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

[yflyer]

TR INDEX

1. Intro
2. Hotel - Andaz Singapore
3. Run - Civic District, Marina Bay and Arab Street
4. Hotel - InterContinental Singapore Robertson Quay
5. Run - Fort Canning and Singapore River
6. Singapore Symphony Orchestra - Lan Shui's Farewell Concert
7. Dinner - Wolfgang's Steakhouse
8. Hotel - Conrad Centennial Singapore
9. Run - Benjamin Sheares Bridge
10. Singapore Light to Night Festival
11. Dinner - Monti
12. Run - Gardens By the Bay and Supertrees
13. Final Thoughts

INTRO

Another genre bender TR here...I don't fly anywhere in this trip report (Do pictures of the Singapore Flyer count?...)...

Regulars on SQTalk will know that my work takes me to different countries. I take the occasional hard-earned vacation too. But as someone who calls Singapore home, one slight regret I have always had is that I have not stayed at too many of the wonderful hotels in Singapore.

That changed this year, when, in order to keep several hotel loyalty program accounts from expiring, I had the altogether pleasant task of redeeming points for one night hotel stays at three different properties over three consecutive weekends in January this year, with the last stay just crossing into February 2019.

The three hotels:

1. Andaz Singapore (Hyatt)
2. InterContinental Robertson Quay (IHG)
3. Conrad Centennial Singapore (Hilton)

In the previous year, I concentrated my stays on Starwood and Marriott properties, and I had neglected the care and feeding of these other loyalty programmes. I stood to forfeit both the accounts, and the points in those accounts if I did not incur some earn/burn activity.

I actually had until May to stay at a Hyatt property, with IHG and Hilton expiring in February. However, I got my dates mixed up and inadvertently booked the InterContinental a week later than my intended stay, double booked in the same week as the Hilton Singapore.

I only realised the date mix-up as I was driving to the hotel to check in...with all luggage packed, and Mrs yflyer and Miss yflyer no.2 in the car, all ready for a weekend away from home...

I don't know why I decided to check the dates on my IHG mobile app on my (dash-mounted handsfree) iPhone as I drove on the ECP towards the city and the InterContinental Robertson Quay. Perhaps it was because I didn't get the usual pre-arrival emails that accompany almost every hotel stay these days...

The IHG App confirmed my worst fears. Horrors...I had a confirmed stay at the InterCon, but it was for the same day a week from today!

"Errr....I booked the wrong date, it's booked for next week..." I announced...

Stunned silence in the car...

Mild snickering ensued...in the family I have a bit of a reputation as "Mr Organized"...I NEVER mess up travel plans...not until today anyway...I would never live it down...

Time to whip out the IRROPS playbook! What happens when the unexpected strikes on any trip? Time to improvise...

Still on the road (And with a hands-free mounted iPhone, I emphasize...)...I called the InterContinental....

"Any rooms free tonight?"...No was the answer. Ditto the Hilton, and also the Conrad.

In the city, driving along Victoria Street, I turn the car round and prepared to head for home...

"Still one card up my sleeve!" I declared to the passengers in the car (With car doors locked, although they did not accuse me of attempting a kidnap*...)...

I pulled the car over to the kerb close to Arab street and North Bridge Road, opened my World of Hyatt App on the iPhone and typed "Andaz"...

A room redemption at the Andaz Singapore was available that night! I booked it in the app on the spot.

And 5 minutes later, we pulled up at the entrance of the Andaz. I turned to Mrs yflyer and Miss yflyer no.2...

"We're here!" I declared, with a big grin...

"We're here already?"...Miss yflyer no.2 said, eyes wide in amazement...

Our first stop: The Andaz Singapore...

[yflyer]

The Andaz Singapore is located on the upper floors of one of the 2 towers of the Duo towers located in Bugis, close to Beach Road, North Bridge Road and the Civic District in Singapore.



This hotel is close to Arab street and Bugis Junction, and just a short walk to Suntec City, Raffles City, the Padang and Marina Bay. There are also MRT stations close by, as well as many bus routes, so getting around would be quite simple.

It is located right next to the Art-deco styled Parkview Square, which houses Atlas Bar, one of the top bars/nightspots in Singapore.



You entered the hotel from the long driveway on the 2nd level...



...before taking the lift to the intimate and cosy lobby on the 25th floor...



Great views from the lobby level...





...which also housed a very beautiful bar...







...and a series of interconnected restaurant spaces, dubbed Alley25, the first of which was Icehaus, with a light and cool decor theme...



The lobby level also had a lounge open to all guests...



The lounge served complimentary coffee/tea, lemonade and iced tea...



A very pleasant place to spend time in between activities around Singapore.

[yflyer]

The rooms themselves were on the floors above level 25...



...set around an airy atrium...



Proximity card room key readers set in a faux postbox...



Our room had quite a unique and attractive layout...



...with the room entrance leading first into a large wardrobe area, before the bedroom space...





The room itself was not particularly large, but it was very beautifully done up in light and warm shades of beige and brown, with leather and wood accents...



