Though Singapore has abundant hotel choices, when it comes to my preferred choice, Hyatt only has two properties there: an Andaz and a Grand Hyatt. Unless the Andaz location is significantly better, for my taste I prefer a Grand Hyatt over an Andaz property. I find that Andaz stays can be hit or miss. Being that Singapore was to be my first stop in a four country trip around Southeast Asia, I didn’t want to have a potential “miss” and wanted an opportunity to work through my jet lag as easily as possible, so I chose the Grand Hyatt Singapore. It turned out to be the right choice! Here is my Grand Hyatt Singapore review.
My Arrival and First Impressions of the Hotel
The ride from the airport into Singapore always reminds me of Hawaii. The big boulevards and tropical setting reminds me that Singapore, a huge and sprawling city, is indeed in the tropics. The Grand Hyatt doesn’t really have anything unique or particularly interesting to show for its lobby or entry way. To me it looks like an office building with an office building interior.
Grand Hyatt Singapore | Image by Hyatt
Grand Hyatt Singapore won the award for the Best Business Hotel in Singapore by Business Traveller Asia-Pacific 2015. This hotel was originally a Hyatt Regency but was rebranded and renovated in 1998. The hotel is located just off the main shopping district of Orchard Road.
There is, however, a lot that’s right about this property, so the dull lobby isn’t much of a detractor.
Upon arrival at the hotel check-in was relatively slow due to there being trainees and new employees working the front desk, but in due time the check-in was completed. With my Globalist status I had received an email prior to my arrival:
“As our valued Globalist guest, we are pleased to extend a complimentary upgrade from the Grand King Room to the Grand Club Deluxe King Room, which is our Junior Suite category that comes with a separate living and bedroom area.”
The suite was an extremely comfortable space and worked really well for me. I loved my welcome gift!
A truffle lovers delight as my welcome gift.
I’d never had yam truffles before. Won’t tell you how fast I ate these!
For my four night stay I used my Citi Prestige Credit Card 4th Night Free benefit. The all-cash rate at the Grand Hyatt was $250 a night, so I found this rate worked better than using Hyatt award night points. If I’m paying cash for a hotel stay, I always use Pruvo to monitor for price drops!
The Grand Hyatt Singapore is a World of Hyatt Category 5 property, meaning free nights start at 20,000 Hyatt points per night. Cash and points are 10,000 Hyatt points plus $122 USD.
Using my Hotel Room Scorecard I broke down the individual elements of my Junior Suite at the Grand Hyatt Singapore, which scored a 33 of 40 points.
Location (5/5)
Though the Grand Hyatt is not on the waterfront and near where the tourist action takes place, I really really liked the location. I prefer not to stay in the middle of very touristy areas. The other- side-of-downtown location of the Hyatt gave me the opportunity I always look for when I travel, lots of walking. Singapore is a great walkable city. Singapore is well laid out and easy to navigate.
The metro system is excellent, and only one block from the Grand Hyatt Singapore. I did walk from the hotel to the waterfront area. I made this a leisurely walk to take in the sites and stop in to shops, so I’d estimate this distance of roughly five miles might take 2-3 hours. Another walk I recommend from the Grand Hyatt is to the Botanical Gardens. It’s a fun uphill walk on a beautiful residential street lined with embassies.
Lighting (5/5)
The room was lined with windows throughout the living and bedroom area, and from my 18th floor suite I was priviliged with unobstructed views of the surrounding skyline. There was great light streaming in throughout the day and I enjoyed coming back to the space and basking in the warm ambiance. The lamps were well spaced throughout the suite and also emitted a soft, warm glow.
View from the 18th floor. That’s the hotel pool and other hotel tower in the background.
Nice view with a good mix of greenery and an urban setting.
Window Access (4/5)
I was disappointed that the windows did not open. I had a pleasant view of the garden and distant view of the pool area. The Grand Hyatt Singapore is a central city hotel in Singapore, so it has a city view. It was good, though, that for an urban hotel there actually weren’t any buildings facing my side of the hotel. It felt like no one could look in and I was able to keep if not windows open, at least the curtains open. As an aside, the newer hotels in Singapore are the ones down on Marina Bay. Those have water views.
Bed Comfort (3/5)
The bed was too hard for me, as usually is the case throughout Asia. However, this bed was not as hard as some other beds at Hyatt properties in Asia. And I did sleep well and recovered rather nicely from jet lag! I have to say that after all my Hyatt hotel nights in Asia I’m starting to think hotel beds in the states may be too soft!
Hyatt has some great bedrooms, like this one at the Grand Hyatt Singapore, but they didn’t get great recognition for their mattresses. Image by Grand Hyatt Singapore.
