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

[yflyer]

After a few minutes on the 4th floor, we headed upstairs to check out the 31st floor Lounge...



The 31st floor lounge had great night time views of the city, and a nice view of the Suntec fountain...



The F&B spread on the 31st floor lounge...



Cheese and cold cuts...(A selection of cheeses was also available on the 4th floor...)



Similar wines and liquor as the 4th floor lounge...



...although on the 31st floor they also offered a gin cocktail of the day...



Some of the beers available...



The 31st floor lounge was fairly busy in the evening, so much so that there were even a few guests seated in the meeting room area.

Overall quite a decent evening F&B spread in both lounges, although I preferred the ambience of the 31st floor Lounge.

[yflyer]

After a brief lounge hop at the Conrad, Mrs yflyer and I headed out of the hotel and took a stroll from the Conrad to Marina Bay for dinner.

It was a very pleasant evening for a stroll. We walked past the Esplanade Concert Hall...



...which was beautifully lit from within.



We crossed the Jubilee Bridge towards Clifford Pier.





The bridge was brilliantly lit up for the Singapore light festival...



...and across the bay, stunning views of the Marina Bay Sands and the Singapore Flyer....



As part of the Light festival, the Merlion was lit up in ever changing colours, with matching musical accompaniment as the scenes and colours shifted...



...it was quite a unique sight, very popular with passersby and photographers...





We paused for a while to watch the Merlion for a while before continuing towards Monti...

[yflyer]

Monti was located in a circular structure set in the waters of the Bay itself...





Inside the glass dome, you were treated to great views of the Bay...



Several outdoor tables were also available, but given the humidity and temperature, the indoor tables were preferable, and we did not see anyone dining outdoors that evening.



Chef Felix Chong's menu was contemporary Italian, with ingredients and very subtle fusion influences from Asia...



Antipasti...



Pasta...



Mains...



Some impressive cuts of meat to share...



Dessert...

[yflyer]

The by-the-glass wine list, with pours by the glass using Coravin stoppers...some impressive selections, although the prices by the glass were quite eye-popping...



...and a fairly interesting cocktail/liquor selection...

[yflyer]

Bread to start...



I ordered an elderflower martini, which was good, although it was sweeter than I had expected.



Mrs yflyer liked her passionfruit martini...



The artichoke veloute was very tasty...



As was the Tajima Wagyu beef carpaccio...



As we dined, we could see the Marina Bay Sands light show...

[yflyer]

For our mains, I ordered the veal shank ravioli, which tasted wonderful...



Mrs yflyer opted for the acquerello risotto, prepared tableside, in a huge bowl made from a hollowed out wheel of parmigiano reggiano...



Preparing this dish was a performance in itself...





The risotto was dramatically flambéed in the bowl in the wheel of cheese...



...before being scooped onto a plate...



...where black truffle was grated over it...





The end result was quite delicious...



We paired this with a shared glass of Domain Vacheron Sancerre 2015...



This was a spectacular pinot noir...one of the nicest red wines I had tasted in a while.

At other tables, the large Fiorentina T-bone steaks were popular, and looked very impressive.

[yflyer]

Our dessert was the Bomba...



Finally, complimentary limoncello shots, which our waiter cheekily referred to as "fruit juice"...a pleasant way to end our meal!



A couple of minor quibbles: I felt the music in the restaurant was a little too lively for such an intimate venue, and the wine pours by the glass were not generous.

Overall, though, this was a very nice dinner in a unique setting. The quality of the cuisine was top notch, and very creative. A restaurant that I would return to on special occasions.

[yflyer]

After dinner, we headed out to see more of the light festival...



Victoria Concert Hall was lit up...



...and so was the National Gallery...





There were stalls selling food and drink...



...and on this cool, clear evening, people were sitting on the Padang enjoying the lights and atmosphere...





There was a lot to see on a late night stroll around the Civic District, both as part of the Light to Night Festival, and also many unexpected scenes...



The light festival ended in late February. Hopefully they plan to repeat this on an annual basis, as these were really captivating displays that made the evening feel quite special.

[yflyer]

The next morning, we headed up to the 31st floor Executive Lounge for breakfast...



It was still fairly early in the morning, so there was ample seating in the lounge...



Once nice things about the Conrad Lounge was that champagne was available for breakfast...



A decent breakfast spread, comprising cold and hot selections, as well as a live egg station...



Fruit and cereal...



Bakery items...



Cheese Board...



Salad and cold cuts...



Smoked fish..



Bacon, sausages, hash browns and tomatos...

[yflyer]

Congee...



...and fried rice...



Nespresso...



