As Singapore is a rather dated and expensive hotel market, as a family of four we were surprised to be finding the cheapest hotel fares from the Shangri-La Singapore and the Westin Singapore. The Shangri-La does seem a little dated through pictures, so we went with the latter. With prices directly quoted through email from The Westin Singapore, we were able to secure two rooms – my dad wanted an Executive Suite so there would be more space, and we were able to find that at an adequate rate at the Westin, for SGD 579 (~HK$3220) per night. The maximum occupancy for the suite was three people, so we snagged an extra Premier room for SGD 306 (~HK$1700) per night, which was a fair price, in my parents’ opinion (the entry level twin bed Deluxe rooms were out, so I would have be stuck sleeping with my father, which I’ll pay with my own allowance to avoid – he’s loud). After all, as a family of four you probably wouldn’t be able to get anything much cheaper in such an expensive hotel market, so to be able to have that extra living room, we were pretty happy. Or so we thought.
I was in charge of booking a hotel at The Westin, as through my YTHK email account, I seemed to be treated slightly better than my parents were through email (maybe I just lucked out with a series of better agents – I don’t know). Go figure that the 42-day advance purchase rate limit came as I was wrapping up a trip to Jakarta, so we were left with the SPG exclusive prepaid rate as I got back, where the suite set us back SGD 717 (~HK$3990) per night and the premier room set us back SGD 341 (~HK$1900) per night. At this point all the other options had also gone up in price, so as cranky as we were by that point, our family made a collective decision to spring for the Westin anyway.
Keep in mind that the Westin Singapore is an SPG Category 6 hotel, so a deluxe room would’ve set us back 20,000 Starpoints. The Deluxe Rooms were on sale for SGD 272 (~HK$1520) for our dates (they were out by the time the 42-day prepaid rate expired, so I can’t speak for that), so I’m confident cash would have been the better deal.
We flew in on Singapore Airlines A380 premium economy in the morning, and had arranged transport to get us and our bags to the Westin. We made it to the hotel at around 7:30 PM, where we were greeted by bellmen at the door.
The Westin Singapore Driveway
The Westin Singapore Entrance and Signage
The Westin Singapore features a “landing area” on the ground floor, with escalators leading up to the ballroom, though we never used them (or saw anyone doing so, for that matter). A bellman helped us press the lift, and offered us bottles of water, which I found a kind touch (though we stayed well hydrated on the plane, so we declined). Our bags were then taken, and we were told to leave our last names so the bags would end up straight to our hotel room. I’m not sure how many hotels with elevated lobbies do this, but it’s probably the most memorably hands-off experience I’ve had with my bags on arrival in a hotel.
The Westin Singapore Ground Floor Entrance
The daily treats restaurant looked stunning, but I didn’t see anyone there at any point during our stay.
The Westin Singapore Daily Treats Area
The lifts took us straight to the 32nd floor, where the lobby at the Westin Singapore is located. It’s my understanding that the Westin Singapore is located in Tower 2 of Asia Square, a large retail and office building, and there are offices right up until the 31st floor. Unfortunately Asia Square is a large complex that kind of requires its own space, so it was a 15 minute walk to anywhere by Marina Bay. Fortunately Downtown MRT station is still pretty close by, so it’s not impossible to get somewhere in a short amount of time.
Anyway, the lobby was stunning, and the ceilings were really high. Reception was located on the right, a variety of seating was located in front and a lobby bar was located to the left.
The Westin Singapore Lobby
The Westin Singapore Lobby
The lobby is truly stunning, well-lit and features an abundance of comfortable seating, including sofas, armchairs, etc.
The Westin Singapore Lobby
The Westin Singapore Lobby
The Westin Singapore Lobby
The Westin Singapore Lobby
We were checked in by the friendly reception. All along I had been requesting an interconnecting room with the Westin Singapore, and they had stated that there was no way they could guarantee our request until check-in. They had emailed us the day prior saying that they were able to secure interconnecting rooms for us, without stating that they had actually upgraded the other room to a Grand Premier Room in doing so. That’s a gesture that I certainly commend the hotel for, as they went above and beyond in trying to ensure our family’s comfort. At no point did they try to sell us the room at any cost, which is a very honorable gesture on the hotel’s part.
The Westin Singapore Lobby Reception
I did see some interesting-looking teas behind the counter. While I had to use the bathroom during the check-in process, my parents weren’t offered the tea, which I found interesting. Does it just sit there, or does it come for a charge, or…?
The Westin Singapore Lobby Drinks
I briefly visited the lobby bar during my stay, as it seemed to be pretty empty throughout the day (we consistently left the hotel at 10-11 AM and got back past 10 PM). It was a stunning space, though unfortunately with the bright lighting, it isn’t the best place for photos – though would probably be a great place for a drink.
The Westin Singapore Lobby Bar
The Westin Singapore Lobby Bar
The Westin Singapore Lobby Bar
We were assigned an interconnecting room on the 44th floor. Interestingly there was signage suggesting it was a Westin Executive Club floor, yet Grand Premier rooms aren’t granted club access, so I’m not too sure how Westin Executive Club floors work. While my dad and I registered ourselves into the suite (so I’d get to review the club lounge, as only people aged 12 and above are allowed in and my mother didn’t have much of a need to use it), in reality my mother and Hailey used the suite, while my dad and I used the room.
The hotel follows an L shape, with the lift lobby near the wider end shown below. Our rooms were harboured at the very bottom of the L, so suffice to say it was quite a haul. Fortunately the rooms were corner rooms, which meant that we’d get some of the best views out of anyone in the hotel.
