Month: November 2023

[Airline Review] – Cathay Pacific A350-1000 (CX658/CX657) – Economy Class, SIN – HKG (10 Nov 23) / HKG – SIN (13 Nov 23)

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Cathay Pacific A350-1000 aircraft

I last flew with Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong’s flag carrier, over 20 years ago. I combined the reviews since the aircraft type and experience were the same for both legs. The Economy Class seat was comfortable with its thick padding, and the onboard entertainment was comprehensive to keep me entertained for the flight. The food portion was mediocre, and the service was lukewarm.

Check-in

Singapore Changi Airport

Cathay Pacific, along with Korean Air and Vietnam Airlines, are the few full-fledged airlines flying out of Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 4. Terminal 4 mainly services regional budget carriers such as Air Asia, Jetstar, VietJet, etc. Despite the upgrade to eliminate the budget feel in Changi Airport Terminal 4 to look like the other three terminals, utilising technology to reduce human interactions and shorten the queue for check-in and immigration process, the terminal feels like a step down from the other terminals due to the reduced shopping and food offerings. Cathay Pacific check-in counters occupy Row 6 in the terminal building. Most counters are self-serviced check-in counters, with two manned counters helping passengers check in their luggage. We used the staffed counter, and although the queue was short, the wait time was around 10 mins. The check-in experience was smooth, and the ground staff was efficient. We received a warm welcome from the ground staff and a friendly reminder that the gate where our flight would depart is a fair walk from immigration in Terminal 4.

Cathay Pacific departs from Gate 19 from Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 4

Hong Kong Chek Lap Kok Airport

Cathay Pacific check-in counters are located in Rows B and C in Hong Kong International Airport Terminal 1, on the left side of the airport terminal. While Row B is dedicated to First and Business Class passengers, Row C is dedicated to Premium Economy and Economy Class passengers. Despite the several self-service kiosks for passengers to self-check in, the ground staff were not pushy in getting passengers to do self-check-in. The wait at the check-in queue moved quickly as almost all the staffed check-in counters at Hong Kong International Airport were manned. We only waited for 5 minutes to get our bags checked in. The staff at the check-in counter seemed more task-oriented, with a lack of welcomes, but she was fast in processing our check-in. The ground staff only provided information about the boarding gate and time and did not give us further information on how to get to our boarding gate. Fortunately, there are signs everywhere in Hong Kong International Airport Terminal 1 that make locating our boarding gate a breeze.

Cathay Pacific departs from Gate 49 at Hong Kong International Airport Terminal 1

The Aircraft

Cathay Pacific uses several aircraft types to service the Singapore to Hong Kong route. Our aircraft type changed from A330-300 to B777-300 to A350-900 to A350-1000 since our booking. Finally, the airlines assigned the A350-1000 for both Singapore and Hong Kong legs.

The Cabin

Cathay Pacific’s A350-1000 has a three-class configuration: Business, Premium Economy and Economy Class. The 334 seats are spread throughout the aircraft, with 46 seats in Business, 32 in Premium Economy, and 256 in Economy Class. The Economy Class cabin is further segregated in the forward and rear sections. The Economy Class cabin onboard Cathay Pacific looked clean and bright, owing to the white lighting used during boarding. The huge logo at the door and Cathay Pacific’s signature green colour draping its Economy Class seats contributed to the Cathay Pacific brand identity the moment I entered the Economy Class cabin. Other than the airline’s signature green colour, a darker hue of green was used on the seats’ headrest. The ambience in the Economy Class cabin changed during the flight, where orange and light blue mood lighting was used.

Lavatories are found between the two Economy Class sections and to the rear of the aircraft. There are two more upfront at the Premium Economy Cabin to serve passengers in that cabin. The lavatory felt smaller than the likes onboard Singapore Airlines’ wide-body aircraft. These lavatories were brightly lighted, giving out a refreshing look. The sink is pretty sizeable, and I like the motion-activated tap. Cathay Pacific only armed their lavatories with hand gel, lotion and hand soap. Other amenities, such as dental kits, were nowhere to be found, probably due to the short flight time. The amenities in the Premium Economy cabin lavatories were slightly better, where I found Brandford branded hand lotion and hand soap on top of those in the Economy Class lavatory. The cleanliness of the lavatories was questionable, and I was met with sticky lavatory floors on both flights.

