Author: kktong76

[Airline Review] – Asiana Airlines A350-900 (OZ752)/(OZ751) – Business Class, SIN – ICN (9 May 25)/ ICN – SIN (18 May 25)

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The flight path of OZ752 and OZ751 flying between Singapore and Seoul
Asiana Airlines A350-900 that flew us between Singapore and Seoul

At the Airport

Singapore Changi Airport

Check-in

Asiana Airlines departs from Changi Airport Terminal 3. The airline operates check-in counters in Row 8, to the right of the terminal building, with Door 6 being the nearest door to these counters. Of the seven check-in counters, two are dedicated to Business Class passengers, one to their Diamond-tier members, two for Economy Class passengers, and another two for passengers who have completed their check-in online. Asiana Airlines check-in counters open 3 hours before the flight. As we arrived slightly ahead of the counter opening time, we used Asiana Airlines’ early check-in counter in counter 7. Although not located in a dedicated Business Class counter, the ground staff’s check-in experience was very pleasant. The staff welcomed us and were very efficient in processing our check-in, and we were checked in within 5 minutes. Before sending us off to our boarding gates, the friendly ground staff presented us with a lounge invitation and provided us with directions to the two lounges we could use.

SilverKris Lounge

Flying out of Singapore, Asiana Airlines Business Class passengers can use the SATS Premier Lounge or Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge in Terminal 3. Both lounges are located near each other, one floor above the airside departure hall. We went to the SilverKris Lounge. The escalator diagonally opposite Bacha Coffee brings us directly to the lounge entrance. As the flagship lounge in their home port, the Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge did not disappoint. The lounge was spacious, with clearly marked areas for relaxing and dining. The area to the right of the main entrance houses the lounging area, which is mostly furnished with armchairs. There are also some high tables with power outlets that double up as work tables for passengers who want to get some work done. Singapore Airlines thoughtfully included a small buffet area in this part of the lounge, allowing passengers to grab some small bites without having to walk over to the main buffet line on the other side of the lounge. The bar is also located to the right of the entrance to the SilverKris Lounge, where passengers can select from a wide range of drinks, including cocktails and mocktails, from the extensive drink menu.

The area to the left of the SilverKris Lounge entrance primarily houses the dining area, where the main buffet line and showers are located. In addition to the dining tables and chairs for two people, a small lounging area is furnished with armchairs, located closer to the entrance in this part of the lounge. This is also where the toilets and shower rooms are located. There is another lounging area in a separate area opposite the buffet line. I like how Singapore Airlines has allocated a significant portion of the SilverKris lounge to dining seating in this area. Being housed in the same space as the main buffet line creates convenience for passengers to access the extensive food offerings, which include local dishes. On top of food from the buffet line, passengers can also order made-to-order noodles from the two food stations at either end of the buffet line. I highly recommend the laksa served at the SilverKris Lounge.

There are several shower rooms in this lounge, which are usually quite popular. Fortunately, there is hardly a queue for them during our visit. To use these shower rooms, we simply had to approach the staff stationed at the toilets to obtain a buzzer. The shower rooms in SilverKris Lounge are sizeable and well-designed, exuding luxury with their dark grey marble walls and light grey marble flooring. In addition to the large walk-in shower, equipped with both rain and regular shower heads, the shower rooms are also fitted with a toilet.

Incheon International Airport

Check-in

Asiana Airlines has a dedicated area for Business Class passengers at Row A of Incheon International Airport Terminal 1, located at the extreme right of the terminal. The Business Class check-in counters are located in an enclosed area, where a staff member is stationed to ensure only Business Class passengers can be admitted. Asiana Airlines has four check-in counters here serving Business Class passengers. There was no queue during our visit to the Business Class check-in area. As we did not have to perform check-in, we did not experience the check-in service at these counters. We could have used either the Asiana Lounge or the Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge, located at the airside, and opted for the Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge. From our experience at the Asiana Lounge on Mar 25, we felt the lounge was rather underwhelming.

SilverKris Lounge

The Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge is located opposite Gate 29, one floor above the east side of the departure hall. The SilverKris Lounge at Incheon Airport exudes luxury with its use of marble walls at the entrance. The bar in the centre of the lounge captures one’s attention, serving a range of cocktails, mocktails, and iced coffee. The dining seats in the lounge are primarily arranged along the walls, with most of these seats located in the area after the reception, and four of these seats next to the buffet line. The main part of the lounge is primarily furnished with armchairs and small side tables, as well as a limited number of high-back armchairs. There are several long tables, mainly located near the bar and along the perimeter of the lounge, which can accommodate larger groups or serve as a workstation.

Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge offer a small selection of hot food, but still more choices compared to the Asiana Airlines Lounge next door. In addition to the hot food selection, a counter serves cold dishes, including salads, bread, and cold cuts. The famous Singapore Airlines Laksa is available at this SilverKris Lounge, and can be ordered from the staff at the buffet line. The SilverKris Lounge is fitted with three shower rooms and is mostly empty during both our visits to the lounge. The shower rooms are a little small, but they are still fitted with a toilet on top of the walk-in shower. There is no dedicated space for me to stow my carry-on, other than on top of the toilet. However, I appreciate that shower facilities are available here and the absence of a queue.

The Aircraft

Asian Air operates A350-900 aircraft for this flight between Singapore and Seoul, featuring their “newest” Business Smartium Seats.

Asiana Airlines A350-900 livery upclose
Asiana Airlines A350-900 safety card

The Cabin

Asiana Airlines’ A350-300 Business Class cabin had a bright and airy feel, with a royal vibe. The seats in the cabin are decked in beige, which matches the cream-coloured seat shells. The headrest cover and pillows are adorned in yellow, a symbol of royalty and nobility in Korean culture. The airline chose brown carpeting that complements the beige and yellow colour used in the seats very well. The cabin felt bright and airy, thanks to the extensive use of white lights. Asiana Airlines’ three-class A350-300 is configured with 28 Business Class seats in a single cabin, 36 Economy Smartium seats (essentially Economy Class seats with longer seat pitch), and 247 Economy Class seats spread over two sections. The Business Class seats on Asiana’s A350-300 are arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration.

There are only two lavatories located at the front of the Business Class cabin, serving all 36 passengers onboard the Asiana Airlines A350-900 aircraft. The lavatory feels a little smaller than those of the same type of aircraft operated by other airlines, and the choice of fittings in these lavatories does not convey a premium feel. Perhaps the only differentiating factor between these lavatories is the additional amenities, such as dental kits, combs, and mouthwashes, in addition to the L’Occitane body cum hand lotion, and Eau de Toilette, available in these two Business Class lavatories.

The Seat

Asiana Airlines named its Business Class seats the Business Smartium seats (which is hardly “smart”). The Business Smartium seats are arranged in a staggered 1-2-1 configuration, with even-numbered seats placed next to the window, while odd-numbered seats have the side table next to the window. Each Business Smartium seat has a pitch of 77″ and measures 22″ wide, which I find the seats a little narrow. Like most long-haul Business Class seats, Asiana Airlines’s Business Smartium seats also come in upright, lounge and flatbed modes. While these Business Smartium seats were sufficiently padded to prevent one from feeling the knicks and crannies of the seat, they are not exactly thick enough for me to want to stay seated for prolonged periods. In bed mode, Asiana Airlines’ Business Smartium seats can be reclined 180°, turning the seat into a bed. The high shell back design of the seat provided some privacy, especially for passengers not seated next to the aisle. In between the flatbed and the upright mode is my favourite lounge mode, where the seat is adjusted to an angle for greater comfort. Other than the preset angle, the seat angle can be further adjusted to suit one’s preference using the seat control buttons situated above the armrest on the side table console.

The biggest issue I have with Asiana Airlines’ Business Smartium seats is their limited storage space. There weren’t any cabinets on the side table console for us to stow our smaller items. The only storage space in these Business Smartium seats is the pathetically small cubby holes under the armrest next to the side table console. Even this cubby is too small to fit my passport or mobile phones. Most of the time, I either have to hold on to my belongings (since placing them in the footwell was not an option during takeoffs and landings) or place them on my seat next to where I am seated. When it comes to power outlets, Asiana Airlines’ Business Smartium seats are equipped with a USB-A charging outlet located above the side table, which charges at a slow rate. There is another power socket in the seat, but it is located below the armrest cubby hole, which means passengers wanting to use this socket would require a long charging cable. I also found it weird that Asiana Airlines’ Business Smartium seats have two seat pockets. One is beside the seat by the side console table, and the other is near the floor under the seat table storage, which is a missed opportunity for the airlines to provide their Business Class passengers with more storage space. The Business Smartium seats feature a dedicated spot to hold bottled water, available upon request, and a headphone holder located in front of the seat pocket, adjacent to the seat. Another spot for storage is the space under the footwell underneath the TV screen.

Despite its flaws, I like the design of the seat table in these Business Smartium seats. The seat tables can be conveniently pivoted, allowing passengers to exit their seats without needing to return the table to its storage position. In addition to the reading lights above the seat, Asiana Airlines’ Business Smartium seats are equipped with another reading light located next to the seat.

Inflight Entertainment

Asiana Airlines’ Business Smartium seats are equipped with a large 18.5″ personal monitor with touchscreen function. I thought the picture quality was mediocre, not sure if it was due to ageing. Although the screen does not have a tilting function, I was still able to watch movies on it while lying in bed mode. Asiana Airlines’ Inflight Entertainment is also equipped with an easy-to-use PSP-like IFE controller. The IFE controller primarily utilises the touchscreen function to manage the various entertainment options curated by the airline for its passengers. The headphones supplied by Asiana Airlines are comfortable to use, but the lack of noise cancellation functions meant we had to combat listening to the audio from the show we were watching with the ambient noise from the cabin and the engines throughout the flight. Asiana Airlines termed its entertainment system OZ:enter, where entertainment options are catalogued into Movies, TV, Music, Shopping and Connectivity. The Movie menu is further categorised into regions for faster selection. I’d say OZ:enter has a large variety of entertainment, from the latest Hollywood blockbusters to the latest Korean and Asian movies, as well as TV series that kept me entertained when I wasn’t sleeping.

Meal

Asiana Airlines serves one meal throughout the 6-hour flight between Singapore and Seoul. Onboard these flights, apart from the main meal, the airlines also serve up instant ramen on demand to passengers who are peckish after the main meal. Meals include a choice of Korean and Western options.

SIN – ICN

The cabin crew serve meals about 1 hour after takeoff to maximise sleep time for passengers. For this leg, the menu comprises two Western options: Prawn Pasta and Braised Chicken, while the Beef Bibimbap is served under the Korean option. I chose the Korean option, where meals were served on beautiful Korean-patterned china. Meals were served course by course, and the stuffed cucumber with beef appetiser was delicious. The Korean main course came in a set with rice, soup, kimchi, and pickled quail eggs, accompanied by beautifully presented vegetables and stir-fried beef. The bibimbap did not disappoint. The Korean Gochujang harmonises the rice with the bowl of vegetables and beef. Fruits and Korean bean jelly, accompanied with rice crackers, were served as dessert. While I swapped my dessert with my friend, the fruits served were sweet and juicy. I was not given options to choose from the bread basket for the Korean option I chose. My friend opted for the Braised Chicken Western option and was presented with the bread basket for his selection of bread after the salad with salmon appetiser was served. I had a bite of the salmon and thought it was a little dry. The Braised Chicken main course was delicious and flavourful. I had my friend’s Oreo Tiramisu dessert, which was very tasty. Overall, I thought the Korean option was far tastier.

ICN – SIN

Meals were also served approximately 1 hour after takeoff. For this flight, grilled beef tenderloin and yellow curry chicken steak were the two main courses from the Western option that passengers could choose. As for the Korean option, Ssambap was the only option for dinner. I opted for the Ssambap, which is beef bulgogi served with rice, complete with kimchi, soup, and a cold steamed egg. The way to eat Ssambap is to wrap the beef in the many vegetable leaves that came with the meal, topped with rice and Gochujang. My Korean option meals began with eggplant as an appetiser, which is rich in flavour. The beef in the Ssambap was very well seasoned and tender, and the kimchi was very flavourful. For dessert, I was served fruits, followed by a Red Bean rice cake (which I exchanged with my friend for his dessert). My friend opted for the chicken curry Western option, and I sampled both the shrimp and the chicken. The shrimp in the salad tasted fresh, and the curry chicken was delicious and tender. I had my friend’s Cherry Blossom Cheese Cake for dessert. The cake is fluffy, but I did not taste any cherry blossom flavour.

