Hotel Staycation Review: InterContinental Singapore (Junior Suite)

It’s been a while since my last stay in InterContinental Singapore. The property located in Bugis Junction has always been one of my favorite hotels in Singapore. For a relatively modest price point where luxury hotels are concerned, the InterContinental Singapore seamlessly melds its own unique Peranakan interpretation into its upscale hotel proposition. Since my last hotel stay experience there, I also found that the property made some adjustments with the room types as well as introduced tweaks into the club lounge experience.

One notable change in InterContinental Singapore since my last stay there is the introduction of more room types. Some of these new room types stem from the segregation between rooms situated in high floor versus those in lower floors, a pattern I also see in IHG properties elsewhere.

Junior Suite

One such example was the room type I stayed in. For this instance, I checked out the Junior Suite at InterContinental Singapore. It measures around 52 square meters and comes with a semi-enclosed bedroom. For this same room type but on a higher floor, it is called the Premier Suite. For the purpose of this review, I shall refer to it as the Junior Suite as my room was in one of the lower floors.

For check-in, I had the option of completing the formality either at the reception or at the Club InterContinental Lounge just one floor up. I arrived at around noon and was glad to find my room ready for occupancy.

My room this time was situated only a few doors down from the gym – very convenient for quick workouts. I did not mind at all the lack of a view of my 3rd floor room. My window actually looked out to a walkway.

InterContinental Singapore has so many room types that it’s actually a joy to check out the nuances of each one.  There are a lot of special elements to the Junior Suite – from the columns at either side of the hallway as one enters the room to the semi-enclosed nature of the bedroom – great for that added sense of space.

The Junior Suite at InterContinental Singapore comes with a well-appointed sitting area, with an extra-spacious couch that can double as a day bed as well as one or two other armchairs. The work desk is placed perpendicular to the sitting area, and is most suited to business travelers with its conventional rectangular shape and woodwork. This is different from say, InterContinental Singapore Robertson Quay where the work desk is actually a round glass-top table.

A floor-to-ceiling TV panel separates the bedroom from the sitting area. This semi-enclosure extends to roughly half of the full width. The other half makes for a nice opening where one can easily see what’s going on in the bedroom without having to turn any doorknobs.

The bed here is set in InterContinental Singapore’s easily recognizable Peranakan motif, with the intricate patterns in light colors. The whole color scheme makes the room look particularly bright, even though the windows here are not of the floor-to-ceiling variety.

The minibar – housed within a lacquered chinoiserie cabinet – comes with a wide variety of beverages and snacks, though the hotel’s location right by Bugis Junction makes it extremely easy to buy your own snacks. An espresso machine is also provided. The complimentary tea packets are from TWG.

The bathroom for the Junior Suite is of similar size and layout as the hotel’s other rooms. It leans on the traditional type, with plenty of brown and beige that contrast with the whitish hue of the room. Toiletries come from Agraria.

Club InterContinental Lounge

My stay at InterContinental Singapore comes with access to the Club InterContinental Lounge situated on the 2nd floor. Of all the hotel lounges I’ve visited in Singapore, the one here differs in the sense that it carries a markedly traditional look with its wooden floors, antique furnishings as well as colorful tiled ceiling. In terms of benefits, the lounge offers a full range of services that extends way beyond the usual evening cocktail and personalized check-in. Added benefits include complimentary pressing of clothing and even a free 2-hour guided walking tour around Bugis. You can check out the full list of benefits here. 

Since my last visit, the club lounge offerings here have changed in some ways. For one, the property now uses Ronnefeldt tea in the lounge (while it still uses TWG in the room). Also, the evening cocktail food set up is now done canape style, with a selection of 3 hot items that change each day. On top of that, there are small pastries, cheese and fruits. There’s also a wide variety of drinks available (no champagne though), including the Singapore Sling.

While I wholeheartedly recommend having breakfast in the restaurant during hotel stays, I take exception to InterContinental Singapore where my personal preference is to have my morning meals at the club lounge. Aside from the usual breakfast buffet items like sausages, bacons and eggs; they also offer a number of dishes made ala minute and I think that’s where the club lounge breakfast shines even though understandably, the buffet variety isn’t as great as the breakfast at Ash and Elm downstairs.

One of the highly recommended breakfast items, especially for foreign guests, is the nasi lemak (coconut flavored rice with sambal, anchovies and fried chicken). The club lounge kitchen is also able to do certain items better, such as eggs where one could order eggs benedict. At Ash and Elm downstairs, one could only choose among the more conventional types like omelet or sunny side up. 

Facilities

Owing to the current situation, advance bookings is necessary for using some of the hotel facilities such as the swimming pool and the gym. If you are there for a short 1-day weekend staycation, I would highly suggest booking your slot upon check-in as slots get filled up easily. The swimming pool at InterContinental Singapore is typical of city hotels. It’s rectangular in shape with a bit of a curve. There is also a smaller children’s pool next to it. Both pools are open from 7AM to 10PM.

The gym at InterContinental Singapore is one of my favorites in Singapore. It’s big enough to have plenty of open spaces to do squats or lunges while dedicated sections come with adequate number of machines for cardiovascular and strength exercises. The equipment from Technogym is also quite new. If there’s anything to complain about, it’s the carpeting which looks more well-suited for a conference room rather than an actual gym.

Verdict

InterContinental Singapore remains to be one of the best value luxury hotels in Singapore. With average rates hovering around SGD 250 before taxes for a base-level room, prices here are noticeably lower than its peers. The club lounge experience also deserves special mention – none of my club lounge experiences in InterContinental hotels have disappointed so far. Service staff are attuned to guest needs and are oriented towards an international clientele. The hotel’s location within one of Singapore’s shopping mall is also an added convenience. It is, by any measure, a full-fledge city hotel. Those seeking peace and quiet will find its charming lobby lounge surprisingly relaxing. 

Booking It

InterContinental Singapore has a limited time staycation package that goes for as low as S$210 net per night for a room-only stay. Other packages with more inclusions such as breakfast and club lounge access are also available. You can book their staycation package here. 

InterContinental Singapore
80 Middle Road
Singapore 188966

+65 6338 7600