STAY SINGAPORE: PARK ROYAL PICKERING
If you weren’t staying at the Park Royal Pickering and you drove by it, you wouldn’t be able to ignore it and you’d immediately wish you were staying there. Luckily, regretting missing out on a stay was not in the cards this time. Lucky me, my very first stop after landing in Singapore was the Park Royal. Even the nicest hotels sometimes take a little getting used to. New space, layout, trying to figure out the remote, bathroom hooks, the outlets and even more importantly the light switches can be disorienting. Pleasantly, it was so easy to get real comfy real fast.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Decor/Cleanliness: The Park Royal Pickering feels modern and fresh, rooms are teched up, mood lighting and window treatments that can let all light in or block it all out. The bed was sooooooo comfy- whichh could be a bad thing, if you’re trying to do the most during your day but you can’t drag yourself out of bed.
Location: Highly central, next to many major shopping centers, close to Chinatown and 3 minute walk to the Chinatown subway. More importantly it is also a real brief walk to Clark Quay- a popular downtown area filled with food courts, bars, and waterfront restaurants and seating. The Quay had a cool and unusual design, restaurants and seating areas are covered by huge umbrellas which protect all the restaurants and bars from the rain and it is also air-conditioned. Bugis street is also a quick 5minute cab ride away if you’re looking for affordable buys and some dirt cheap gift shopping.
Service: Attentive and detailed. I would only dock a half a star here because housekeeping was a little later in the morning than we would have preferred. But that’s just me being overly critical.
Food: Breakfast was included and when you’re visiting an expensive city, there’s nothing better than gearing up for the day and ensuring savings in your pocket by having a sizeable and healthy breakfast to keep you through at least the first half of the day. Breakfast was large and varied and I made sure to have a traditional Indonesian breakfast each of my 3 mornings there- namely the nasi goreng. The hotel’s version of this popular fried rice dish was even better than some we had in highly recommended and much more expensive restaurants.
Amenities: For those staying in Orchard club rooms (like the one I stayed in and pictured below), there was complimentary champagne at breakfast, afternoon tea, and free lounge usage. The infinity pool is an excellent place for pictures, but I was more obsessed with the colorful private cabana (if you could call them that) by the pool. Sit in there with a good book and let the day pass you by; advice which is only applicable for the relaxed traveler.
Interested? Book your stay at the Park Royal Pickering