Such a big pool in the center of a city is rare and great to spend time during the hot days. Also its surrounded by large, green gardens; you won’t find that often in a city like Singapore where space is at a minimum. We therefore had a good time in the Shangri-La Hotel Singapore. On arrival, you can see and feel the 5-star luxury and after the check-in on our room there was some delicious tea. And the kids were pleased to find two Shangri-La doorman teddy bears waiting for them on their beds!
On arrival...
We were invited to use the Horizon Club and our kids were indulged with cookies and hot chocolate. Although there is a huge pool with areas cordoned off for children, we wouldn’t call it a family hotel. But the welcoming staff is polite and professional, especially to the kids.
There are three wings, the Tower Wing, the Garden Wing and the Valley Wing. The Tower Wing is in the main section of the hotel. The hotel is undergoing renovations and the new rooms are big, clean and comfortable. We shared our room with the kids on a sofa bed; it is huge, almost suite like.
The Garden Wing has a resort feel to it, surrounded by waterfalls and colourful fish. The interior design is inspired by nature and all rooms feature a balcony for relaxing. Breakfast is served in the poolside Waterfall Restaurant. If you really want to live it up, you can book one of the Premier Balcony Suites, complete with your own jacuzzi, sun loungers and a barbecue terrace - perfect for privacy.
Suite in the Valley Wing
We went for a walk through the Valley Wing, the most luxurious wing of the hotel. It boasts its own lobby and entrance, and when staying here you will a complementary minibar (excluding alcoholic drinks) and drinks and bites throughout the day in the lobby. If you have the funds, we highly recommend it as the atmosphere and style is more peaceful. The free flow champagne, tea, snacks and canapés, and beautiful a la carte breakfast, gives it great value for a luxury option, especially in Singapore where prices are high.
For breakfast, we had two options. One day we went to the Horizon Club, which in the end we preferred; it’s more quiet and personal. Next day we tried The Line; it’s a buffet styled breakfast where the restaurants are divided up into several international areas and into many more corners, baked goods, dessert, meat etc. It’s quite crowded, but you will be pampered by the variety available and the good quality ingredients used.
You can also pamper yourself with a massage at the beautiful CHI, the spa at Shangri-La. Or give yourself some exercise at the gym or on the tennis courts.
"The doorman looks exactly like the teddies!..."
Though there are no kid’s activities, your family will find no problem to find these around. The Shangri-La Hotel is just a 10-minute walk to Orchard Road, Singapore’s main shopping area, where you will find more shopping malls than you can imagine and there’s a lot to see for kids as well. Getting a taxi from the hotel is easy, and you can reach most places in Singapore within a 20-30-minute drive. You might opt for the Singapore Zoo, the SEA Aquarium, Universal Studios, the Jurong Bird Park or the Night Safari.
The Orchard garden
A long day of activities can be followed by dinner at The Waterfall, The Line, de Nadaman Japanese Restaurant or Shang Palace. If the evening hasn’t been finished try the Lobby Court with musical entertainment.
WOW
# No doubt the best part for families is the enormous pool! Surrounded by tropical landscaping, the resort feel to this swimming pool belies its city center location. The pool features two areas for the kids to splash about in, and some water fountains to run in and out of. There are also floating armchairs to play on or relax in as a parent…
# Great location for a citytrip: in the heart of the city with so many shops on short distance.
# The daily-switched carpets in the elevators made us smile and great for not only those loosing timeduring holidays, but also nice for kids learning about days in a week.
