It may only be a 4 star hotel (amongst the many glitzy 5 stars in Singapore) but I love the location of our hotel. From our bedroom window we can see across to Marina Bay with the Singapore Flyer Ferris wheel in the background. We can't quite see as far as the Gardens in the Bay but we plan to visit that area on Tuesday evening.
We're on the 'Executive' Floor - 20 storeys up.
Our breakfast, served in the Executive Lounge is always 'interesting'. As well as the usual Brit breakfast cooked to order, cereals, toast, jams and yoghurts, this morning there was grilled salmon, potato wedges, a cheeseboard, salads and oriental dishes on offer. A very strange collection.
When we get back to the hotel each day, hot and sticky, we pop into the lounge and grab ice cold soft drinks to take to our room then we stop by in the evening for a couple of alcoholic drinks before going out to eat. In theory we could drink solidly from 8 till 10pm (and some visitors clearly are doing this) but we're being restrained. Having had very little alcohol last week we're finding that these strong measures are going straight to our heads so we're limiting ourselves to 2 each. For the next two days I don't think we'll be able to avail ourselves of the free drinks as we have things planned that will impinge on the timing.
The two ladies operating the lounge can't do enough for us - even dashing to open the door to let us out each time.
David's been having fun with our 'virtual butler'. We have ECHO. I asked ECHO what the weather will be like today. The answer was that currently (9am) it was 28deg and we can expect partly cloudy weather with a high of 35deg later. So no rain forecast.
ECHO can also conduct a fitness session for 7 minutes if you give it the command 'ECHO, start 7 minute work out' (not sure if it does the work out exercises for you)! It does basic things on command like turning individual lights on/off, turning TV on/off or changing channels, telling time and weather for Singapore and playing games. It doesn't make coffee or tea though. We're testing the system and making ECHO turn lights off when we leave the room and turn them on when we get back.
We have an MRT (mass rapid transit) station directly outside the hotel so getting around Singapore is simple. The trains are air conditioned and absolutely immaculate. Its forbidden to eat or drink or drop litter on the platforms or in the trains.
We always used to say that Singaporeans are ruled with an iron fist in a velvet glove and its noticeable that 'community' posters and public awareness notices are everywhere. This is the sort of message that is plastered on every door on the MRT tunnel
as well as internet fraud notices:
We also have a huge shopping complex next door - People's Park which is for 'ordinary' folk - not like the glossy Bond Street-like shops on Orchard Road. People's Park has food stalls on a couple of levels in the complex and we've eaten there the last two evenings as we didn't want anything too fussy. A noodle dish each with pork or duck and a bowl of soup. Less than a fiver (£5) for the two of us.
The Car Park at Level 6, People's Park, affords a birds-eye view of the Piggy Chinese New Year decorations lining Eu Tong Sen Street so after our meal we popped upstairs to take a photo. The round discs represent Chinese coins.
We're on the 'Executive' Floor - 20 storeys up.
Our breakfast, served in the Executive Lounge is always 'interesting'. As well as the usual Brit breakfast cooked to order, cereals, toast, jams and yoghurts, this morning there was grilled salmon, potato wedges, a cheeseboard, salads and oriental dishes on offer. A very strange collection.
When we get back to the hotel each day, hot and sticky, we pop into the lounge and grab ice cold soft drinks to take to our room then we stop by in the evening for a couple of alcoholic drinks before going out to eat. In theory we could drink solidly from 8 till 10pm (and some visitors clearly are doing this) but we're being restrained. Having had very little alcohol last week we're finding that these strong measures are going straight to our heads so we're limiting ourselves to 2 each. For the next two days I don't think we'll be able to avail ourselves of the free drinks as we have things planned that will impinge on the timing.
The two ladies operating the lounge can't do enough for us - even dashing to open the door to let us out each time.
David's been having fun with our 'virtual butler'. We have ECHO. I asked ECHO what the weather will be like today. The answer was that currently (9am) it was 28deg and we can expect partly cloudy weather with a high of 35deg later. So no rain forecast.
ECHO can also conduct a fitness session for 7 minutes if you give it the command 'ECHO, start 7 minute work out' (not sure if it does the work out exercises for you)! It does basic things on command like turning individual lights on/off, turning TV on/off or changing channels, telling time and weather for Singapore and playing games. It doesn't make coffee or tea though. We're testing the system and making ECHO turn lights off when we leave the room and turn them on when we get back.
We have an MRT (mass rapid transit) station directly outside the hotel so getting around Singapore is simple. The trains are air conditioned and absolutely immaculate. Its forbidden to eat or drink or drop litter on the platforms or in the trains.
We always used to say that Singaporeans are ruled with an iron fist in a velvet glove and its noticeable that 'community' posters and public awareness notices are everywhere. This is the sort of message that is plastered on every door on the MRT tunnel
as well as internet fraud notices:
We also have a huge shopping complex next door - People's Park which is for 'ordinary' folk - not like the glossy Bond Street-like shops on Orchard Road. People's Park has food stalls on a couple of levels in the complex and we've eaten there the last two evenings as we didn't want anything too fussy. A noodle dish each with pork or duck and a bowl of soup. Less than a fiver (£5) for the two of us.
The Car Park at Level 6, People's Park, affords a birds-eye view of the Piggy Chinese New Year decorations lining Eu Tong Sen Street so after our meal we popped upstairs to take a photo. The round discs represent Chinese coins.
