Occupying the former General Post Office, The Fullerton Hotel is located in the centre of the CBD in Singapore next to Singapore River surrounded by office buildings. The nearest shopping mall is about 20 mins on foot, however, Fullerton Hotel provides regular shuttle service to the nearby shopping malls. There is an MRT station about 3 mins walk from the hotel. The Fullerton Hotel was accorded National Monument in 2015, staying here is like staying in a part of the history of Singapore.
The facade of The Fullerton Hotel from across the street
The Fullerton Hotel was accorded a National Monument in 2015 printed on its keycard
Hotel Atrium
The reception area in The Fullerton Hotel
The Room
Bedroom
I checked into the Postmaster Room during my stay at The Fullerton Hotel. The earthy tones of light brown and beige colour running throughout the room elude a cosy feel for guests entering the room. The three-panel wardrobe resembles a traditional Japanese door, with white panels and thin wooden trimmings. Although occupying but a small part of the room, the wardrobe is large enough for guests to put away one week worth of clothing. The panel immediately next to the main entrance has shelving and drawers, which gives ample space for guests to put away smaller pieces of clothing. Guests can also hang up their clothes in the two-panel wardrobe next to it. A small foldable stool can be found inside this part of the wardrobe for guests to put their cabin-size luggage onto. I was able to put away my duffle bag on the stool and have the wardrobe doors closed.
The corridor outside the Postmaster Room
Main Entrance to the room with the three-panel wardrobe
Space in the wardrobe to hang clothes
Single-panel side of the wardrobe with three drawers to put more stuff in
The wardrobe is located next to the main entrance to the room
With the wall that makes up the bathroom opposite the wardrobe creates a small corridor that leads guests into the room. Stretching from the wardrobe through the entire depth of the room is hip height cabinet, using the same coloured wood as the wardrobe the hotel was able to achieve consistency in the colour scheme of the room. This makes the room look comfortable and not too confused with the minimum use of colour schemes in the room. This cabinet houses the mini bar fridge as well as a safe nicely hidden away from sight. Right smack on the centre of the cabinet is the 42″ LED TV, which is placed directly opposite the King Bed. Facing the main entrance to the room, tucked away in a corner is where the work desk is located. The work desk is rather sizable and doubled up as a dining table for me during my stay there. On the work desk, the hotel provided a mobile phone which guests can use as a mobile wifi device. Local calls on this mobile phone are complimentary from the hotel. There are also various media inputs located next to the work desk for one to plug in their lifestyle devices to be projected from the TV. There are several options in the menu of this TV, including movies which are chargeable. Otherwise, guests can choose from the many local and international channels for entertainment.
Other than the TWG tea and instant coffee, the rest of the items in this rack are chargeable
The safe is well hidden below the electric kettle
Mini fridge
Large 42″ LED TV
Some reading materials are provided in the room
A large workweeks cum dining table tucked in one corner of the room
Media input that connects to the TV located next to the work desk
Stationery can be found in a drawer next to the work desk
The hotel provides this mobile device that allows guests to make unlimited local calls for free. This can also be used as a mobile wifi device
The King bed is placed opposite the LED TV. The large bed can sleep thee comfortably and the sleep quality of the bed is superb. I had a great rest on the bed throughout my stay at the Fullerton Hotel. The pillows placed on the bed are soft, however, Fullerton Hotel does provide a pillow menu with varying degrees of firmness to suit their guests. I opted for the buckwheat and firm feather pillow. As I prefer firmer pillows, I find the firm feather pillow to be more comfortable. As with many international hotels, a couple of bedside tables are placed on either side of the bed. There is a master control on the right side of the bed which controls the lighting as well as curtains to the balcony. There is no lack of power outlets in the room, with two on either side of the bed. Placed slightly in front of the bed, tucked to the wall of the bathroom is a single-seat armchair with footrest. There is a small coffee table placed beside it. I find myself sitting on this armchair watching TV and reading a book whilst in the hotel. The armchair is rather comfortable to sit one. The placement of this armchair does not seem to come across as an obstruction for movement in the room.
A very comfortable King bed that gave me a good night sleep
One of the bedside tables. The plush toy is not complementary
Armchair right in front of the bed with the TV and work desk
This panel is located on the right side of the bed that controls the lighting as well as the curtains to the balcony
Dirty spot on the telephone that was missed out by housekeeping staff
Balcony
The main difference between the Courtyard room and the Postmaster Room is that the latter has an attached outdoor balcony. There are a few types of rooms in the hotel that comes with a balcony. Furthest into the room is where one can find the door to the balcony. The balcony spans across the entire width of the room. There are a couple of chairs and a table placed on one side of the balcony. Though the view (the room that I stayed in faced an office building) isn’t that great, I enjoyed relaxing by the balcony as it is rather windy. There is no direct sunlight onto the balcony, making it my favourite spot to hang out. There are two double panelled doors to the balcony. One would have to be careful with the outer door as it tends to slam back, thanks to the hydraulic door closer. Not too sure if the glass panel of this door will shutter with prolonged slamming of the door.
