A week in SIN - Two hotels and a free flow Veuve Sunday Brunch

[amaroo]

Re: QF "Celebrate New Year" Sale 2013

In the interest of maintaining a happy household - we've (read SWMBO) has taken advantage of this special & booked the 4 of us to SIN for Easter.

After the shock left my body, it doesn't seem that bad of a deal. BNE-SYD-SIN......SIN-SYD-BNE for 3 adults (son turns 12 - 3 weeks before we depart,) & 1 child for a total of $4039.28.

I've now got the Herculean task of trying to work out the best whY seats for 4 in the old version A380 & 744......it's been awhile! Any advice will happily be accepted.

Can you believe that QF want us to wait 5+ hrs in SYD for the SIN leg Something tells me that this will be the best flight out of the four:!:

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The above post http://www.australianfrequentflyer....irfares/qf-celebrate-new-year-sale-46452.html was my way of coping with the news that SWMBO woke up one morning & decided that we needed a holiday.

With the flights booked :-| I was told to sort everything else out.

We've enjoyed many visits to SIN over the years & have stayed at a few hotels. This trip I decided to do something that I've never done before......break the stay in the middle & book two hotels. First hotel needed to be located near Orchard Rd for the shopping & the second down on the Bay for something new.

After some research the bookings were made - Four Seasons & Fullerton Bay Hotel.

Four Seasons has a quite location near Orchard Rd & has a A/C walkway that brings you out at the Hilton...... a stay 3 pay 2 offer sealed the deal.

Fullerton Bay Hotel looks fantastic & I've wanted to stay since it opened late 2010.






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[amaroo]

As the day approached I decided to throw an upgrade request in - three of the four flights booked into a bucket that allowed upgrades. The only one that didn't was SIN-SYD

Requesting 4 seats from whY into J seemed impossible odds however, after reviewing expertflyer (thanks AFF) I was pleasantly surprised......seems flying on Good Friday has it's benefits!

The SMS from QF for BNE-SYD came 3 days before the flight - there goes 20,000 points.

The SMS for the all important SYD-SIN arrived 23hrs before the flight - another 160,000 points happily spent

180,000 points spent very well IMHO.

I pre-booked P1 Park Premium on the BNE webpage, great system - 8 days parking for $153.90 Express ramp up to level 3 & a car spot metres from the covered walkway over to the terminal.

Check-in & we were seating in the J lounge waiting for QF511. Kids tucked into the pancakes while I kept myself fighting fit for the Flounge

QF511 was a refurb 767

 

[amaroo]

Nice flight....walked to transfer desk & the down the escalators for the best bus ride in town.

Straight on the bus, quickly through the formalities and we were sitting in the Flounge. On the bus I noticed a stripped 747 on the stand.....wonder if she is heading for the desert or some Iranian shelf company?



Once in the lounge we decided to have a drink before lunch & try our luck with a spa sessions. SWMBO got lucky with a massage however, I bombed out.

No problem - relaxed with drink in hand & took a few shots of the lounge.

 

[amaroo]

Lunch in the QF SYD F lounge - exceptional & something we also look forward to

Spicy Vegetable Soup



Wild Mushroom Risotto



Grilled Snapper



Chill Basil Beef



Pav in the glass

 

[amaroo]

It was sad to see the round tables have been replaced with three bog standard square ones....seems the round tables were causing dramas with some singles & couples insisting on being seated there

On the bright side there are now more window seats.

Prior to leaving - the desk agents sorted our seating out. The cabin was full & the upgrade allocation had my 12yr son sitting in Emerald City with the rest of us in row 19. They did their magic (against protests from my son) and we were allocated 19EF & 20EF.

Our stay in the Flounge was brilliant as always. On the way out I had a chat with the lovely door man (Nestor?) He is one of a handful of originals that have been there since the start. I asked him about the upcoming QF/EK do being held on Sunday - he said that they were all very nervous & on top alert. He also showed me the cheat sheet for the new access rules.....apparently EK top tier have more guesting rights and there was still some confusion on how to deal with it.

If you want to see the current Flounge menu - I posted it here http://www.australianfrequentflyer....current-f-lounge-menu-40325-4.html#post796228

Short walk to QF1 and seamless priority boarding to the top deck.














