PUBLISHED December 25th, 2014 04:00 pm | UPDATED December 22nd, 2017 04:41 pm
It seems like almost every restaurant in Singapore has some tie-up or another either with a credit card, mobile app, in-house promotion etc etc. And we in Singapore do so love a good deal, but which programs offer the best value for money, rewards, discounts… and which of course are you most likely to actually use?!
Well, it’s time we broke it down and analysed the main contenders. So here it goes:
The Entertainer
The app at $60 nett and the book at $75 nett
The basics
The Entertainer comes in two forms. Either use their massive booklet (which is rather nice visually – like Ikea’s ‘bookbook’), or take advantage of the app for on the go. The basic principle is ‘Buy one, get one free’. So if you’re using it at one of their partner restaurants, you can usually get a main course free with one ordered.
Considering venues like Au Petit Salut, Bedrock Bar and Grill, Senso Ristorante, Fat Cow, Disgruntled Chef, La Barca and Yantra are included, you’ll find the savings very attractive.
It’s not just restaurants and bars though that participate, there’s over 250 merchants in Singapore alone and this includes spas and other lifestyle venues as well. Furthermore, they offer a travel book which contains over 250 buy one get one free stays great hotels and resorts in the region.
Pros
- Price. For only $60 it’s definitely the best deal. You’ll probably make back the cost of the booklet in 2-3 uses.
- Great venues. The selection is diverse and there’s some very attractive offers.
- International! You can use your Entertainer membership at outlets around the world. So if you’re visiting London, Dubai, Hong Kong or one of the cities that has the Entertainer, it’s a great way to save even more.
Cons
- Being that there’s so many offers, it can get a bit overwhelming.
To find out more or to sign up for the Entertainer 2015, please visit their website.
RWS Invites
$150 nett
The basics
If you’re a regular at Sentosa, this is something really need. For starters it comes with an awesome welcome package which actually exceeds the price of the membership making it the only programme where you recover your money (and more) before you even start using it.
The main draw of RWS Invites is not necessarily the discounts but their Rebate Invite$ system which looks something like this:
- 25% Invites$ rebate on Dolphin Island Interaction programmes and Ultimate Marine Encounters
- 20% Invites$ rebate on:
- Regular priced day passes to attractions and ESPA treatments
- Dining at star and celebrity chef restaurants
- 3% Invites$ rebate for every dollar spent at other participating outlets
- All day parking for Invite$1.50
You also get regular invites and first dibs at their shows and seasonal promotions. These rebates are pretty much usable anywhere in Resorts World Sentosa. You can redeem it for attractions tickets, dining discounts, even booking stays at the hotels.
Use Promo code 000197Q to get 10% off the full price of membership.
Pros
- The rebates are awesome. You can accumulate them quickly and probably score yourself at least one free staycation at least once a year.
- Great seasonal promotions and offers. Eg. For their performances and shows.
- Parking – becomes $1.50 for all-day, saving you a ton of money if you visit regularly.
Cons
- Only worthwhile if you visit Resorts World Sentosa at least a few times a year.
To find out more or to sign up to RWS Invites, please visit their website.
Palate
$428 + gst
The basics
Originally the ‘White Card’, the Palate card received a rebranding a couple of years ago and has since been pulling in a range of restaurants and bars to participate in its programme. Its partners range from larger well-established restaurant groups to smaller independent venues. Participating venues generally are located around Orchard and the Central Business District.
The offer structure is pretty simply,
And there’s a fairly decent selection of restaurants on board, including the entire Tung Lok group. There’s also some great spots like D’Bell, Sopra Cucina, Arossa Wine & Grill, Dancing Crab, Il Lido and Senso Ristorante that are on board.
Pros
- The discount structure is amazing if you’re ‘attached’. Essentially meaning that your bill is reduced by 50% every time you dine at one of the outlets. So a posh dinner for 2 at $200 becomes more like $100.
Cons
- Relatively small selection of venues and only a portion of them are really worth going to.
- Venue partners seem to frequently change which can be annoying.
- Price. Over $400.
To find out more or to sign up to Palate, please visit their website.
The FAR Card
$425 for 1 year
The basics
The FAR Card follows a similar discount structure as the Palate card, however instead of being a selection of random restaurants and bars, The FAR Card is dedicated to the Fairmont/Swissôtel venues (sorry, no Raffles Hotel anymore). So if you work and/or spend a lot of time around Raffles City Shopping Centre, this could end up saving you quite a bit of moolah, especially if you like the posher dining options provided.
- 10% discount for 1 person dining.
- 20% discount for 5-10 persons dining.
- 25% discount for 4 persons dining.
- 33% discount for 3 persons dining.
- 50% discount for 2 persons dining.
Aside from the restaurants, The FAR Card also gets you special deals at the spas and accommodation.
Pros
- Same as Palate. If you go to the restaurants as a couple, you get 50% discount of total bill. Pretty swanky!
- Very high quality outlets. JAAN, Mikuni, Equinox and Prego are just some of the participating venues.
Cons
- Fewest participating outlets.
- Restaurants are all quite expensive so only not appropriate for regular usage (unless you’re minted).
To find out more or to sign up to The FAR Card, please visit their website.
Club at the Hyatt
$298 nett for 1 year
The basics
For those who are Hyatt fans, the Club at Hyatt is a must-have. Mainly geared around the hotel’s restaurants, Club at Hyatt’s benefits also extend to seasonal promotions, accommodation discounts and more. The membership benefits are also usable at over 80 of Hyatt’s hotels worldwide so this could really come in handy on vacation.
Similar to Palate and FAR, the discount you receive of your dining bill depends on how many diners there are (see table below). The annual membership is valid at the Grand Hyatt’s venues: mezza9, Oasis, Pete’s Place, StraitsKitchen and 10 SCOTTS.
- 15% discount for 6+ persons dining
- 20% discount for 5 persons dining.
- 25% discount for 4 persons dining.
- 33% discount for 3 persons dining.
- 50% discount for 2 persons dining.
- 15% discount for 1 person dining
Pros
- Internationally usable at Hyatt hotels globally.
- Few, but great dining venues.
Cons
- Caters to a pretty high-end crowd.
- Realistically only useful if you’re a regular visitor to the Hyatt hotel.
To find out more or to sign up to Club at Hyatt, please visit their website.
FINAL JUDGEMENT:
For overall use, The Entertainer offers a great variety of rewards and seeing that they have so many outlets, you’re pretty much guaranteed to use it regularly as long as you keep it in mind. RWS Invites is really for those who love visiting Resorts World. If you’re a regular visitor then this is essential (and will save you a bomb on parking!).
As for The Far Card and Palate, you can enjoy both benefits complimentary with The Platinum Card®, The American Express® Platinum Reserve and Platinum Credit Card. In my opinion, this not only saves the trouble of having carry around extra cards, but you can also earn air-miles etc while you’re at it. Bonus!