PUBLISHED November 12th, 2019 05:00 am | UPDATED July 25th, 2024 01:33 pm
If there’s a particularly good time of the year to do a staycation on Orchard Road, it’s probably the year end festive season when the entire boulevard takes part in the annual light-up. Of course, the neighbourhood has no lack of luxury accommodations like Oakwood Studios Singapore and Royal Plaza on Scotts, but one should also consider the excellently located Grand Park Orchard Singapore. Its iconic herringbone exterior glass façade is situated on the main shopping strip and within walking distance to both Orchard and Somerset MRTs.
The lobby on level four, where the check-in process was smooth and seamless, is accessible via the foyer on the ground floor that provides a comfortable waiting area for guests heading out. The focus on design continues here too, where modern furniture and light fixtures accompany textured walls and front desk counter.
Grand Park Orchard’s 308 keys are spread across seven stories, as well as four room and two suite categories. Our Crystal Club Premier Room was located on level 10; all club rooms occupy the uppermost two floors as the lounge itself takes up a price space on the top floor. Ranging from 29 to 32 square metres in size, the room is spacious enough by our city’s standards – and the interiors certainly shine the spotlight on our city with a modish print of Singapore’s bay front and floor-to-ceiling windows for expansive views of the bustling boulevard.
The layout is typical of hotel rooms, with the wardrobe and facilities on the left and bathroom to the right of the entry way. You’ll find all the trappings of a five-star hotel – a pillow menu to complement the plush bedding of the king-sized bed, premium leaf Gryphon teas, and bath amenities by Australia premium skincare brand APPELLES, which is known for their essential oil products. While compact, the bathroom is large enough to accommodate a separate bathtub and rain shower. The only drawback about the room for us is the lack of USB chargers by the bedside tables.
The major perk of booking a Crystal Club room is of course, access to the lounge and its daily afternoon teas (3pm-5pm) and evening cocktails (5.30pm-7.30pm). It might not be the Shibuya scramble, but wherever you sit, it boasts a nice view of the heart of Orchard Road. I’m no expert at afternoon teas but evening cocktails are worth it if you love your bubbly. They serve Lanson Black Label Brut – always lively in the flute, bearing hints of toast and honey on the nose – alongside two white and two red wines, including a fragrant Sauvignon Blanc Semillon from Flametree in Margaret River. The evening refreshments are decent enough, but we suggest completing your Grand Park Orchard experience with a meal at Mitzo, the hotel’s award-winning contemporary Cantonese restaurant.
We love dim sum for dinner so the Premium Steamed Dim Sum Platter (S$28) is right up our alley. As the name suggest, the classic dumpling trio gets an upgrade with caviar on the shrimp dumpling, baby abalone atop the shrimp and pork dumpling (siew mai), and everyone’s favourite uni on the scallop dumpling. With thin wrappers and sumptuous fillings, these morsels were extremely satisfying. The must-have every occasion we visit Mitzo is their Special Barbecued Pork (S$18), a textural indulgence with its sugar glazed exterior. Nothing rounds off a meal like a hot, fragrant plate of fried rice, and the option with Ginger, Shrimp, and Tobiko delights with its pops of flying fish roe and the slightly spicy finish.
Grand Park Orchard is located at 270 Orchard Rd, Singapore 238857, p. +65 6603 8888. Rates start from S$220 per night.