A Tourist in My Own Country - 3 Singapore Staycations (Andaz,InterCon RQ,Conrad)

[yflyer]

After breakfast, we went outside for a stroll along the bank of the Singapore River...



It was a beautiful sunny Sunday morning, which meant there were many people out for a leisurely morning stroll, having breakfast or watching their children play or cycle...



While Marina Bay was famous for otters, there were other creatures that one might chance upon along the Singapore River...

Monitor lizards for example...



Is there a future for waterborne transport in Singapore?



We crossed the Alkaff Bridge and headed back to the hotel...

[yflyer]

Final thoughts on the Intercon...

On the whole, the InterContinental Robertson Quay impressed us. This was a very stylish and upmarket hotel, with very good rooms and warm, attentive staff.



The whole Robertson Quay area had a nice relaxed vibe to it, and this extended to the hotel lobby and public areas, which were quiet and peaceful.

We liked the location of the hotel, by the river and nightlife, and just a few minutes away by taxi/car from Orchard Road or the Civic District and Marina Bay. For those who enjoy a good stroll, you could also walk along the river to Marina Bay and Esplanade Park, not to mention Fort Canning, and even Orchard Road.

Areas where the InterCon compared less well with other hotels in Singapore included room size: Our room was beautifully styled, but fairly compact. The swimming pool was small - really just a lap pool. This hotel would be great for a couple on holiday, or a single traveller on business, but if you were travelling with kids, this would not be my first recommendation. In any case, I doubt families on holiday were the target demographic for this property, although we did see many families and children in the Robertson Quay area during daytime hours.

Highlights of our stay included the Club Lounge, with its superb F&B, and attentive staff. Size aside, the rooms were quite excellent in terms of styling and in-room facilities. Hotel staff were superb across the board -- we felt very well looked after.

Overall, we had a great stay -- this must be one of the classiest hotels in the Robertson Quay / Clark Quay area.

To be continued!

[259850]

Thanks, yflyer, for another great TR.

Robertson Quay is one of our favorite neighborhoods in Singapore, so much so that we bought an apartment here and made it our permanent home. [Our building appears in some of your wonderful pictures...]

Some random comments:

- The running routes you took are the best in this part of Singapore. But if you want something quieter (though not necessarily better), you can run along the river on the opposite direction away from the city. This route takes you along the Alexandra Canal all the way to Tanglin Road, near the Brunei Embassy. Chances of spotting the resident otter family in that part of the river are reasonable. You can continue running to Queenstown as well for a longer run. It probably captures a more local flavor as it passes some HDB Estates.

- I find the Intercontinental and the Warehouse Hotel to be odd additions to the plethora of hotels in the area. They tend to be targeted either at package tourists (Miramar, Riverview (now rebranded as a Four Points by Sheraton)...) or 3-star options (Holiday Inn Express, Copthorne, Studio M...). Both Intercontinental and Warehouse seem to have made compromises on room size (Intercontinental inherited the layout from the Gallery hotel) and pools. But if it works.....

- The best part of staying here are the F&B options. RB Capital, which owns the Intercontinental, also bought out all the commercial units in the neighboring condo, Quayside. The facades of the restaurants there (including Boomerang and Super Loco) were remodeled to share some design elements with the IC.

- Tiong Bahru, with its eclectic mix of eateries and hangout spots, is just a short walk away. I've always preferred its hawker center over the more touristy Chinatown one.

- There's a gallery with occasional good exhibits (www.stpi.com.sg) and a theater (www.srt.com.sg) hidden in the neighborhood. Do visit again when you get the chance.

[yflyer]

Thanks, yflyer, for another great TR.

Thanks, 259850!

Robertson Quay is one of our favorite neighborhoods in Singapore, so much so that we bought an apartment here and made it our permanent home. [Our building appears in some of your wonderful pictures...]

Yes, a very nice part of Singapore!

