[Accommodation Review] Fairmont Singapore (Royal Suite), Singapore (15 – 17 Apr 22)

April 24, 2022 / kktong76 / Leave a comment

Location

Fairmont Singapore sits conveniently on top of the Raffles City Shopping Mall in the heart of Singapore. There are plentiful shopping options and food options within the shopping mall, perfect for staycationers. The hotel is also located within proximity of other shopping malls such as Marina Square, Millenia Walk and Suntec City, offering guests of Fairmont Singapore a lot more shopping and food options. The City Hall MRT station under Raffles City Shopping centre, being one of the interchanges, can take guests at Fairmont anywhere in Singapore. In terms of attractions, the Gardens by the Bay, Singapore Flyer, and the historic Civic District are all within 15 mins walk from the hotel.

Fairmont Singapore is situated above Raffles City Shopping Mall

Check-in reception at Fairmont Singapore

The Royal Suite

The rooms and suites at Fairmont Singapore are housed in two towers. Most of the rooms are located in South Tower, with their Junior Suite being the highest category in the South Tower, and the larger suites are situated in the North Tower. The Royal Suite, one category below the Presidential Suite at Fairmont Singapore, is located at the North Tower, which has better views of the Marina Bay area of the two towers. The Royal Suite we checked into is perched on the hotel’s top floor and has a generous 152m² of real estate property. The spaciousness immediately wowed me in the Royal Suite offers when I opened the doors to the Suite.

Entryway

The entryway to the Royal Suite reveals an earthy and cosy tone to the suite. I like how the earthy tone in the Royal Suite makes the suite look contemporary while adding a sense of luxury at the same time. A bronze coloured metal table topped with a classy marble lamp provides illumination to this part of the suite and doubles up as art decor. A huge portrait of a black and white photo of Gardens by the Bay was found on the entryway walls, adding life to the otherwise cold wall. Such portraits are found throughout the Royal Suite and feature landmarks nearby Fairmont Singapore. Further down the entryway, before it opens up to the spacious living room in the Royal Suite, a door opens to the powder room that we missed the first time we were in the suite. We only noticed the powder room when we spotted the door handle.

The addition of this simple marble lamp brings a sense of luxury to the Royal Suite in Fairmont, Singapore.

I like the controls in the Royal Suite, which are both contemporary and easy to operate.

Powder Room

The powder room provided us with additional toilet facilities in the suite. Its convenient location in the entryway, behind the couches in the living room, meant we did not have to use the toilet in the bathroom. The use of light grey coloured marble, complete with a black marble sink countertop that seems to float in the air, portrays a sense of luxury in this power room. The powder room is simple yet functional. Other than the sink, we found a toilet and a Hollywood-style mirror with LED light here.

The Living Room

At the end of the entryway to the Royal Suite, what caught our eyes was the massive living room, occupying a bulk of the real estate in the suite. The fan-shaped layout of the living room in the Royal Suite is furnished with not one but two couches capable of sitting up to five adults comfortably on each couch. The grey coloured fabric couches complemented the colour theme in the Royal Suite very well. Furthermore, each of these couches comes with its coffee table (yes, there are two coffee tables in the enormous living room), allowing the occupants to host many guests. And as if these two couches were not sufficient, the huge black velvet ottoman in front of the couches provided more sitting space. In addition, the brown leather single seat armchair is furnished on the side of the couch, while another single-seat dark grey velvet ottoman sits on the other side of the other couch, providing even more sitting space. Finally, I like the inclusion of the two marble top black round side tables by the couches, which offer functional space for guests to place their drinks and add a sense of luxury to the living room area of the Royal Suite.

The living room in the Royal Suite at Fairmont Singapore

The living room in Royal Suite feels cosy and luxurious

In front of the couches and facing the entryway, placed by the wall, is a huge black wooden cabinet with gold trimmings. When opened, this huge cabinet reveals a huge LED TV. Although the hotel’s website listed 55″ IP TVs equipped in the Royal Suite, this TV in the living room must have measured at least 72″. The TV is where we got most of our entertainment in the suite and can be swivelled to face the dining area or the work desk in the living room. There are numerous local and international, both free to air and paid cable channels to entertain guests of the Royal Suite 24/7. The addition of four cabinets beneath the TV gave us more options to stow our knick-knacks.

A huge TV sits in the centre of the living room of the Royal Suite at Fairmont Singapore.

Dining Area

I like how Fairmont distinguishes the dining area from the living area without breaking the flow in the living room space. A black wooden waist height shelving, which looks like storage for wines, segregates the living room from the dining area. With six comfortable light grey fabric chairs, the dark brown dining table allowed us to dine in comfort in the Royal Suite at Fairmont Singapore. The added golden tip legs to the dining chairs continued the elegant theme in the entire suite. I find the size of the dining table to be just right and not overly huge. The dining table is large enough to seat six pax comfortably without having us engaging in elbow wars to fight for space at the table. The classy industrial styled glass and brass chandelier above the dining table serves more like a luxurious touch than illumination (the dining area is already very well illuminated by the ceiling lights).

The waist height shelf demarcates the lounge area and the dining area space.

