Singapore is where I call home, so perhaps that makes me adequately qualified to say that when it comes to location, there’s nowhere better than the holy Fairmont Singapore-Swissotel The Stamford-Raffles City shopping centre trinity to stay at and spend your time wandering around in if you’re flying in for a visit to this Lion City.
Located above the mall and a MRT station, Fairmont affords guests amazing views of Singapore’s famous marina. As such, every year come August and September, locals and tourists have been known to book rooms at the Fairmont and its Swissotel sister property to watch the National Day fireworks and F1 night races respectively. The hotel is also just minutes away by car or train to the CBD and Orchard Road shopping area, and 20 minutes from Changi Airport.
Having never found myself in a room at the Fairmont during the abovementioned occasions, or in the building complex often, I was excited to get the opportunity to stay at the hotel recently.
For my stay, I was appointed a Premier King room type, which is a middle-tier room category out of all 769 guestrooms and suites. Spacious and contemporary, it afforded me with an enviable vista of the glittering skyline from a private balcony when I checked in late one Saturday night. At 484 sq-ft, the vastness of the room was felt immediately when I walked in under ambient light. Purple accents courtesy of lighting fixtures and a bedhead art piece developed by local digital artist, Andre Tan showcasing Singapore’s heritage and colonial history were a nice touch; as was a bespoke carpet featuring olden-day hand-painted clay tile flooring patterns of Peranakan influences.
Between a convenient bedside light and curtain panel, leather-clad work desk (with recyclable and non-recyclable trash bins), a single-seat sofa with footrest and crisp white cloud of a bed, everything felt oddly familiar and within easy reach — as though I’d been there many times before.
“Purple accents courtesy of lighting fixtures and a bedhead art piece developed by local digital artist, Andre Tan showcasing Singapore’s heritage and colonial history were a nice touch.”
The bathroom, on the other hand, was like a testament to what happens when marble is tastefully used as the material of choice. An innovative rainshower installation took up one side of the space, facing a square mirror that came with a circumferential light just like I’d seen recently in another hotel. Perfect for taking selfies, I wondered if this was becoming a trend in hospitality décor.
Perpetuating the black and white colour scheme, I noticed that black plantation shutters reminiscent of those found on colonial bungalows scattered all around Singapore were used to flank the aforementioned mirror. As a fan of that particular house style, the nostalgic intent wasn’t lost on me. I was also happy to spy Le Labo amenities, which came in a Rose fragrance that I later found out was signature to Fairmont hotels.
Among the other facilities, there’s also a spa, six tennis courts, meeting rooms and ballrooms, as well as a mind-boggling 15 restaurants and bars, including Italian trattoria Prego, where I had breakfast the next morning. I was also tickled to find out that the other breakfast restaurant alternative was called Alligator Pear, thanks to the overlooking view it offered diners of the pool area where apparently it looked like one alligator-shaped pool was “eating” a pear-shaped pool. Unfortunately, given the hotel’s popularity and the weekend, Prego and all the public areas were flooded with people, leaving me no choice but to checkout a little earlier than I wanted. But no matter — I’d finally experienced this big city hotel.
“I noticed that black plantation shutters reminiscent of those found on colonial bungalows scattered all around Singapore were used to flank the aforementioned mirror. As a fan of that particular house style, the nostalgic intent wasn’t lost on me.”
Where: Fairmont Singapore
80 Bras Basah Rd, Singapore 189560
Phone: +65 6339 7777
Note: The writer was invited by the hotel but all the opinions expressed herewith are her own
