WHAT'S IT LIKE? The hotel was built by Pritzker prize-winning Kevin Roche, with Hirsch Bedner and Avery Brooks and Associates for the interior. Its feng shui-inspired lobby features two huge circular windows, representing the dragon’s eyes.
The hotel takes on an art theme, seen from its 4,200 pieces of contemporary paintings and sculptures – 90 percent of which was commissioned.
Hotel guests can get a view of the pit building from the 32nd-floor Club Lounge facing the Kallang River and also bathrooms of Premier Club Suites. For views of the track, guests will be able to see the action either from their rooms facing Marina Bay and Kallang River or from the guest-floor lift lobbies, and if they have club access, the Club Lounge is another place to be at.
WHERE IS IT? In the Marina Bay area, with access to shopping, dining and entertainment options. From the hotel, it is an eight-minute stroll from the Suntec Singapore convention centre through the Marina Square mall. The Marina Bay district is an emerging arts hub, with nearby facilities including the National Museum and Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay.
ROOM FACILITIES There are 608 spacious rooms including 19 one-bedroom suites, three two-bedroom Presidential Suites and a Ritz-Carlton Suite, all with unobstructed views of the Singapore skyline or Marina Bay. Rooms come with large octagonal windows (more views!), walk-in wardrobes, 37-inch LCD TVs, DVD players and marble bathrooms. Internet access is complimentary for guests only on The Ritz-Carlton Club floors, otherwise it is chargeable at S$15 (US$11) per hour and S$30 (US$22) daily.
ROOM HIGHLIGHTS Views, views and more views. The integrated resort (under construction at the time of my stay) can be admired from the comfort of my Premier Club Suite, just by lying on the bed.
RESTAURANTS AND BARS Summer Pavilion serves Cantonese food including dim sum, while Greenhouse is for all-day dining and Sunday champagne brunch. The Chihuly Lounge offers afternoon tea and cocktails with live entertainment in the evening.
BUSINESS AND MEETING FACILITIES The hotel provides about 3,250sqm of meeting space including the Chihuly Room with natural daylight and the Millenia Room 9 by the poolside, as well as the grand ballroom and nine meeting rooms. A technology butler provides tech solutions.
LEISURE FACILITIES A spa, tennis court, gym with cardiovascular and strength-training equipment, and an outdoor pool.
PRICE Internet rates for a midweek stay in February started from S$650 (US$467) for a Deluxe Kallang Bay View Room.
CONTACT 7 Raffles Avenue, tel 65 6337 8888, www.ritzcarlton.com
VERDICT Rooms with the views that provide therapeutic relief after a hard day’s work.
Julian Tan
