Our main holiday trip this year took us to Bali Indonesia for a ten night stay and then to Singapore for a further 5 nights. During both of these trips we were lucky enough to enjoy the luxury comfort and service of the Conrad Hotels.

The Conrad Centennial Hotel in Singapore can be found at

Tel: 65-X-6334-8888
Email: Singaporeinfo@conradhotels.com

Its location is in the business district of Singapore but is in close proximity to shopping mall of Suntec City and public transport meaning nothing is too far way. Changi International Airport is around a 20 minute drive from the hotel also. The closest MRT is within walking distance and as with all things in Singapore it is clean safe and extremely efficient. Cabs are continuously available outside the main lobby also.

To be honest l was probably under whelmed - l was expecting a glittering hotel outshining all the others - but in this area a lot of the big name chains are to be found Marriot and so on. Also due to the positioning of the Conrad - it's in a courtyard type area which is swamped by the Suntec Convention Centre & Malls its hard to pick out where exactly the Conrad is.

As with all Conrad hotels the theme carries through - now this is more of a business hotel with the previous hotel we stayed in at Bali being a resort catering for tourists more. Still the décor theme is similar - dark wood, quite ambience and staff who blend into the background yet are by your side should you require assistance. There were many contemporary pieces of art - strategically placed here and there the most notable being a large red abstract piece set beside an extravagant winding stair case to the first level. The lobby was well air-conditioned which was great after coming from the outside sweltering heat of the day.

In the interests of this opinion l can only really compare this Conrad to the sister hotel we stayed in the year previously in Bangkok which again was more of a business hotel. The hotels are on par for the standard of accommodation and facilities offered but in my mind Bangkok wins hands down (previous review does exist!). The Thai staff was less assured than the more western in style and nature Singaporeans, this self effacing nature of the Thais and their constant smiling faces and genuine willingness to help could do nothing but endear them to you. Now please do not assume that l found the staff in this Singapore hotel anything but helpful and pleasant - it's just they had a much more brusque and western manner - lm assuming because of the so many close similarities between the UK and Singaporean lifestyle. For example when we checked in to the Bangkok hotel - we were immediately ushered to our room and the manager checked our details in our room and showed us the facilities personally. In Singapore we were merely directed to the Executive Floor where our room was located and told to check in with the Executive Floor desk - just as efficient but less personal. For me these personal touches over and above the call of duty stick in my mind and make the trip more memorable.

As l stated we were on the executive as my other half is a Hilton Honours Diamond card holder so it does have its advantages! The Executive Floor sets guests paying this rate of members of the club apart from all the other hotel guests and affords that little bit more luxury. We had the full use of the executive room - fully stocked with all national and international papers, web access, superb views across the city, there was a full hot and cold breakfast service each morning, in the afternoon - afternoon tea/coffee and exquisite cakes were served and between 5pm -7.30pm pre dinner cocktails and canapés are available. There is a dedicated executive floor desk to deal with all queries and to check guests in and out.

Facilities

The fitness club includes a well equipped gym which l did not use - l was on holiday! There is a relatively decent sized outdoor pool in a rectangular shape. There are sunloungers aplenty and bar service to cater for guests needs. I did use the pool and surrounding areas and a nice touch was that barman once he saw you arrive was he brought you down a huge glass of iced water which was regularly replenished and a chilled flannel to mop a heated brow!

There are restaurants and bars for all tastes - Oscars Café & Terrace which is for snacking and is open 24 hours; as l said previously a pool patio bar for poolside drinks; The Golden Peony - offering up high class Cantonese food and the Lounge Bar - for afternoon teas and cocktails after dark.

You can book the hotel at a variety of internet websites but 9 times out of 10 it's just as cheap to book direct at the hotel website as we did. This can be found at www.conradhotels.com. At the time of writing this review l did a room reservation check to give you readers an idea of prices.

Conclusion