Service

SIN – ICN

I found the service on this leg of the flight to be mediocre and unmemorable. The cabin crew came across as task-oriented, as if they were simply checking off whatever their SOP required. They are by no means rude or anything, but just felt a little scripted. We received the usual greetings at the door and were guided to the aisle for our seats. Cabin crew were not seen helping passengers to locate a spot for our bags, nor seen patrolling the cabin after meal service. Having said that, I observed the cabin crew was very responsive when I accidentally pressed the call attendant button. I’m not sure if it’s a practice by Asiana Airlines, but we were not served welcome drinks during boarding or warm nuts while meals were being prepared.

The slippers is the only inflight amenity that was given out in Asiana Airlines’ Business Class

ICN – SIN

The service for this leg is much better than my outbound leg. The cabin crew were always wearing their smiles, and nothing seemed too small to bother them. We were warmly welcomed by the cabin crew at the door and directed to our seats for direct access. When seated, another cabin crew member came by, introducing herself and providing a brief orientation of the cabin, including the location of the lavatories and where we could store our luggage. As Asiana Airlines’ A350-900 business Class cabins are not fitted with a centre overhead bin, and the one nearest to mine was all occupied. When I raised this issue with the cabin crew, she immediately put down her task and helped me find a space near my seat to place my carry-on. The cabin crew were very responsive to the call attendant buttons and immediately responded whenever I requested drinks and extra snacks. They were efficient in fulfilling my orders and always did it with a smile. Despite finding it weird, I liked how the cabin crew go around serving pre-landing drinks. Despite the efforts of the female cabin crew, the attitude of an elderly male cabin crew member, presumably the cabin manager, was less than desirable. He was hardly seen around the cabin, and when he popped out from his hiding, I hardly saw any smile on his face. When he goes around serving passengers, it seems that he does not want to be here. Fortunately, he stayed hidden most of the time, and we were able to enjoy the service from the rest of the female cabin crew.

Afterthought

Overall, I had a good flight with Asiana Airlines. The seats are comfortable, but I find them a little narrow, which might impede the sleeping position. My biggest issue with Asiana Airlines Business Smartium seats is the lack of storage space. There is only one small cubby hole that is already full when I store my mobile phone, cable, and charging cable. I thought Asiana Airlines wasted the space by having two seat pockets, when the space allotted to the seat pocket by the side table can be used to provide more storage for passengers. The food served onboard is delicious and of high quality. Services seem inconsistent across the two legs of my flights. Our outbound leg was served by cabin crew who had lukewarm interactions with passengers and were mostly out of sight, except when taking orders for our meal choices and serving food. The service for our inbound flight was much better, as the cabin crew were personable and approachable, always serving with a smile. I enjoyed my inbound flight better.

[Accommodation Review] – Raffles Sentosa Singapore (Sunset 1-Bedroom Pool Villa), Sentosa, Singapore (18 – 20 Apr 25)

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Location

Raffles Sentosa Singapore is an all-villa resort in the central part of Sentosa Island, a tourist island south of Singapore. The resort was slated to open in 2020, but the pandemic delayed completion. The resort’s opening was pushed back several times and finally soft-launched in March 2025. Despite its central location, the resort is a tad far from most of the attractions on the island, which are mainly located on the eastern part of the island. The isolated location also meant the resort is far from most amenities, such as eateries and convenience stores. Guests who wanted to use this resort as a base to explore Singapore would spend more time transferring between transportation modes to access other attractions on mainland Singapore. The isolated location of the resort also meant guests could enjoy a tranquil stay away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

The Villa

We originally booked the Garden 1-Bedroom Pool Villa, owing to my friend’s membership status with the ACCOR group, the resort upgraded us to the 235㎡ Sunset 1-Bedroom Pool Villa. There was not much difference between the two villa types, but slightly more outdoor space in the Sunset 1-Bedroom Pool Villa. There are two smaller buildings (or pavilions, as the resort termed them) within our private villa grounds: one for the living area and the other for the bedroom and bathroom.

The exterior of our Sunset 1-Bedroom Villa
There are two pavilions in the compounds of our villa

Private Outdoor Terrace

Entryway

Beyond the large wooden door at the main entrance to our Sunset 1-Bedroom Pool Villa lies a small corridor leading into the private terrace. The entryway is decorated with a bed of greenery on the right, which pays homage to the resort’s natural theme. From the villa’s entryway, we can see the two pavilions on either side of the entryway and our private pool nestled in the centre of the two pavilions.

The entryway to our Sunset 1-Bedroom Villa
View of our Sunset 1-Bedroom Villa from the entryway

Private Pool

The Sunset 1-Bedroom Pool Villa has a small pool where the two pavilions face. This private pool, partially surrounded by plants inside the private terrace of the villa, is great for families and friends to dip in. Though a little small, the villa’s occupants can use the pool for some laps. A cabana sits on a platform at one end of the pool, which looks like it was floating in the pool. The cabana is perfect for parents to watch over their children playing in the pool or for guests to relax and sunbathe under the intense Sentosa sun.

Besides the cabana, the pool terrace is also furnished with outdoor furniture. The three-seater couch and the accompanying single-seater armchair placed in front of the bathroom of the bedroom pavilion gave us the option of enjoying the outdoors in the day or basking under the moon in the evenings. The dining table with two chairs in the opposite corner of the terrace gave us a place to dine from the room service menu. However, the outdoor placement of this dining table, without any shelters, also meant that dining here was not possible when it rained. We spotted a lot of millipedes and other creepy crawlies during our stay on our private terrace, especially in the mornings.

Living Room Pavilion

The living room pavilion is housed in a standalone building to the right of the entryway to the villa. From the large painting of the rainforest motif on the wall to the wooden ceiling and the mini bar cabinets, the living room gives off a return to nature vibe. The light blue carpet in the living room, which seems to represent the sea, subtly reminds us that we were on Sentosa Island. This living room has one side of the walls fitted with a floor-to-ceiling window panel, which can be opened to create an indoor-outdoor living concept, further blending into the natural surroundings. The living room is mainly furnished with sitting furniture, with a large couch in front of the rainforest painting. Decked in light green fabric, reinforcing the nature theme, the comfortable couch can sit four adults. There are two other armchairs, one with a similar design to the couch and another wooden armchair decked in navy blue cushions, increasing the seating capacity by two in the living room. In the centre of the living room is a large jade green marble coffee table. A side table is placed between the couch and the armchair, furnished with a table lamp and the in-house phone.

A 55″ flatscreen TV is mounted on the wall beside the couch, loaded with multiple local and international cable channels, where we had no trouble finding a channel for entertainment. Sitting in a corner of the living room pavilion are a couple of minibar cabinets. The wooden cabinets’ wooden mash-designed doors give off a colonial era vibe. The larger cabinet houses complementary coffee and tea. Instead of the usual Nespresso coffee machine, Raffles Sentosa Singapore provides its guests with the top-of-the-range Singaporean brand Bacha coffee and TWG tea. The three drawers inside this cabinet are where we found tea cups and glasses. The short cabinet next to the coffee and tea cabinet houses the in-villa fridge, one of the more unique fridges I have seen. Other than the usual chilling of overpriced beverages, the top tier of this fridge has a wine chiller that can chill up to four bottles of wine. While the living room may be comfortable, I found the lack of a guest bathroom here very inconvenient. Not only would our guests have to travel to the bedroom pavilion to use the toilet, but we also found it troublesome when getting water to make coffee and tea. We also had some issues with the air conditioning in the living room. The air-conditioning will cut off when the doors are not closed properly, resulting in us having to “slam” the heavy doors every time we enter or exit the living room pavilion.

Bedroom Pavilion

The bedroom pavilion is the larger of the two pavilions in the Sunset 1-Bedroom Pool Villa at Raffles Sentosa Singapore. This pavilion also houses the only bathroom in the villa.

Sleeping Area

The sleeping area occupies about half the space in the bedroom pavilion. Like the living room pavilion, the sleeping area is fitted with three large panels of sliding doors that can be opened to invite the outdoors in. The nature theme in the living room pavilion is also seen here. Instead of a large greenery painting, the nature theme comes in the form of a wooden feature wall, against which the oversized king bed is placed. The ceiling of the sleeping area is also decked with the same wooden ceiling seen in the living room. The king bed here, positioned to face the private pool, is very comfortable to sleep on, and the mattress is of the right firmness. However, the pillows are too soft for my liking. The resort has a pillow menu (after we checked with the butler team), unfortunately, these pillows are unavailable as the resort was running at full capacity. Despite the softness of the pillows (which usually gave me neck aches), I was still able to get some great sleep on the king bed. I like how Raffles Sentosa Singapore furnished two large bedside tables on both sides of the king bed. These bedside tables come fitted with wireless charging functions, but I found the charging speed slow. The two power outlets are fitted inside the drawers, which gives the bedside tables a clean look.

The sleeping area is also furnished with a two-seater sofa with an accompanying coffee table, placed in front of the king bed facing the pool area. I thought the placement of an additional sofa here improved the bedroom’s livability; we could sit in the bedroom pavilion and relax if the weather was bad outside. Another 55″ flatscreen TV with the same local and cable channels as the one in the living room is mounted on the wall at the side. This TV is mounted on a swivel that we used to swing to face the bed, allowing us to watch TV while lying on the comfortable bed.

Bathroom

A large sliding wooden door separates the bathroom space from the sleeping area in the bedroom pavilion. Behind the sliding door lies a small section dedicated to the wardrobe, which gives us the feel of a walk-in wardrobe. Raffles Sentosa Singapore fitted two large wardrobes in this area, both with a similar design, with the only difference being the drawer. One of the wardrobes has a larger drawer below, where the in-room safe is hiding, while the other wardrobe is fitted with two deeper drawers where we can store smaller clothing items. The hanging light fitted in this pseudo walk-in wardrobe gave this space a luxurious vibe.

The bathroom has a more luxurious vibe, mostly decked in sand coloured marble tiles on its walls and flooring, a departure from the nature theme we saw in the living room and the sleeping area. Placed next to the floor-to-ceiling window that surrounds one side of the bathroom, facing the pool, is a deep-seated marble bathtub. I like how the resort fitted a wooden platform with a tablet holder at the bathtub so guests could watch videos on their tablet while soaking in the tub. A door near the bathtub provides direct access to the pool and the terrace. A vanity table sits at one corner of the bathroom, next to the bathtub.

Built onto a sand coloured marble wall opposite the bathtub is the sink area. At one glance, it looks as if the bathroom is fitted with one huge sink. However, upon closer inspection, there are actually two sinks. Despite having oversized sinks, we still found ample space at the countertop to stow our toiletries. The three drawers below the sink provided us with space to stow away our toiletries bags and whatnots. The bathroom amenities that the resort provided were stowed in these drawers. I like the large mirror Raffles Sentosa Singapore installed by the sink countertops, which made the already airy-looking bathroom look even roomier. Behind the sand coloured marble wall lies the toilet cubicle on the left, and the walk-in shower on the right. The resort installed a Japanese-style bidet in the toilet, while the walk-in shower is fitted with a regular and a rain shower head. I like the Italian-branded Ortigia shower amenities the resort provides, which are refreshing and have a hint of natural smell that leaves our skin feeling soft and refreshed.