Pantry

Most of the 5-star hotels in Singapore only equip a pantry area in their Presidential Suites. We were elated to find a pantry in the Royal Suite at Fairmont Singapore, rather rare. The pantry area is sizeable and gives a homely touch to the Royal Suite. The purpose of this pantry area function as a space for us to get our drinks and heat food rather than being a kitchen. Fairmont Singapore pampers its Royal Suite guests with top of the range TWG tea bags and a Nespresso coffee machine in the pantry. The kitchen island between the dining area and the pantry provided additional space to stow our snacks and drinks. A counter occupies the bulk of the pantry with a deep kitchen sink, which we used to wash our cups and mugs. There is massive storage space in the pantry area, which we underutilised. I thought the foldable wooden doors that conceal the pantry area very well were a clever idea as it blocks out the mess in the pantry when occupants of the Royal Suite hosts guests to dinner in the dining area.

Apart from the coffee and tea, we also get our water from the in-suite water dispenser in the pantry, which provides hot and cold water and sparkling water. There is no need for an electric kettle in the Royal Suite (which we did not find) as the water dispenser can dispense hot water. As part of Fairmont Singapore’s green efforts, one-time-use plastic bottles are replaced with glass bottles where we can top up water from this dispenser are provided in the suite. There are no cookers installed in the pantry area. Instead, we were pleasantly surprised to find a microwave oven in the pantry area. A full-size fridge sits quietly inside the pantry, providing ample space for us to cool the 1.25l coke we bought from the supermarket. We also found another entrance to the Royal Suite in the pantry. I guess this is where the chef gains access during in-suite catering.

The water dispensed in the pantry provided us with filtered water throughout our stay.

Work Area

A leather-clad large work desk sits at the other end of the living room in the Royal Suite, past the lounge area. Matched with a comfortable leather chair, the work desk overlooks the living room and is a great spot for guests to catch up on some work. The area where the work desk is placed is very well illuminated thanks to the two ceilings that provide lighting directly above the work desk, rendering having a desk lamp redundant. There is a power outlet accessible from the surface of the work desk that provides power for guests to charge their laptops. However, I found little utility for this power outlet, as it is not deep enough for me to plug in my MacBook power brick.

Work desk in the living room of the Royal Suite at Fairmont Singapore

I like the large surface of the work desk

The glass ornament on the work desk gives life to the otherwise boring desktop.

Media Room

I was pleasantly surprised to find a small room in the living room of the Royal Suite dedicated to binge-watching TV. The media room, sparsely furnished with a sofa and a TV, resembles a movie theatre. To add icing to the cake, the sofa in the media room can be converted into a daybed which we have left in a bed mode throughout our stay in the Royal Suite, where we spent hours and hours lazing on getting entertained by the numerous channel on the 55″ LED TV. Fairmont Singapore has created a cosy media room by installing lighting controls that have a relax mode, ideal for binge-watching. I thought the tastefully furnished wall shelving, decked out with artefacts and books, brings a sense of homeliness to this media room. There is even a small coffee table in the media room for guests to place their drinks or popcorn while watching movies from the movie channels. This media room can be isolated from the rest of the Royal Suite by closing the sliding doors.

The wall shelving in the media room creates a sense of homeliness

Bedroom

Perhaps the most awkward part of the Royal Suite would be the bedroom, which does not seem to be an extension of the Royal Suite. The bedroom in the Royal Suite is essentially Fairmont Singapore’s Deluxe Harbour View Room, giving the hotel the flexibility of selling the room as a deluxe room when isolated from the rest of the Royal Suite. The bedroom still carries the design theme in the rest of the Royal Suite. The bedroom has everything that we wanted for a comfortable stay. A bulk of the bedroom is dedicated to the sleeping area, where a standalone king bed sits in the centre of the bedroom. I like the cocoon design of the headboard, which I feel further enhances the sleep quality I had on the already comfortable king bed. The standard pillows felt a tad too soft for my liking, but thankfully, Fairmont Singapore has a pillow menu from which we could choose firmer pillows. The placement of the king bed made full use of the advantage of the stunning view where we were able to lie on the bed and look out into the unobstructed view of the night scene of the Marina reservoir area.

The king bed has excellent sleep quality

The side tables are built into the headboard, giving us space to charge our lifestyle devices with the power outlet installed into the headboard. The real estate of the bedside table is not the best, but sufficient for us to use for charging our mobile phones. One of the bedside tables is furnished with a wireless charger where we can charge our iPhones. I like how the reading lights are fitted onto the headboard, freeing up space on the small side table surface. The controls for curtains, lighting, and privacy switch are conveniently fitted onto the headboard, where we can control aspects of the bedroom without getting out of bed.

The bedside table is small but sufficient for me to charge my lifestyle devices.

