St Regis Singapore, a special

place to stay

 

PHOTO: The impressive lobby of the St Regis

 

ERIC SCOTT October 21, 2015

 

ONE thing you can say about Singapore hotels – at least the

ones I have stayed in over the years – is that they have class.

For me, a hotel is a lot more than a place to sleep; it is an

integral part of a holiday, whether as a stopover or for a

longer stay.

If it makes you feel pampered it enhances the holiday, if not it

can cast a dark cloud over the happy memories.

During our last visit to Europe in September we flew

Singapore Airlines and so stayed over for a couple of days

both ways in the country to adjust to changing time zones.  

Both happened to be Starwood brands. On the way out we

stayed at the five-star St Regis, which turned out to be a lot more than just a super luxurious hotel with all the trimmings.

Of course the executive deluxe room with its hand-painted silk wallpaper, king bed and perfect sound-proofing, was classy and elegant and I found the bathroom fascinating – a TV set was installed into the mirror at the end of the bath. Beatrh that for luxury!

The check in desk, with its huge murals was eye-opening; in fact the whole lobby with the crystal chandelier and artworks dotted around was truly something different. In fact an “arts tour” of the treasures is part of the hotel’s service.

It has one of the top private art collections in Asia, from a sculpture by Colombian artist Fernando Botero and a sketch by Spanish artist Joan Miró to a painting by national treasure Chen Wen Hsi. These original pieces were selected to complement the hotel interior.

It a fascinating look at some special Asian art, but it was not over.

We popped into to the Astor bar, with its cool jazz piano tinkling in the background, for a Bloody Mary tasting (the St Regis has its own special version and very tasty it was). I was staggered to see that the walls of the cosy wood panelled room with its leather club chairs, were covered in Picassos, drawings and paintings, mainly before he turned to cubism. That was really special room in which to enjoy a drink.

 The restaurants are great too we enjoyed a special Epicurean lunch experience at the very French Brasserie Les Saveurs in a neat little private alcove as well as dinner in the La Brezza Italian restaurant. The food was perfect and the ambience, with the full length windows and views out over the pool – and the dessert bar, a site to behold with glorious confections and a chocolate fountain!

Unlike many other Starwood hotels there was no executive club room – each executive room did have its own butler. Despite heaps of five-star experiences I did find It a bit intimidating having a butler on call, but when my wife discovered there was iron in the room she contacted the front desk only to be told “your butler will press your clothes and unpack for you.” That followed by the cappuccino in the morning changed my mind about the extra pampering.

As I said earlier, the St Regis is more than a place to stay, there is also has an extra cultural experience the hotel operates – a visit to The Intan, a unique experience that The St. Regis offers to its guests as part of its “aficionado experiences”.

It turned out to be a private tour (travelling from the hotel in the super luxurious Bentley cars) at a pre-world-war Peranakan where we were shown the lifestyle and culture of the Straits Chinese – a community that is unique only Singapore.

It is a private museum that sits in the middle of a row of houses in the heart of a historical and residential area of Singapore and occupies only 90 square metres. It may be small, but it contained a lot of fascinating things collected by the owner Alvin Yapp over the years.

It was a very full two days at a very special place. The cost of a room varies, but you can pay as little as $400 for a night – but be aware of a 10 per cent service fee and GST can add extra to your total.

St Regis: 29 Tanglin Road, Singapore 247911.  Phone: (65) 6506 6888. In Australia, call: 1-800-221-637