[Inquisitive]

If money is no consideration, then MBS is the best option.

Another brand new option if you are travelling after April 17. The Jewel that is one of a kind is opening on April 17. This is connected and part of Changi and has most modern shopping mall at airside. It also has a world tallest indoor waterfall. And a hotel inside (Yotel). Even if no reservation available you can book Crown Plaza at terminal 3 which is walkable or monorail can be taken.

Singapore tourism board offer free 4 hours Singapore tour for tourists.

So take some rest at hotel, take Singapore tour in the morning, experience Jewel and take off.

[w8ster]

Thank you all for your suggestions. All extremely helpful and informative. I ended up booking Swissotel Stamford Premier Harbour View room for few reasons. I am only a classic member with Le Club so it will be what it is.

1. that appears to be the closest to a guarantee I can get for a view that I wish.
2. got annoyed with the booking agent’s patchy responses at Conrad.
3. For such a short amount of time, Swissotel seems to offer the best value for money.

Will try to report back 😉

[Squalorqueen]

Good choice to go for the Stamford, but do make sure you are given a full harbour view room.
We were initially given an end room with only a tiny area of harbour to be seen. Within a minute we were at the desk to complain and then received keys to the high floor Executive Harbour View room which we had booked weeks before.
Accept nothing less!

[GivingupBA]

[quote quote=929529]Good choice to go for the Stamford, but do make sure you are given a full harbour view room… We were initially given an end room with only a tiny area of harbour to be seen. Within a minute we were at the desk to complain and then received keys to the high floor Executive Harbour View room which we had booked weeks before… Accept nothing less![/quote]

The same thing happened to me just ONE of the times I checked in to the Swissotel Stamford – my harbour view was very partial and after entering the room and getting one glance out of the window, I went straight back to the check-in desk with my bags and told them. They immediately, and without any quibbling at all, gave me another room on the same floor but with a perfect harbour view (as they should – but they were quick, and apologetic about it – I give them points for that).

[jamesmith]

Great I am coming in last of april to Singapore and i was looking for a hotels room thanks for sharing this information

[Krsnp]

I’d go for the Ritz Carlton Millenia, which I think offers one of the most astounding views. Even the smallest rooms are spacious (especially by Singaporean standard) and tastefully decorated. Needless to say, upgrade yourself to the Marina-facing room and enjoy panoramic views from your bath tub! Service is also always spot on. It IS on the pricier side, but well worth it if you want to make it special.

[w8ster]

So, the mentioned short stopover just happened and nothing went to plan despite advance planning with confirmation from the hotel’s reservation team.

I ended up booking with Swissotel Stamford and made sure I separately emailed the team directly sharing my very late arrival time, reason for the choice of hotel and paying for the room type, plus a little celebration surprise requested for the room for the other half.

At check in, they first couldn’t find my booking till I showed the confirmation (I generally don’t print them out anymore but this time thankfully I randomly decided to have backup), the gentleman then said yes I can see you have booked a premier room to which I quickly corrected Premier Harbour View room and further confirmed with reservation agent. He then went back office for about 5 mins or longer then came back to tell me he has good and bad news. They gave the last of those rooms to guests that booked the same but arrived earlier so its not available and nothing he can do. the good news is they will upgrade me to a suite but would not have any of the view I requested. I asked if he has any notes on details I discussed with the reservation department and he said no. So he had absolutely no idea all reasons that I booked the particular type of room.

Basically I informed weeks early:
1. Flight gets in mid night so I will be there around 1. – this ignored and my room (pre-paid in full) given to someone else.
2. Its a short layover, size of room isn’t important but the view is to showcase to a first time visitor to Singapore – completely ignored and expecting me to be grateful for the upgrade.
3. celebration for the other half – not a mention of that

gets better….

emailed reservation team and duty manager when I got to room attaching all the correspondence from weeks ago. got a message when I woke up to speak with me, someone called me in the room when I replied to say I have a very short layover and will be checking out in few hours time. she apologise and said to me that because my booking was through external party (AMEX travels) they did not get the notes. I explained that I did not give those notes to AMEX, it was directly with their reservation team AFTER the booking was made and confirmed. there was no response to that. I did not receive any valid explanations to anything and she wanted to do something but I explained I didn’t need anything and just wanted to provide my feedback so any internal processes / communications can be rectify. she then insisted politely that there was no communication issue and certain events happened during the day that led to it.. which basically to me meant I was screwed over because someone arrived earlier and kicked up a big fuss which I couldn’t do as I was still flying.

she insisted on getting me breakfast but I said I needed to get ready and meet some family for brunch before going to the airport. Finally I agreed to a double espresso to help wake me up. Guess what, it never arrived! She also mentioned that she will send an email with open ended date that on my next trip to Singapore I should just book a basic room and they will upgrade me to the appropriate room type. I said its not my expectations but she insisted. well I never received this email.. no further communication since then.

As I checked out, the receptionist asked how my stay was, I said not to my expectation but lets see if there’s any resolution to it, she smiled and I left it at that.

[K1ngston]

[quote quote=932981]So, the mentioned short stopover just happened and nothing went to plan despite advance planning with confirmation from the hotel’s reservation team.

I ended up booking with Swissotel Stamford and made sure I separately emailed the team directly sharing my very late arrival time, reason for the choice of hotel and paying for the room type, plus a little celebration surprise requested for the room for the other half.

