Location

Swissotel the Stamford is located in the heart of Singapore, within minutes walk to Marina Square and Civil Districts. The hotel sits on top of the Raffles City Shopping Mall, giving guests the convenience of dining and shopping options. Swissotel the Stamford is very well connected to other parts of Singapore via the MRT subway system, which is located under the Raffles City Shopping Centre. The MRT station is one of the interchanges in the Singapore MRT system, allowing guests to get to anywhere in Singapore via the MRT system. There are also a few bus stops nearby the hotel, giving its guests the additional option of exploring Singapore by bus. There are several attractions within walking distance from Swissotel the Stamford. The Merlion Park is within 10 mins walk from the hotel, and the famed Marina Bay Sands and Gardens by the Bay are reachable within 20 mins. The Civil District, the historic centre of Singapore, is also within minutes walk from the hotel.

The Crest King Suite

Swissotel the Stamford recently opened to guests after being designated as a COVID-19 quarantine facility for inbound visitors. We checked into the Crest King Suite at Swissotel the Stamford. The spacious Crest King Suite is the second highest tiered suite (just one tier below the Presidential Suite), having a total floor area of 87 m². The Crest King Suite uses a wooden and earthy tone in its décor, which brings a sense of calmness and a cosy feel. The furniture in the suite is placed near the walls, maximising the usable space for its guests. Our suite sits on one of the hotel’s top floors, giving us sweeping views of downtown Singapore. The Crest King Suite generally has three rooms – The Living Room, Bedroom and Bathroom.

Powder Room

I like the inclusion of a Powder Room next to the main entrance to the suite. The elongated Powder Room is stylishly fitted with a toilet and a standalone sink. Decked in light brown marble tiles and dark brown fittings, the theme in the Powder Room is consistent with the theme in the Crest King Suite. The reduction of waste that Swissotel the Stamford embraces is also evident in the Powder Room, the usual small bar of soap (usually discarded before the full bar is used) is replaced with liquid hand soap. I find adding body lotion in the Powder Room a tad out of place. I like the fitting of a ledge in the Powder Room that runs the entire length of this space that not only provides space to the hotel to place amenities but also gives guests a place to place small items while using the Powder Room.

Living Room

There is a small corridor fitted with a full-length mirror by the entryway, next to the main entrance to the Crest King Suite. The end of the corridor opens up to the Living Room of the Crest King Suite, occupying about half of the real estate of the suite. The earthy coloured coupled with the predominantly wooden theme, from the flooring to the furniture, in the Living Room makes this space feels very relaxed and cosy. The minibar in the suite is conveniently located near the suite’s entrance, where a fully stocked mini fridge, Nespresso machine, TWG tea bags and a generous supply of bottled water are found. The cups and glasses are neatly stored in the side cabinet at the minibar.

Further into the Living Room of the Crest King Suite, next to the minibar, is big shelving that seems to hang from the ceiling. I quite like the design of this shelving, which looks elegant and refined thanks to the gold trimmings used in the metallic parts of the shelf. This shelving, mounted to the suite’s wall, gave us tons of space to place our small items and the snacks we brought for this staycation. I like how the shelving is being served not just as storage space but also as an ornament to spruce up the otherwise bare-looking Living Room. The shelving is sparsely decked with china and books that serve decorative purposes (due to the unreachable height). Yet, some reading materials are placed on the bottom shelf where guests can read to understand more about Singapore.

Sitting in the middle of the shelf is a huge 65″ LED smart TV. I thought the size of the TV was perfect for the Living Room. Sitting on the couch watching the numerous local and international channels on the TV is a great time to laze around. The channels on the TV caters to guests of all ages, from cartoon channels for junior guests to sports channel for adult guests. I found the entertainment options on the TV at Swissotel the Stamford is one of the most extensive in the hotels in Singapore.

A work desk is sitting at the end of the Living Room, next to the Balcony and perfectly placed under the shelving. The dark brown desk, matching the colour theme of the shelving, is a perfect place for me to finish up my assignment. I like looking out into the Singapore skyline from the work desk when I need a break from working on my assignment. Despite being modest in size, the work desk provides sufficient space for me to work on my laptop.

The couch sits directly across from the TV in the Living Room, placed at an angle that is perfect for watching TV on. The grey fabric couch can sit four to five guests comfortably. A side table beside the couch, where the hotel placed a lamp, adds elegance to the Living Room. This side table also allows us to place small items. Regarding sitting space, the Crest King Suite at Swissotel the Stamford also comes with an ottoman-like couch capable of sitting two. The use of the ottoman-styled chair further enhances the spaciousness of the Living Room. A small wooden coffee table, sufficient for us to dine on and place our snacks, is placed directly in front of the couch. I like how Swissotel the Stamford uses dead spaces in the wall with another shelving next to the couch, where more literature is placed for guests to read.