Very cosy sofa and table area...



Finishings were of superb quality...

[yflyer]

Nespresso machine...



A very nice touch was that the minibar, where all snacks and beverages, including soft beverages and Tiger Beer / Andaz Pale Ale / Wine Cooler where complimentary, and topped up on a daily basis.



Only hard liquor, which included Botanist Gin, Belvedere Vodka, and Johnny Walker Black Label whisky were chargeable. These came in reasonably priced 200ml bottles (Not the common single shot 50ml mini-bottles).

I learnt that this was standard in Andaz properties (Although some websites seemed to indicate that at other properties, only soft beverages were complimentary. Here at the Andaz Singapore, complimentary minibar beverages included the beer and coolers as well.)

[yflyer]

The bathroom was at the far end of the room, through yellow wooden doors..





Large windows in the bathroom...





Very nice soap and amenities...



The WC area had full length glass windows as well...





...with automatic wooden blinds available for the more modest among us...



Our room had a shower stall only (No tub)...

[yflyer]

The quality of the room fittings extended to the wardrobe area...



Very large and beautiful wooden hangers, fully removable...not those ridiculous fixed ones that assume guests would walk off with hangers if given half a chance...



Very fine leather storage boxes...



...and quirky slippers, based on a local design common in kopitiams and on the beach...

[yflyer]

The pool on the 25th floor had very nice views of the city and coastline...





The gym...

[yflyer]

The best views, however, were on the rooftop bar, Mr Stork...



From there, you had great views of Marina Bay and the city...



Apart from regular seating, there were cosy open tents/tepees as well...

[yflyer]

There were great views from the rooftop bar, Mr Stork, during the day, but you really had to go up there after dark as well, for an entirely different experience...



In the evening, after dinner, Mrs yflyer and I headed back to Mr Stork for a look around...



If anything, the views were even more stunning at night, with the lights and sights of Singapore shimmering all around you...





The place was positively buzzing...





The tents were especially popular...



The pool on level 25 was also open at night...with an evening swim/soak very appealing in the warm and humid Singapore evening...

[SQfanatic]

Great local TR yflyer. It's really nice of you to show us parts of Singapore and neat you got to stay locally at a hotel. I know a few people who've stayed at a local hotel mostly in San Jose despite it being 25-30 mi. from where I live in the Bay Area.

The hotel room and views look amazing. I hope in the future, traveling solo or with a few friends, I will be able to stay at a hotel enjoying similar views.

[yflyer]

Great local TR yflyer. It's really nice of you to show us parts of Singapore and neat you got to stay locally at a hotel. I know a few people who've stayed at a local hotel mostly in San Jose despite it being 25-30 mi. from where I live in the Bay Area.

The hotel room and views look amazing. I hope in the future, traveling solo or with a few friends, I will be able to stay at a hotel enjoying similar views.

Thanks, SQfanatic!

[yflyer]

An international buffet breakfast was served on the 25th floor. The concept here was a buffet breakfast. Guests were allocated tables anywhere in the various dining rooms of "Alley on 25", but were free to roam to any section of the restaurant, each of which served different selection of items..



A continental breakfast was served Icehaus section...



Bread, fruit and cereal...



Waffles, cold cuts, smoked salmon, and some very tasty cheeses...



Juices...

[yflyer]

The next section of the restaurant had a egg station and hot selections...



And finally a dining room with a range of Asian dishes...

...which included laksa, congee...



...as well as vegetarian bee hoon and roti prata with vegetarian dhall curry...



...in addition to regular coffee and tea, there was also a local kopi and teh tarik station...



...very competently manned by a young member of the staff...

A very satisfying breakfast spread!

[yflyer]

Later in the day, I headed out for a run...

I started out from the Andaz...



...and headed west along Beach Road...



...passing popular local eateries such as Alex's Eating House...



...towards the Padang and City Hall...



Along the way, I passed Raffles Hotel, still surrounded by construction hoardings, although the restoration of the main building looked to be almost complete...



I jogged by the Padang towards the Singapore Cricket Club and Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall. On the right, the old City Hall and Supreme Court buildings, which now housed the National Gallery of Singapore...



There was a cricket match in full swing at the Padang...



I continued in between Victoria Concert Hall and the Old Parliament Building, towards the Singapore River...



The statue of Sir Stamford Raffles by the river, the site where Raffles originally landed in 1819....



...now temporarily joined by several other statues during the Singapore Bicentennial celebration, including one of Sang Nila Utama...



I continued on the river bank, which had great views of the Fullerton Hotel (Formerly the General Post Office Building) and the Cavenagh Bridge...



...as well as the Victoria Theatre/Concert Hall Clock Tower...

[yflyer]

I went through the underpass to Esplanade Park...



...and headed across the Anderson Bridge and past the Waterboat House, with views of the Esplanade in the distance...



...to that icon of Singapore, the Merlion...



...which despite being a completely made-up creature conceived by the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board in the early days of Singapore's nationhood, has managed to become an enduring and much-loved attraction for generations of visitors to Singapore...