Service

The service at Raffles Sentosa Singapore was generally good. The staff at the reception were warm and welcoming, and it felt like they were doing their best with limited resources. We received an email detailing the arrival and asking for the location we wanted the complimentary transfers in a Mercedes-Benz E-class sedan. As we drove to the resort, we did not use this service. However, the resort allowed the transfer to be utilised by my sister during their visit. This is one of the many ways Raffles Sentosa Singapore go all out to ensure guests are happy with their stay at the resort. Everyone we met at the resort, from the staff at the arrival area to the staff working around to ensure the resort was ready for its official opening in mid-May, were welcoming and friendly and always wearing a smile. There were several issues with the villa we were staying in, and when we brought them up to the butler team, the issues were resolved almost immediately. At times when we were walking around the resort, staff members driving buggies would stop by and check if we needed to be ferried.

We were fortunate to have Ardena assigned as our butler. The service we received from Ardena started when she welcomed us when we arrived at the resort. As she drove us in a buggy to our villa, she made an effort to orient us to the resort. Ardena always had an infectious smile whenever we bumped into her. She would always check with us how our stay was, and if there was anything she could do to make our stay more pleasant. Whenever we raised issues or defects in the villa to Ardena, she would always take care of them immediately. She was very responsive to our request and ensured they were taken care of. Ardena also displayed empathy when we raised an issue we had during breakfast. Instead of being defensive, she was able to listen with much empathy.

The service provided by Kate, the housekeeping staff, was exceptional. I bumped into Kate when I got lost while walking to the reception area. Kate spotted me and asked if there was anything she could help me with. I raised my displeasure that I tried calling the operator in vain for 30 minutes for someone to help me with the millipede-infested pool. Kate gave me directions to the reception and volunteered to help me with the issue after she completed her task. True to her words, Kate came by some 15 minutes later to scoop out the drowned millipedes in the pool. She was meticulous with the task and did it twice to ensure all millipedes were scooped out. Before taking her leave, Kate checked if there was anything else she could help me with or any supplies that we needed to top up. We requested additional drinking water; Kate returned moments later with our requests. She popped by in the evening to check if we needed turn-down service and if there was anything she could help us with before taking her leave.

Despite the efforts of Ardena, Kate, and the staff around the resort, our experience at the resort was marred by the service we received at Royal China during breakfast. The staff came around as if they couldn’t care less. During our first breakfast at the establishment, the moment we stepped into the restaurant, there were no staff around to show us to our table or tell us the breakfast procedures. When we finally got the attention of one staff member about 15 minutes after looking lost, we were shown to a table. We were simply being ditched in a corner of the restaurant as if the restaurant was ashamed of having us within the premises. There was no one to set up the table, nor anyone to pop by to tell us what was going on in the restaurant for the next 20 minutes. Most of the time, we observed the central part of the restaurant being overflowing with staff compared to the other parts. When we placed our orders, the food took about 30 mins to come, but with the wrong orders. When my breakfast finally came, about 45 minutes later, a Caucasian staff member asked if I wanted any eggs. I told him I was still waiting for my eggs while pointing to the menu. The staff snatched the menu from me and defensively told me in an impatient tone that it was coming. Our request for chilli sauce also took 10 minutes to arrive.

We were served Sentosa Sling as a welcome drink as we were checked into our villa.
Welcome amenities were placed in the villa before our arrival.

Hotel Facilities

Breakfast @Royal China

Breakfast at Raffles Sentosa Singapore is usually served in the poolside Empire Grill restaurant. However, due to a private event, breakfast was shifted to the Royal China restaurant. Breakfast was served in a semi à la carte buffet manner, where the pastries were served buffet style, and the main courses were served in an à la carte buffet arrangement. I thought the breakfast was a little limited, as we were given four set choices for breakfast on top of the pastry buffet. These set choices came with a three-tier cheese and cold cuts platter. There wasn’t much local selection for breakfast other than a kaya and peanut butter set. We thought the breakfast tasted decent and was nothing memorable. The menu for breakfast stayed the same throughout our two-night stay at the resort.

Swimming Pool

Raffles Sentosa Singapore has a central swimming pool on top of the private pools in all the villas. The main swimming pool is located at the Grill Empire restaurant, in the heart of the resort. The main infinity pool is large enough for guests to do some serious laps, and there is no lack of sun deck chairs around the main pool. It is a great place for guests to get a good tan due to the lack of vegetation to block the sun. There are three cabanas in the main pool for families to enjoy. The pool was empty at our visit, and we are unsure if the emptiness is due to each villa having its own pool or if the resort was still in its soft launch phase.

Fitness Centre

The fitness centre in Raffles Sentosa Singapore is housed in a separate colonial building near the Royal China restaurant. The fitness centre has a small setup located on the second level of the building. The centre is only equipped with one strength workout machine, some free weights, and a handful of cardio workout machines. The placement of this fitness equipment made the centre look empty.

Overall

While the bed was comfortable to sleep on and the pool was great for families to have some fun in the Sunset 1-Bedroom Pool Villa at Raffles Sentosa Singapore, I did not like the design of the villa for several reasons. The disjointed living room and the bedroom made the villa less livable. This was especially a problem when it was raining outside. The lack of a guest bathroom in the living room pavilion was inconvenient when we wanted water for coffee or tea. It also meant we had to go to the bedroom pavilion to use the toilet. The service was generally good, and the staff came across as trying to find their footing while trying their best to provide service befitting the Raffles brand. Our experience at Raffles Sentosa Singapore would have been perfect if not for the disappointing service we received at Royal China during breakfast, which undermined the efforts of the rest of the staff around the resort who tried their darnest best to make guests feel welcome.

[Accommodation Review] – Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels & Residences (Residence Premier 1-Bedroom Suite), Seoul, South Korea (25 – 29 Mar 25)

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I had covered the hotel’s service and facilities in my previous post (read about them here), this post will cover my review of the Residence Premier 1 Bedroom Suite.

Facade of Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels & Residences from ground level

The Suite

The Residence Premier 1-Bedroom Suite is the biggest suite in Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels & Residences, with a massive 81㎡ of space in the hotel’s residence wing. While the Premier Suite in the hotel wing adopts a wooden decor, this Residence Premier 1-Bedroom Suite uses a contemporary granite decor. The suite is very well-designed in terms of space allocation and facility fitting.

Entryway

The entryway to the Residence Premier 1-Bedroom Suite in Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels & Residences was furnished with an enclosed shoe cabinet. The entryway is also home to the entrance to the powder room. At the end of the entryway, the hotel furnished two large cabinets, perfect for us to stow away our shopping.

Entryway of the Residence Premier 1-Bedroom Suite
The shoe cabinet in the entryway

We used this cabinet in the entryway to stow our shopping

Powder Room

The granite decor in the living room flows into the powder room, showing the consistency in design that the hotel employed when designing this suite. The powder room has fairly simple furnishings, fitted with a Japanese-style toilet and a fairly large sink. This powder room provided us with an alternate place to use the toilet and allowed our friends to use the toilet without barging into our bedroom.

Living Room

The end of the entryway leads into the living room, which takes up about half of the Residence Premier 1-Bedroom Suite space. The living room comprises the kitchenette and the lounging area.

Kitchenette

The kitchenette is nestled by the wall that separates the powder room from the living room. With two induction cookers next to the kitchen sink and pots and pans, the full kitchenette is very well equipped with facilities that enable one to whip up a meal. The kitchenette is also equipped with a microwave oven, and we even found a rice cooker in the drawer beneath the microwave. The hotel also stocked the kitchenette with china and cutlery for four guests to enjoy a home-cooked meal. Instead of providing bottled water, Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels & Residences fitted a filtered water machine capable of dispensing hot and cold water with the press of a button by the sink. We also found a washing machine cum dryer in the cabinets beneath the sink, the hotel also thoughtfully provides laundry detergent for its guests to do their laundry.

The kitchenette has a full-sized fridge designed to blend into the room’s decor. The full-sized fridge with a freezer at the bottom allows guests to do grocery shopping and cook their meals in the suite. I like the island table design in the kitchenette area, where the hotel maximises space by installing drawers to stow kitchen equipment. The hotel installed a Nespresso machine on this table island. Despite supplying two Nespresso capsules, I find it weird that the hotel does not provide sugar. As we did not see any work desk in the suite, I would have assumed that this island table was meant to double up as a work desk, as there is a power outlet fitted at the table.

Lounging Area

Past the island table in the kitchenette area and demarcated with a large grey carpet is the space the hotel created as the lounging area. The lounging area is furnished with a large grey fabric couch, and an elongated section at the end of the couch allows us to rest with our feet up. The couch can accommodate four adults comfortably; with the inclusion of the elongated section, the couch can comfortably seat up to six adults. I like how the hotel chose the colour of the carpet and couch to emphasise the granite theme in the suite. A large white coffee table sits in the centre of the couch, allowing us to place our snacks and drinks on while being entertained by the channels on the TV. The 55″ LED TV in the lounging area is mounted onto a granite-looking wall facing the couch. We mainly found Korean channels on the TV, with a handful of English and a few Chinese channels.

Bedroom

The bedroom entrance is next to the full fridge in the kitchenette area. The bedroom takes up about  â…” of the space beyond the wall that separates the living room from the bedroom (the remaining â…“ is allocated to the bathroom). Our attention was directed to the large king bed, sitting on a grey fabric bed frame with another grey fabric bed end bench upon entering the bedroom. We found the sleep quality on the king bed to be excellent, leaving us feeling refreshed every morning. The pillow was a tad too soft for my liking. Fortunately, Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels & Residences has a small pillow menu, allowing us to choose firmer pillows to enhance the sleep quality on the king bed. A couple of two-tiered bedside tables are designed into the bed’s headboard. The space afforded on the top tier of these tables is rather small, leaving us little space to place our mobile phones, and it does not help that the hotel placed the room control tablet on one bedside table and the in-house phone on the other. I guess the hotel intends for guests to use the lower-tier bedside table, which requires guests to use longer charging cables, which was a little inconvenient. I like the armchair furnished between the king bed and the floor-to-ceiling window, allowing guests to relax by the window while enjoying the sight of Seoul. Another 55″ LED TV with the same entertainment options as the living room is mounted on the wall facing the king bed, allowing us to receive entertainment while lying on the bed.

The wardrobe area in the bedroom sits between the sleeping area and the bathroom. The Residence Premier 1-Bedroom Suite is furnished with two wardrobes, one with three panels and the other with two panels. The space afforded in these wardrobes was very generous. The three-panelled wardrobe is mainly designed with hanging racks, with the larger segment designed with a two-tiered drawer. Here, we found the in-room safe hidden in the top drawer. The other wardrobe opposite the three-panelled wardrobe is slightly smaller, with only two door panels. Despite the smaller size, the space afforded by this wardrobe was also rather sizeable. Despite having so much space for hanging and storing our clothing, the hotel supplies limited hangers that we had to request additional hangers. I was pleasantly surprised to find an LG Styler machine between the king bed and the wardrobe. This styler machine not only dries our clothing, but it also reduces the wrinkles on our laundry.

Bathroom

The bathroom was segregated from the bedroom with a large three-panelled sliding door. The bathroom also has the same granite decor seen throughout the Residence Premier 1-Bedroom Suite. From the entrance, the sink was immediately spotted occupying the space on the left side. I applauded the hotel for fitting one sink in the bathroom, which gave us lots of countertop space to place our toiletries. The open cabinetry space beneath the sink, mainly used by the hotel to place toilets, increases our storage space. A large, deep-seated round bathtub took up the space opposite the sink, which we used to soak away the fatigue we gathered from the shopping and sightseeing in Seoul. Due to its size, filling up the bathtub took a while. Two glass panel cubicles sit at the back of the bathroom. The cubicle on the left houses the walk-in shower, equipped with both regular and rain shower heads. I like the spaciousness in the walk-in shower, while the ledge installed in a corner here gave us space to place our dental kits and facial washes. The toilet, fitted with a Japanese-style bidet, occupies the cubicle on the right. Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels & Residences supplies its bathrooms with Deep Nature spa shower amenities that have a nice ocean smell and leave the skin feeling soft after showering.

Overall

The Residence Premier 1-Bedroom Suite at Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels & Residences is spacious and well-appointed. It has the essentials of an apartment and creates a home away from home with the convenience of appliances furnished in the suite. The washing machine, dryer, and the Styler meant we did not have to return home with a bag full of dirty laundry. The kitchenette allows one to whip up a decent meal. The sleep quality on the king bed was superb, enhanced by the pillow menu that the hotel offers its guests. The wardrobe space was generous, and we could stow at least two weeks of clothing. Despite not being fitted with two sinks, I thought the bathroom was well-designed and the space was maximised. I would return to Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels & Residences the next time I return to Seoul for its well-appointed rooms and the conveniences of being very close to the subway and the airport bus stop.