Bedroom

The Bedroom in the Crest King Suite has a coherent theme in the Living Room. The first thing we came across entering the Bedroom was the closet area. I find the closet too small for the size of the Crest King Suite. There is only one wardrobe in the Bedroom with a single sliding panel that partially covers the wardrobe. A chest of three tiered drawers is placed inside the closet, out of which we can only use two of the three tiers, as one of the drawers is used to stow the in-room safe. For a two-night staycation, I’d say the wardrobe space is sufficient. However, I would not be too optimistic for guests who stay here for one week or more. There is another closet-looking open shelving opposite the closet. However, this shelving is only useful for the hotel to place an ironing board and hairdryer. It is of no use to guests. Thankfully, there was a luggage rack in the closet where we could place our baggage.

Past the closet area is the sleeping area of the Bedroom, which uses a predominantly beige and dark brown colour theme. Similar to the Living Room, the Bedroom feels very spacious thanks to the placement of the furnishing and the absence of non-essential furniture that only serves decorative purposes. Swissotel the Stamford has a very comfortable King bed, providing excellent sleep quality. The hotel does have a very limited pillow menu. However, this menu is only available upon request and not placed anywhere in the suite. The two bedside tables on either side of the bed provided additional space to charge our mobile devices. The side table nearer to the Bathroom is bigger and comes with a drawer. However, the downside is there are no power outlets on this side table. Fortunately, the two USB charging outlets on the alarm clock provided a way around the power outlet issue. A settee in front of the bed provided space for us to sit on while watching TV, and we also used this settee to place our stuff.

Opposite the bed, built into the wall space, is another shelving, similar to that in the Living Room. This shelving serves for ornamental purposes but also comes with drawers, which are large enough to put away our bags and other smaller items. I like the purple armchair beside the balcony entrance and the floor lamp, which is a great place to read a book. The 65″ LED smart TV in the Bedroom has the same entertainment options as that in the Living Room. Due to the distance from the bed to the TV, I thought the size of the TV was just nice for us to laze on the bed watching TV.

Bathroom

The Bathroom in the Crest King Suite of Swissotel the Stamford is beautifully designed, portraying a sense of luxury and elegance. The placement of the fittings in the Bathroom makes it feel spacious. The entrance to the Bathroom reveals part of the dual sinks that sit atop a marble countertop. Both sinks are separated by a bathroom amenities box where the hotel placed toilet amenities such as toothbrushes, vanity kits, etc., conveniently within reach while we were using the sink area. The hotel also fitted a drawer beneath the amenities box, giving us more space to put away our toiletries. Despite looking cramped, I find the space on the sink countertop sufficient to place our toiletries.

A standalone bathtub sits to the left of the entrance to the Bathroom, strategically in front of a large glass panel, allowing us to view the Singapore skyline or watch the TV in the Bedroom while soaking in it. There is a blind on the Bathroom side of the glass panel to provide guests with privacy. The bathtub is large and deep, providing a great relaxation that removes our fatigue. I like the inclusion of a towel rack where we can place our clothing or leave the towel to dry.

The walk-in shower is quite sizeable, located to the right of the sink area, and is fitted with a rain shower and a regular shower head. I like the generous storage in the walk-in shower that gave us the space to place our toothbrushes and facial wash. The toilet in the Bathroom, next to the walk-in shower opposite the sinks, employs an open concept that does not come with another door. The absence of a door makes the already toilet feels even larger. Unlike the toilet in the Powder Room, the toilet in the Bathroom comes with a bidet function.

Balconies

There are two balconies in the Crest King Suite at Swissotel the Stamford. One of the balconies is located in the Living Room and the other in the Bedroom. Both balconies are sizeable and allow us to take in the beautiful skyline of the Marina Bay area and CBD of Singapore. In addition, because our suite is located on one of the highest floors in the hotel, we can see as far as Indonesia and Malaysia from the balconies of our suite.

Service

There are more misses than hits in the service we received during our stay with Swissotel the Stamford. Service, in general, felt cookie-cutter and not impressionable. The staff came across as soulless and were there just to do their minimal. Service at the hotel felt robotic and patronising. Our first contact with the hotel’s service level came when we checked in. Staff were seen loitering around the hotel’s lobby just to pass the time and avoided eye contact with us. None of the staff approached us to check if we needed help. We approached one of the staff on the ground floor for check-in and were made to wait 10 minutes for the staff to furiously punch in our details before being led to the lift for lounge check-in. The staff should have directed us to the lounge for check-in when I showed her our booking printing instead of spending time punching into her system. The check-in process at the lounge was inefficient. Two staff assisted our checked in, and it took around 15 mins to get our keycards ready. Despite being notified by the hotel, our suites will be ready by 11 am. Having said that, the lounge staff were more personable than those on the ground floor. The moment we were led to the lounge for check-in, we were welcomed with warmth and made to feel comfortable. While waiting for the check-in, another staff at the lounge served us drinks to make the wait feel bearable.

Service at the lounge was generally better, where we were always greeted and helped out by staff who were ready to render assistance. The staff at the lounge were welcoming whenever we stepped into the lounge, be it for an evening cocktail or just for a drink. We realised the lounge staff helped us resolve issues better than those on the ground floor.

