Raffles V Marina Bay

[Cruiser Elite]

Taxi dropped us off out front - no other cars - walked straight to checkin - T3 lift took like 20 secs to arrive - dropped off our bags then up to Club Lounge T2 55th floor in 3 mins - currently sipping Pipers overlooking South China Sea to Bintan / Batam - I guess we all see things differently huh? I tend to look for the positives until they miss the mark and piss me off - I'll report back on this if it occurs.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

So Ku De Ta has been forced to change their name to Ce La Vi for legal reasons - NIF of details - we are booked in for dinner at 20:15 - will report back.

 

[Awesom Andy]

MBS looks beautiful but it misses out of the functional pieces. Can be a queue of cars to get in, then a queue of people in check in, then a queue around elevators, then a queue for breakfast and so on. I prefer the Ritz Carlton or the Fullerton. Conrad also ok but needs a renovation.

Taxi dropped us off out front - no other cars - walked straight to checkin - T3 lift took like 20 secs to arrive - dropped off our bags then up to Club Lounge T2 55th floor in 3 mins - currently sipping Pipers overlooking South China Sea to Bintan / Batam - I guess we all see things differently huh? I tend to look for the positives until they miss the mark and piss me off - I'll report back on this if it occurs.

Both accounts can be true. Really depends on the time and the day. It's mostly pot luck, but then, it's just the same at most other hotels.

 

[Denali]

Not to mention if you are on the 47th floor, like we were, take a packed lunch with you getting to your floor as it stops a lot on the way (up or down) for people in bathrobes (going to the pool).

Breakfast wasnt an issue in the lounge and I thought the MBS bathroom rocked - nice to swim in a bathtub after being out all day.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Checked out of MBS at 13:00 today - taxi straight to SIN T3 - 00:10 dep to CDG tonight so in total about 10hrs in SIN. Lunatic? Many would say YES - queried 1/2 day rate at MBS - S$359 - nope can't do that - wander around downtown and get all sweaty - no thanks - sanctuary of TPR / T1 / T2 / T3 will make 10hrs fly by. Lunch in TPR killed first 1.5hrs - but I digress - some info on our stay in MBS:

Arrival / Check in - so quick - less than 5 mins and we are off to our room in Tower 3. First impression on entering MBS is YES - it is big - it is brash - it immediately felt impersonal and lacked a sense of warmth - but time will tell. It certainly had that big casino hotel feel - even walking the corridors to the room

Room - we booked Club Room - http://www.marinabaysands.com/hotel/rooms-suites/club-room.html - room was huge - bathroom huge - so spacious - décor lacks oomph or wow factor but the space makes up for that - everything in room you could want - only slight downer was limited water flow from shower head - just ok for me being 60yo male with 8 tufts of hair on my head but Cruiserette said difficult to rinse shampoo / conditioner from hair.

Club Lounge - FABULOUS - FABULOUS - open pour of Piper each night 17:30 to 19:00 - abundant canapés - service from ALL staff SENSATIONAL - staff were SENSATIONAL - oh and the views from 55th floor pretty good also. No seriously much better then pretty good - SPECTACULAR better way to describe them.

Breakfast - I checked both the main breakfast area Rise on ground level and Club Lounge before deciding on breakfast location - Club Lounge had more than ample - everything you could possibly want was on offer - full hot breakfast incl egg station - oh and cereal - and so few people to fight with - and again the staff - SENSATIONAL.

Elevators - I am puzzled about others comments on elevators - we waited no longer than 1 or 2 mins any time for elevator - and never experienced more than 1 or 2 or 3 stops up or down - could not fault them - but clearly others have differing experiences. Being on 40th floor so so easy to go up to 57th floor for pool and to walk across to Club Lounge rather than down and up full distance.

Infinity Pool - just SPECTACULAR - I just had to do this - it's off the bucket list now but I am oh so glad I did it - swam in the pool on 3 separate days - unbelievable.

Ku De Ta / Ce La Vi - as I mentioned earlier Ku De Ta for legal reasons has been forced to change name and is now known as Ce La Vi - have wanted to eat here for a long time. Verdict - totally disappointed - such a poor experience - had reservation made weeks in advance - no problem - sit outside with a lovely city view - but ZERO lighting on / near / around table - 'black as a dogs guts'. Could not read menus - could not see food on plates - food by the way so totally ordinary = never again - cost arm and a leg for a terrible experience - avoid it like the plague.