[Accommodation Review] – Ibis Ambassador Busan City Centre (Deluxe Room), Busan, South Korea (24 – 25 Mar 25)

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Location

Ibis Ambassador Busan City Centre is in a central location in the city, sitting right in front of the entrance to Bujeon Subway station, with numerous amenities within minutes walk from the hotel. However, if one is coming with large luggage, the entrance to the subway station with lift facilities lies across the road from the hotel. The hotel is also well connected by numerous bus lines, providing additional convenience for its guests to explore the city. In terms of amenities, there is the traditional Seomyeon market just across the street from the hotel, and there is no lack of 24-hour convenience shops, restaurants and cafes within a stone’s throw from the hotel. There is even a Starbucks cafe on the ground floor of the hotel. Despite being located one subway stop from the hotel, it takes us about 5 minutes to walk to the large Lotte Department Busan Main Shopping Mall from the hotel. The check-in reception is on level 17 of the Ibis Ambassador Busan City Centre.

The Room

We checked into the Deluxe Room, one of Ibis Ambassador Busan City Centre’s largest rooms. Occupying 30㎡ of real estate, there is only one Deluxe Room on every floor.

Layout of the Deluxe Room in Ibis Ambassador Busan City Centre

Entryway

The entryway of the Deluxe Room in Ibis Ambassador Busan City Centre gave us a good glimpse of the room’s decor. Although the Deluxe Room did not scream of luxury but functionality, we still found it comfortable and clean. The entryway has simple furnishings, with a full-length mirror on the wall opposite the bathroom entrance.

The Deluxe Room entryway

Bathroom

The bathroom in the Deluxe Room at Ibis Ambassador Busan City Centre is large, taking up about â…“ of the real estate of the room. Like the rest of the room, the white tiled bathroom was not luxurious but functional. The standalone sink is positioned in one corner of the bathroom, with a large mirror placed above it. The bathroom is mainly illuminated by the pair of wall lights mounted on the sides of the mirror, which, surprisingly, were bright enough to light up the bathroom. There was not much countertop space at the sink, but the hotel placed a glass ledge above the sink, which gave us sufficient space to stow our toiletries. As Ibis Ambassador Busan City Centre is a 3-star hotel, bathroom amenities such as dental kits, shavers and facial pads are not provided. There is a hairdryer mounted on the wall next to the sink. Sitting between the sink and the bathroom entrance is the toilet bowl, where I was surprised to find a Japanese-style bidet toilet fitted. The walk-in shower occupies most of the space in the bathroom, opposite the sink and by the entrance. The space afforded by the walk-in shower, which is only fitted with a regular shower head, was excellent. The hotel provides good-quality bath amenities instead of the all-in-one shower amenities, which we would have seen in similar category hotels. The only flaw in the bathroom is the lack of hanging space, especially for used bath towels.

Sleeping Area

A single-seat armchair and a small coffee table next to the full-length mirror in the entryway mark the beginning of the sleeping area. This beige coloured leather armchair provides the Deluxe Room’s occupants with an alternate place to sit other than the couch in the other corner of the room. The wardrobe is placed a little further into the room from the armchair, occupying the space at the corner of the room. The wardrobe facing the room next to the coffee table is meant to be a utility wardrobe. Designed with four tiered shelves, this is where we found the in-room safe, mini bar facilities and minifridge. With these facilities taking up three of the four shelves, we can only use the top shelf to place our stuff. The other wardrobe, facing the side of the first wardrobe, is fitted with a hanging rack. We found the space afforded here a little small, but it did not bother us as we did not bring too much clothing for our one-night stay at the hotel.

I like how Ibis Ambassador Busan City Centre maximises the space in the Deluxe Room. Instead of having standalone furniture that takes up the space, almost all of the furniture in this room is fitted on the wall. The work desk in the Deluxe Room extends from the wardrobe to the TV cabinet and is placed in front of a window. The long, narrow work desk provides sufficient space for some work. There is also a power outlet fitted on the work desk to keep laptops juiced up. Along the wall, next to the work desk, sits the TV cabinet. Placed facing the king bed, we found entertainment on the TV is limited to mostly local Korean channels, with a handful of English channels. A red leather couch took up the rest of the space along the wall next to the TV cabinet. This long couch, which we mainly used to place our backpacks on, provides extra sitting space for guests. There are some drawers fitted below the couch to provide guests with additional storage options.

The king bed sits opposite the TV, flush to the wall. A tree artwork above the headboard of the king bed decorates the otherwise plain wall. I found the sleeping quality on the king bed to be surprisingly good. Despite the mattress being a little thin and the pillows not being as firm or fluffy as I preferred, I woke up the next morning feeling refreshed. I’m not sure if the tiredness we felt the night before contributed to the good quality of sleep I got from the king bed. A couple of bedside tables are mounted onto the headboard on both sides of the bed. I found these bedside tables to be a little small, and they only had space to hold our mobile phones. Only one of these two bedside tables has a power outlet underneath.

Service

The service we experienced at Ibis Ambassador Busan City Centre was good, which exceeded my expectations for a 3-star hotel. There was a queue during our check-in as one of the guests was holding up the line with some issues. Upon seeing the situation, another staff quickly popped out from behind the reception and invited the guest to the other counter so the check-in line could move. Throughout her interaction with the guest, I witnessed the staff being patient and providing some solutions to the problem (I only heard something that had to do with printing an email). The staff who checked us in gave us a warm welcome to the hotel and was apologetic for the wait (despite not being his fault). He efficiently processed our check-in and explained the breakfast timing and room allocations. He also recognised my friend’s ACCOR status and took the time to explain how to redeem our welcome drink. The staff we interacted with during our short stay at the hotel were welcoming and always had smiles on their faces.

Hotel Facilities

Breakfast @ Taste

Breakfast is served in buffet style at Taste Restaurant on the 17th floor of the hotel, opposite the reception. The restaurant is very thinly manned during breakfast, with one staff member at the entrance confirming our room numbers and another two running the restaurant. The restaurant is operated in a self-service manner, where we had to look for an empty seat and clear our table ourselves. The restaurant feels like a cafeteria and is jam-packed with guests, as a Taiwanese tour group was staying at the hotel during our stay. We had difficulty looking for available seats and had to share the table with some from the Taiwanese tour group. Breakfast served at Taste was fairly simple and had rather limited options. A small section has some bread selections and five warm food options, with one being porridge. There is also a section where cold cuts, pots of coffee, and tea are located. Due to the number of restaurant guests, topping up food is a tad slow. Our breakfast experience was somewhat marred by the tour group, who were often seen cutting queues. Although chaotic and underwhelming, the breakfast was decent for a 3-star hotel, which filled us sufficiently to explore the city of Busan.

Overall

Our one-night stay at Ibis Ambassador Busan City Centre was decent. The room decor looks like a typical motel, but still comfortable. The Deluxe Room was sufficiently large (Ibis hotel rooms can be very small), and the sleep quality was surprisingly good. The hotel is very central with excellent public transport connections, and the service we received was good.

[Accommodation Review] – Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels & Residences (Premier Suite), Seoul, South Korea (23 – 24 Mar 25)

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Location

Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels & Residences is located north of the Han River in the Dongdaemun shopping district, two subway stops from the city’s shopping mecca of Myeongdong. There is no lack of restaurants, cafes and 24-hour convenience shops in the vicinity of the hotel. There are three 24-hour convenience shops within minutes of the hotel: one diagonally opposite, and the other two are in the buildings to the left and right. Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels & Residences is also very well connected by public transport, with the nearest bus stop next to the hotel, and the nearest Subway station, Dongdaemun History & Cultural Park, is a mere 3 minutes from the hotel. On top of that, Airport Bus #6001 calls at the stop next to the hotel. With these public transport options being so close to the hotel, we found staying in Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels & Residences was great for us to explore Seoul.

The Suite

Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels & Residences has two wings: the Hotel Wing and the Residences Wing. We checked into the 44㎡ Premier Suite, located in the hotel wing. Despite being the highest category room, the Premier Suite in Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels & Residences has a Junior Suite layout.

Layout of the Premier Suite at Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels & Residences

Entryway

The entryway of the Premier Suite is home to the only wardrobe interior suite and the entrance to the bathroom. Despite having two panels, the amount of space afforded in this wardrobe was limited. The left panel was designed for guests to hang their clothing, while the right panel features a short hanging rack with three drawers. The hotel populated the left panel with bathrobes and ironing equipment, which took up a bulk of the area in the panel, leaving little room for us to hang our clothing. The space afforded by the right panel of the wardrobe is even smaller, as this is where we find a three-tier drawer. The presence of this drawer took up space, resulting in t-shirts and shirts that can be hung here. Only two of the drawers can be used as the top drawer houses a fairly large in-room safe. Fitted next to the wardrobe is a ledge that was meant for us to place our luggage. I thought having only one luggage rack was insufficient for a suite of this size, as we did not spot any other luggage rack in the suite.

Bathroom

Decked out in earthy stone grey with some woody elements, the bright and spacious bathroom in the Premier Suite of Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels & Residences is functional and aesthetically pleasing. Despite being fitted with two sizeable sinks, there is still plentiful sink countertop space for the suite’s occupants. The open shelving space below the sink, which the hotel used to place towels for its guests, further adds to the space afforded to the suite’s occupants. A large bathtub sits by the window at the end of the bathroom, allowing guests to soak away the fatigue accumulated from the sightseeing and shopping in Seoul while being treated to a view of Namsan from the bathroom.

Opposite the sink countertop, lined up on the right side of the bathroom, are two equally large cubicles encased in glass. These sizeable cubicles house the toilet and walk-in shower. The hotel equipped the toilet with a Japanese-style bidet, while the walk-in shower is fitted with a regular and rain shower head. I like the generous space allocated to these cubicles, especially the walk-in shower. The Deep Nature spa shower gel and shampoo smelled refreshing and had a very nice fragrance. These bath amenities left our skin feeling soft and refreshed.

Sleeping area

The sleeping area in the Premier Suite

The sleeping area occupies the rest of the space in the Premier Suite. The first thing we saw in the sleeping area is a cabinet that houses the minibar, next to the luggage ledge which extends from the wardrobe. The minibar is equipped with a kettle, a Nespresso coffee machine, some glasses and mugs placed on top of the cabinet. A large drawer in this cabinet reveals the mini fridge, stocked with sodas and mineral water. A little further from the minibar was the slim designed work desk, sitting in one corner of the suite. This work desk was sizeable enough for guests to do some work on, and the power outlet fitted onto the wall ensured laptops are always charged up.

In the centre of the sleeping area was a large king bed and a bed-end bench, placed by a wooden wall, which took up most of the space here. The sleep quality on the king bed was excellent, leaving us feeling refreshed the next day, but the pillows were too soft for my liking. Since we were only staying in this suite for one night, we did not bother requesting firmer pillows from the pillow menu. I like the addition of the bed-end bench, which provided us with an additional place to sit and a place to put our stuff. The bedside tables on each side of the king bed were designed as an extension of the king bed. However, the space afforded on these tables was a little small. Populated with a huge tablet that controls the lighting and the facilities on one of these tables, and a tissue box and alarm clock on the other table, we found little space left to charge our mobile phones overnight.

Facing the king bed, sitting on top of a large wooden cabinet, was a 55″ LED TV. A good mix of English and Korean and a handful of Chinese channels kept us entertained. The TV placement was perfect for us to watch while lying on the bed. I thought including the cabinet where the TV sits was great, giving us additional space to stow our stuff. Nestled in the innermost part of the Premier Suite at Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels & Residences, between the floor-to-ceiling window and the king bed, was the lounging area. This small lounging area was furnished with one dark grey leather armchair, a two-seater light grey fabric couch, and a small round table. This lounging area gave us a place to relax and watch the liveliness of Seoul zipping past below the hotel.