At check in, they first couldn’t find my booking till I showed the confirmation (I generally don’t print them out anymore but this time thankfully I randomly decided to have backup), the gentleman then said yes I can see you have booked a premier room to which I quickly corrected Premier Harbour View room and further confirmed with reservation agent. He then went back office for about 5 mins or longer then came back to tell me he has good and bad news. They gave the last of those rooms to guests that booked the same but arrived earlier so its not available and nothing he can do. the good news is they will upgrade me to a suite but would not have any of the view I requested. I asked if he has any notes on details I discussed with the reservation department and he said no. So he had absolutely no idea all reasons that I booked the particular type of room.

Basically I informed weeks early:

1. Flight gets in mid night so I will be there around 1. – this ignored and my room (pre-paid in full) given to someone else.

2. Its a short layover, size of room isn’t important but the view is to showcase to a first time visitor to Singapore – completely ignored and expecting me to be grateful for the upgrade.

3. celebration for the other half – not a mention of that

gets better….

emailed reservation team and duty manager when I got to room attaching all the correspondence from weeks ago. got a message when I woke up to speak with me, someone called me in the room when I replied to say I have a very short layover and will be checking out in few hours time. she apologise and said to me that because my booking was through external party (AMEX travels) they did not get the notes. I explained that I did not give those notes to AMEX, it was directly with their reservation team AFTER the booking was made and confirmed. there was no response to that. I did not receive any valid explanations to anything and she wanted to do something but I explained I didn’t need anything and just wanted to provide my feedback so any internal processes / communications can be rectify. she then insisted politely that there was no communication issue and certain events happened during the day that led to it.. which basically to me meant I was screwed over because someone arrived earlier and kicked up a big fuss which I couldn’t do as I was still flying.

she insisted on getting me breakfast but I said I needed to get ready and meet some family for brunch before going to the airport. Finally I agreed to a double espresso to help wake me up. Guess what, it never arrived! She also mentioned that she will send an email with open ended date that on my next trip to Singapore I should just book a basic room and they will upgrade me to the appropriate room type. I said its not my expectations but she insisted. well I never received this email.. no further communication since then.

As I checked out, the receptionist asked how my stay was, I said not to my expectation but lets see if there’s any resolution to it, she smiled and I left it at that.[/quote]

And there endeth the lesson w8ster and welcome to Singaporean service. Promise you much and deliver very little…. The fact that she insisted and then didnt even deliver amazes me but is consistent with how things are done here….

[w8ster]

[quote quote=933217]
And there endeth the lesson w8ster and welcome to Singaporean service. Promise you much and deliver very little…. The fact that she insisted and then didnt even deliver amazes me but is consistent with how things are done here….[/quote]

🙂 indeed. thank you for reading my long ranting too..

1 user thanked author for this post.

K1ngston

[GivingupBA]

[quote quote=932981]So, the mentioned short stopover just happened and nothing went to plan despite advance planning with confirmation from the hotel’s reservation team…. I ended up booking with Swissotel Stamford and made sure I separately emailed the team directly… At check in, they first couldn’t find my booking till I showed the confirmation (I generally don’t print them out anymore but this time thankfully I randomly decided to have backup)…[/quote]

Thanks for the long and detailed report, helpful and interesting to many I’m sure, but very sorry to hear what happened to you – that’s very disappointing to say the least.

Regarding “At check in, they first couldn’t find my booking till I showed the confirmation (I generally don’t print them out anymore but this time thankfully I randomly decided to have backup)”, I ALWAYS carry a printout of the confirmation. And I needed it in March at a 5-star (yes 5-star) hotel in London in March: at check in I was not given the room I had booked and eventually had to desperately unpack and root through my large suitcase, find it, and give it to the check in agent – because she kept quibbling about it (I won’t name the hotel again as I’ve already included this story in my Tripadvisor review). The agent then quickly gave me the right room and a free breakfast: I was very happy with that outcome.

1 user thanked author for this post.

w8ster

[AlanOrton1]

w*ster – not ideal and sorry to hear this.

I am not sure if it had an impact, but I noticed while I was in Sing just over a week ago that the adjoining Fairmont Hotel was under major renovation. Whole floors across both buildings were taped off etc. Just wondering if a lack of inventory at this hotel added pressure on Swissotel, which resulted in your desired room being gone by the time you arrived.

K1ngston – your post re: service made me chuckle. On checking into the Andaz I was proactively told I’d been upgraded to a room with a view. Splendid I thought, given I was allocated a room on 34th floor and thought I might get a nice Marina view. However, given the curvature of the Andaz the only view I had was partial CBD if I sat on the couch at the far right hand side of the room and looked diagonally out of the window!

2 users thanked author for this post.

K1ngston, w8ster

[GivingupBA]

[quote quote=933441] …..On checking into the Andaz I was proactively told I’d been upgraded to a room with a view… However, given the curvature of the Andaz the only view I had was partial CBD if I sat on the couch at the far right hand side of the room and looked diagonally out of the window![/quote]

Sadly I no longer (for years now, not just since the incident in London I wrote about above) believe a word hotels tell me on check in about [1] the room, or [2] the view. I have been misled by hotels several times over the years. Sadly I now take what they say with a pinch of salt first, then check it out for myself. Sorry if this sounds cynical but this is my actual experience.

[AlanOrton1]

GivingupBA – Not cynical at all! It didn’t trouble me in the slightest as I liked the hotel, the room and the location (right above Bugis MRT). It just made me chuckle that the check-in agent made a big thing about how my upgraded room had a great view etc, yet it wasn’t quite what I would call a great view, knowing the best views in SG are towards the Marina. That said, I spent little time in the room and quite possibly like many on this forum, I’m really only after a clean, comfortable and quiet room.

1 user thanked author for this post.

GivingupBA

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