Singapore Expats

Just curious if any of you have a list of favorites where you love the unique aspects of a particular hotel and location — specifically, ones that you never get tired of going back to. Here are a few on my list:

One of the truly special ones in my mind would be the Rendezvous Hotel on Scarborough Beach in Perth. Been there multiple times, it’s great value for an ocean facing room, the beach and surrounding area is nice and Perth is close by. I actually stumbled across this hotel by accident the first time I discovered it — immediately turned the car around, checked on the room rate and stayed there that very night. Since then, no trip to Perth is complete without staying here.

Closer to Singapore, the most special one for me is the Hyatt Hotel in Kuantan. It takes roughly 6 hours to drive up there, but I’ve always felt like it was well worth it. Similarly, the ocean facing rooms are great value, the beach is way nicer than you’d expect, and the city of Kuantan is nice, easy to get around by car, relaxed and lots of good food at true local prices.

I really like the Edsa Shangri-La in Manila. Fabulous lobby, bar, and grounds. And a breakfast layout that I've never seen the likes of before... even had Jesus carved into a watermelon one morning.

Strong Eagle wrote: ↑

Thu, 22 Feb 2024 12:55 am

I really like the Edsa Shangri-La in Manila. Fabulous lobby, bar, and grounds. And a breakfast layout that I've never seen the likes of before... even had Jesus carved into a watermelon one morning.

I’ve actually spent many nights at the EDSA Shangri-La! It’s our corporate hotel and close/ish to our office in Quezon City (near Eastwood). The hotel itself is by far the best in the area. There was a CPK just outside where I’d often have dinner, and the massive SM Megamall was just across the street. I always remember the overwhelming greetings of “welcome sir” by all the staff when walking in.

The only hiccup with this hotel is one morning I get a call in my room from someone pretending they know me, it was brief but odd. Then later in the office I get a call from the same person who tried to convince me I knew them. They asked me to guess their name so I said Noel who is someone I’d know the voice, and as soon as they said yes, it’s Noel… it confirmed they were a scam artist. Since they knew too much about me I played along until they finally asked for a loan of five hundred US dollars for their sister to travel to a birthday party, I told them honestly, I didn’t have that kind of money, but I could given them five hundred pesos. Now, how did they get my information? Only my company and this hotel had that information, so I strongly suspect it was one of the staff. I reported it to them that evening, and of course they denied it. I guess we’ll never know.

As business hotels go, my favorite one in all of the Asia Pacific would be the Langham in Melbourne… I don’t know how they do it, but every time I have stayed there it just feels like I’m being warmly embraced… not just by the staff but by every little detail of the physical space. Open the curtains and you’ve got a stunning panoramic view of downtown Melbourne from the Southbank location. Step out of the hotel and you’ve got a convenient pedestrian bridge across the river to downtown, and an awesome walkway flanking the river, with bars, eateries, etc… combine all that with the low humidity that just makes the lights of the city sparkle… it’s quite a feeling.

E&O in Penang (best high tea ever) and Hotel Puri in Malacca (like staying in a mini museum). Haven't been to either in a long time, alas.

jalanjalan wrote: ↑

Thu, 22 Feb 2024 4:01 pm

E&O in Penang (best high tea ever) and Hotel Puri in Malacca (like staying in a mini museum). Haven't been to either in a long time, alas.

I'm not a huge fan of Penang, but I would stay at the E&O if I go again. Not sure when you were last there; the newer wing (not exactly new any longer though), Victory Annex, has some higher floors with balconies and nice views over the water. Rooms are also big at 50+ sq meters. However, at this point the original wing may be in better condition (renovated in 2019).

The most memorable hotel experience in my lifetime was at the Rayavadee in Thailand. Back then it was owned by Sheraton, and I had a couple of free night vouchers and Rayavadee seemed like the best place to use them. Our ‘room’ was a two story bungalow, right on Railay Beach which is ‘other worldly’ kind of awesome. The resort is so massive, you have to call a free buggy to take you around. Just steps outside the resort we could get cheap Thai food. I barely spent any money there, and because our toilet had a problem, they gave us free dinner vouchers.

Thanks for sharing your favorite hotels! They sound amazing, especially with ocean-facing rooms and beautiful beach locations. It's wonderful to find those special places that keep drawing us back. Your descriptions make me want to visit both Perth and Kuantan soon!

Yep, besides the Rendezvous in Perth and Hyatt in Kuantan, the only other place in the world I’ve stayed that beats those is the Makaha Beach Cabanas, where we stayed on our 3rd trip to Hawaii. I just love Oahu’s north shore, it’s so peaceful and rustic, but still easy to drive down to Waikiki if you get bored.

One place I’ve had my eye on for a long time is the Hilton in Hua Hin. That one seems to fit my criteria, but I haven’t had the chance to visit.

I just never get enough when it comes to Sofitel Legend People's Grand Hotel Beijing. The balance between its historic charm and modern luxury is just fantastic. It boasts fantastic architecture, beautiful interior, unique atmosphere, and a central location for easy travel around the city. Centrally located, only a short distance from Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, these two key features enhance the appeal. We also enjoy getting a personalized tour whenever we’re there. Our go-to resource is <advertising redacted by mods> In Singapore, Marina Bay Sands is a standout with its iconic rooftop infinity pool and stunning skyline views. I love how it combines luxury with a vibrant city vibe.

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malcontent wrote: ↑

Wed, 21 Feb 2024 11:40 pm

Just curious if any of you have a list of favorites where you love the unique aspects of a particular hotel and location — specifically, ones that you never get tired of going back to. Here are a few on my list:

One of the truly special ones in my mind would be the Rendezvous Hotel on Scarborough Beach in Perth. Been there multiple times, it’s great value for an ocean facing room, the beach and surrounding area is nice and Perth is close by. I actually stumbled across this hotel by accident the first time I discovered it — immediately turned the car around, checked on the room rate and stayed there that very night. Since then, no trip to Perth is complete without staying here.

Closer to Singapore, the most special one for me is the Hyatt Hotel in Kuantan. It takes roughly 6 hours to drive up there, but I’ve always felt like it was well worth it. Similarly, the ocean facing rooms are great value, the beach is way nicer than you’d expect, and the city of Kuantan is nice, easy to get around by car, relaxed and lots of good food at true local prices.

I was up there last weekend in Kuantan. I prefer older classic hotels - my two are the Galle in Colombo and the E&O in Penang. The old Victoria (?) in KL is also good.

We are a family of 5 looking for "affordable" family friendly hotels in SG, any recommendations?

expatfamily18 wrote: ↑

Thu, 05 Sep 2024 3:13 pm

We are a family of 5 looking for "affordable" family friendly hotels in SG, any recommendations?

The holiday inn (IHG) chain is about your best bet.

The Majestic in KL is the one I was referring to.

There is one I have wanted to visit in BKK I heard about. I'll find it.