Service

The service at Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongaemun Hotels & Residences throughout our stay (this one and our subsequent stay) was a mixed bag. The staff at the concierge desk on the ground floor were welcoming and ready to assist guests having trouble finding their way around the hotel or within the hotel. They were always seen wearing smiles on their faces and even volunteered to deliver our luggage to the reception on the 20th floor where we check-in. However, I find it weird that we were made to wait at the concierge desk while one of the staff punched in our reservation details into their system to confirm that we had a reservation before inviting us to proceed with the check-in on level 20.

While the concierge desk staff on the ground floor make good efforts to provide good service and impression, the same cannot be said of the staff at the reception on the 20th floor. As we arrived slightly earlier than the official check-in time, there were no signs at the reception on level 20 to indicate where the check-in line was. When it was our turn to be served by the only staff at the reception after queuing up, the staff directed us to move to one side and proceeded to serve the guest behind us instead, stating that the guest was checking out. There was also no recognition of ACCOR status, as though the ACCOR sign was there for show. Both our check-in experiences were slow, and the staff took their time to check us in. As we checked out of the hotel after a one-night stay and would return to the hotel after spending one night in Busan, we did not plan to bring our luggage to Busan and requested that the hotel store our luggage. Instead of helping us with our luggage, the staff at the reception on the 20th floor told us to go to the ground floor with our luggage and leave it with the concierge without rendering any assistance with our luggage.

Fortunately, the poor service was only isolated to the reception. The rest of the staff around the hotel, from the fitness centre staff to the staff at the lounge bar and even the staff at the restaurant, made us feel welcome. The staff at Food Exchange were observant and seemed only to appear when we left our table for more food to clear the plates. We were also warmly welcomed every morning at the restaurant during breakfast. The staff at the lounge bar was personable and friendly when we approached her to redeem our welcome drink. Overall, the service was good, but could have been better if not for the reception staff.

Welcome fruits in the suite

Hotel Facilities

Breakfast @ Food Exchange

Our stay includes a complimentary breakfast served at Food Exchange, located on level 20 of the hotel. The restaurant has a large seating capacity, and we had no trouble finding seats. There is a good variety of Korean and Western choices for breakfast. I like how the food is spread out in the restaurant during breakfast to disperse the crowd. Breads and pastries are found on a kitchen island in the centre of the restaurant, where the hotel serves up a variety of breads and pastries and accompanying jams. I was pleasantly surprised to find soy milk and Chinese fried fritters served at the bread station during breakfast. The cold cuts and salads had a station next to the bread station. Here, we found various salad vegetables and cold-cut meats. The hot food section is right at the back of the restaurant, where we found various hot food, from eggs to bacon to sausages. There is even a made-to-order noodle bar here. However, the restaurant does not serve made-to-order eggs; only scrambled and sunny-sideup eggs were available during breakfast.

Gym

A small gym is located on a corner of level 20, in the direction of the Residence wing lifts. Despite the small setup, the gym is well-equipped with machines allowing guests to do cardio and strength workouts. I like how the hotel arranged the cardio machines, like treadmills and stationary bikes, facing the window, allowing guests to look out into Seoul during their workout. The strength machines are placed facing a large mirror, allowing guests to check their postures during their workouts. There is a good variety of machines that work out every muscle group, and even a free weight area. The gym is also fitted with sauna facilities in the changing room.

Swimming Pool

Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels & Residences has not one but two swimming pools on the top floors of the hotel. The indoor heated swimming pool is on level 20 of the hotel, next to the gym entrance. This indoor pool is rather sizeable, allowing guests to do serious laps in the marked-out swimming lanes. There are eight deck chairs for guests to rest in between laps. We also found a jacuzzi at the entrance of the indoor pool. One point to note: guests must don swimming caps when swimming in public pools in Korea, which can be purchased from the staff at the gym. Another outdoor swimming pool is on the hotel’s rooftop (level 21). This pool is accessible via a flight of stairs from the indoor pool area. However, we did not visit the outdoor pool or the rooftop area during our stay as it was closed.

Executive Lounge

As guests of the suites and the highest tiered member of the ACCOR group, we had access to the Executive Lounge in Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels & Residences. The lounge is perched on level 19 of the hotel, accessible from the hotel wing lifts. The hotel serves afternoon tea and evening cocktails at the lounge, but due to our schedule, we only managed to visit the lounge to take a brief tour after we checked out. The lounge felt cosy and serene during our visit (perhaps we were the only ones there). There is a good mix of seating arrangements catering to small and large groups. Outside the afternoon tea and evening cocktail hours, the lounge serves up drinks, fruits and pastries.

Overall

We had a comfortable stay in the Premier Suite at Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels & Residences. The room was well designed and is of a good size, which does not feel compact. The sleep quality on the king bed was excellent, and the bathroom was large. What I like most about the hotel is its location, being close to the Dongdaemun shopping district and well connected by subways and airport buses. The service is generally good, except for the check-in staff.

View from our Suite
View of Seoul from our Premier Suite

[Airline Review] – Singapore Airlines A350-900 (Medium Haul Variant) (SQ612)/(SQ605) – Business Class, SIN-ICN (23 Mar 25)/ICN -SIN (29 Mar 25)

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Our flight path to and from Seoul

At the Airport

Singapore Changi Airport

Check-in

Our Singapore Airlines flight to Seoul departs from Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 2. However, despite its refurbishment in 2022, this SilverKris Lounge still feels outdated. We checked in at Terminal 3, where Singapore Airlines also operates several rows of counters, since we prefer to use the flagship SilverKris Lounge in that terminal. Singapore Airlines dedicated the whole of Row 6, in the centre of the terminal, to its premium passengers to check in. Seven of the nine counters serve Business Class passengers, and one serves First and Suites Class passengers. Our check-in experience left much to be desired, where the ground staff at the counter took her time to check us in. We were made to wait for 10 minutes while she took her time casually punching our details into her computer without any explanation of what took her so long. She ignored our questions when asked what the issue was, and this time she hastened our check-in. The whole check-in process took us 20 minutes. After check-in, the ground staff only told us that our flight departed from Terminal 2 and did not provide information on the lounge or the boarding time.

SilverKris Lounge (Terminal 3)

The escalator to the SilverKris Lounge in Terminal 3 is about a 2-minute walk from the immigration checkpoints. One floor above the immigration, SilverKris Lounge, Singapore Airlines’ flagship lounge, is at the end of the corridor. Another escalator opposite Bacha brought us directly to the lounge’s entrance. The SilverKris Lounge exudes a relaxing vibe with its use of earthy themes, while the use of marble throughout the lounge gives it a luxurious vibe. The expansive four sections of the lounge ensured passengers would find a spot to relax while waiting for their flight. The section immediately to the right of the entrance mainly consists of lounging furniture and some bar tables. A bar counter is next to the entrance, where passengers can grab drinks. There is a buffet table after the bar where the limited choices of food and a fridge of beverages provide convenience for passengers utilising this part of the lounge.

The main and larger part of the lounge sits to the left of the entrance. The main dining area is dominated by a large number of dining chairs and tables stretching to the window with a view of the apron. A few lounging chairs before the main dining area provide limited seating for passengers who prefer to lounge near the food area. This area is also where the toilets and shower facilities are located. Food in the SilverKris lounge is mainly served in a buffet line that includes Chinese, Malay, and Indian cuisines. A small section at both ends of the buffet line serves made-to-order food. I like the Laksa served in the made-to-order section, and always order this dish whenever I visit the SilverKris Lounge.

There is another section opposite the main buffet line, furnished with a mix of high-back lounge chairs and single-seater sofas for passengers to relax. This area was previously temporarily used as the First Class Lounge when it was closed for renovations. The high-back lounge chairs provide passengers with some privacy, which is great for those who want to do some work. There are 14 semi-enclosed sleeping pods in the SilverKris Lounge at Terminal 3, housed in a room at the back of the dining area. These pods are available on a first-come, first-served basis. These pods are furnished with rather comfortable leather lounge chairs (which the angles cannot be adjusted) and a small table for passengers to rest while waiting for their flight. Blankets and pillows can be obtained from the cabinet by the entrance of the sleeping room.

Seoul Incheon Airport

Check-in

Singapore Airlines flies out of Seoul Incheon Airport Terminal 1. The airline operates check-in counters D27-D34 at the end of Row D, located on the left of the terminal. The nearest door to these counters is Door 4. Singapore Airlines dedicated two counters to Business Class passengers, one to Krisflyer Elite Gold and Elite Silver status passengers, and four to Economy Class passengers. The check-in experience at Incheon Airport was very pleasant, a huge difference from our experience at Singapore Changi Airport. The ground staff welcomed us with a warm smile and efficiently processed our check-in. She also provided detailed directions to the SilverKris Lounge and where to go for our tax refund. She even gave us an estimation of the time it would take us to walk from the SilverKris Lounge to our boarding gate.

Asiana Lounge West

Seoul Incheon Airport is one of the handful of overseas airports where Singapore Airlines operates its SilverKris Lounge. Since we had previously been to the SilverKris Lounge at Incheon Airport and thought the lounge would be crowded, we opted to use the Asiana Lounge. Asiana operates several lounges in Seoul Incheon Airport, and the West Lounge, opposite Gate 29, was the nearest to our boarding gate. We thought the Asiana Lounge might be less crowded, and the queue for showers might be shorter. However, we spent about 1½ hours waiting for the shower room here. Asiana Lounge West adopted an earthy theme with the large use of dark brown wood on the flooring and the walls in the lounge. Right after the lounge entrance, opposite the toilet and shower rooms, are some bar tables with charging outlets, which seem to be designed as a work station for passengers.

Asiana Lounge West is segregated into the forward lounging section and the back dining area. The first thing that greeted us was a bar right after the entryway into the lounge, where passengers can help themselves to alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. The lounging area was furnished with armchairs that were oddly arranged to face the bar and entrance, providing little privacy. However, a limited number of cubicle pods are lined up at the side of the lounge. The last two of these pods are fitted with massage chairs. Due to their limited numbers and passengers tend to hog these pods, we could not find any available during our 2-hour stay at the lounge. The area at the back of the lounging area is furnished with armchairs and coffee tables, which cater to passengers who want a drink with a few friends.

A feature wall separates the lounging and dining area in the lounge. Seats in the dining area are arranged in a 2 chairs to 1 table format, placed next to the buffet table. These seats are packed very close to each other, making assessing them a tad difficult. The food offering at Asiana Lounge West is rather disappointing. Being in their home port, I thought the lounge would be stocked with many food options. However, to my disappointment, we only found one meat, two vegetables and a pasta served in the hot food section. Perhaps the most Korean cuisine in the lounge was the cup noodles found at the beverage station. The salad section occupies the other end of the buffet table, and a selection of bread is in the centre. I thought the food offering at Asiana Lounge West was underwhelming for an airline in its home port.

The Aircraft

We flew on the Singapore A350-900, fitted with a medium-haul Business Class product for both legs of the flight.

Singapore Airlines A350-900 safety card
Singapore Airlines livery up close

The Cabin

Singapore Airlines A350-900 has a total of 303 seats, with 40 seats in Business Class and 263 in Economy Class. The Business Class cabin comprises two sections, the larger forward cabin housing 28 seats and a smaller aft cabin with 12 seats. Singapore Airlines Regional Business Class A350-900 is decked in cream and brown colour, together with the lilac lighting used during boarding, exudes a relaxing vibe. The dark brown colour is apparent from the Business Class seats from the shell’s interior to the cabin’s carpet. The design of the cabin’s overhead compartment provides a small footprint that makes the cabin look airy and spacious.

Singapore Airlines Regional Business Class cabin
Regional Business Class cabin during boarding

Three lavatories serve the 40 passengers in Business Class, one in the front of the aircraft and two more between the two Business Class cabins. The lavatories felt small, and the use of white lights and mirrors did not make them feel any larger. The dark brown backsplash and grey marble patterned plaster flooring gave it a luxurious feel. Other than the dental kits and shavers which can be found in the drawers, Singapore Airlines also stocked its Business Class lavatories with Penhaligon’s eau de toilette, facial mist and hand lotion, which seem to be out of league with their newly launched Le Labo amenities kit.