The Seat

Seats in the Economy Class cabin onboard Cathay Pacific A350-1000 are arranged in a 3-3-3 configuration. With a seat pitch of 32″, width of 8″ and the thick padding Cathay Pacific used on these seats, I find the seats very comfortable for the 4-hour flight. The 6″ recline felt like a cradle that enabled me to get some snooze onboard. The extra thick padded headrest contributed to the comfort of the seat. The legroom is very generous on Cathay Pacific’s Economy Class seats, where I had a good amount of gap between my knee and the seat in front. The legroom is so good that I was able to straighten my legs. Only one button controls the decline of the seat fitted on the armrest. The rest of the controls, like the attendant call button and reading light, are done via the touchscreen personal TV.

Cathay Pacific uses a bi-fold design on its tray tables, which allows passengers to use the table without fully deploying should they need space to place smaller items. I find the size of the tray tables to be similar to those found in any other airliner. Cathay Pacific was thoughtful enough to cater a small indent on the tray table, in both folded and fully deployed mode, for passengers to place their drinks on.

There is quite a fair bit of storage space for the Economy Class seat. The seat pocket is of a good size where passengers can stow larger items. I like the inclusion of a small netted pocket in front of the seat pocket for passengers for smaller items, where I mainly used to stow my mobile phone. Besides the seat pockets, Cathay Pacific also fitted a small cubby under the personal TV, providing additional storage space for its Economy Class passengers. Although this cubby was originally designed for passengers to place their tablets, I found using it to stow my mobile phone adequate. However, this cubby is a tad narrow in that I could not close it when placing my mobile phone. A cup holder is designed onto the “door” of this small cubby, giving passengers additional space to place their drinks without deploying the tray table.

Inflight Entertainment

Every Economy Class passenger flying with Cathay Pacific is treated with an 11.6″ touchscreen personal entertainment system. No IFE controllers are fitted on the seats, instead, the IFE system is controlled via the touchscreen function on the IFE TV. I encountered no lagging issues while operating the IFE TV’s touchscreen function. The entertainment options are intuitively organised, and the movie options are further organised into new movies, Asian cinema, Hollywood hits, and TV box sets. Cathay Pacific supplies its Economy Class passengers with overhead headphones that produce decent sound quality and are good enough to get the job done. The A350-1000 aircrafts have Wi-Fi facilities, but Wi-Fi is not complimentary on Cathay Pacific. Rates started from USD3.95 for messaging functions.

Meal Service

Meal service on both legs commenced about 1 hour after take-off. Flight attendants sprung into action, pushing their trolley carts down the aisle and distributing food. Flight attendants did one round of snack and drink distribution on the flight from Hong Kong to Singapore, which was not seen in the Singapore to Hong Kong leg. Cathay Pacific did not distribute any inflight menus for Economy Class passengers, nor were the menus found in the IFE system.

SIN – HKG

We were given two meal options: Fish or Beef for this leg of the flight. The fish option included rice and vegetables; the beef was served with pasta and broccoli. I opted for the beef option, while my friend chose the fish option. The beef was drowned in a brown sauce, and the almond-looking pasta was not too dry. Meals were served with a barley salad (which is not to my liking) and a small fruit platter. Chocolate Haagen-Dazs ice cream was distributed separately from the main meal. I found the meal to be of a good portion, but the taste was rather mediocre.

HKG – SIN

The meals on the Hong Kong to Singapore leg were much tastier. For this flight, we were given the option of chicken with mashed potato and broccoli and pork with rice. I opted for the chicken, which I find quite flavourful and not too dry, and the mashed potato was well cooked. My friend opted for the pork option, which was equally tasty. Meals came with ham salad and a small fruit platter. We were given Berries-flavoured Haagen-Dazs ice cream for dessert, served together with the main meal. I thought the catering out of Hong Kong tasted better, although the presentation was a tad messier.

Cathay Pacific Economy Class meal presentation

Service

SIN-HKG

The service onboard Cathay Pacific in Economy Class was lukewarm. Pursuers came across as unapproachable, and requesting items such as blankets or drinks seemed like a chore. There were no smiles or greetings from passengers when we boarded the aircraft. The flight attendants were not seen helping passengers with their luggage. We were left on our own to sort out our seating and carry-on storage. The only times we spotted cabin crew on this 4-hour flight were limited to pre-flight and pre-landing safety checks and once each for meal distribution and tray collection. Cabin crew members were not seen diligently patrolling the cabin.

HKG – SIN

The onboard service on this flight was better than our flight to Hong Kong. At the door, a male flight attendant – Jack- warmly greeted us. It is a pity that Jack is assigned to service the Premium Economy Class cabin. When I requested a cup of Coke from Jack after my trip to the lavatory, Jack immediately dropped whatever he was doing and focused on my request. The flight attendant assigned to my section was seen smiling constantly during meal service. She was also seen patrolling the cabin several times after meal service, on top of the pre-departure and pre-landing checks. I witnessed her helping another passenger with overhead luggage storage issues by locating and shifting his hand carry over to a nearby compartment. Flight attendants were seen going around the cabin looking for status members and introducing themselves to these members. Despite paying lip service, I thought this was a good gesture in allowing these status members to feel recognised.