Door to the balcony
Chairs in the balcony for guests to chill
I can see part of Singapore River from the balcony. The room I was assigned faces directly to the office building
Bathroom
The bathroom is located opposite the wardrobe and next to the entrance. The marble laid bathroom is rather spacious. There are two entrances to the bathroom, one by the main entrance and another next to the King bed. There is a large bathtub opposite the sink top, tucked in a corner of the bathroom. The sink top has ample space for guests to place their toiletries. There is a three-tiered shelf carved out of the wall that provided additional storage space. Next to the bathtub is a walk-in rain shower stall, enclosed by glass providing a wet and dry area. I like hotels that designed their bathrooms with a separate walk-in shower, which not just make showering easier (without the need to climb in and out of the bathtub for shower), it also separates the wet from the dry area. This means the wet flooring in the bathroom is kept to the minimum. Next to the shower is a toilet cubicle, which comes with an additional door.
Bathroom at a glance
The bathtub is very large, however unlikely some hotels, The Fullerton Hotel does not provide bath salts
Single sink in the bathroom. There is a lot of space to store additional toiletries
Walk-in Shower stall with rain shower
Toilet cubicle
The bath amenities provided by The Fullerton Hotel feels luxurious
Additional Amenities
Swimming Pool
The swimming pool in The Fullerton Hotel is located on the 2nd floor. The 25m infinity pool, overlooking Singapore River, is rather small. There is a Jacuzzi area built in the pool. The number of sundeck chairs available is rather limited. On a busy day, one can forget about visiting the pool. The Fullerton Hotel allows guests to use the pool at the adjacent sister hotel, Fullerton Bay Hotel. However, one is expected to walk about 5 mins to Fullerton Bay Hotel. There is a bathroom next to the swimming pool, where lockers are available. There are a sauna and a steam room inside the gent’s bathroom.
Small pool with limited sundeck chairs
Swimming pool area
The facade of the hotel from the pool
Steam room and sauna inside the toilet next to the swimming pool
Gym
Gym in Fullerton Hotel is located at level 1M, opposite Fullerton Spa. The gym is rather small, however, is well equipped with treadmills, static cycles as well as limited weights machine. Though not elaborate, one can still get a decent workout in the gym.
The Fullerton Hotel has a very small gym, but sufficient for guests to get a decent workout
Drinks and apples are available for guests using the gym
Breakfast Service
Breakfast is served at Town Restaurant located one the first floor of the hotel. There is no lack of variety served up at during breakfast. Other than the standard American and Continental Breakfast, there are also local fares being served up during breakfast. I find the providing of local fares to be a very good way of the hotel introducing local food to their guests.
Breakfast is served in Town Restaurant
Most of the food can be found in the centre of the restaurant
The restaurant serves up local fares on top of the standard American and Continental Breakfast
Service
The service levels in the hotel are befitting of five-star standards. As I arrived at the hotel during the check-in time of 3 pm, there is several guests waiting to check-in. Staffs were seen coordinating with guests, assuring them that their turn to check-in will not take too long. I saw a pregnant lady in the queue and thought that the staffs can do better by providing her with a seat or place her in a priority queue. I did not have to wait too long to get myself checked in. However, the check-in process is rather slow and took about 15 mins, excluding the wait time.
Other than the slow check-in process, the staffs around the hotel seem to be eager to do their best to ensure guests have a comfortable stay. I called up reception several times to request for amenities and pillows. Whenever I called the reception for amenities or pillow, there will always be a call back to confirm that the items that I requested for has been delivered. I find this check back is a good way to ensuring guests get what they requested for. I ordered room service, before entering the room, the staff would introduce himself to me. I thought this is a good way of establishing rapport with the guests.
The biggest star would have to be Izan, a staff working at the pool. He was welcoming when I hit the pools. Izan offered to bring us to the chair that we wanted and even took the initiative to lay out the towels on the chair for us. I saw Izan working hard to provide the same service to all other guests coming to the pool tirelessly, in the hot afternoon sun. He religiously removed towels that were left behind by guests, rearrange chairs to the way they were on top of helping guests to the sundeck chair.
The staffs at Town Restaurant are very welcoming as well. I received a greeting from a staff member before being led to my table and handed over their colleagues on the restaurant floor. The staffs in the restaurants are very efficient and obliging to requests from guests. Coffees and teas came very fast, and no empty plates are left on the table. As soon as I returned to my table, the plates are already cleared. Staffs would pop by and check if I needed more coffee.
Overall
I had a comfortable stay at The Fullerton Hotel. The sleep quality on the king bed was superb, the size of the room is just nice. I particularly like the balcony and find it a great place to hang out. In terms of service, they are good but not memorable, except for a few individuals, like Izan.
