Grand Park City Hall (SG)

BACKGROUND

Grand Park City Hall, the flagship luxury hotel of the Park Hotel Group, recently completed its latest round of renovations. The hotel, which first opened in 2007, has been furnished with six pairs of interconnecting family rooms, a new swimming pool, new gym equipment, a new executive club lounge and a rooftop garden space.

WHERE IS IT?

In Singapore’s Civic District, close to major business hubs and tourist attractions. It’s a three-minute walk from City Hall MRT Station and a 30-minute drive from Changi Airport. Complimentary shuttle services connect guests to Orchard Road, Clarke Quay, Raffles Place and Suntec Convention Centre.

WHAT’S IT LIKE?

The hotel’s design integrates the cultural characteristics of Singapore within a contemporary architectural style. The reception lobby is on Level 3, but the hotel is keen to plug its mobile app, which you can use for prearrival registration, check-in and checkout, as well in-room appliance control, service requests (including direct messaging with hotel staff), and as a digital room key.

ROOMS

The hotel has 343 rooms, from Level 4 to Level 9. The guestrooms are divided into ten categories, with sizes starting from 28 sqm up to the 57 sqm Park suite.

I stayed in a 35 sqm Junior suite on the eighth floor, fitted with a king-size bed, a 50-inch smart TV and a work desk. An armchair and a small sofa are placed in a corner of the room, in what I thought was a rather awkward location. The wardrobe houses a full-length mirror. There is a well-stocked minibar, and tea- and coffeemaking facilities.

Ceiling fans are installed in rooms with higher ceilings, but as it’s only a ten-storey hotel, the guestrooms don’t offer particularly good views of the city – though you can still see the famous surfboard-looking Marina Bay Sands.

I tested out the hotel app to control my room’s lighting and air conditioning, and found it quite convenient. Fortunately, for the less tech savvy there are touchpad controls on the walls that serve the same functions.

The spacious bathroom has a rainfall shower, and bathtubs are available in some room types. The bathroom can also be used as a sauna room, with a shower bench and a touchpad control to adjust temperature and humidity.

LOUNGE

Guests booked into a Crystal Club guestroom get access to Level 9’s Crystal Club Lounge (open 6.30am-11pm). It isn’t very spacious, but it’s much quieter than Tablescape, the main lobby-level eatery. There’s also a rooftop garden event space where you can enjoy a better view of the city than from Tablescape and the guestrooms. Buffet breakfast is served from 6.30am to 10.30am, but the food choice is rather limited compared with the main restaurant. Evening drinks and canapés are served from 6pm to 8pm, and light refreshments and non-alcoholic drinks are available throughout the day.

FOOD AND DRINK

On Level 3 beside the hotel lobby, Tablescape Restaurant and Bar serves modern European cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner and has a communal bar. Breakfast is served from 6am till 10.30am and you can order a set breakfast or choose from the buffet.

Evening drinks are served from 5.30pm. If nothing on the menu takes your fancy, the bar staff can create a customised drink for you, including mocktails such as the Merry Fruity-Fruitea, containing Earl Grey tea and berries. Dinner starts at 6.30pm. In addition to the set menu, the à la carte menu offers four to five different dishes for starters and main dishes, and there’s an impressive dessert trolley.

LEISURE

Level 4 has an outdoor swimming pool (open 7am to 7pm) – not particularly friendly hours for business travellers. A 24-hour fitness centre is on Level 3, but it’s pretty small and has limited equipment. However, the current indoor gym room may be moved beside the swimming pool at a later date and become an outdoor fitness centre, with the original gym room being turned into a meeting room, a hotel spokesman says.

VERDICT

It’s a nice hotel, though it has limited leisure and meeting facilities

This is a nice hotel. Thanks to its central location, it’s easy to get around and the hotel’s mobile app adds a good deal of convenience. Staff are friendly and helpful, though minor drawbacks include the rather limited leisure facilities, and the current lack of business and meeting facilities.