- The running routes you took are the best in this part of Singapore. But if you want something quieter (though not necessarily better), you can run along the river on the opposite direction away from the city. This route takes you along the Alexandra Canal all the way to Tanglin Road, near the Brunei Embassy. Chances of spotting the resident otter family in that part of the river are reasonable. You can continue running to Queenstown as well for a longer run. It probably captures a more local flavor as it passes some HDB Estates.

I've run in the other direction as well. Agree that direction is interesting too. One time I continued all the way to Grange Road and Dempsey...

- I find the Intercontinental and the Warehouse Hotel to be odd additions to the plethora of hotels in the area. They tend to be targeted either at package tourists (Miramar, Riverview (now rebranded as a Four Points by Sheraton)...) or 3-star options (Holiday Inn Express, Copthorne, Studio M...).

Yes both the InterCon and Warehouse Hotel are much more upscale than the others in the area. Mrs yflyer and I did enter the Warehouse Hotel for a look around. The lobby is stunning.

The best part of staying here are the F&B options. RB Capital, which owns the Intercontinental, also bought out all the commercial units in the neighboring condo, Quayside. The facades of the restaurants there (including Boomerang and Super Loco) were remodeled to share some design elements with the IC.

Lots of interesting F&B outlets, although they tend to be on the pricey side! We've only tried a few of them.

Tiong Bahru, with its eclectic mix of eateries and hangout spots, is just a short walk away. I've always preferred its hawker center over the more touristy Chinatown one.

We eat at the Tiong Bahru hawker center all the time. One of our favourites!

There's a gallery with occasional good exhibits (www.stpi.com.sg) and a theater (www.srt.com.sg) hidden in the neighborhood. Do visit again when you get the chance.

We did visit the Singapore Tyler Print Institute (STPI) when we were there! There was an exhibition of the works of Singapore artist Cheong Soo Pieng on at the time.

All great suggestions -- thanks very much for sharing!

[yflyer]

Continuing with the TR...

Our last staycation was at the Conrad Centennial Singapore, located in Suntec City, very close to Marina Bay and the Civic District.

Location-wise, this was probably the most central of the 3 hotels, and a very convenient address for a hotel stay in Singapore whether you were travelling on holiday or for business. The Conrad was located close to shopping, eating and transport, not to mention many attractions popular with visitors.



A large atrium lobby with a baby grand piano, fully decked out in Chinese New Year decorations at this time of year...

[yflyer]

Our Executive Floor room was west-facing, and located on a high floor, with a view towards the Padang and Civic District.



This was a large and airy room with decent views of the city...



A long cushioned bench was stretched along one side of the spacious room...



Our room was at one end of the building, which meant that it had a unique feature: a square window set into the wall at the far end...



...with views of the Singapore Flyer...



A round table in lieu of a work desk...



...with USB and universal power sockets close by...



Lots of space (Also A/C and USB power...) on the side tables by the bed...



The large king bed was very comfortable, and came with a Conrad bear...



Overall a very spacious and comfortable room.

Compared to the Andaz and InterContinental, the room design was probably less cutting edge and less overtly "designer"-influenced, maybe even a little too understated in design, but the sheer spaciousness of the room made a real difference.

[yflyer]

The bath was large, and luxurious as well, with separate tub and shower stall...





Shanghai Tang toiletries...



Rubber duckie by the tub...this seems to be a Conrad trademark, like the bear...



Nespresso machine (And full minibar...)



Complimentary chocolate...not sure if chocolate was provided for all guests, or only for those on a Executive Floor package...



The in-room dining menu was beautifully designed, with artistic photos and a wide range of cuisine...



...featuring both international and local dishes, such as nasi goreng...



...and selections from the very highly rated Golden Peony Chinese restaurant...

[yflyer]

There was an outdoor pool...



...and a well equipped gym...

[yflyer]

Our Executive Floor room package came with access to two Lounges. One lounge was on the swimming pool level, right next to the pool...