Afterthought

Cathay Pacific has very good Economy Class hard products. The seats are very comfortable, and the legroom is superb. The inflight entertainment system is loaded with entertainment options, with a very responsive touchscreen personal TV. However, I find the service to be generally average and inconsistent. On one flight, we got a set of flight crew who were diligent and made one feel welcome flying with the airline; on another flight, we had a set of crew who did not seem to be happy working for the airline. While I am fond of the hard product, I am not a fan of the service onboard.

[Accommodation Review] – Pullman Singapore Hill Street (Studio Suite), Singapore (3 – 5 Nov 23)

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As of this writing, Pullman Singapore Hill Street is the newest hotel under the Accor group in Singapore, having opened about one month earlier. The unique, rustic, copper-coloured 19th-century train travel theme can be seen throughout the hotel, from the entrance to the lounge and the rooms. At the main entrance, a train carriage first introduces guests to the theme. The two luggage-filled walls reinforce the theme right off the main entrance. Even Pullman Singapore Hill Street’s mascot plushy is a train.

Pullman Singapore Hill Street
Pullman Singapore Hill Street Facade

Location

Pullman Singapore Hill Street is located in the heart of the island Country of Singapore. The hotel’s entrance faces some old commercial buildings that do not seem to have any activities going on inside, even the shopping malls next to the hotel look like it was lifted from the 80s. However, there are some modern shopping malls facing the back of the hotel, accessible via one of the small alleyways, away from the main street where Pullman Singapore Hill Street is located. The nearest shopping malls within five minutes from the hotel are Raffles City Shopping Mall and Funan Centre. There are a few more shopping Malls, such as Suntec City, Marina Square and Marina Bay Sands, within walking distance from Pullman Singapore Hill Street. There are plentiful dining options within all these shopping malls, on top of various shopping options ranging from budget-friendly to high-end luxury goods. Pullman Singapore Hill Street is also a stone’s throw from attractions such as the iconic Singapore River, Merlion Park, Fort Canning Hill and the National Gallery. The hotel is well connected with buses, and the MRT system allows guests to reach anywhere in Singapore. The nearest MRT station, City Hall station, is just three minutes from Pullman Singapore Hill Street.

The Studio Suite

Pullman Singapore Hill Street essentially has only two types of rooms (although the hotel creates more categories based on the view and lounge accessibility), with the Studio Suite as the highest category and the only type of suite the hotel has. The 33m2 Studio Suite is a Junior Suite with a larger sitting area than the Deluxe or Executive rooms. The rustic train travel theme of the hotel is apparent the moment we enter the Studio Suite. The suite’s copper and brown theme is coherent with the main theme employed throughout the hotel. The small entryway in the Studio Suite at Pullman Singapore Hill Street was only fitted with a full-size mirror for guests to check themselves before leaving the room.

Entryway in the Studio Suite

Bathroom

The entrance to the bathroom is next to the main entrance to the suite. Decked in shades of grey, the bathroom decor feels luxurious and spacious. A standalone bathtub sits by the translucent wall behind the door to the bathroom. I thought the bathtub placement in this location was very smart in that it did not obstruct the walking space in the bathroom. The bathtub is of a good size and great for soaking. The bathroom is large enough for the hotel to fit with dual sinks, enabling both guests to use the sink simultaneously without the need to fight over who to use first. The large mirror by the dual sinks enhances the sense of spaciousness in the bathroom. Pullman Singapore Hill Street treats its guests with the luxurious and fragrant-smelling American brand C.O.Bigelow bath amenities and a full set of toiletries, easing the need for guests to bring their own.

The standalone bathtub in the bathroom

The toilet with bidet functions and the walk-in shower is tucked furthest into the bathroom. The toilet is placed behind a small wall, which serves the function of segregating the toilet/shower and the sink area and hiding the toilet away to give the bathroom a more classy look. The walk-in shower, fitted with rain and regular shower heads, is enclosed in glass, effectively creating a wet and dry area. I like the large walk-in shower, which did not result in an elbow battle with the walls and the glass while showering. I thought the small shelving space on either side of the shower panel was a great addition, as it gave us space to place our dental kits and facial wash.