Room control on the headboard above the bedside table

We found an L-shaped fabric couch furnished in one corner of the bedroom, giving us an additional option to watch the TV. The couch is fairly large and very comfortable to sit on. In addition, I like the inclusion of the brown wooden table, which can be used as a coffee table or a place where we can have meals while watching TV in the bedroom. Together with the table, the couch provided us with the option to watch TV; they also gave us more space to place our bags. A 55″ TV, with the same entertainment options as those in the living room of the Royal Suite, is fitted in the bedroom, mounted onto the side of the wall in order not to obstruct the view of the Marina Bay area from the king bed. At first, we thought this design was a little strange as this limits the “watchability” of the TV from the King bed. Then, however, we discovered the swivel mounting that allowed us to angle the TV facing the bed.

A large L-shaped couch is found in the bedroom.

The 55″ TV in the bedroom is mounted on the side of the wall.

Another work desk in the bedroom extends out of the wall where the TV is mounted. I like the placement of this work desk, as it faces the fantastic view of the Marina Bay area. Working on this desk looking out into the Marina Bay area allowed me to consolidate my thoughts while staring into the view, especially at night. This work desk has a certain elegance, coupled with the brass table lamp that sits quietly at one corner of the desk, serving more as an ornamental piece than providing illumination. The lighting on the ceiling, shining directly onto the work desk, provided sufficient lighting in this area. The power outlets completed with USB charging outlets at this work desk are built onto the walls, providing me with the power to charge my MacBook while working on it.

The work desk in the bedroom faces out into the lovely view of the Marina Bay area.

There is another minibar cabinet in the bedroom. The minibar and filtered water facilities are housed in a piano black with gold trimmings cabinet. The materials used for this cabinet, especially the gold trimmings, made the cabinet look posh. The tan-brown leather covering the cabinet’s interior gave it a luxurious feel. Other than the usual cups and mugs, we found another Nespresso machine and a tap with filtered water on the top shelving of the cabinet. Only the left side of the bottom half of the cabinet can be open, where a functioning mini fridge sits quietly, cooling our drinks. Despite having the convenience of getting our coffee fixed and chilling our drinks without the need to leave the bedroom, we found little to no utility in this minibar area as we got most of our drinks from the pantry in the living room the Royal Suite. Moreover, the filtered water tap in the bedroom did not seem to work.

A Nespresso machine in the minibar inside the bedroom

The wardrobe in the Royal Suite is found behind the king bed, placed along the entryway to the third door into the suite. The dark brown coloured wardrobe was beautifully designed to resemble a showcase with both enclosed and open space. Two slim cabinets are enclosed in glass panelled doors on either side of the wardrobe. The storage space in the slim cabinets are limited, and only one side of the cabinets has an additional drawer to put away smaller clothing item. At first glance, the slim wardrobes might not provide sufficient space for guests with more clothing. Fairmont Singapore catered an open wardrobe space for us to hang more clothing between the two slim cabinets. Beneath the open part of the wardrobe, we found an additional drawer to stow smaller clothing items and a larger drawer that houses the in-room safe. We spotted another cabinetry further down the entryway, closer to the door to the suite. This cabinet, which can be missed easily if not for the handle, houses the ironing equipment.

The wardrobe in the bedroom of the Royal Suite is designed to look more like a showcase.

Bathroom

The bathroom in the Royal Suite adopts a similar colour scheme as the powder room. The greyish-white marble walls and floor and the black marble sink countertop coupled with dark brown coloured wooden fixtures gave the bathroom a refreshing and luxurious look. The bathroom looks bright and clean with these colour combinations. Contrary to the lower tired suites such as the Ambassador Suite and the Governer Suite, the bathroom in the Royal Suite is a tad small for the size of the suite. Unlike the bathroom in both Ambassador and Governor Suites, which are equipped with two sinks, there is only one sink in the bathroom of the Royal Suite. Nonetheless, I felt the bathroom was very laid out, given the space allocated to this area of the suite. I thought the presence of mirrors in the bathroom made it feel larger than its actual size. The sink is immediately visible from the entrance to the bathroom, separating the wet and dry areas of the bathroom. I like how Fairmont Singapore did not fit in two sinks for the sake of doing so, which compromises the space available on the countertop. The single sink design created more countertop space, which is practical. A huge round mirror fitted with LED lighting hangs above the sink. Amenities like toothbrushes, comb, vanity kit, shaver and an additional set of bath amenities are neatly placed at the sink countertop. There is also a power outlet to charge electric shavers.

Fairmont Singapore dedicated the wet area to the left of the sink, housing a standalone deep soak bathtub and both the rain shower and regular showerheads. I find it fascinating that despite the semi-open wet area, we do not find any of the water being splashed all over the place outside the wet area when showering. I also thought co-locating the bathtub, and the shower within the same space was a thoughtful design. It provided us with the convenience of stepping out for a shower after soaking in the tub and, at the same time, prevented unnecessary dripping of water in the bathroom. In addition, I like the generous space provided by the metal ledge by the showerheads, which gave us sufficient space to place our toothbrush set next to the bath amenities. The space to the right of the sink, also a semi-open concept, is where the toilet is found. The toilet spaced function without any unnecessary furnishings, generating more sense of space in this area.

