Review: The Conrad Centennial Singapore

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As someone who enjoys making the most of his Marriott Titanium Elite status benefits I normally book Marriott properties for my trips but, on this occasion, booking the Conrad Centennial Singapore made a lot more sense.

For my two night stay the Conrad Centennial Singapore cost SG$489.63 ($360)….

…while the most comparable Marriott, the JW Marriott Singapore South Beach (reviewed here) would have cost SG$823.90 ($604.03):

Even compared to the Hilton Singapore (an inferior property in a worse location) the Conrad was a very good deal:

The entry-level room I was offered during the booking process was a Deluxe King and was being sold at a 35% discount in one of Hilton’s reasonably frequent Asia sales.

I could have booked an Executive Room (with access to the Executive Lounge) for a further SG90 ($66) per night but I didn’t feel it was worth it.

I didn’t need anything more upscale than an entry-level room for a short 2-night stay and there was always a chance that my Hilton Gold status would get me an upgrade anyway.

The property has a great location if you’re looking to explore the area around Singapore’s Marina….

…and it sits opposite the Suntec City Mall/Suntec Convention Centre complex and is 5 minutes walk away from the Esplanade MRT station.

If you’re visiting Singapore with a view to exploring the city I’m not sure you could find a better location to be based.

Lobby & Check-In

There are multiple entrances to the Conrad Singapore (it sits on a sizeable piece of real estate) and the one you’ll use will probably depend on how you arrive (by foot or by car) and which direction you arrive from….but whichever way you enter you’ll still end up in the impressive lobby area….

….and you’ll be checking-in at the spacious reception area.

There wasn’t anyone ahead of me when I arrived and a smiling desk agent checked me in pretty quickly….but there was to be no upgrade.

No upgrade meant no access to the Executive Lounge….

….but this didn’t really matter as I was only staying for 2 nights and my Hilton Gold status entitled me to breakfast in the hotel restaurant anyway.

Conrad Singapore Deluxe King Room

The Conrad Centennial Singapore has 31 floors and, even without an upgrade, I was housed on the 20^th floor.

The Deluxe King rooms at the Conrad are 430 square feet (40 square meters) in size and are set out like most hotel rooms.

There’s a short entrance hallway….

….with a bathroom leading to the right (I’ll come on to that shortly) and the main living/sleeping area straight ahead.

The king-size bed was very comfortable, the pillows were fantastic….

…and there was even a Conrad mascot waiting for me:

Opposite the bed was a large flat screen TV mounted on the wall as well as a table, a chair and a small side table:

For added seating the whole area under the window is essentially one long padded bench with a few cushions:

Under the flatscreen TV was a cabinet with room for storage….

…as well as writing supplies….

….and two concealed multi-region power outlets with USB points.

There were more power outlets and USB points on either side of the bed as well as controls for the room lights and the drapes.

The bathroom was an impressive size and offered a double vanity unit…..

…..a large tub complete with Conrad rubber duck….

…and a big stand-alone shower too

The shelves in the bathroom held two complimentary bottles of water which housekeeping replenished.

The hallway is, unsurprisingly, where the closets are….

….and the safe in the second closet was wide enough to hold a 15” MacBook

Opposite the closets is an alcove with glasses, a kettle and a small coffee maker….

…under which is a drawer with more glasses, mugs, tea, coffee, smacks and spirits.

And below this is the minibar fridge:

Here’s how much the minibar items cost (welcome to open wallet surgery):

The view from the room was ok and, although most of the marina was obscured by another high-rise hotel,….

….if you look carefully you can see the Singapore Mer-Lion:

The view improved at night.

Dining

I only ate breakfast at the Conrad (it was complimentary courtesy of my Hilton Gold status) so I can’t comment on the other meals served at the hotel but, if they’re as good as breakfast, they should be just fine.

Breakfast is served at “Oscars” – a restaurant on the ground floor situated next to the reception desks.

There’s a dress code that guests are asked to adhere to….

…and a buffet breakfast is served between 6:00am and 10:30am daily.

The restaurant also offers buffets for lunch and dinner:

Inside, the restaurant offers a variety of tables which can seat between 2 and 5 guests with tables moved together to seat more.

Breakfast itself was an extravaganza.

I can’t imagine what else the Conrad could possibly be expected to offer for something that’s complimentary for mid-tier status elites.

There were all the usual dishes that comprise a hot western-style breakfast (bacon, eggs, hash browns etc…),

….all the usual cold cuts, breads, jams and cereals….

…a salad bar….

…..traditional Asian dishes (Congee, miso soup, rice, steamed buns, noodles etc…)….

…more fruit than anyone can possibly know what to do with….

…a juice station and more juices next to the fruit….

…a bakery’s worth of pastries and cakes…

…and, just in case all that isn’t enough, there’s an ice cream station as well!!!

The Conrad Centennial Singapore offers one of the most comprehensive buffet breakfast I think I’ve ever seen – the Grosvenor House in Dubai comes close but I think the Conrad still wins.

Pool & Fitness Club

The Conrad Singapore has a sizeable outdoor pool on the 4^th floor which is open from 6:00am to 11:00pm….

..and, alongside the pool, is the entrance to the refurbished “Fitness Club” which is open 24 hours (a room key is needed to access the facility between 11:00pm and 6:00am).

The property also offers a spa but it was under renovation during my visit and only a temporary facility was available.

One More Thing….

My flight out of Singapore didn’t depart until late at night while the official hotel check-out time is 12:00pm.

As a Hilton Gold elite I’m not actually entitled to any guaranteed late check out but the hotel allowed me to keep my room until 3:00pm.

After that I was invited to use the restaurant area by the pool for as long as I wanted to stay and work.

That may not sound especially generous until I tell you that this area offered complimentary sodas, tea and coffee….

…and, during the hours I was there, complimentary snacks in the form of:

• Crab meat sandwiches
• Salmon sandwiches
• Beef pastrami sandwiches
• Hot scones with cream and jam
• A selection of cakes
• An assortment of fruit

Full-service domestic US lounges regularly offer less (and worse) than this.

Thoughts

I may not have been given a room upgrade but the ‘entry-level’ room was more than good enough for my needs and it would have been good enough had I been traveling with Joanna too.

There was plenty of space, the bed was very comfortable, the view wasn’t exactly bad, there were ample power outlets and the bathroom was great.

Breakfast was fantastic (I could choose to be as decadent or healthy as I wanted to be), the staff were all exceptionally friendly (without wandering into sycophant territory), the amenities (pool, gym etc..) were more than acceptable and the hotel did everything I could reasonably expect to accommodate my late-departing flight.

I really couldn’t have asked for much more.

Bottom Line

I don’t stay at Hilton properties very often (I get my status courtesy of my Platinum Card from American Express) but this stay has me reconsidering my hotel loyalty policy.

I really enjoyed my stay at the Conrad Singapore and I wish I could have stayed longer. At $180/night this was outstanding value and, from now on, this will probably be the first property I consider for future trips to Singapore.

I know that the better Hilton/Marriott/IHG properties in Asia are often noticeably better than their counterparts in the US or even Europe but, even by Asian standards, I thought the Conrad was great – I don’t think I need to say much more.