The Seat

Singapore Airlines introduced its Regional Business Class seats in 2018. These Business Class seats are arranged in a staggered 1-2-1 configuration, ensuring all passengers get direct aisle access. These seats next to the window provide more privacy compared to the aisle side seats, but the high-back shell design in the seats enhances privacy for passengers in the aisle side seats. Singapore Airlines’s Regional Business Class seats have a pitch of 60″ and measure 28″ wide. These seats have armrests that can be lowered when the seat is in bed mode to increase the seat width slightly. Like all Business Class lie-flat seats, Singapore Airlines Regional Business Class seats come with three standard modes: Upright, Lounging, and Flatbed modes, that can be adjusted using the touchscreen seat control buttons at the side table. The padding on these leather seats is sufficiently thick to provide comfort for passengers even in the Upright mode. The seat can also recline 180° with a touch of a button, turning the seat into a true flat bed. However, I find the headrest a little too low for my preference in flatbed mode, requiring me to use two pillows or tilt slightly upwards. I had a great 4 hours of sleep on both legs of the flight in flatbed mode. My favourite of all three modes is the Lounging mode, somewhere between the most upright and fully flat mode, where the seat is adjusted to an angle where I was able to dine and watch movies. I like how the seat angle can be further adjusted using the additional control buttons for passengers to customise to an angle of their preference.

Each Singapore Airlines Regional Business Class seat is fitted with a cabinet with a sliding door by the side, above the side table. This cabinet was already full with headphones, a bottle of water, and the in-flight menu during boarding. Although the storage capacity of the cabinet was small, I welcomed this cabinet as it provided me with easy access to my 11″ iPad and power cables that I would use in-flight. The side table, mainly used as a cocktail table, can also be used to stow some items during cruising. The seat pocket is found near the floor at the exit of the seat. Apart from the storage cabinet, the space under the footrest can also be used to store carry-ons.

The Regional Business Class seat table is stowed under the IFE screen and can be deployed with the pull of a lever. It expands to a rather sizeable and sturdy table when fully deployed. However, due to its design, the seat table must be stowed away when getting in and out of the seat. Singapore Airlines Regional Business Class seats are equipped with one international power outlet and two USB-A charging outlets inside the side storage cabinet. Due to the requirement to keep the cabinet door open when charging, the airlines purposefully placed the charging outlets so that the cabinet door cannot be closed when charging from the power outlet or the USB-A outlets. On top of the overhead lighting, Singapore Airlines Business Class seats are fitted with three additional reading lights on the headboard of the seat to provide illumination in all three seat positions.

Inflight Entertainment

Singapore Airlines fitted a large 18″ touchscreen TV in every one of their Regional Business Class seats. The picture quality of these screens was great without much reflection. The TV can be tilted downwards to allow passengers to watch movies from the KrisWorld while lying down. The IFE controller comes in the form of a phone-like device with a large, easy-to-use touchscreen. It also has this air mouse mode, which I never got used to using. Fortunately, the distance from the IFE screen still allowed me to use the responsive touchscreen function to select the movies I wanted to watch. Singapore Airlines supplies noise-cancelling headphones to all its Business Class passengers, which are very effective in blocking out the ambient noise. KrisWorld is Singapore Airlines’ entertainment system with a huge library of movies organised into an easy-to-navigate menu. The KrisWorld is loaded with numerous entertainment options, from the latest Hollywood movies to yesteryear movies to TV serials. There is even a games section in KrisWorld to keep young passengers and the young-at-heart entertained. Singapore Airlines also provides free in-flight Wi-Fi to its Business Class passengers and KrisFlyer members travelling in Economy Class. While the Wi-Fi speed does not allow streaming, it is good enough for communicating via chats and posting on social media.

Meal

Back in 2019, when we flew on Singapore Airlines between Singapore and Seoul, we were served two meals for redeye flights. For this trip, we were only served one meal, which we had to choose to be served after take-off or before landing.

SIN – ICN

We opted to have our meals before landing to maximise snoozing time on this redeye flight. The cabin crew woke us up about 2 hours before landing to serve us our meals. Due to the short meal service time, we were only served mains and fruits as desserts in one setting. Flying out of Singapore, the airline has an extensive Book-the-Cook menu, giving us many more meal options. I heard good reviews on the Singapore Chicken Rice and pre-ordered this dish from the Book-the-Cook menu. The chicken rice portion was big and was as good as the reviews I read online. The rice was fragrant, and the chicken remained tender and moist. It went very well with the provided condiments, like the chicken rice, chilli sauce, and minced garlic. However, I was disappointed that Singapore Airlines did not serve its famous garlic bread during this redeye flight.

ICN – SIN

Singapore Airlines also provided a limited choice of the Book-the-Cook menu for flights out of Seoul. I chose the Stir-Fried Pork Belly from the Book-the-Cook menu and opted for the meal to be served before landing to maximise my sleeping time on this redeye flight. Unlike our outbound leg, where the cabin crew would wake us up for meals 2 hours before landing, the cabin crew did not wake us up. It was about 1½ hours before landing when I woke up and had to request my meal. The meal service started with the main course, which I found the pork to be flavourful but a little tough. Fruits were presented as dessert after the cabin crew cleared my main. Like my outbound flight, garlic bread was unavailable during this redeye flight.

Service

SIN – ICN

For this leg, we were warmly welcomed by the cabin crew at the door and pointed to the aisle where we would find our seats. The cabin crew came across as professional and welcoming throughout the flight, and requests were promptly acted upon. Like clockwork, a cabin crew came by shortly after we were settled into our seats to confirm our meals and check our preference for meal timing, while another crew came by with welcome drinks. Cabin crew were seen patrolling the cabin and serving drinks for those of us who were still awake. I like how the cabin crew gently wake us up about 2 hours before landing, giving us sufficient time to enjoy our meal and wash up. The lavatories were kept clean, and amenity kits were topped up. In terms of amenities, only slippers were found on our seats. Amenity kits were not present at the seat during boarding, we had to request the recently updated Le Labo amenity kits from the cabin crew. These amenity kits are only available for flights longer than 6 hours.

Only Slippers were available on the seat during boarding
Singapore Airlines Le Labo amenity kit contents

ICN – SIN

Similar to my outbound flight, we were warmly welcomed by the cabin crew and directed to the aisle where my seat is located. During boarding, one of the cabin crew was so engrossed with confirming meals with another passenger that she was unaware that passengers were waiting for her to complete her task to access their seats. However, this cabin crew was observed to be friendly and diligent. Another male cabin crew member, Eric, was attentive and responsive. When Eric saw me still waking after take off, he took the initiative to ask if I wanted any drinks or any snacks and promptly brought my requests. Eric also took note of my preference for the mocktail and asked if I wanted another after spotting my empty glass. I couldn’t say the same level of service provided by another male flight attendant (a Leading Steward), who came across as rather rude. He was serving bread during our meal time, and instead of asking for our preference for bread, he just shoved the bread basket in front of our faces without uttering a word. This behaviour was observed to be constant when he served me or other passengers. Cabin crew did not seem to bother to top up the additional amenities such as dental kits and shavers in the lavatories.

On top of the slippers, socks and eye shades were already available on our seats during boarding.

Afterthought

Singapore Airlines’ Regional Business Class was a good product. The seats were comfortable, and the varied seating positions allowed all passengers to find an angle they deemed comfortable. In flatbed mode, the seat was so comfortable that I was able to get a few hours of sleep. The food was tasty and flavourful. The cabin crew (except for one of them) were generally welcoming and warm. However, there was some inconsistency on both legs when waking up for meals and the amenities at the seat.

Flying over Jeju Island
We are arriving in Singapore.

[Accommodation Review] – Hotel Am Konzerthaus Vienna MGallery (Superior Room), Vienna, Austria (17 – 20 Jan 25)

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Since I covered the location and service in my previous post (link to my previous post can be found here), this post will only review the Superior Room in Hotel Am Konzerthaus Vienna.

Hotel Am Konzerthaus facade

The Room

The Superior Room at Hotel Am Konzerthaus Vienna has a total floor area of 23㎡. It comprises the bathroom and a sleeping area, with most of the real estate set aside for the sleeping area. The Superior Room adopts a contemporary decor, and with the wooden flooring coupled with the warm lighting, the room exudes a cosy vibe.

The layout of the Superior Room at Hotel Am Konzerthaus

Entryway

The entryway of the Superior Room houses the wardrobe and the entrance to the bathroom. The spacious two-panelled wardrobe provides occupants with ample space to stow their clothing. The storage space in the wardrobe is expanded by the shelf space on top of the hanging rack and the four-tiered open shelf, which occupants can use to put away smaller clothing items. The in-room safe sits high on the shelving space on top of the hanging rack.

Bathroom

The bathroom entrance in the Superior Room is in the entryway, opposite the wardrobe. The sink sits in the centre of the bathroom and is the first thing that welcomes the occupants of the Superior Room. I found the countertop space was large enough to place our toiletries on. Like the Masetro Suite, Hotel Am Konzerthaus provides most bathroom amenities except dental kits and shavers. The walk-in shower is on the right of the sink, fitted with a rain shower and regular shower heads. I like the small hole carved out of the wall, creating space for us to place our toiletries on. The toilet is situated to the left of the sink with a heating rack, which is very useful for drying our towels in winter.

Sleeping Area

The sleeping area sits at the end of the entryway and occupies a bulk of the space in the Superior Room. The minibar is the first thing that caught our eyes in the sleeping area. Housed in a black standalone cabinet next to the wardrobe, Hotel Am Konzerthaus equipped the minibar with a small Nespresso machine and an electric kettle so guests could enjoy the coffee and tea in the minibar area. The mini fridge is tucked inside the cabinet below the Nespresso machine. I thought it was generous of the hotel to provide complementary items inside the fridge for guests to enjoy, which are replenished daily.

Further into the sleeping area, the king bed sits in the middle of the sleeping area. Resting against a charcoal coloured velvet headboard, the king bed provided excellent sleep quality. The sleep quality is further enhanced by the pillow menu that the hotel provides to match guests’ preferences on the pillow’s firmness. A mix of floral paintings and mirrors on some diamond-shaped panels on the wall next to the king bed tastefully decorated an otherwise dull wall. The use of lighting behind the headboard and the floor lighting next to the window gave the sleeping area its cosy characteristic. I like how Hotel Am Konzerthaus eliminated bedside lamps to free more space on the two stool-like bedside tables on both sides of the bed. The power outlets and switches are found on the side of the bed.

A large flat screen TV is mounted onto the wall in a circular metal decorative piece opposite the king bed. There is a lot of entertainment on the TV, but the entertainment options are limited unless one can understand German. A work desk is furnished in a corner next to the TV. The work desk is rather sizeable, and power outlets allow one to keep their laptops powered up while working at the desk. A small round table with a single chair is furnished between the bed and the windows. I thought the table was a good addition, as it not only did not take up too much space but also allowed us to dine in the room.

Overall

I thought the Superior Room in Hotel Am Konzerthaus Vienna was very well appointed, with the various spaces well designed. The room is very comfortable, and the quality of sleep in the bed is superb. There are just sufficient furnishings in the room to make one feel comfortable.

[Accommodation Review] – Hotel Am Konzerthaus Vienna MGallery (Maestro Suite), Vienna, Austria (17 – 20 Jan 25)

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Hotel Am Konzerthaus Vienna facade at night

Location

Hotel Am Konzerthause is situated in a good location. Located in 3rd District – Landstraße, Hotel Am Konzerthaus Vienna is near the sights in the Historic City Centre of Innere Stadt of Vienna. The hotel is also very well connected with tram lines that ply through part of the Ringstraße, where most landmarks such as Belvedere Palace, St Charles’s Chuch, the Vienna State Opera and Parliament Opera are situated. There is a subway (U-bahn) station about a 3-minute walk from the hotel, allowing us to visit further away sites (such as Schönbrunn Palace and Stephansplatz). In terms of amenities around the hotel, the nearest supermarket is about a 7-minute walk from Hotel Am Konzerthaus. Other than the in-house restaurant, we found some restaurants near the hotel.