The spacious, deep soak bathtub in the bathroom

Balconies

Of all the luxurious features in the Royal Suite, I like the great number of balconies. The Royal Suite at Fairmont Singapore has not one but a whopping four balconies spanning across the entire length of the suite. All the balconies in the Royal Suite have the same dimension. There is one balcony in the bedroom and dining area of the suite and two in the living room. The vast number of balconies in the Royal Suite enabled us to view the surroundings. The balconies in the living room and dining area in the Royal Suite that we were assigned mainly face the city. This is where we got a great view of the swimming pool, where we used to determine the crowd levels of the pool to decide if we should hit the pool. One of the balconies in the living room has a partial view of the Marina Bay Area. The balcony in the bedroom has the best view of the four balconies, which face the Marina Bay area, where we can see as far as Indonesia.

Night view of the Marina Bay area from the balcony in the bedroom

View from the balcony in the living room

View of the Marina Bay Area and the sea from the balcony in the bedroom

Service

Personal care kit in the Royal Suite provided by Fairmont Singapore

I can hardly find any fault for the service we received at Fairmont Singapore. Fairmont Singapore honours the Accor loyalty programme very well. As Accor’s highest tiered member, we were given early check-in and late check-out. The hotel staff came across as sincere and welcoming, especially those we interacted at the reception. We found a personal care kit in the suite, allowing us to disinfect the surfaces. However, I did find it peculiar that there were no welcome amenities such as fruits like in our previous stays with Fairmont Singapore this time around. Before arriving at Fairmont, I spoke with Amanda to clarify my doubts concerning our staycation. Amanda was personable and patient in answering all my queries. When we arrived at the hotel, Amanda immediately introduced herself to us.

Alfie and Jean warmly welcomed us during our check-in. There were some issues with the floor allocation that we had requested. Both Alfie and Jean, instead of shrugging us off, understood the situation and immediately checked their reservation system to see if they were able to accommodate our request. This gesture demonstrated the hotel’s commitment to customer service. It did not take them too long to find a suite on the hotel’s highest floor, which we preferred. Alfie and Jean were patient with us, listened to our perspective on what was communicated with us the day before and resolved the issue of the floor allocation.

During turndown service timing, we were visited by the housekeeping staff, Myra. It is always pleasant to see Myra in the evenings when she checks if we need to top up any supplies or if we require housekeeping for the suite. Myra was warming and displayed a bubbly personality, despite the hard work she had to put into pushing the heavy housekeeping cart around. When supplies we require are not available in her cart, Myra offered to run to her store to ensure we had what we requested.

The Fairmont Gold Lounge staff were always welcoming and the reason our visits to the Gold Lounge are always enjoyable. I met Alfie at the Gold Lounge, who immediately recognised us earlier during the day from the check-in. Alfie always displayed a welcoming vibe whenever we bumped into him at the lounge. He would always get us the best sittings, ensure our time at the lounge was enjoyable, and often checked with us if we required more food and drinks. Syakirah tirelessly introduced the food that was being served. She checked with us if there were any dietary restrictions on the first day and remembered our restrictions every time we visited the lounge. Gems like Alfie and Syakirah made our stay in the Fairmont Gold Lounge enjoyable. Despite having a limited selection for breakfast, we felt food tasted better at the Fairmont Gold Lounge, thanks to the welcoming and warmth displayed by Alfie and Syakirah.

Unfortunately, the service at Prego left a sour note on our Fairmont experience, and it seemed service at the restaurant did not improve since our first visit one year ago. We were shown to our table during breakfast. The staff assumed we knew the breakfast ordering process and did not even bother giving us instructions for accessing the menu. Fortunately, another staff came around and took our orders minutes later. However, we were given a rude shock when we asked for more chilli sauce. Another staff gave us a saucer filled to the brim with chilli sauce. While we still had our breakfast, yet another male staff sneaked up to our table and replaced the QR code for the lunch menu without acknowledging our presence at the table. Staffs at Prego appear to be cold and unwelcoming.

We met James at the reception later in the evening to enquire about our late check-out timing, and at the same time, I related my experience at Prego to James. James always has the warmest smile, efficiently confirmed the late check-out timing and extended my keycard. When it comes to my experience at Prego, James came across as sincere and listened with much empathy. He was not defensive, nor did he attempt to cook up any excuse for the team at Prego. I was pleasantly surprised that Jame brought up our concerns to the Operations Manager at Prego, who called us the next day. Paolo was apologetic and took responsibility for the experience we had at Prego.

Hotel Facilities

Fairmont Gold Lounge

Guests in the Royal Suite are entitled to lounge access at the exclusive Fairmont Gold Lounge, which is only accessible to guests staying in rooms and a suite with lounge access. The Fairmont Gold Lounge is not accessible even to the Accor loyalty programme’s highest tier members. The Fairmont Gold Lounge is located on the 25th floor of the South Tower, which was previously closed when we stayed at Fairmont last year as the hotel designated the South Tower for quarantine purposes. The hotel tightly controlled access to the Lounge, where we were required to use our keycard. This tight access control by the hotel makes the Fairmont Gold Lounge feels very exclusive. The lounge feels homely and cosy. Most of the lounge is dedicated to dining, and we found a small corner next to the entrance to the lounge with a fireplace furnished with a small number of couches, coupled with warm lighting making this section extremely cosy. I can stay here reading the book for a whole day while sipping beverages that the lounge serves up to their guests. The Fairmont Gold Lounge is very quiet and a great place to relax and unwind. The lounge’s dining area gave us a choice of sitting at a proper dining table or a table with couches. Due to its well-appointed location within the hotel, we could catch a view of the Marina Bay Area from the lounge. Guests with lounge access can opt to have their breakfast at the lounge, which is less crowded but with a limited food choice. We could also enjoy bite-sized food during the evening cocktails timing at Fairmont Gold Lounge between 5.30 pm to 7.30 pm.