Service at The Clove, where we had our breakfast was a mix. On the one hand, the staff clearing the tables were warm and welcoming. They were observed to tirelessly clear plates with a smile from the table despite a busy breakfast run. They were observant and were ready to render any form of assistance. But, on the other hand, the staff at the egg stations always pulled a long face on both days when we had our breakfast.

As this staycation was to celebrate my nephew’s birthday, I requested a simple decoration for my sister’s suite and a birthday cake for my nephew before arriving at the hotel. The hotel did some simple birthday decorations to give them credit, which surprised my nephew. However, the birthday cake took a while to be delivered to our suite. It would be great if the hotel staff could notify us of the time that the cake would arrive so we can spend our time enjoying the facilities in the hotel.

We were told, during check-in, that we would get late check-out at 5 pm, a benefit that was accorded to my friend’s Diamond membership with Accor. However, on the day of check-out, we received a call informing us that our check-out timing will be at noon and that any late check-out would be chargeable. After speaking to the front office manager, we were told the late check-out was not registered in the system. This goes to show there are systemic issues with the hotel.

Hotel Facilities

Swimming Pool

Swissotel the Stamford shares a swimming pool with her sister hotel next door, Fairmont Singapore. The two circular swimming pools consist of a wading pool for children and a deeper pool catering to guests who can get a decent swim. Lanes are marked out in the centre of the adult pool for guests who want to get some decent swimming without other holiday-makers playing in the pool getting in their way. Sundeck chairs are mainly arranged around the wading pool, which receives good sun from noon till around 4 pm. There are several more sundeck chairs around the main pool, but they are limited in number. On a first come, first served basis, three cabanas are scattered around the pool, ideal for families. Due to the relaxing of COVID-19 restrictions by the Singapore government, the hotels saw an increase in the number of guests. As a result, we had difficulty finding empty sundeck chairs to enjoy the pool.

Gyms

There are two gyms at Swissotel the Stamford. The main and larger gym is located within the premises of Fairmont Singapore. This very well-equipped gym has machines and stations catering for full-body workouts. The mezzanine floor is decked with strength conditioning machines ranging from machines such as those that can be found in a commercial gym to free weights, allowing guests to get a great workout. In addition, the lower floor is furnished with cardio workout machines ranging from stationary bikes to treadmills and elliptical machines, enabling guests to accomplish a great cardio workout.

The smaller gym is located on level 65 of Swissotel the Stamford, next to the Level 65 Lounge. This smaller gym is minimally equipped with just three cardio machines and a fitness rig. I thought the smaller gym felt more exclusive as we did not see anyone using it during our stay. This small gym is perfect if one wants a space to work on the treadmill.

Level 65 Lounge

The Lounge at Swissotel the Stamford is situated on the 65th floor of the hotel, occupying almost the entire floor (less one small corner for the gym). The lounge has plentiful sitting, both couches and dining tables, to cater to guests, especially during cocktail hours. The lighting in the lounge is excellent due to the open design and the numerous floor-to-ceiling glass panels that wrap around the lounge. Guests can enjoy a 360° view of Singapore from any of the balconies at the lounge. An enclosed area at the far end of the lounge is reserved for suite guests. The crowd at this area is very thin, despite not entry to this area is not enforced by the staff at the lounge.

Guests with lounge access can enjoy breakfast and evening cocktails at the lounge. The selection during breakfast is much smaller and limited compared to The Clove. The lounge serves evening cocktails between 5.30 pm to 7.30 pm. Food selection during evening cocktail consists of mainly finger food, with daily minor menu changes.

Breakfast at The Clove

Guests with breakfast packages can head to The Clove restaurant on level 2 of the hotel for their meal. The variety of serving for breakfast is large, ranging from western options to local options, catering to a wide variety of guests from different regions. The food served at The Clove is tasty, and there are minor adjustments to the menu daily. The diligent staff at The Clove constantly tops up food. Self-served coffee (from the espresso/latte machine) and tea are available on top of fruit juices.

Overall

We had a comfortable stay in the Crest King Suite at Swissotel the Stamford. The hotel’s location is excellent, and the suite is very well-appointed. The sleep quality on the king bed is great, but the limited pillow menu is a let-off. The greatest selling point of the hotel is the view (provided one gets the Marina view) from the hotel’s top floors. Unfortunately, the service at Swissotel the Stamford is far from desirable. Staff came across as robotic, and service seemed to be patronising. We were being “chased” out of the room at noon during check-out, despite being told at check-in that we would be given late check-out (and we had to ask for this benefit) at 5 pm. Despite being an Accor branded hotel, staff at Swissotel the Stamford do not give due recognition to the loyal programme. The only check-in counter for Accor members is in the lounge. The hotel has good hardware, but the service we experienced has more misses than hits. There are better hotels with well-appointed rooms and better service than Swissotel the Stamford. I do not recommend Swissotel the Stamford.