Lounging Area

The lounging area peeks at guests from the moment the Studio Suite guests enter the suite. The lounging area occupies half the space in the suite and is furnished with a three-seater fabric couch with a small side table, which is ideal for placing small items like drinks or snacks while being entertained by the only TV in the suite. The couch is very comfortable to sit or laze on. Instead of a coffee table, Pullman Singapore Hill Street placed a small round dining table between the couch and the large LED TV mounted onto the wall. The round table serves the dual function of a coffee and dining table. Another single-seat armchair is placed by the floor-to-ceiling windows next to the dining table. This armchair creates additional sitting space for guests and doubles up as an alternate work area, where guests can work on the table.

View from our Studio Suite

A work desk is placed between the couch and the king bed. I saw this work desk as the boundary between the lounging and the sleeping area. The black marble top work desk is of a good size, allowing guests to place their work stuff on the desk, yet it does not take up too much space. The thoughtfulness of Pullman Singapore Hill Street was apparent in the design of the work desk, where we found three power outlets with two USB charging ports each (yes, a total of six) fitted onto the desk, making it convenient for guests to keep their laptops and lifestyle devices full of juice. The only flaw with these power outlets is the narrow space afforded, which did not provide sufficient space for my huge Macbook power brick.

The mini bar area is fitted into the wall space next to the work desk. The mini bar area is elegantly designed with a two-tier open shelving. I like how Pullman Singapore Hill Street places sufficient equipment on the open shelving without making it too cluttered to be useful. A top-of-the-range Nespresso machine and a redundant kettle are placed on the open shelving of the minibar area. The hotel does not provide bottled drinking water. Instead, a slim distilled water machine was placed in the mini bar area, capable of providing hot and cold water in an instant. The machine was so useful that I did not even bother using the kettle to boil water for the Dilma tea the hotel provided. Cups and glasses are neatly placed in the drawer in the mini bar area. The mini fridge is nicely hidden in the cabinet in the mini bar area. The hotel provides its guests with non-replenishable complimentary drinks of juices and sparkling water in the mini-fridge.

Sleeping Area

The centrepiece of the sleeping area is the large king bed sitting in the centre of this area. The king bed, facing the large TV in the lounging area, was comfortable to sleep on. However, I did not get good sleep quality owing to the soft pillows that Pullman Singapore Hill Street provides, which are a tad too soft for my liking. These soft pillows gave me a stiff neck after a night’s sleep. It does not help that Pullman Singapore Hill Street does not have a pillow menu to cater for the pillow firmness preferences of its guests. The idea of mounting the bedside lamps onto the headboard was excellent as it afforded more space for guests to use on the bedside table. Speaking of bedside tables, those in the Studio Suite at Pullman Singapore Hill Street were rather sizeable, and I found no problems placing my mobile phone and Apple watch charger. I like how Pullman Singapore Hill Street fitted two additional USB charging outlets on all its power outlets, which are also found on either side of the king bed. A wireless charging dock is found on the alarm clock on one of the bedside tables.

The sleeping area in the Studio Suite

Perhaps the wardrobe space was the biggest flaw in the Studio Suite at Pullman Singapore Hill Street. I get that, given the space allocated to the suite, which does not allow the hotel to fit doors to the wardrobe, making the open wardrobe concept ideal. However, it is the lack of shelving and drawers that bugged me. This meant that we would have to leave our smaller garments on the ledge of the open wardrobe. It does not help that there are only two drawers at the lower part of the wardrobe, where one was taken up by the in-room safe and the other for shoe amenities like shoe shine, shoe horn and in-room slippers. Having said that, the open wardrobe is large enough to hang up to one week’s clothing for two guests, but the number of hangers the hotel placed limits the amount of clothing we can hang.

The wardrobe in the Studio Suite

Service

My first impression of the level of service rendered by the staff at Pullman Singapore Hill Street was cold and unwelcoming. At the time of my check-in, the staff seemed uninterested in engaging guests or even making eye contact to acknowledge the presence of guests. Staff were loitering around the hotel premises, either engaged with their mobile phone or staring into the blank. Smiles hanging on their faces seem like a rare commodity. When we checked out the rooftop pool, we found the staff at the rooftop bar were not welcoming, and they were seen engaging in small chats amongst themselves instead of acknowledging guests and providing assistance.

My impression of the service changed when I met Syed at the Executive Lounge. Syed’s warm and bubbly personality brightens up my stay at the hotel and offers a glimmer of hope for good service at the hotel. Syed was very welcoming and great to engage in small talk with. He was knowledgeable in his job and the hotel industry, and I learned a fair bit about the hospitality industry while chatting with him. Syed was very welcoming, whenever he spotted us walking into the lounge, he’d approach us and check our drink preferences. Syed is also seen to be observant and diligent in helping us clear the empty plates and glasses when we are at the lounge during evening canape hours. He even brought us hot food options during our stay at the lounge during evening cocktail hours.