Entry into the Fairmont Gold Lounge requires our keycard

Swimming Pools

The swimming pools at Fairmont Singapore are accessible via the Willow Spa entrance at level 6 and another entrance at level 8. With the easing of COVID restrictions, we did not have to pre-book our pool slot timings. Fairmont Singapore has two circular swimming pools, a wading and a lap pool. The wading pool is safe for children to play in, while the lap pool can allow guests to do some decent laps as part of their swimming outwork, provided there aren’t many people around. Despite having 30 pairs of sundeck chairs and three cabanas at the pool area, we found difficulty getting a decent spot for suntanning at the pool area, partly due to the increased crowds during the long weekend and partly due to the pool being shared with Swissotel Singapore. The best spots for suntanning are around the wading pool area, as there aren’t any buildings or trees around to block out the sun. I noticed the best time to hit the pool for suntanning is around 1 pm when guests would have checked out, and the next batch of guests have yet to check-in.

The swimming pool at Fairmont Singapore viewed from the balcony of our Royal Suite.

Gym

The gym in Fairmont Singapore is located on the 6th floor, and the hotel has a fairly large gym by any hotel standards. I find the split level gym very well organised in terms of the workout areas. The strength/conditioning and mind-and-body space are located on the entrance level of the gym, whereas the cardio workout area is located on the lower floor of the gym. There is even a studio in the gym for guests who want to do some group workouts together. The gym is well-equipped with plentiful weight machines and free weights for guests to do a total body workout, while the numerous treadmills, cycles, and step machines allow guests to perform cardio workouts. Fairmont Singapore also provides fitness attires for hotel guests for their workouts. I find the gym’s scale is very impressive and matches any fee-paying gyms.

There is space near the gym entrance for guests to do their yoga workouts.

Weight machines in the gym at Fairmont Singapore

Cardio workout area in the gym at Fairmont Singapore

Willow Spa Facilities

Willow Spa is Fairmont Singapore’s in-house spa treatment. Guests at Fairmont Singapore can use the Willow Spa Facilities found inside the changing rooms. There are three hot pools with jacuzzi facilities and one cold pool to regulate body temperature. I also found a steam room and a sauna inside the changing room.

Willow Spa facilities are found in changing room on level 6

There is a sauna and steam room in the changing room

Breakfast

As guests in the Royal Suite, we were given two venues for breakfast. Breakfast is served at the Prego between 6.30 am to 11.00 am for all guests at Fairmont Singapore. Fairmont Singapore adopts an ala-carte buffet style during breakfast at Prego, where we were given a choice of sets of western to local dishes for breakfast. We can always get more food from the menu if we need more food. I find the breakfast at Prego to be mediocre at best. The latte I ordered is flat, and the dim sum dishes are soggy. On the other hand, the western options and the eggs benedict were done perfectly.

As our suite comes with lounge access, we can also opt for breakfast in the Fairmont Gold lounge. The breakfast selection at the Fairmont Gold Lounge is limited to American breakfast and a platter of bread and fruits elegantly presented in a three-tiered tower. Staff at the lounge always checked in with us if we needed to top up any bread or food. Despite having a smaller selection, I felt breakfast at the lounge tasted more delicious than that in Prego. I like the ambience for breakfast at the Fairmont Gold Lounge, where it is more relaxed, and the staffs are a lot more welcoming than at Prego. Breakfast timing at the Fairmont Gold Lounge is between 6.30 am to 10.30 am.

Overall

My experience at the Royal Suite at Fairmont Singapore was excellent. The earthy themed Royal Suite feels luxurious and cosy. What I like most about the suite is the amount of functional space available. The media room is cosy and felt like a small movie theatre when we watched TV in it. The bed is comfortable and provides us with excellent sleep quality. The generous amount of four balconies that came with the suite provided us views of downtown Singapore and as far as Indonesia on a clear day. Service at Fairmont is as impeccable as always and is very consistent with our previous experiences. The staff at the front office were warm and welcoming. The Fairmont Gold Lounge staff are sincere and made our stay at the lounge enjoyable. The hardworking housekeeping staff ensured the Royal Suite was cleaned thoroughly and topped up daily supplies. Prego is still as disappointing as ever, with staff giving us a feeling that they are there to do their job and not remotely interested in providing any service.