Conclusion - Big brash casino hotel - but WE LOVED our 2 days / 2 nights here. I always wanted to stay here and swim in the pool and now have done it. Would I return - probably not as too many other beautiful hotels - but it was a fabulous experience and I would not hesitate to recommend others try it for the experience.

 

[Cynicor]

Glad to hear it CE! They may have picked up their game, I have mostly heard bad things which doesn't encourage me to try it.

May I ask which other club rooms you have stayed at, in SIN, as a comparison?

Unless I have a partner who dearly wants to stay there, I can't go past it's very much understated counterpart on the other side of the bay- the Fullerton hotel.

 

[Vim Fuego]

Cruiser
Agree with you on Ku De Ta / Ce La Vi, we went there last year on the Thursday before the GP and had exactly the same experience. Expensive, poor service with different staff telling us different things in regarding to what/how to order and using IPhone torch to read the menu.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Have never actually stayed at Fullerton but we did walk over there Wed morn to try to view a room - 100% occ so could not look - we have another night in Sing mid Sept - might try Fullerton then - or back to Raffles.

 

[Cynicor]

CE, if you like Club rooms then give the Fullerton a shot, and book with a virtuoso agent for free (guaranteed) club access and room upgrade.

Location is slightly worse than the Raffles overall, and I always get taxis to drop me off at "One Fullerton" which has an underground walkway to avoid 5 extra minuets of uturns and one way roads, but I always enjoy my stays there.

 

[dairyfloss]

Hi CE - I was pleasantly surprised to see your feedback on the MBS. I stayed there in a Sands Sky Club room once before (though probably 3-4 years back now), and unfortunately I had the opposite experience to yours in almost every way. I just felt like an [insignificant] number amongst the other 2,560 rooms there. Service was slow or absent in every regard. Nice views & pool, though! Perhaps I'll give it another chance if the price is right.

My most recent layover/visit to Singapore was my 41st (with numbers 42 and 43 coming up before the end of July)... and I would have to say that of all the places I have stayed, the Pan Pacific Singapore (Raffles Blvd) and in particular the Pacific Club is by far my favourite for the Lion city. Unfortunately, not all of the Pacific Floor rooms are renovated, so just make sure you ask for one that is... (I like the Harbour Studio rooms). The Pacific Club on the hotel's top level is near to faultless. Price is also generally more reasonable than most of the well-known others (Raffles, MBS, Ritz-Carlton, etc.) as well. Highly recommended if anyone is looking to try one of the many fine alternatives in Singapore.

Cheers,
Matt.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

CE, if you like Club rooms then give the Fullerton a shot, and book with a virtuoso agent for free (guaranteed) club access and room upgrade.

Location is slightly worse than the Raffles overall, and I always get taxis to drop me off at "One Fullerton" which has an underground walkway to avoid 5 extra minuets of uturns and one way roads, but I always enjoy my stays there.

Thanks Cycicor but unfortunately not going to happen. Cruiserettes favourite all time hotel is Raffles - so Raffles in SIN it is always going to be - unless:
1. I convince her that to try MBS with it's breathtaking views and infinity pool in particular is a once in a lifetime thing and we should do it - we are now both glad we did
2. We can secure another famous historical hotel / building converted to hotel that oozes class, charm and history. After looking out over Fullerton from 57th floor MBS and then quick inspection interior (could not get to see a room unfortunately) then it might get the nod for one night over Raffles in Sept.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Thanks again Cynicor - we are currently sitting in EL in Fullerton - Perrier Jouet is superb and Cruiserette is smacking her lips at every taste of her Cosmopolitans - staff are fantastic - canapés are just delicious - had a swim straight after check in - lovely hotel - so historic - downstairs to the Post Bar on ground floor after 7:30 when the free plonk finishes.

 

[Cynicor]

Thanks again Cynicor - we are currently sitting in EL in Fullerton - Perrier Jouet is superb and Cruiserette is smacking her lips at every taste of her Cosmopolitans - staff are fantastic - canapés are just delicious - had a swim straight after check in - lovely hotel - so historic - downstairs to the Post Bar on ground floor after 7:30 when the free plonk finishes.

So much more soul than the MBS I feel. The lounge staff are awesome. Who's on; one of the guys is great but his name escapes me right now. It's a short name...

 

[Cruiser Elite]

So much more soul than the MBS I feel. The lounge staff are awesome. Who's on; one of the guys is great but his name escapes me right now. It's a short name...

Tiny? ...................

 

[Cynicor]

Tiny? ...................

Possibly, but I think its Tee or something quite short. Damn. It will come to me.
Hope you have a great stay!