I had the opportunity to meet Belina at the restaurants on Level 1. Belina welcomed me with the warmest smile and was patient in recommending food options at the hotel when I had issues deciding what to eat. She took the time to explain the options and oriented me in the different parts of the restaurant. I also spotted Belina engaging other guests during breakfast service to seek feedback and ways to improve the service offerings around the hotel.

Then, there were the porters at the main entrance of the hotel. I had the opportunity to meet Kel, who was always smiling and greeted us whenever I headed outside the hotel for a smoke. Despite the humid weather, Kel and his colleagues always stood by at the main door, reaching for the door to ensure guests gained access to the hotel without lifting their fingers.

Indeed, my impression of the service by the Pullman Singapore Hill Street staff changed during my stay at the hotel (we had a lot of time wandering around the hotel for this staycation). The staff warmed up, and we were greeted with smiles everywhere we went. Staff were seen ready to jump in and provide assistance whenever they saw us looking lost. The staff seemed to take some time to warm up to the guests.

Hotel Facilities

Executive Lounge

The Executive Lounge at Pullman Singapore Hill Street is located on level 3 of the hotel. Despite the lounge being a tad small, it feels very cosy. The Executive Lounge is decorated with the train travel theme and has a more rustic vibe, with the unique seethrough tungsten bulbs chandelier. There are several seats with a section resembling a train’s booth seats. A small section at the rear end of the lounge is where food is served buffet style. There is an outdoor sitting area for guests who want to chill by the pool and a hot food section where the chefs prepare a small selection of hot food during the evening cocktail. The Executive Lounge serves evening cocktails from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Breakfast at Madison’s

Breakfast is served at Madison’s, located on Level 1 of the hotel. The restaurant mainly serves Western cuisine during breakfast, with only one station serving local food. The food is organised into warm food, a pastry and salad bar, cold food, and three stations that offer ala-minute cooked food. The food options were tasty but not impressionable, as the offerings were your standard run-of-the-mill breakfast that many hotels serve. Guests have to self-serve the coffee during breakfast using the commercial Nespresso machine.

Breakfast is served at Madison’s on Level 1

Swimming Pool

There are two swimming pools at Pullman Singapore Hill Street. The main pool is located on level 3, outside the reception area. Three cabanas and eight sundeck chairs dotted around the main pool, providing spots for guests to relax while using the pool. However, due to the layout of the hotel, guests wanting to get a good tan are only limited to 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. The main pool is of good length, allowing guests to do some decent laps. There is also a wading pool to cater for those with young children. A jacuzzi can also be found opposite to the wading pool.

The other pool is located on the rooftop level, with great sun throughout the day due to the obstruction in the pool area. This pool is smaller than the main pool but still allows guests to do some decent laps. However, those who want to get some tan will find it challenging here as there are no proper sundeck chairs, and guests would have to make do with the furnishings at the rooftop pool. On top of that, guests would have to patronise the Mexican bar to use the pool. I like this pool better as it affords guests a better view of the Marina Bay area, aside from the unobstructed suntanning opportunities.

Gym

There is a small gym at Pullman Singapore Hill Street, located on level 3 of the hotel, next to the main pool. There are two parts to this gym: the indoor and outdoor sections. The indoor section of the gym is rather small and is equipped with very basic and limited workout machines. The workout equipment in the indoor gym section is limited to three treadmills, two cycling machines and one strength workout station, along with some free weights. I find the outdoor section a little interesting. This is the first time I have seen a hotel use the empty spaces outside the gym to expand the gym facilities. The outdoor section has more strength and cardio stations like a roping station and a rowing machine. On top of these, there are a couple of punching bags for guests to practise their MMA moves and a rack filled with medicine balls.

Pullman Singapore Hill Street operates a 24-hour gym

Overall

Pullman Singapore Hill Street is the newest hotel in Accor Group’s list of hotels in Singapore at the time of this writing. There are still facilities that are not ready for operation, but 90% of the hotel is ready to welcome guests. I find the train travel theme around the hotel to be unique and refreshing. I thought the Studio Suite was a tad small but comfortable. Thankfully, Pullman Singapore Hill Street did not place unnecessary furniture inside the suite to clutter the space. The sleep quality on the king bed could be better due to my preference for firmer pillows, which were unavailable in the hotel. The service at the hotel was bad at first, but as our stay with the hotel lengthened, we found the staff were friendly and helpful. Kudos to stars like Syed, Belina, and Kel, who made our day whenever we bumped into them.