[Accommodation Review] – Fairmont Singapore (Signature King Suite), Singapore (7 – 9 Aug 21)

August 30, 2021 / kktong76 / Leave a comment

Location

Fairmont Singapore is situated in the heart of Singapore. It is very well connected to other parts of the city-state by public transport. For a starter, the City Hall MRT station, one of the main interchanges of the subway system, allows guests at the hotel to explore other parts of Singapore via the subway system. Being in the heart of the country, Fairmont Singapore is also very well connected via the bus system in Singapore. Fairmont sits right on top of Raffles City Shopping Mall, where we had no trouble finding food options on top of shopping options. For those of us who wanted to explore other shopping malls, there are shopping malls within 15 mins walking distance from the hotel. In terms of attractions, Fairmont Singapore is located within a minute walk from the Civic District of Singapore, one of the places with historical significance in the country.

The Signature King Suite

This is the second time I have stayed at Fairmont Singapore this year. I stayed at their Signature King Salon Suite back on Apr 21 (read about it here). As there is a long weekend in Singapore, I took the chance to check out the other suite configuration in the hotel open for guests. Fairmont Singapore has five types of suites, ranging from Junior Suites to President Suite. Most of these suites are situated in the South Tower designated for COVID-19 quarantine purposes. As of this review, the only two types of suites in North Tower open for stays are the Signature King Suite and the Signature King Salon Suite. Both these suites are of the Junior Suite category and have the same floor area of 56m². The critical difference between the two suites is in the decor where the Signature King Salon Suite has been renovated.

Being the Junior Suite, the Signature King Suite adopts an open concept. The lounge area is integrated into the suite. The Signature King Suite is very well appointed. However, the decor looks a little dated. It can be segregated into three main areas: Lounge Area, Sleeping Area and the Bathroom. This review will be done in the order of places in the suite as I walk through from its entrance.

Entryway

The entryway in Fairmont Singapore’s Signature King Suite extends from the entrance to the central part of the suite. I like the way Fairmont Singapore maximises the utility of this part of the suite. Other than serving as a walkway into the suite, the hotel fitted a couple of cabinets next to the suite’s entrance. One of these cabinets functions as the minibar. A Nespresso coffee machine, kettles, tea bags and mini-fridge is located in the suite. The other cabinet provides additional storage space where I put the snacks we brought for this staycation. Unlike the Signature King Salon Suite’s entryway, which is decorated with artworks, the entryway in Signature King Suite feels plain and empty. I also thought the zigzag entryway in the Signature King Suite has the additional function of providing its guests with some degree of privacy as people outside the suite cannot see directly into the suite. The bathroom and wardrobe of the Signature King Suite are located along the entryway corridor.

Cups and complimentary coffee and tea are found in the drawer in the minibar area.

Bathroom

The entrance to the bathroom in the Signature King Suite at Fairmont Singapore is found along the entryway corridor. There is a stark difference in ambience comparing the entryway to the bathroom in terms of lighting. While the entryway uses warm lighting, the lighting in the bathroom is brighter. I thought the bright lighting is one contributing factor in making the bathroom feels more extensive than it is.

The bathroom in the Signature King Suite is clad in white and black marble, giving it a luxurious feel. Although the bathroom in the suite is on the small side compared to the Junior Suites in some other hotels, it seems like the hotel devotes more space to other parts of the suite. The bright tiles and lighting, coupled with the large mirror that extends to the entire wall space by the sink, makes the bathroom feel spacious. The bathroom in the Signature King Suite is equipped with one sink. However, I appreciate the additional space at the sink countertop where I brought the toiletries.

The sink area in the bathroom of the Signature King Suite

I very much dislike how the shower area is organised in the bathroom of the Signature King Suite. Instead of having a separate walk-in shower area, a shower/tub combination arrangement for the shower area is furnished in the bathroom. The bathtub is quite sizeable and is relatively deep, which makes soaking in it very much relaxing. However, this is problematic when getting in and out of the bathtub when showering. The deep bathtub can potentially cause its user to slip. To top the problem with the shower area, while a semi-open glass panel is installed to keep the bathroom dry while one shower, this glass panel also make turning on the tap to fill the tub difficult. I had to step into the tub to turn the water to fill the tub. Equipping a rain shower and a regular shower head for showering is the only saving grace for the shower/bathtub area. The water pressure from both shower heads is quite good. Despite the flaws in the design of the shower/tub area, I find the placement of the porcelain throne in the bathroom to be perfect.

I find the shower/bathtub combination in the bathroom to be the Achilles heel in the Signature King Suite of Fairmont Singapore.

The toilet is placed between the sink and the bathtub.

Wardrobe

The wardrobe in the Signature King Suite is situated next to the bathroom entrance, making it very convenient for us to grab our clothing before heading for a shower. However, the size of the wardrobe is a bit on the small side. There is only one wardrobe in the Signature King Suite where Fairmont Singapore also cramp the in-room safe, a two-tiered drawer, and the ironing equipment. Although the addition of the drawers created additional space, it also takes up half of the available space in the wardrobe. The area in the closet is sufficient for us to put away the amount of clothing that we brought for this two-night staycation.