...and the Conrad's in-house tea blends...

[yflyer]

I had asked for a late check out, which meant that I had time to go for a run on this overcast afternoon, and also make it in time for high tea in the lounge prior to check out.

The first part of my run was around Marina Bay, similar to previous route several weeks before, but after that 4km circuit of the Bay, I decided to continue my run through the Supertree Grove at the Gardens by the Bay...

Running through the Supertree Grove was thrilling, with the Supertrees towering above the footpath far below...



...the actual route through the park didn't really matter too much...



...there was a lot to see, whichever way you turned...



...I particularly enjoyed the stretch along the wooden walkway by the water...





Remarkably, this was the first time I had ever run within the park and Supertree Grove, although I had gone running around the Bay and the Marina Barrage many times...



A very satisfying 4+ km around Marina Bay followed by 3+ km through Gardens By the Bay and the Supertree Grove and across the Helix Bridge, starting and ending at the Conrad.

[yflyer]

It was now almost time to check out, but first, I showered and met up with Mrs yflyer in the lounge for High Tea.

I cooled down with a very competently prepared iced coffee...



...but I also could not resist an afternoon glass of Laurent Perrier champagne, which was also part of the high tea F&B spread...



And this was proper high tea, with warm scones...



...strawberry jam, and best of all real clotted cream...



Rounding off the high tea spread were cakes...



...and sandwiches...





What a nice way to end a staycation...

[yflyer]

Summing up our stay at the Conrad...



Overall, we found the Conrad to be a superb property, with large and comfortable rooms, and a very strong lounge offering, as well as a very central location.

Design-wise, perhaps the room decor was a little less distinctive, and perhaps even a tad bland compared to the Andaz or InterCon Robertson Quay, but the spaciousness of the room did make a difference, and this was also the only room among the three we stayed at to have a bathtub and full sized swimming pool.

Service was also a strong point, although the level of lounge service was not as intimate and personal as the InterCon.

Location-wise, this was probably the most convenient of the three hotels, with the Andaz and InterCon both in good locations with lots of character, but not quite as central as the Conrad.

For families this would be the most logical pic among the three, given the amount of room space, large swimming pool, and kid-friendly lounge on the pool level.

I did not try the F&B in the hotel on this occasions, but I had been very impressed with Golden Peony, the Chinese restaurant, on previous occasions, and there was certaintly no shortage of eating options either in the Suntec / Millenia Walk area, or elsewhere in the Civic District and Marina Bay.

Many of my friends and colleagues see the Conrad as a top pick when staying in Singapore, and based on this short staycation, I could see why. A very nice hotel indeed.

[yflyer]

Final thoughts on our 3 staycations...

All three properties we stayed at, the Andaz, InterCon and Conrad, were superb hotels, each with their unique strengths and appeal.

The Andaz had amazing designer guest rooms and a very nice casual vibe, not to mention a wonderful rooftop bar, and an unusual, yet central, location in a very interesting part of Singapore.

The InterContinental Robertson Quay, with stylish but compact rooms, was classy, intimate and sophisticated, in a very beautiful riverside location close to nightlife. The lounge F&B and service would win this property many loyal fans.

The Conrad Centennial, ideally located at Suntec City close to the Civic District, had large comfortable rooms and the broadest range of facilities, not to mention great lounge F&B.

Which to choose?

A visitor to Singapore would not go wrong booking any of these -- all three would be top picks for a stay here.

For families with children, the Conrad would probably be the most sensible choice among the three. if travelling without kids, it would all boil down to personal preference.

If night time buzz, and/or morning riverside tranquility was your thing, along with the highest level of guest service, the InterContinental would fit the bill -- the InterCon felt the most refined and sophisticated of the three.

And for something completely unique, with characterful designer rooms, in a slightly daring location for a top hotel, the Andaz would be a decent choice, especially for repeat visitors to Singapore who are interested in seeing a different side of Singapore.

As for Mrs yflyer and I, if we could pick just one of the three hotels for another staycation, we would pick the one which was refreshingly different from most other high-end hotels, with delightful and comfortable rooms, the most interesting F&B, and a casual yet very upmarket feel: the Andaz.

Thanks for reading!

[SQfanatic]

I really enjoyed the rest of your TR, yflyer. The night views over the Sentosa Merloin are amazing as with a few pictures around the Singapore Flyer and Gardens of the Bay. I'm sure night time at Singapore is beautiful and I have not had an opportunity to cover it at night.

If in the future I take a trip with friends to India and touch down in Singapore, it would be for a few days as long as it does not involve any rush to connect to the next flight. It will also give me an opportunity to explore Singapore at night as well.