The other, more exclusive lounge was located on the 31st floor.



The decor theme was plush and luxurious, and fairly traditional...



Very nice views of the Civic District from the Lounge...



Besides the main lounge area, there were several smaller seating spaces...



...and meeting spaces, which could also serve as spill-over lounge seating if the lounge became full at peak hours...

[yflyer]

I would be heading out for dinner with Mrs yflyer at Monti at Marina Bay later that evening, but in order to whet my appetite (And burn off a few calories...) I headed out from the Conrad for a late afternoon run...

From the Conrad Lobby, I weaved around Millenia Walk to Raffles Boulevard...



...and then headed down Raffles Boulevard towards the Benjamin Sheares Bridge, in the direction of the Singapore Flyer...



...and turned left at the small bus depot...



...in order to reach a staircase which led up the Bridge...



...from there, i huffed and puff up the not-so-gentle incline of the flyover...



...and proceeded to the top of the viaduct, where the reward was spectacular views of the Flyer and the Gardens by the Bay...



...while this was not a busy footpath, this was a fairly popular walking/running/cycling route, and you did see the occasional person or cyclist walking along the footway along the bridge, often admiring the view...



I continued eastwards along the bridge...



...you could continue east down the bridge to East Coast Park, various park connectors, and Tanah Merah Coastal Road, and eventually reach Changi Airport and Changi Village, but that was not something would do that today.

Across the road on the bridge, you could also see the Singapore SportsHub, with its massive retractable roof...



At the other end of the bridge, a staircase leading down to Gardens By the Bay (East) and the East Coast park...

[yflyer]

I headed down the stairs, and rather than continue east, I headed west under the Bridge...



...towards the Kallang River waterfront...



...then turned south to run towards the Marina Barrage...

[yflyer]

This was a beautiful running route...



...with a lot to see, especially if you came at dusk...




There was one time I ran past a whole family of otters frolicking by the water, but not today...



I crossed the barrage...



...and entered the Barrage complex itself...





...before continuing towards the Flower Domes...



...passing by Satay By the Bay along the way...





...I headed past the Domes...



...and Marina Bay Sands...

[yflyer]

Close to the Lotus Flower-shaped ArtScience Museum...



...I made a right turn over the Helix Bridge...



...where there were more great photo opps...



Once across the bridge, it just just a couple of blocks more to reach Raffles Boulevard...



...and round the bend back to the Conrad.



A satisfying 6 to 7 kilometer run starting and ending at the Conrad.

[yflyer]

That evening we visited the two lounges at the Conrad for drinks and canapes before dinner.

There were two lounges at the Conrad. The 4th floor lounge was suitable for families, and was located next to the pool, whereas the Lounge on the 31st floor did not admit children 12 or below. Not a bad lounge concept, having two lounges, which some business travellers might appreciate.

F&B was very similar in the two lounges. The lounges served breakfast, high tea as well as evening snacks and beverages. In the evening, complimentary wine and liquor was served between 5.30pm and 8pm.

We first visited the 4th floor lounge by the pool level.



There were several kids in the 4th floor lounge with their families, but they were all perfectly well behaved and to be frank would have been fine in the 31st floor lounge as well, had they been allowed in.

There was a circular bar at one end of the lounge.



Wine, beer, and standard drinks/mixers were available on a complimentary basis, but cocktails, even Martinis, were chargeable.

Large seating area...





Champagne and wine/beer flowed freely in the Conrad lounges.







I was pleasantly surprised that not only was champagne and wine available in the evening, but also during high tea, and champagne was also available during breakfast. A big thumbs up there.

[yflyer]

The 4th floor Lounge F&B included...

Bakery items...



Cold cuts...



Cut fruit, salad and cold appetizers...





Hot selections...





...as well as snacks and cakes...



We drank champagne and grazed on some snacks in the 4th floor Lounge.