Bedroom does have plenty of natural light.
Bathroom (4/5)
There is one bathroom in this Junior Suite just off the master bedroom. The bathroom was large with a separate shower stall and large soaking tub. No bidet, though. One of my pet peeves is lack of towel hooks, but I was glad to see more than enough hooks for towels.
Interior Appointments and Furnishings (4/5)
The suite really did feel like an apartment because the bedroom and living room were each large spaces on their own.
The Grand Hyatt has been open for a long time and its last renovation was in 1998. From what I understand the hotel is scheduling a renovation in 2020. The curtains felt old and worn out though I liked that the curtains were a plain tan color. I don’t like busy curtain patterns or ones that are too dark in color. Those make a room look drab.
The seating area in the living room was great. The desk was large with good lighting. I also liked that the desk was facing the window and not a wall. Why not have a nice view while I’m working, right? The couch was comfortable and at one end there was a lounge. This is my favorite style of couch. It wasn’t a plush couch, though. It was small and low to the ground like the IKEA style couches. This did seem a bit odd for a five star hotel.
One other odd thing was that the desk chair was not adjustable for height. I’ve seen this in other hotel rooms as well and it never makes sense to me. There were side tables by the couch as well as a table in front of the couch, so lots of usable surface areas.
Always enjoy having a lounge style couch in a hotel room!
Comfortable couch and well lit living room.
There was very little artwork, which I liked about the room. Because everyone’s taste in artwork can vary so much, I like quiet walls. This room scored an A++ for having lots of wood both as flooring in parts of the suite and in cabinetry and room design. There was actually wood throughout the whole hotel, so I liked the general design of the hotel very much.
Electronics (5/5)
Plugs and outlets were plentiful and well-placed throughout the suite. There were outlets near the beds and universal plugs and USB charging ports at the desk.
The plugs were adequate in number, rather than plentiful. There are not a lot of outlets, but they were placed in convenient areas around the room. As I mentioned, the hotel is scheduling a renovation in 2020 so I’d imagine installing more outlets, especially near the beds, and installing more universal plugs and USB charging ports on the desk, will be a top priority.
Snack and Minibar (3/5)
I would think the snack area would also be an area targeted during the upcoming renovations. The counter space above the minbar was crowded because it had a small surface and there was a Nespresso machine on it. I do enjoy a Nespresso machine! The staff had no issues providing me with plenty of bottled water per my request. There were actually lots of drawers in the snack area filled with for sale hotel snacks, beverages, and wine.
Water, Nespresso machine, kettle……a beverage drinkers delight!
Hotel Service
I can’t help but mention the service at this hotel because it really does tie into my being so impressed with the Grand Hyatt Singapore. When I checked in I was introduced to Sarah, the Hyatt Guest Services Manager. We decided to meet in the Club Lounge so I could talk with her, share some of my thoughts about what to do and see in Singapore, as well as help me stay up to fight off jet lag!
Sarah and I had such a wonderful visit. After a while we were also joined by Ken Foo, the manager of the Club Lounge at the Grand Hyatt Singapore. This evening enjoyed by all three of us, turned out to be the first of many. Both Sarah and Ken not only shared with me where to go in Singapore, but also so many interesting stories about the history, culture, and contemporary scene in Singapore. I very much appreciated spending time with them and learning so much.
Grand Hyatt Singapore Grand Club Lounge | Image by Grand Hyatt Singapore
As for the Club Lounge itself, it’s a wonderfully well run, heavily used lounge. The food choices are excellent, both at breakfast and in the evening, there is table service with abundant wait staff, and it feels much more like a restaurant than a hotel lounge…….and that’s a good thing!
The Upshot
The Grand Hyatt Singapore would definitely be my choice when I go back to Singapore. I did not have a chance to use the pool, but it was busy when I went out there to have a look. The food in the lounge and concierge service was spot on, and the suite itself was more than enough space and worked very well for me. I enjoyed my stay and being able to bring you a positive Grand Hyatt Singapore review. The location, amenities, and exceptionally attentive staff puts this hotel high on my list, and kicked off my Asia trip in a Grand way!
Shelli Stein is a health and fitness entrepreneur who travels the world in search of culture, food, and fun! Besides contributing to PointMeToThePlane, you can find her at Joy in Movement.
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2 comments
You don’t like staying in the touristy areas? Isn’t Grand Hyatt on Orchard Road? One of the most touristy shopping areas in the world. Sometimes I wonder about bloggers and what they understand/don’t understand.
Thanks for reading, Ryan. It’s all relative, I guess. The area by the Marina with all the gambling, new hotels, and gardens felt much more touristy to me. What’s your favorite property in Singapore?