BACKGROUND Park Regis Singapore belongs to the StayWell Hospitality Group, an Australian hospitality company that operates the three-star Leisure Inn and four-star Park Regis brands.
WHAT’S IT LIKE? The hotel has been open for just two years, and features contemporary design by Australian architectural firm Woodhead. Business travellers will be pleased to know that wifi is available throughout the property, but internet charges are S$30 (US$24) per 24 hours (unless your room deal includes free wifi). I was glad to discover it’s a non-smoking hotel (you can smoke on the outside terrace by the roadside at Suite 23).
WHERE IS IT? This four-star property is located in the heart of Singapore within close proximity of Chinatown, Boat Quay and just across the road from Clarke Quay, which is a popular entertainment area with rows of restaurants and bars. The subway station (MRT) is just two minutes’ walk away and taxis are plentiful in this area.
ROOM FACILITIES There are four different room categories: Merchant (facing Clarke Quay), Park (facing the Ministry of Manpower), Quay (with direct access to the pool) and Regis. I was booked into a Regis room on the fifth floor with a king-size bed and a view of the pool. Mine was a corner room with windows on two sides and a day bed by one of them. The room layout is quite unusual, with the bed in the middle and behind it an open bathroom with two sinks, a rain shower and toilet.
The room is well appointed with a coffee machine, plenty of universal power sockets around the bed and at the rectangular work desk space against the wall, and easily located light switches. I appreciated the dimmable ceiling light (I prefer a low light on when sleeping alone), daily newspaper and the very comfortable pillow, but there was no dead bolt on the door, which would have made me feel more at ease at night.
RESTAURANT AND BARS The hotel is designed with most facilities on the lobby and second floors. Behind the check-in counter is the bar and lounge ’Scape, as well as all-day dining restaurant Suite 23, featuring both European and local cuisine, and where breakfast is served. Beside the pool, Splash! offers a relaxed place for cocktails and light snacks, and rooftop bar SiLuEt is a cosy alfresco area that would be suitable for a small cocktail event.
BUSINESS AND MEETING FACILITIES The two meeting rooms on the third floor offer abundant natural light and would fit small to medium-sized functions. A business centre on the same floor provides two complimentary iMac workstations for 10-minute sessions, or unlimited time if there is no guest waiting (they are quite flexible on the time). Printing, scanning, photocopying and faxing are
all available.
LEISURE FACILITIES It was quite a nice surprise to find a 25-metre swimming pool on level 2 that had lounge chairs installed in the water. On the same level, the gym is open from 6am to 10pm – I managed to fit in 30 minutes on the treadmill at 6.30am, but found the gym already filled with guests working out. Though relatively small, it is well equipped and has a nice view of the pool.
VERDICT This hotel’s excellent location makes it very convenient and good value for money. The lack of a dead bolt on the door was an issue for me, but I was pleased with the high level of facilities and service considering this is not a major international hotel chain.
TESTED BY
Mary Traverso Ng
HOW MANY ROOMS?
203 guestrooms, divided into four categories: Park, Merchant, Quay and Regis.
ROOM HIGHLIGHTS
Nice, bright lighting with all the necessary facilities and amenities, especially wifi.
PRICE
Internet prices for a midweek stay in May start from S$450 (US$359) for a Regis room.
CONTACT
23 Merchant Road, Singapore 058268, tel +65 6818 8888