Located at the fringe of the central business district and next to Singapore River, Fullerton Hotel is a tad far from the main shopping district. Even the closest shopping mall, Marina Square area is a good 10 mins walk from the hotel. However, the location of the hotel is a great spot to immerse one with the history of Singapore, after all this hotel used to be the general post office of Singapore. It is also close to the iconic Merlion statue that many tourists come to visit. The area is rather quiet during weekends but can busy during weekdays. There are several museums around the vicinity of the hotel.
The Room
I stayed in the Courtyard room. The naming of this room can be misleading. One might form the impression that the room comes with an outdoor patio for one to relax and just watch the life goes by, however, the definition of “Courtyard” according to the hotel means the room is facing the interior of the hotel. The ceiling to floor window allows guests to see what is happening inside the hotel. There are no views exterior of the hotel.
Sleeping Area
The layout of the room is pretty standard as with most of the other hotels. To the right of the main entrance of the room is the bathroom. Pasting the bathroom, one would find the main bedroom. The decor of the room feels classy and cozy. The King-sized bed in the room provided me with a very good night’s sleep. Coupled with the comfortable linen and duvet makes sleeping in this hotel heavenly. The powerful air con cooled down the room pretty quick given the hot weather in Singapore at this time of the year. There is also a single-seater armchair in the room for guests to rest should the do not wish to rest on the bed.Viewing the TV from the arm-chair is rather weird due to the angle it is placed relative to the TV.
Bed in the room
Opposite the bed, directly facing the main entrance is a small work desk and the TV. The study desk is a tad small which only allows a laptop to be placed. However, there is a side table next to the study desk, which provides additional space. I find the orientation of the table odd as it is facing the main door and not the window. The TV is also almost immediately next to the study table, which makes viewing of the TV only possible from the bed or the armchair. This area is where one would find the minibar and complimentary coffee and tea. The hotel provides very good quality coffee and tea. The hotel provides guests with premium TWG tea.
Study and TV area
Bathroom
As mentioned previously the bathroom is next to the main entrance of the room. The bathroom is rather large for the category of the room. The large mirror at the sink, opposite the bathtub, gives guests the feeling of spaciousness in the bathroom. What I love about the bathroom is the huge bathtub, which allows one to soak in a relaxing bath without feeling squeeze. There are some storage shelving next to the sink. The walk-in shower features a rain shower, providing guests with great showering quality. There is also a small room with a toilet bowl inside.
Vanity area with sink in the bathroom
Shelving allowing guests to store their toiletries
Sink area in the bathroom
Toilet
Huge bathtub
Service
As a 5-star hotel, one would certainly expect exemplary service from Fullerton. The great service only stops at the check-in counter. As I booked this room for my birthday, the attentive clerk at the reception saw that it was my birthday on the day of checking in and wished me a happy birthday. The first impression of the hotel is the staff paid attention to details. However, great service stops there.
My friend arranged with the hotel for a surprise birthday cake for me to be delivered in the room by 5 pm but the cake did not come until almost midnight when my birthday is almost over. My friend was puzzled and called the reception a few times enquiring about the cake, which certainly spoils the surprise that was installed for me. The reception kept mentioning that they will deliver it shortly. But it never came. We thought they will place the cake in the room during the turndown service. We left the hotel for dinner elsewhere. Upon returning, there is still no cake. My friend was truly embarrassed. My friend called the reception asking about the cake, this time round the reception claim ignorance of the arrangement of the cake. When questioned as to the reason the staff previously we spoke to acknowledged about the cake, the staff was dumbfounded and finally deliver the cake at around 11 pm. This incident proved to us there is no sincerity in the service rendered by the hotel, certainly no befitting of 5-star.
The horrendous service does not end there. The next day we headed for breakfast at the Town Restaurant. The first impression, there is inconsistency in the layout of the table. I saw some tables stocked with 4 small jars of jam while some have none, some have less than 4. This proves to show that the hotel does not pay attention to details. What pissed me off is the racial discriminatory service and I have experienced. I was at the egg station and the staff at the egg station gave me a very unfriendly look and asked very rudely “What you want??!!”. I was a little offended by the tone, but thinking she might be tired after a long morning’s work cooking eggs. We ordered what we wanted. As we were about to leave the egg station, the same staff, upon seeing a Caucasian approaching her, greeted the guests with a million dollar smile and warmth, asking him “Good Morning Sir, How can I serve you the egg of your preference?” At this point, I was very pissed off with such discriminatory service. To make matters worst, the staff at the egg station was discriminating against her fellow countrymen. I brought this up to the hotel subsequently and nothing was heard from them since.
Overall
In terms of the hardware, the hotel got it. It provides good night rest for guests and the bathroom is impressive. However the service feels fake and insincere, when brought up to the management, nothing was done about it and no response heard from them. To make matters worst, it seem the hotel condoles discriminatory service and racism. Given the amount spent on the one-night stay, one will find somewhere better at a more convenient location, unless one do not mind being discriminated upon.