Lounge Area

The end of the corridor from the entryway opens up to the spacious L-shape layout suite. At the end of the “tunnel” from the main entrance sits a reasonably large work desk. Besides using it to work, which has sufficient space to put our laptop and some working files onto, we also use the work desk as a dining table. Unlike the Signature King Salon Suite, the work desk in the Signature King Suite is furnished with two chairs. I like the power outlet placement next to the work desk, making it convenient to charge our laptops. However, despite having an HDMI socket next to the power outlet here, we did have problems connecting our laptop to project on the TV in the suite (we had to connect directly to the TV).

Other than using it for work, we also used the work desk as a dining table

My favourite part of the Signature King Suite is the lounge area, wedged between the King bed by the corner and the word desk area. I find the L-shaped sofa very comfortable to laze on while watching the numerous cable channels on the 55″ TV. I spend most of my staycation with Fairmont Singapore, lounging on this very comfortable sofa binge-watching the TV. The sofa is so comfortable that we took the extra pillows from the bed and requested an additional blanket from the hotel to laze on the couch. The TV perched on a classic wooden TV console can be swivelled to face the work desk we did while having dinner in the suite or facing the bed. I like how the lounge area placement feels very spacious, thanks to the balconies in the suite when the curtains are opened up. A small coffee table between the TV console and the sofa is perfect for us to put our snacks while being entertained by the options on the TV.

The main lounge area in the Signature King Suite

The couch in the lounge area is very comfortable

Sleeping Area

I like how Fairmont Singapore managed to find a conducive and private spot in the open Signature King Suite to snag the King bed. The King bed, marking the sleeping area, is tucked in one corner of the suite, providing us with privacy in an otherwise open concept suite. The King bed is very comfortable to sleep in, but I find the pillows a tad too soft for my liking. Despite the hotel’s best efforts in finding the firmest pillow they have, I still have trouble sleeping with the pillow. That said, the firmness of the mattress on the bed is superb. The use of down lighting in the sleeping area, lightly decorated with a Peranakan motive hanging above the headboard that gives a Singaporean touch to the suite, is very comfortable and not glaring to the eyes. The bedside table provided us with generous storage space to put away our lifestyle devices, while the power outlet by the bedside allows us to charge our devices.

Peranakan motive hanging above the headboard of the King bed

Bedside table next to the King bed provided us ample space to stow our lifestyle devices

Balconies

Like the Signature King Salon Suite, the Signature King Suite also comes with two sizeable balconies to look into the City and get some fresh air. The suite we were assigned to has views of both the Bugis area and the Marina Centre area. The addition of the balconies allows some form of indoor-outdoor space and makes the suite look larger.

The balcony that overlooks the Marina Centre area

One of the balconies in the Signature King Suite

Service

I was impressed with the service at Fairmont back on Apr 21 when I stayed with them. This time around, it was no exception. The hotel recognises the Accor programme, and we were granted check-in as early as 9 am and late check-out of 5 pm (due to our platinum status with Accor). The staff are very welcoming the moment we were at the reception during check-in. During check-in, we were thoroughly briefed by the reception staff on the measures that the hotel took due to the recent government measures resulting from the spiking COVID cases in Singapore. In addition, we were brief on the facilities that were open and how to order breakfast. The staff at check-in also helped us book the swimming pools slots and checked with his housekeeping colleagues to ensure the suites are ready before passing us the keycards to the suite. The service we received at the reception during check-out was equally pleasant. The staff efficiently managed the check-out process, and the staff thanked us for staying with Fairmont Singapore.

Despite the best efforts of the hotel to provide outstanding service to their guests, there are some minor hiccups that we faced during our stay. Most of the time, especially in the evening and at night, we would have to wait more than 15 mins when dialling the one-stop service hotline on the hotel’s phone. At times I would give up waiting and resort to dialling the spa hotline to get someone to attend to our requests.

There was also the issue of breakfast delivery. Due to the government restrictions prohibiting dine-in, Fairmont Singapore arranged breakfast to be delivered to the rooms. Unfortunately, our breakfast on the first day was delayed by 45 mins without anyone calling to inform us that the breakfast would be late. To make matters worst, the breakfast had turned cold by the time we received it. I highlighted the issue to the hotel, and to my surprise, the supervisor of F&B called to explain the situation (which I did not expect them to address our feedback) and assured us that the breakfast would be delivered the next day time (which they did). Furthermore, after receiving the breakfast, the supervisor checked with us to ensure that we have received our breakfast. I thought the F&B supervisor very well handled the issue of the breakfast. Instead of being defensive, she took responsibility for the situation and followed up with a call after our initial complaint and personally see to it that our breakfast was delivered on time the next day.

I can feel the efforts of the staff at Fairmont Singapore in providing service at Fairmont Singapore, despite minimal contact with the staff and the hiccups we experienced. Staffs at Fairmont are always very welcoming whenever we walk past them in the lobby.

We received a welcome cake during our stay with Fairmont Singapore

Hotel Facilities

Due to the recent government restrictions, the spa facilities and the gym at Fairmont Singapore were closed. As a result, only the swimming pool remains open during our stay.