Next - Welcome to SIN

 

[Princess Fiona]

Enjoying the TR,
I had the mushroom risotto last month and thought it was delicious
Good work with the upgrades ( I'm ever so stingy with my points and would likely have suffered in whY to protect them )

 

[amaroo]

Enjoying the TR,
I had the mushroom risotto last month and thought it was delicious
Good work with the upgrades ( I'm ever so stingy with my points and would likely have suffered in whY to protect them )

After 10 odd years of trying to get 4 J or F seats on QF metal - I couldn't resist.

Expertflyer was showing U9 right up to the day before departure......have never seen that:shock:

If we did the last minute bookings (like I always do) we could have jagged 4xJASA on QF1 & 4xJASA on QF52.......rest assured I have reminded SWMBO of this

 

[amaroo]

Sorry, but after a rather long innings in the Flounge - I forgot to take photos of the SYD-SIN food offerings. Suffice to say....it wasn't very good.

If you would like to see the current J menu for the SIN flight......here it is http://www.australianfrequentflyer....qf-international-j-meal-48982.html#post796223

Flight was nice & we arrived a little early or on-ontime.....can't really remember Stupidly, I decided to watch Zero Dark Thirty.....157 mins, I'll never get back!

Lightning fast speed through immigration, baggage collection & customs - gotta love SIN efficiency. The FS hotel car was waiting with the big sign & in no time I was in the car using the iced face washer & downing a couple of bottles of Fiji water:-|

Pulled up at the FS & taken straight to our rooms for in room check-in

We had a Deluxe King & the kids were in a connecting Deluxe Twin. Should have taken photos with the blinds open, during the day.......learning this TR caper on the run!

As mentioned up-thread stay 3 pay 2 is a sweet deal

 

[markis10]

Nice flight....walked to transfer desk & the down the escalators for the best bus ride in town.

Straight on the bus, quickly through the formalities and we were sitting in the Flounge. On the bus I noticed a stripped 747 on the stand.....wonder if she is heading for the desert or some Iranian shelf company?

Thats Oscar Hooks or VH-OJJ, off to the desert ex Lease on Friday.

 

[LadyC]

Sounds like FS Singapore was good? The gentleman and I just stayed in FS HK and I think it is the best hotel I have ever stayed in. It is the first FS I have stayed at so I am interested to know whether other FS are as good.

 

[amaroo]

Four Seasons Singapore is starting to show her age however, the FS way of doing things is still shining blight. The kids had treats waiting for them and a kids package of assorted goodies......slippers, bathrobes, shampoo, bubble-bath stuff.

The hotel has two pools - a 20m adult only (AKA, kids aged 12^) & a family pool on the roof top. Both have outdoor Jacuzzi that are nice & hot. Two in-door a/c tennis courts, two outdoor courts, impressive 24hr gym & an award winning spa that gets SWMBO seal of approval.

Breakfast is served at One-Ninty - it's outstanding in range, quality, service & an egg station that will prepare anything you throw at them. As we were staying over the easter w/end they had fresh hot cross buns which the kids loved. From memory the breakfast had selections covering - Western, Chinese, Japanese, Indian + cheeses, meats, cakes....you name it.

The hotel is connected via an a/c walkway to the Hilton & therefore, Orchard Rd - our destination for the first day.......shopping & plenty of it filled the day. Lunch was at Ngee Ann City Ramen from Tampopo Japanese Restaurant Singapore, Takashimaya | ladyironchef: Food & Travel ....... Very nice.

More shopping, back to the hotel for a swim, hot tub & spa

Dinner was booked at an old favourite of ours at the Paragon - Crystal Jade Golden Palace Crystal Jade Golden Palace Restaurant Paragon | ladyironchef: Food & Travel .... beautiful as always.

Nice walk back to the hotel & time for sleep......tomorrow we have booked one of the highlights of the trip. The much loved Singapore Classic - Sunday Brunch with free flow Champagne

 

[amaroo]

Sounds like FS Singapore was good? The gentleman and I just stayed in FS HK and I think it is the best hotel I have ever stayed in. It is the first FS I have stayed at so I am interested to know whether other FS are as good.

FS HKG is in another league. We've enjoyed many stays & it remains our favourite. The pool(s) are unbeatable, the restaurants are Michelin rated & the service is A grade.

