Hotel Review: Regent Singapore (Premium Room and One Bedroom Suite)

The Regent Singapore in Cuscaden Road traces its roots back in the early 1980s when it first opened as the Pavilion InterContinental Hotel. It then became the Regent Singapore in the late 1980s and even though this name has remained since then, it has changed hands from being under the Four Seasons Group to becoming part of IHG more recently. This latest development in a way takes the property back to its roots when it was an InterContinental hotel.

I recently went for a staycation at the Regent Singapore. For fans of large atriums, staying here is a must (other hotels that come to mind include the Pan Pacific Singapore, Mandarin Oriental Singapore, Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard Road and Marina Mandarin – now renamed to Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay). The Regent Singapore underwent a refurbishment of the rooms in 2019 and while the look stays true to its upmarket, traditional and more mature branding, guests can now expect a host of modern conveniences such as bedside universal power outlets and Smart TVs that guests can stream their favorite programmes to.

One of the things that I truly love about the Regent Singapore are its glass elevators which allow for unparalleled views of the atrium. On normal visits, I can only go up to Level 3 where the dining outlets are but staying here, especially with club access, allows me to go up to Level 11 where the Regent Club is located.

The nearest MRT station from Regent Singapore is Orchard station, which is about a 10 minute walk away. Alternatively, there is a bus stop just in front of the property with direct buses coming from Orchard area.

Premium Room

I stayed at a Premium Room during my most recent stay at Regent Singapore. This allowed me to have a look at their more conventional room categories as my previous stay was in a suite. The Premium Room is a notch above the Standard Room and is slightly larger as well (38 square meters for Premium Room versus 36 square meters for Standard). 

Regent Singapore has two layouts for the Premium Room. The first layout has the bed facing the window while the second layout is more conventional with the bed parallel to the window and facing the TV console. The room I stayed in possessed the second layout. In terms of seating options, the room came with a work chair as well as an armchair. The Premium Room possessing the first layout have sofas instead.

Even at 38 square meters, the room looked larger than normal and there is notably a good amount of space from the foot of the bed to the TV. This is because the bathroom is of a relatively modest size, allowing for more space in the sleeping area.

The rooms at Regent Singapore were renovated sometime in 2019. Most furnishings are new but retain a classic look which the hotel seems conscious to keep. This is despite certain features being made up to date to current needs. For instance, the antique-looking bedside tables have charging pods on the drawers.

As mentioned previously, the bathroom is on the smaller side with a combined tub + shower (“shub”) configuration. Similar to my experience during my first stay, the complete set of amenities were provided including cotton buds, comb and razor. I usually have to call in to request for the latter in other hotels.

One Bedroom Suite

For this particular instance, I stayed in an Executive Suite which I must say, is probably among the larger one-bedroom suites in Singapore. At 88 square meters and with a balcony, this presents tremendous value in terms of cost on a per sqm basis. The hotel does state that maximum capacity here is 2 adults + 2 children and the existing beddings in the suite – a large king-sized bed and super-long sofa – seems more than enough to comfortably fit a small family.

The suite opens up to a large living area. There is a powder room at the side, while a TV, working desk, sofa set and minibar complete the scene. There are no garish decorative items here. The look remains timeless after the renovation with muted colors. One thing to note is that it can get a bit dark here at night with mostly desk lamps illuminating the room but unless you’d be working (the work desk has a dedicated lamp), this isn’t an issue at all.

The bedroom is around the same area as the living room and also comes with a balcony. I love the beds here which are especially high and fluffy – I certainly wouldn’t mind staying in all day! The bedroom comes with its own TV and its own working desk. The former is especially helpful when the kids prefer watching a different programme!

One thing to note about the suite is the spacious walk-in closet and luggage storage space. For long-stayers, this is a godsend. Health buffs will also be pleased to find a number of fitness tools stored in there such as a yoga mat, roller and even a foam block. Extra items can be loaned upon request.

For the 88 sqm size of the suite, it is quite a surprise to me that the bathroom here is on the small side. The layout is rather retro with a single space for the shower and tub. That being said, I love how the full set of amenities are provided – including a whole container of cotton buds – without me having to request for them. 