The only swimming pool is open during our stay at Fairmont Singapore

Swimming Pools

The swimming pool at Fairmont is accessible from the spa entrance at level 6 of the hotel. Fairmont Singapore has excellent control over the number of guests at the swimming pool as part of the restriction by the government. The staff at the spa reception will diligently verify the booking for our time slot before allowing us to enter the pool area. The swimming pool is shared with their sister hotel, Swissotel, next door. Despite the shared services, the number of guests at the pool is kept very well controlled. The swimming pools at Fairmont caters to both adult guests and young guests. My nephew enjoyed himself at the wading pool, where we took a swim at the adult pool, which has lanes demarcated for guests who wanted to do their laps. I like the plentiful deck chairs for us to choose from at the poolside, where we can choose the spot where we get maximum sunshine for our tanning sessions.

In-Room Breakfast

Due to the government restriction on dine-in, Fairmont Singapore adapted to the situation by serving our breakfast in-room. We were given a QR code during check-in for our orders for breakfast. However, due to the hiccup on the first day, the F&B supervisor recommended calling and place our order. We were given a choice of mains from American, Lifestyle, Singapore, Malaysian and South Indian Breakfast. Fairmont also serves up a bread basket and fruit together with a choice of mains for breakfast. We opted for the American Breakfast for both days, and I find the food served was sufficient to get us going for the day, not exactly that impressionable.

We opted for American Breakfast for both days

Overall

We had a pleasant staycation with Fairmont Singapore. I like the lounge and sleeping area of the Signature King Suite over their recently renovated Signature King Salon Suite. However, I thought the bathroom was disappointing with the shower/bath combination set-up. Despite the reduced interaction with the staff, we received great service at every touchpoint we had with the staff. Our comments on the Breakfast at the hotel was addressed efficiently by the F&B Supervisor. I can’t wait for the hotel to be fully open to experience the other suites in the South Tower.

[Accommodation Review] – Fairmont Singapore (Signature King Saloon Suite), Singapore (2 – 4 Apr 21)

April 10, 2021April 25, 2021 / kktong76 / 2 Comments

The Location

Fairmont Singapore is located right in the heart of Singapore, within walking distance to nearby attractions such as Esplanade Theatre, the Merlion Park and Gardens By the Bay. Fairmont Singapore is very well connected by the MRT subway, sitting right above City Hall MRT station, allowing guests to explore the Island state by subway. There are tons of shopping options in the vicinity of the hotel. Right below the hotel is the Raffles City Shopping Mall, where restaurants and boutiques are located. Guests at Fairmont Singapore do not need to leave the hotel premises to fulfil their food and shopping needs. Nearby the hotel is the Bugis Junction Shopping Mall, Suntec Shopping Mall and Marina Centre Shopping Mall, where more shopping and food options are available for guests at Fairmont Singapore.

Reception in at the lobby of Fairmont Singapore

The Suite

I booked this staycation for the Good Friday long weekend during the Black Friday Sale last November, where I bagged a deal on their Signature King Saloon Suite for 40% off and comes with breakfast arrangements. Fairmont Singapore has a total of 778 rooms and suites spread across both North and South towers. Due to the pandemic, the South Tower, where the higher category suites and rooms with superb views and the Gold Lounge are located, is closed for guests serving their quarantine upon arriving in Singapore. Only the North tower is open to receive guests for staycations. The highest category suite Fairmont Singapore has in the North Tower is the Signature King Suite, which essentially is a Junior Suite with a total floor area of 56m². Fairmont Singapore has two configurations of Signature King Suite – The Signature King Suite and the Signature King Saloon Suite. The former is older and has a Peranakan theme, while the latter has been recently renovated with a contemporary theme. Fairmont Singapore has only one Signature King Saloon Suite in the North Tower.

Entryway

The Signature King Saloon Suite is renovated with an earthy theme decked in dark brown colour flooring and furnishing, together with the yellow lighting in the entire suite makes guests feel relaxed during their stay in the suite. The earthy tone of the suite can immediately be felt the moment its occupants enter the suite at its entryway, owing to the dark brown wooden wall panel on the left wall of the corridor that leads into the suite and parquet flooring laid throughout the entire suite. Together with the soothing warm lighting, the colour theme of this corridor exudes a sense of claim and relaxation to its occupants. A large mirror fitted on the right side of the wall not only makes this area of the Signature King Saloon Suite at Fairmont Singapore feels larger, but it also allows its occupants to do last-minute checking of their attire before heading out.

Entryway to the Signature King Saloon Suite

Bathroom

The entrance to the bathroom in the Signature King Saloon Suite is found along the entryway, mere steps away from the primary access to the suite. The white-grey marble-laden bathroom gives it a luxurious feel; hints of the central theme in the Signature King Saloon Suite are still subtly present in the bathroom in the form of wooden panels by the sink area. A bulk of the walls in the bathroom is fitted with large mirrors, making it feels more extensive than it is. As guests enter the bathroom, guests can find the sink area on the right of the entrance to the bathroom. Due to the size of the bathroom, fitting it with a single sink gives guests of the Signature King Saloon Suite more space to stow their toiletries on the black marbled countertop.