The Suite

We stayed in the 56㎡ Maestro Suite, the highest-category room in the hotel. At the time of booking, we found the rate of the Maestro Suite cheaper than the smaller standard Suite, so we figured it made sense to book the Maestro Suite. There is only one Maestro Suite in the hotel.

Layout of the Maestro Suite at Hotel Am Konzerthaus Vienna

Entryway

The entryway to the Maestro Suite does not have any furnishings; it merely acts as a pathway from the main entrance to the rest of the suite. Here is where the door to the powder room is located. It is a pity that the entryway was not fitted with hooks allowing us to hang our winter jackets.

Powder Room

Nestled at the entryway is the powder room. Fitted with a toilet bowl and a small sink, the powder room is brightly lit with the ceiling light and the two other lightings at the mirror. This powder room not only provided us with an alternate place to use the toilet if we were too lazy to walk into the bedroom to use the toilet in the bathroom from the living room, but it also allowed the other guest to use the toilet if the main toilet in the bathroom was occupied.

Living Room

The living room is where we first saw tributes to the Capital of Music dotted in the ornaments around the suite. From the entrance, the bright red high-back armchair in the living room corner immediately caught our eyes. Despite the weird location (the chair is positioned to face the rest of the living room), I thought this chair was a great place for us to place our backpacks and to sit while looking out of the window at the street scenes of Vienna. I thought the decor of the suite looked beautiful. The charcoal colour walls painted with blue flowers and the diamond-shaped mirrors sparsely occupying parts of the wall were tastefully done. The floral theme is not limited to the mural on the wall, we also spotted flowers on the coffee table, the work desk and the small table at the far end of the living room. The living room is also furnished with a light grey armchair, large enough to sit three comfortably, and can be converted into a sofa bed to house another two guests in the suite. Between the red chair and the sofa are two coffee tables, one larger than the other. Other than a vase of flowers on this coffee table, the hotel also placed a bottle of wine in a saxophone-shaped wine holder, paying tribute to the musical theme in the suite. A large flat screen TV is mounted onto the wall inside a metallic ring opposite the sofa. Despite the many channels on TV, only a handful are in English, limiting the entertainment we can enjoy.

A work desk is placed behind the sofa. Topped with a black marble top, the spacious work desk gave us lots of space to do our work on. Besides the electric kettle, Hotel Am Konzerthaus Vienna also equipped the Masestro Suite with a small Nespresso machine. I like the musical note teaspoons at the mini bar, yet another way the hotel reminds us that Vienna is the capital of music. A mini fridge with complementary drinks and snacks is hidden in the cabinet beneath the work desk. Behind the work desk is a small round table accompanied by two chairs. We used this dining table as an alternate place to stow our smaller items. It is interesting to find a functional vinyl player placed on top of a small table sitting in this corner of the living room of the Maestro Suite. Hotel Am Konzerthaus Vienna placed some vinyl records on the two racks mounted on the wall beside the vinyl player. These additional classical music records are playable, besides being ornaments.

Walk-in wardrobe

The Maestro Suite has a walk-in wardrobe next to the bedroom entrance. Fitted with three large panels, the wardrobe space in the suite is very generous. The two wardrobe panels on the left gave us ample space to hang up to one week’s clothing, but the number of hangers the hotel provides limits the amount of clothing we can hang here. The in-room safe is found on one of these shelves, which I find a little too high to access. The inside-most wardrobe has a five-tier shelf design that vastly increases the number of things we can put away in this part of the wardrobe. The three sliding wardrobe door panels are fitted with full-length mirrors, which not only allowed us to check our dressing but also made the walk-in wardrobe appear larger than it is.

Bedroom

The bedroom felt rather spacious as there was no unnecessary furniture that swallowed up precious space in this part of the suite. The king bed, placed against the wall with a dark grey leather cushion headboard, provided excellent sleep quality on the firm mattress. The pillows on the king bed are a tad too soft for my liking. Fortunately, Hotel Am Konzerthaus Vienna has an extensive pillow menu, and I was able to select a firm neck support pillow that left me feeling refreshed every morning. The two stool-like bedside tables provide a small area for us to place our lifestyle devices to be charged overnight. Not installing a bedside lamp and mounting the reading light on the headboard was a great decision made by the hotel, as it meant more space for us to place our stuff. I find that installing the light switches and power outlets on the side of the headboard was a great idea as it made the headboard look clean.

The bedroom is also fitted with a TV mounted onto the wall facing the king bed, which allows us to lie on our beds and watch TV programmes. However, like the TV in the living room, we can watch very limited English channels on the TV. I like how the hotel tastefully placed a music sheet stand with a music score in the corner of the bedroom next to the TV, reinforcing the suite’s music theme. I also like how the hotel designed the lighting in the bedroom. Instead of having lighting hanging from the wall, the hotel has lighting fitted onto the headboard of the king bed and behind the ring panel surrounding the TV. Surprisingly, these lights were sufficient to illuminate the bedroom.

Bathroom

The Maestro Suite at Hotel Am Konzerthaus Vienna has a huge, well-designed bathroom. Using black tiles for most of the bathroom gives a classy and luxurious feel. A black door that leads into the toilet cubicle is sitting immediately after the entrance to the bathroom. Despite housing only a toilet bowl, I thought the cubicle was sizeable. Another glass door to the right of the toilet leads to the walk-in shower. Hotel Am Konzerthaus Vienna also allocated a good amount of space in this walk-in shower, fitted with a rain and hand-held shower head. There is a ledge carved into the wall at the walk-in shower that gave us space to stow our facial washes and dental kits. The water pressure from the shower heads is good, and the hot water heats up pretty fast.

A relatively large area to the left of the toilet is occupied by the sink area, where the hotel fitted his and her sink with a generous amount of countertop space. Bathroom amenities are placed in the centre of the two sinks. However, dental kits and shavers are not provided by default. I am not too sure if they will be available upon request. The other weird thing I found in the bathroom is that only the right sink is equipped with hand soap, while the left sink only has body lotion. Despite predominantly using black in the bathroom, I found the sink area very well-lit. A large bathtub sits opposite the sink, by the wall with the toilet. The bathtub is perfect for soaking away the fatigue from exploring Vienna.

Service

I found the service in the hotel to be lacking. Staff does not seem to display interest in providing good service. It felt like they were merely doing their job, processing check-ins/check-outs and clearing tables. Despite walking past the reception area daily, none of the staff were interested in greeting guests. Despite staying at the hotel’s only highest-tiered suite and my friend being the highest-tiered member of the hotel group, the staff did not give any mention of my friend’s membership status. We even had to enquire about the complimentary breakfast on weekends (which was part of the benefit) as the staff checking us in did not seem interested in providing such information. A staff member we observed was very friendly towards Western guests but was cold when attending to Asian guests. The only saving grace was Sebastian, who was genuine and the only one we found providing any service. One of my friends commented about the toilet in her room. Sebastian patiently listened and even showed her the room before helping her swap her room. He also recommended places to dine and how we could get there. Sebastian was the only one at the reception who would always greet guests whenever we or other guests walked past the reception. Such greetings were absent when Sebastian was not working.

Breakfast @ Apron Restaurant

Hotel Am Konzerthaus Vienna serves daily breakfast in the Apron restaurant, the only restaurant in the hotel, located on the ground floor. The selection during breakfast was rather simple. The hot food selection has five options with the usual eggs, bacon and beans in the buffet section, while the cold food selection has a good variety of greens and cold cuts. The bread is also served at the cold food selection. While thin in the variety of food available during breakfast, the delicious taste of these foods more than makes up for it. The croissants were crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, and the bacon and eggs were well seasoned.

Overall

The hotel is in a good location, with public transport just a few minutes walk away. There are several reasonably priced restaurants around the hotel that open pretty late. The suite was very well appointed and tastefully decorated. The Maestro Suite paid tribute to Vienna being the music capital of the world by having small ornaments placed around the room. The bed is very comfortable, and the pillow options are excellent. The Hotel Am Konzerthaus Vienna staff seemed only interested in providing minimal service. I would have thought service was non-existent if not for Sebastian, the only employee interested in ensuring guests were taken care of.

[Accommodation Review] – Hotel Mercure Graz City (Executive Suite), Graz, Austria (15 – 17 Jan 25)

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Mercure Hotel Graz City signage

Location

Hotel Mercure Graz City is located in the Lend district, a trendy and artistic neighbourhood in Graz, west of the River Mur. It is on the same side of the river as Graz Hauptbahnhof, about a 15-minute walk from the train station. The hotel is also about a 12-minute walk from the sights in the Innere Stadt across the River Mur. There are several amenities in the vicinity of Hotel Mercure Graz City. There are four supermarkets near the hotel, with two just right below the hotel and another two in a 5-minute radius from the hotel. There is no lack of restaurants near the hotel where one can find a restaurant that matches one’s budget. In the morning, a market on the square next to the hotel sells fresh produce sourced locally. There are also two bus stops, with one directly in front of the hotel, making the hotel very accessible via public transportation. One of the bus stops serves buses heading to the train station.

The Suite

Hotel Mercure Graz City offers its guests two suites: the Junior Suite and the Executive Suite. The difference in price between the two suites is less than $50, so we booked the larger 46㎡ Executive Suite.

Layout of the Executive Suite at Hotel Mercure Graz City

Entryway

The entryway to the Executive Suite revealed the contemporary decor of the suite. Here, we found a set of five hooks mounted onto a wooden feature wall, which made it very convenient for us to hang our winter jackets. A full-length mirror is installed at the entryway so we can check our appearance before heading out. Also in the entryway is a tall cabinet with a glass panel section revealing the coffee cups and glasses. The other cabinet sections are mainly empty, which we use to stow our stuff. We found one of the two mini fridges stocked with chargeable beverages in one of the cabinets on this shelf. Beside the tall cabinet is another waist-high cabinet that gave us more storage space.

Living Room

The living room of the Executive Suite has rather simple furnishings. The first thing that caught our eye was the two fabric armchairs, which were capable of being converted into single beds. There are no sofas furnished in the living room of the Executive Suite. These oversized armchairs are very comfortable to laze on while watching TV mounted onto the wall opposite it. Despite having over 70 channels on TV, most of these channels are in German. We only found a handful of English channels, limiting the entertainment we could receive from the TV. A large table with two chairs can be used as a dining table and a work desk. As a work desk, Hotel Mercure Graz City fitted a power outlet at the table enabling us to keep our laptops charged while working. The standing lamp at one corner of the living room provides additional lighting and an ornamental piece to make the living room feel less empty.

There is a small pantry in the living room of the Executive Suite at Hotel Mercure Graz City. The pantry is equipped with a microwave oven, a Nespresso machine, an electric kettle, and two induction cookers. A kitchen sink is also fitted in the pantry, but the hotel does not provide dishwashing detergents. We thought that having the sink next to the Nespresso machine gave us the convenience of topping up the machine’s water tank. We also found a set of china and cutlery and some cookware stowed in the drawers under the cooker. Hidden in the cabinet beneath the Nespresso machine is another functional empty mini fridge, where we used to stow the drinks we bought from the supermarket below the hotel.

Bedroom

The simple contemporary decor is also seen in the bedroom, consistent with the design language in the living room. I like the way Hotel Mercure Graz City fitted a row of lighting at the headboard that is bright enough to illuminate the bedroom without the need to fit any ceiling lights. The king bed is fitted by the wall facing the entrance to the bedroom. The Graz city skyline motif hanging above the headboard of the bed not only gave an artistic flare to the bedroom but also constantly reminded us of the landmarks we can visit in Graz. The sleep quality of the king bed was excellent, and despite the soft pillows (I usually prefer firmer pillows), I got a great night’s sleep. A couple of bedside tables are mounted onto the wall on both sides of the bed, with limited space for us to place our lifestyle devices. Even with the reading light mounted onto the headboard and the absence of bedside lamps, we still find the space a tad tight. European power outlets are fitted onto the wall on both bedside tables.