Toiletries come from L’Occitane and the property has done away with miniature plastic bottle containers, instead moving to the dispenser type. Bad news for those who have a habit of hoarding and bringing the miniatures home as IHG is moving to bulk-sized containers even for the chain’s luxury hotels.

Regent Club

One of the highlights of any stay at Regent Singapore is undoubtedly its club lounge – the Regent Club. I have been meaning to check out this club lounge for a while now as I’ve heard lots of good things about it and was finally able to do so during this stay.

For everyone’s convenience, here is a summary of the club benefits at Regent Singapore:

• Breakfast from 6:30AM to 10:30AM
• Afternoon tea from 2PM to 4PM
• Evening cocktails from 530PM to 8PM
• 2 hour free usage of meeting room
• Unlimited pressing service and up to 5 pcs of laundry per stay
• Check-in and check-out at leisure
• 15% discount for F&B

I dropped by the Regent Club during afternoon tea to check out the spread. There’s a small buffet with a selection of finger sandwiches and pastries as well as a special fruit punch. The top reason to check out the afternoon tea however, is for the scones which are served warm on order. I loved it so much that the club lounge staff noted it and gave me a fresh batch as I checked out from my room the next day. Throughout my time at the club lounge, I was also proactively offered coffee. The coffee used in the Regent Singapore club lounge is from Boncafe which I personally do not prefer. The one coming out from the Nespresso machine inside the room was more to my liking.

The evening cocktail offers a good reason not to head out for dinner. While other hotels have moved to trim their evening club loung offerings, Regent Singapore still makes sure that there are a couple of hot dishes each night. During my stay, I had a nice bowl of beef noodles with tomato-based soup, pizza and beef stew among others. 

Each month, there is also a rotating cocktail in the Regent Club that comes from the award-winning Manhattan bar downstairs. During the month of my stay, they were offering the Roku Gin Negroni to club guests.

Dining

During my latest stay at Regent Singapore, I had their Foodie Staycation which came with S$200 dining credits that could be used with their inhouse dining outlets. The hotel has plenty of tempting options, from award-winning Manhattan Bar to Basilico for Italian food. However, I invariably end up at Summer Palace whenever I dine at this hotel and this staycation’s no exception. The Chinese restaurant has a Michelin star. I highly recommend going for Chef Liu’s Tasting Menu which is of good value especially for lunch.

Facilities

Facilities-wise, one can think of the Regent Singapore as a self-contained community. That means that during an ideal staycation, one need not leave the hotel premises at all for some R&R. The inhouse spa is well-priced, the swimming pool not at all crowded and the gym being spacious enough with workout equipments. This is on top of a myriad of dining options including one with a Michelin star (Summer Palace).

The round shape of the swimming pool at Regent Singapore means that it’s probably more suited to those leisurely soaks rather than to swim laps in. It’s 10 meters in diameter and ranges from 1 to 2.1 meters in depth. 

Breakfast

As a club guest, I could choose between Basilico downstairs for breakfast or the Regent Club. As this was my first ever stay at the Regent Singapore, I opted to have my morning meal at Basilico. At around 9AM, I spotted a snaking queue that extended well outside (a common occurrence in any hotel during weekend stays in Singapore) but it cleared relatively quickly.

While it is always preferable to have breakfast at the actual restaurant rather than the lounge, that belief seems to be more palpable here at Basilico with its wide array of dishes. Of note is its pastry section. Owing to the Regent brand’s Taiwan heritage, the congee selection here is also much more comprehensive than elsewhere, with plenty of condiments to customize the quintessential Chinese morning dish.

Verdict

In this age of instagrammable interiors and high tech creature comforts, there is something about the traditional manner in which the Regent Singapore presents itself that makes it quite unlike any other hotel in Singapore. It is plush and high-end but without the exorbitant prices of 5-star properties (as I said previously, the one bedroom suite offers great value!). The club lounge here is also among the more impressive I’ve encountered in the city. I can imagine deliberately booking this inclusion for a future stay here. It won’t be along until then!

Regent Singapore
1 Cuscaden Road
Singapore 249715

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