Singapore Staycation Spotlight: Peak City Living at Mandarin Oriental, Singapore

PUBLISHED February 9th, 2021 06:00 am | UPDATED July 25th, 2024 01:33 pm

It’s neither an uber-sleek property nor a cool co-living concept, but your search can very well stop at the Mandarin Oriental, Singapore for the best perks of city living. With well-appointmented accomodation overlooking Marina Bay and a smorgasboard of F&B options, the luxury property is still a highly sought-after urban retreat, especially since SRVs can be redeemed with Mandarin Oriental, Singapore till 28 February 2021 for stays until 30 June 2021 (see here for more information).

Location & Space

Mere minutes from the CBD and sitting pretty in the heart of downtown Singapore alongside other five-star luxury hotels, the Mandarin Oriental, Singapore was built in 1987 and underwent extensive renovation in 2004. The interior common spaces boast nearly 100 pieces of fine art from the region on display, and wherever you are in the building, views of the city skyline and Marina Bay are likely to be stunning.

Fun fact: American architect John Portman designed the atrium-style hotel based on a theatre concept and intended for the exterior to resemble a fan, like the brand’s iconic logo. Thus, taking the glass elevator and watching the interiors whizz past is quite the experience.

Rooms

Spread across 11 accommodation categories, 527 rooms and suites might seem like a lot. Though with business travel out of the window for now, the hotel was lively enough during our stay and not too crowded. All of them boast floor-to-ceiling windows, but some come with private balconies perfect for fresh air and private moments overlooking the water or our city’s glorious skyline.

At a comfortable 34 square metres – easily half the size of modern 3-room HDB flats – the interiors of our delightful Marina Bay View Room are designed with a sense of understated luxury, drawing from nature and Asian art. The neutral yet inviting colour palette of cream and soft browns makes for a relaxing environment, especially with a pot of warm tea already waiting in your room upon check in. The pillows were a little flatter than we liked, but we certainly enjoyed the large bathroom featuring a separate walk-in shower and tub (bring your bath bombs!).

Facilities

Booking spots at the swimming pool for a socially distanced experience is a sign of our post-Covid times, and it’s no different at Mandarin Oriental, Singapore. Their glorious outdoor 25-metre swimming pool surrounding by loungers and sun beds are available in two-hour slots starting from 7am, with the last slot at 5pm. The gym is also impressively equipped with enough treadmills to go around, a Kinesis Wall, and free weights. Though we didn’t get to set foot into the spa this time around; the intimate space hosts four single treatment rooms as well as two couple suites.

Food & Drink

One of the joys of staycations is not having to get out of bed early, but so is waking up to a tasty breakfast. Known for its extensive buffet presentations in the past, the recently reopened Melt Café has gone a la carte, but you can still have as many breakfast plates as you can finish. Highlights include the Roti Prata, served with chicken or veggie curry, and the Farmhouse Eggs (my ham and cheese omelette will done nicely).

Mandarin Oriental, Singapore is home to six other F&B establishments and for imbibing, we highly recommend the lauded MO Bar, as well as happy hour martinis (and free steak sandwiches!) at Morton’s, The Steakhouse.

Mandarin Oriental Singapore is located at 5 Raffles Ave, Singapore 039797, p. +65 6338 0066. Rates start from S$439++ for the Deluxe Room with the Staycation by M.O. package, inclusive of daily breakfast for two, S$100 spa credit, a bottle of sparkling wine, as well as early check-in and late check-out, subject to availability.