Singapore. The City Hall MRT Station is directly below the hotel, providing easy commute around Singapore. The hotel is also nestled around many shopping centres and restaurants.
My family and I arrived at the hotel by taxi. A porter quickly helped us with the luggage, while I completed my check-in. They used a kind of kiosk for taking our photos and scanning our passports, although a staff was also there to welcome and assist us. Overall, the check-in felt rushed and impersonal.
This time we stayed 4 nights at one of their Harbour Suites. At 80 sqm, the room is spacious and appears modern. The largest space is occupied by the bedroom and the lounge area. Welcome gifts, comprising some fresh fruit and a bottle of red wine, were arrayed on the coffee table.
It has a bathroom and a powder room (half bath). The toilet in the main bathroom is heated and automated. The drain hole in the shower was blocked though, so there’s a considerable water ponding after I took a shower. Furthermore, the water in the basin, also in the main bathroom, also initially drained very slowly. An engineer quickly came over and resolved both issues.
Behind the bedroom, there is a space for a large red fridge, filtered water, and a wardrobe. At night, the movement sensors automatically turned on the room’s night lights, so we could navigate the room conveniently without waking up others or trying to find the right light switches.
There are technically 2 balconies. One is accessible from the lounge, while another from the bedroom. Both offer breathtaking views of the harbour and Marina Bay Sands.
One day, the cleaning staff made very cute bunnies and an elephant for Josie. Much appreciated.
The suite came with an exclusive access to the Level 65 Lounge. However, somehow access to this lounge was not included in our access cards. We had to go to the reception to get this fixed and the staff was apologetic for the inconvenience. The panoramic view from this lounge was again amazing.
For us, we could enjoy breakfast in the lounge or in the Clove Restaurant on level 2. The breakfast dishes in the lounge were understandably more limited than those offered at the Clove, but more than adequate to satisfy my appetite. As you can see from the photos below, the variety was reasonably good. The bakery and congee were particularly nice. The salad was also fresh. I prefer to have breakfast here because it was quieter and surely nothing can beat the view of Marina Bay Sands in the morning.
Access to the Level 65 Lounge comes with an access to the exclusive gym also on this level. This is convenient because the hotel’s main gym is actually located in the next door’s Fairmont Hotel, requiring some detour and going up and down the lift to reach the place. From 5:30-7:30 pm, there is a happy hour session in this lounge. However, guests under 12 were not permitted, so we did not give it a go. Besides this, we can technically access the lounge when it is open and enjoy some drinks and nibbles.
Other facilities shared also with the Fairmont Hotel are swimming pools and tennis courts. There are two circular pools, although one is essentially a kiddie pool with perhaps less than 50 cm in depth. Both pools have a good size, but the water was cold. I tried having a swim there and did not enjoy the experience due to the cold water. The hotel also has 6 tennis courts in which 2 are artificial grass and the other 4 are clay.
One morning, we decided to have breakfast at the Clove. The selection was quite extensive, including Western, Chinese, Malaysian and Indian dishes. The bakery selection and the cold bar were also excellent. The pancake machine did not work properly at first. One staff quickly helped me deliver some pancakes to our table.
This is a very good hotel located in the centre of Singapore, providing easy access to the rest of the city state. The hotel facilities were excellent. There were problems during our stay, but they were resolved promptly. This particular suite is large and the view is second to none. Access to the Level 65 Lounge was a great thing to have. All this came with a rather hefty price tag, but overall it was reasonable given the offerings and benefits that came with it.
