Was looking at celebrating my birthday at a hotel in Singapore this year and having elite status with Hilton, Marriott and SPG, I had tons of options to choose from. Ultimately I shortlisted 4 hotels based on the size of the rooms that I hope I will be upgraded to, as well as their upgrade policies. They were Conrad Centennial Singapore, Hilton Singapore, St Regis Singapore and Westin Singapore. I then proceeded to make soft bookings for all 4 hotels, for the room one level below the Presidential suite.
As for the Conrad, the Executive Suite was sold out, and there was only the Centennial Suite (the entry level suite) left. I made a placeholder booking there nonetheless. You can read the review of the newly refurbished Centennial Suite, which I had the pleasure of staying at earlier this year.
To my surprise when I check the Hilton Hhonors app a week prior to the stay, I was already pre-upgraded to the Presidential Suite at the Conrad Singapore, which cost an insane SGD$3,000/night after tax. This came as a surprise to me because I did not expect them to be that generous. But knowing how hotels can change the reservation anytime, I decided to wait it out and not cancel my other bookings. Soon the day to do the online check in arrived, and I immediately cancelled the rest of my bookings with the other properties. Forty nights with Hilton this year was worth it. I guess the property could differentiate between Diamond members who status matched and real loyal guests, and I was thankful that they went out of their way to make my day.
On the day itself, the lobby was decked out in Christmas decorations and there was tons of sitting area around. The Conrad brand is a business hotel after all, so the lobby was very typical of other 5* properties.
I arrived at the property at the official check-in time and my room, 2901, was ready. According to the front desk agent, Presidential Suites are usually reserved for their VIPs and wedding couples. So it felt good that a young punk celebrating his 24th birthday was given such special treatment. I was very happy and it really set the tone for the occasion.
When I tapped my keys and entered the room, I was blown away. My first reaction was HOLY SHIT! What did I do to deserve such luxury?
The room featured a long entryway with the living room right ahead. The living room was YUGEE and occupied most of the area in the suite. There was sufficient sitting area with a full set of sofa, a coffee table, a desk area with 4 chairs, and a workstation. My welcome amenities included a box of chocolates, a bowl of fruits and the Conrad Singapore Bear.
There was a separate dining area with 7 seats.
There was also a guest bathroom, which was nice, since I was expecting guests and would not want them to dirty the main toilet. Opposite the guest bathroom was the pantry area, which had a full refrigerator, a microwave, a kettle, a Nespresso machine with complimentary pods and a dishwasher.
The suite spanned the breadth of the property and boasted views of the Marina Bay Financial District, Suntec City Fountain of Wealth and the Kallang/Bugis area. The full length window allowed for tons of natural daylight. Coming in at 143sqm, it was perfect for the number of guest that I was expecting later in the evening for a “small gathering”. Having stayed at the refurbished Centennial Suite previously, I was less impressed by the hardware of the room since it was beginning to show its age and the colour scheme of the room, which felt gaudy. But it was well maintained and cozy nonetheless. I am also extremely impressed by housekeeping, which did an amazing job at keeping the entire suite spotless.
There was a door that led into the bedroom, which featured a comfortable King size bed as well as a chair at the foot of the bed. Turn down service was done slightly early at 6pm, but it did not really bother me.
There was a powder area and a walk in wardrobe, which led to a large marble bathroom with a bathtub and separate glass shower. Water pressure was good and toiletries were provided by Aromatherapy Associates. If there was one gripe, it would be that there was no double sinks, which is rather unusual for a suite this size.
Here is a walk-through of the suite:
The club lounge was located on the 31st floor and served afternoon tea from 2.30pm-4.30pm and evening cocktails from 5.30pm-8pm. I managed to head up for some light snacks early in the afternoon. The club lounge was well appointed and decently sized (it occupied the same area as the Presidential Suite), but was clearly not large enough to cater to the throngs of people there when I visited again in the evening. It was extremely crowded and they had to open up the meeting rooms to fit everyone. I have always thought that the lounge was supposed to be an exclusive space but now with the influx of matched Diamonds and Golds that have access, it made the place feel like a zoo. Also because of this, I could tell that the spread has been significantly reduced in terms of quality. Regardless, the service was still top notch and kudos to the staff who were scurrying to replenish the items and attending to guests.
As a Diamond member, I could choose between having breakfast at the Executive Lounge or a full breakfast at Oscars. But guess what, as usual I could not wake up thanks to the divine bed.
The Conrad Centennial Singapore certainly went above and beyond for me this time and I really appreciate it. The staff were excellent with the duty manager constantly checking in on me. Customer service rendered is definitely the most important attribute that make or break a stay, no matter how luxurious the property is. For that, the Conrad has lived up to and surpassed my expectations. This coupled with the insane Hilton Hhonors promotion going on where one can stack on the various lucrative offers available, my stay easily racked up 32,000 Hilton Hhonors points. I will definitely be back in the foreseeable future.