The executive club is exceptional with the 45th floor balcony providing the best view in town..... http://www.fourseasons.com/hongkong/services_and_amenities/executive_club/

SWMBO has just given the green light for a parent only stay before the EOFY

In regards to other FS around the globe.....some are hot & some are not.

We've stayed at HKG, SYD, SIN, CNX, LAS, SFO, PVG......HKG is the best & SYD/LAS tie for the worst.

 

[amaroo]

Sunday Brunch is a Singapore tradition - definitely not to be missed if you are in town on any given Sunday. The choice is gob smacking amazing & the larger hotels and restaurants really put on a grand display of indulgence - some a low key and some are lavish spreads with free flow champers.

Coming from the Sunshine Coast - we are starved of good Chinese therefore, our choice this trip is Jiang-Nan-Chun Singapore Restaurant | Hotel Restaurant Jiang-Nan Chun | Four Seasons Hotel Singapore one of the restaurants in Four Seasons Singapore.....(another reason why we selected to stay here)

We booked the first seating 11am to 1pm with free flow of Veuve Clicquot No need for breakfast today! slept in, had a swim, relaxed & then headed down to partake in the feast.

As it was Easter Sunday we are having a special addition to the menu - Steamed Half Boston Lobster with Minced Garlic You can see the full menu here Oriental Weekend Brunch

The restaurant is something special with formal table service.....this is not a buffet scene.

I managed to take some photos before the Veuve & my carefree nature kicked in.....

Sweet Corn & Crabmeat Soup


Steamed Pork & Shrimp Dumpling with cabbage in spicy vinegar sauce & garlic


Crispy Roasted Pork Belly


Steamed half Boston Lobster with Minced Garlic



Crispy Fish Skin with Salt & Pepper......lovely:!:

 

[amaroo]

Fried Prawns tossed in Wasabi Sauce


Sauteed Beef Tenderloin with Black pepper Shallot & Truffle Oil


Baked Sea Perch with Sauteed Egg White


Stir-Fried Phoenix Clam with Asparagus in X.O. Chilli Sauce



The meal was excellent, the free flow Veuve was certainly flowing & a great time was had. Thoroughly enjoyed the meal & highly recommend the Sunday Brunch.

Upstairs for a short nap then back out hitting the shops in the afternoon/evening.

Next a beautiful Peking Duck for dinner.

 

[amaroo]

As 8pm ticked around - we were hungry again

Tonight it's Peking Duck at the Paragon - Imperial Treasure Super Peking Duck Imperial Treasure Super Peking Duck

Had the hotel concierge pre-book the duck the day before

The Duck.....what a tasty beauty! Sorry, too slow with the camera to capture the beheading.



Great knife skills.....like the serving plates



Lets eat


The all important Duck Sang Choy Bow


Lovely meal to cap a great day of food! Nightcap back at the FS before a full & restful sleep.

Today we check-out of the FS & check-in at the Fullerton Bay Hotel......really looking forward to this.

Two thumbs up is a pretty good way of reviewing this baby

 

[JessicaTam]

Great foody shots. Getting hungry now!

 

[robd]

Great foody shots. Getting hungry now!

Me too. Mmmmmm....

 

[wazza888]

The duck look scrumptious.

 

[amaroo]

We were thinking about staying at the MBS however, decided against it based on the huge number of people wanting to do the same. The pool looks spectacular - but the chock-a-block scene is not for us.

Fullerton Bay Hotel The Fullerton Bay Hotel Photo Gallery have wanted to stay here since it opened.....really glad we did as it's a wonderful property. This is now our home when living in SIN

I've noticed many threads requesting info for hotels in SIN (might stop now due to DXB) so I'll post a few photos......the place looks a zillion bucks & has the rooms/facilities/service/location to back it up.

The hotel is built over the bay & opposite the mammoth that is MBS. Great spot for an evening drink at the rooftop bar with a decent view to watch the MBS light show. This part of the Bay is fast filling up with skyscrapers housing the corporate titans of the World......at a guess the mix of guests was 50/50 business/leisure.

All up there are 98 rooms spread over 5 floors - the roof top is all pool, lounges & bar

Booked - Premier Room King connecting to Premier Room Twin.

 

[amaroo]

Every room has a balcony & some great views....