Sitting next to the king bed is a luggage rack, which is large enough for only one luggage. The hotel does not provide an additional luggage rack, meaning one of us has to lay our luggage on the floor. A large two-panelled wardrobe is fitted next to the luggage rack. The left panel of the wardrobe has a shorter hanger space due to shelving where the hotel places the in-room safe, while the right panel has a longer hanger space. I thought the amount of space offered by the wardrobe was rather limited, as there is little shelving to put on smaller clothing.

The TV in the bedrooms is slightly bigger than that in the living room, having the same channel options. Mounted on the wooden feature wall in the bedroom facing the king bed, the position of the TV allows us to watch TV whilst lying on the bed. A long table is mounted to the wall underneath the TV and has two chairs. This versatile table can be used as an alternate workplace for guests as the hotel fitted power outlets at the table. We mainly used this table to place our smaller items and things we bought from the city.

Bathroom

The bathroom is perhaps the weakest part of the suite. I found the bathroom a tad small for the suite, but I liked that the bathroom floor was heated. The toilet bowl was the first thing that caught my eye the moment I opened the bathroom door. It is fitted on the left side of the bathroom next to the entrance, while the sink is fitted opposite the toilet bowl, occupying the space to the right of the bathroom entrance. Due to the limited space, there is little countertop space at the sink. It does not help that the hotel fitted a rather large sink in the bathroom. Situated at the end of the bathroom and occupying about half the space is the walk-in shower, which is only fitted with a regular shower head. I did not quite like the design of the semi-open walk-in shower, as we found water splashing out of the shower cubicle. Regarding amenities in the bathroom, Hotel Mercure Graz City only supplies shower amenities. The other bathroom amenities, like dental kits, vanity kits and shavers, are available upon request. Nonetheless, I quite like the “Elemental Herbology” branded shower gel and shampoo provided by the hotel. It has a nice woody smell and feels refreshing after use.

Service

My first impression of the service at the hotel was mediocre. The staff processing our check-in seemed more task-focused than taking the initiative to build a relationship with the guests. There were no smiles or greetings from the staff, who we felt just wanted to quickly get the check-in process over with and send us to our rooms. She only briefed us on the breakfast timing and cost but not the rest of the facilities or services the hotel provides. However, she warmed up when we approached her after settling into our rooms to ask for in-room slippers (yes, the hotel did not even put these in the room, and we had to ask for them). Most of the time, we did not see the reception being manned, even when we headed out in the mornings to see the city. We met another staff member who seemed to multitask while manning the reception and the bar at the same time. He was friendly and made an effort to engage in small talk with us. Unlike most Accor hotels, Hotel Mercure Graz City did not offer us welcome amenities.

Hotel Facilities

Gym

Hotel Mercure Graz City has a small gym on Level 1 with limited workout equipment. The gym has only one treadmill, one elliptical machine, and two stationary bikes for cardio exercises. There is only one strength-building machine and some free weights for guests who want to do strengthening exercises. However, I was surprised to find a sauna room and a separate infrared sauna room, together with three benches, in the space at the back of the gym.

Overall

I thought the Executive Suite in Hotel Mercure Graz City was large and comfortable, but the furnishing of two armchairs in the living room rather than a sofa does not seem to invite guests to relax in the living room. The table in the living room took up a good amount of space, and might be the reason behind the absence of a coffee table. The bed has great sleep quality, but the bathroom is a tad small. The service we received was a mixed bag, with one staff who seemed more task-oriented and the other a little more people-orientated.

[Accommodation Review] – The House (2-Bedroom Suite), Zell am See, Austria (13 – 15 Jan 25)

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The House facade

Location

The House Zell am See is about a 2-minute walk from Postplatz, the centre of the alpine town of Zell am See. The apartment was also close to the main transportation system, about a 4-minute walk from Zell am See Bahnhof. There are numerous restaurants and three supermarkets within a stone’s throw from the serviced apartment. As the town of Zell am See is relatively small, the shops and attractions are no more than a 15-minute walk from the apartment.

The Suite

The House Zell am See has a good variety of apartment types, ranging from Studio to 4-bedroom suites. We stayed in the 60㎡ 2-bedroom suite that is fitted with the amenities of an apartment.

The layout of the 2-bedroom Suite at The House Zell am See

Entryway

The entryway to the 2-bedroom Suite at The House Zell am See immediately shows its alpine interior design through the use of natural wood seen throughout the entire suite, from the flooring to some of the furniture in the bedroom. The House Zell am See has incorporated industrial design into the apartment decor, mainly seen in the interesting choice of lighting. The entire apartment exudes a cosy vibe, which is especially pronounced in this cold winter. The entryway is furnished with a shoe bench with racks to place our shoes at its bottom. Here, we find two sets of hooks mounted onto the wall to hang our winter jackets. The bedrooms are immediately in sight at the end of the entryway.

Bedroom 1

The bedrooms are a little confusing, but I would consider Bedroom 1 as the master bedroom as it comes with an ensuite bathroom. The nature-themed interior decor flows into Bedroom 1. This bedroom is furnished with two single beds pushed together to form a king bed with a black velvet headboard. The bed provides us with great sleep quality, and surprisingly, despite the soft pillows, I slept pretty well on them. On both sides of the bed are a couple of bedside tables furnished with an industrial-designed bedside lamp. The space on the bedside tables is a little tight, but we find sufficient space to place our lifestyle devices for charging. The lower open tier on the bedside table gave us additional space to stow our stuff. I like that The House Zell am See installed two power outlets on each side of the bedside tables, although one is meant to power up the bedside lamp.

The rest of the furnishings in Bedroom 1 are rather simple. A large wooden wardrobe sits in one corner of the bedroom next to the floor-to-ceiling window panels that can be opened into a French balcony. The wardrobe has sufficient space (and hangers) for us to hang our clothing on one side, and the other side is fitted with shelves to place our smaller items on. Sandwiched between the wardrobe and the door to Bedroom 1 is a dresser fitted with two shallow but long drawers. It seems like this dresser was supposed to be a TV cabinet, as we found some TV cable ports mounted onto the wall at the dresser. However, there is no TV installed in this bedroom.

Ensuite Bathroom

The ensuite bathroom in Bedroom 1 is laid with sand-coloured tiles on the floor and part of the walls, which does not seem to contrast the nature theme in the suite. A sink with limited countertop space was the first thing we saw upon entering the bathroom. The ledge above the sink expanded the countertop space where we could stow our toiletries. A walk-in shower stall is tucked in a bathroom corner next to the sink. The shower is fitted with both regular and rain shower heads. I find the space in the walk-in shower a little tight. I like how The House Zell am See fitted a soap dish at the shower head, which we mainly used to stow our facial wash. The toilet is fitted next to the walk-in shower. The only thing I dislike about the ensuite bathroom is the lack of hooks to hang our clothing. Other than the shower gel cum shampoo, hand soap and body lotion, The House Zell am See did not provide any other bathroom amenities.

Bedroom 2

Bedroom 2 has the same design and layout as Bedroom 1, except for the missing ensuite bathroom. Similar to Bedroom 1, in the centre of this bedroom is a king bed, which is also two single beds pushed together to form a king bed. The sleep quality is also great on this bed, but the gap between the two beds can be felt when occupied by a single person. On either side of the bed are a couple of bedside tables, identical to those in Bedroom 1. Similar to that in Bedroom 1, we found two power outlets on each side of the bedside table.

Opposite the bed is a wooden table with a single long drawer, which also seemed to be a TV console, as the TV ports are also visible on the walls at this table. A wardrobe sits in the corner of the bedroom next to the wooden table by the floor-to-ceiling window. For single occupants, this wardrobe has generous space to hang up at least one week of clothing on the right side of the wardrobe. We found the only in-room safe on the bottom of the wardrobe of this bedroom. On the left portion of the wardrobe is a set of five shelving spaces for guests to stow small clothing items.

Bathroom

The bathroom is situated opposite Bedroom 2. This bathroom also uses sand-coloured tiling, creating consistency with the natural vibe seen throughout the suite. I thought the size of the bathroom was quite large. On the left side of the bathroom sits a shower/tub combination. Only a regular shower head is installed in this tub/shower combination. The sink sits next to the bathtub, directly facing the entrance to the bathroom, with limited countertop space. The toilet is situated next to the sink. The right side of the bathroom is a large unused space. Like the ensuite bathroom in Bedroom 1, we did not find any bathroom amenities other than the shower gel cum shampoo, hand soap and body lotion in the bathroom.

Living Room

The living room, which comprises a lounging area and a kitchenette, occupies the most real estate in the 2-bedroom suite.

Lounging Area

The lounging area has a cosy feel, mainly due to a combination of the lighting and the natural wood theme throughout the entire suite. There are two sofas furnished in the lounging area. A grey leather sofa was placed by the wall facing the TV and the floor-to-ceiling window panels. This sofa is large enough to accommodate three adults and can convert into a bed, which explains why we found extra bedding in the wardrobe in Bedroom 2. Another blue velvet sofa sits in front of the floor-to-ceiling window panels that can also be opened into a French balcony. This sofa is slightly smaller and can seat only two adults comfortably. The velvet material of this sofa is especially cosy in the cold winter. I was delighted to find a rocking chair in the corner of the lounging area next to the blue sofa. Another single-seater armchair is in the lounging area opposite the grey sofa, which increases the sitting capacity. A couple of metallic coffee tables are in the middle of the lounging area. The TV sits in a corner tilted to face the two sofas, resting on a blue wooden cabinet that has numerous small drawers designed into it. Despite being able to use these drawers, I felt they were more for decorative purposes. Besides the local Austrian channels (in German), we also found many more English channels playing on the TV.

Dining Area and Kitchenette

The dining area is sandwiched between the lounging area and the kitchenette in the 2-bedroom suite at The House Zell am See. It is furnished with a large black glass-topped round table and five dining chairs. I find the table a little too large for the size of the dining area, as we always bump into it when we open the door to the balcony.

The dining table in the kitchenette area
I thought the dining table was a little too big for the area

The 2-bedroom suite at The House Zell am See is fitted with full kitchen facilities, housed in a natural wood set of cabinets sitting on the wall in this part of the living room. We found an oven cum microwave sitting on the open shelf above a full-size fridge hidden inside the wooden finished cabinet. The fridge is large enough for the suite’s occupants to store one week’s food. A large sink, electric hub, and hood can be found on the kitchen countertop. The House Zell am See also furnished the kitchenette with a Nespresso coffee machine, toaster and kettle on the kitchen countertop. I was surprised to find a dishwasher in the kitchenette, which The House Zell am See has thoughtfully provided dishwashing detergent and capsules for its occupants to use with the dishwasher. We also found a full set of china and cutlery for six and some cookware in the kitchenette cabinets.

Balcony

Other than the French balconies in the bedrooms and the lounge area, the 2-bedroom suite has a balcony next to the dining area. The balcony is furnished with a metal table and four chairs, allowing the suite’s occupants to enjoy the fresh alpine air from the comfort of the suite. From the balcony, we can see the ski slopes behind the service apartment.

Service

Our interaction with the staff was rather minimal at The House Zell am See. We only met staff at The House during check-in and check-out, and in the mornings, we headed out to explore Zell am See. The reception is only manned from 8 am to 8 pm daily. The staff we interacted with during check-in and check-out were welcoming and warm. The staff who checked us in gave us a very detailed brief of the facilities, how things work around the accommodation, and the cost of things like the self-served drinks, breakfast and laundry pods. He also briefed us on the ski shops and restaurants around town and the discounts we could receive by showing the accommodation card. I was surprised to receive an email about registering the Zell am See guest card, which offered us some discounts in Zell am See, thanks to the diligent staff at the accommodation who registered our arrival with the town’s app. However, I find it weird that the House charges €30 per housekeeping service during our stay.

Overall

The House Zell am See is situated in a very good location in Zell am See. It is close to Zell am See Bahnhof and Zell am See Postplatz, where we can catch buses to the sights outside Zell am See. The House is also very close to the sights and amenities in the town and town centre. The accommodation felt very cosy, comfortable, and very well-equipped. The sleep quality on the beds was excellent.