The Westin Singapore Floorplan
The hallways are new, with colour tones akin to the lobby bar. It’s hard to make a hallway seem fresh (unless you’re at the Barkla Concept Hotel Xiamen), but the Westin Singapore did just that.
The Westin Singapore Hallway
The entrances of the rooms were next to each other.
The Westin Singapore Grand Premier Room Entrance
The Westin Singapore
Check-in: Wednesday, April 12, 2017
Room Type: Grand Premier Room
Room Number: 4433
Stay duration: 5 nights
Check-out: Monday, April 17, 2017
The room featured a long entryway that zigzagged into the rest of the room. To the right of the entryway was the door to the connected suite, which was easy to open and use.
The Westin Singapore Grand Premier Room Entryway
I liked the light that the entryway had – a nice touch of class that was reflective of an oriental, if not Singaporean hotel.
The Westin Singapore Grand Premier Room Entryway Light
The room itself was large, considering that entry-level rooms are a similar size. The room featured two Westin Heavenly queen beds, which are truly two of the most comfortable beds I’ve ever had a hotel. The room also featured a couch, a flatscreen TV, a desk and chair, and surrounding windows along the back of the TV and the side of the room.
The Westin Singapore Grand Premier Room
The Westin Singapore Grand Premier Room
The room featured quite a bit of open space, so it definitely wasn’t a squeeze, and opening our luggage wasn’t a challenge. There was also a dedicated area to do so in the closet, which we certainly took advantage of.
The Westin Singapore Grand Premier Room Open Space
I can’t say the couch beside the beds was that comfortable, but it’s pretty evident that the hotel tried, with an extra pillow and double padding.
The Westin Singapore Grand Premier Room Couch
The flatscreen TV itself was of a good size, though we never used it throughout our stay.
The Westin Singapore Grand Premier Room Flatscreen TV
I loved how the desk was large and angled away from the room, as I personally have issues with having a large open space behind my back while I’m working.
The Westin Singapore Grand Premier Room Desk
The chair itself was one of the best desk chairs I’ve ever had at a hotel, as it was large, swiveled, was fully adjustable and had good padding for working.
The Westin Singapore Grand Premier Room Desk and Chair
There was an electronics panel by the wall with two universal power ports, a bunch of cables and USB ports, most of which were fully functional (though my phone did say “accessory not supported” after a short while). Not pictured is a safe, which had an impressive capacity.
The Westin Singapore Grand Premier Room Deskside Electronics Panel
This hotel offered complimentary fruit, and an abundance of complimentary water bottles in the room. They were from Dasani, which is a Coca Cola brand, so doesn’t exactly shout “premium water”, though it does seem like Dasani is a very common brand of water in Singapore.
The Westin Singapore Grand Premier Room Water and Fruit
The views out of the hotel were great, though I’m slightly skeptical of how much value the upgrade got us. The “standard” view was amazing, as it looked over the Singapore skyline, including Chinatown. It was a panorama of Singaporean life that depicted it as the buzzing metropolis it is.
The Westin Singapore Grand Premier Room View
The Westin Singapore Grand Premier Room View
However, while the other window let in natural light, which I appreciate, we didn’t exactly get round-the-corner views as it was mostly blocked by an office building. Ultimately I still really appreciate the upgrade and it certainly isn’t any fault of the Westin, though I’m not sure I’d pay more for a Grand Premier room if I could.
The Westin Singapore Grand Premier Room View
The Westin Singapore Grand Premier Room View
The Westin Singapore Grand Premier Room View During Sunset
The bathroom was also pretty impressive, at least in terms of how it was designed. It featured a sink, an enclosed toilet and a separate shower/tub.
The Westin Singapore Grand Premier Room Bathroom Sink
The tub overlooked the office building, unfortunately, so views weren’t so great. Based on how the hotel is structured, it does look like a few deluxe or premier rooms would get a more substantial view while bathing. No one used the tub in our room, though, so it didn’t really matter much to us.
The Westin Singapore Grand Premier Room Bathroom Bathtub
I always love an enclosed toilet, though my complaint would be that neither door could be locked, so I really had to shout to stop anyone from coming in while I was doing my business.
The Westin Singapore Grand Premier Room Bathroom Enclosed Toilet
The shower itself was awesome and modern, featuring a rainforest shower and a handheld shower. Water pressure was great as well.
The Westin Singapore Grand Premier Room Bathroom Shower
The bathroom featured Westin Heavenly Spa amenities. Not only were the bottles so small that they had to be replaced every day, but they weren’t great either. Thankfully, housekeeping was sure to make sure that we didn’t run out of extras.
The Westin Singapore Grand Premier Room Bathroom Toiletries
There was also a tray of other amenities, such as dental kits, shaving kits, mouthwash, lotion, etc.
The Westin Singapore Grand Premier Room Bathroom Amenities
On the left was more Dasani water, which there definitely isn’t a shortage of at this hotel.
The Westin Singapore Grand Premier Room Bathroom Water
The room featured a minibar, which charged fifteen seconds after you removed an item from its spot. I found it thoughtful that there was space for your own drinks or whatever you needed the fridge for, but I find hotel fridges to be consistently tiny.
The Westin Singapore Grand Premier Room Minibar
Overall I found my room to be really nicely appointed, and at the 42-day rate I would have taken it any day. Even at the rate we ended up paying, we all thought the room was a great deal, especially for its size, comfort and how great the beds were. Sure, I do think it was slightly sterile, but it had a sense of minimalism that you see at some other hotels that I love.
I decided to also explore my mother and Hailey’s suite, which was located next door. There are eleven executive suites in the hotel, so it’s pretty exclusive, if not overly so.
The Westin Singapore Executive Suite Entrance
The room featured the same entryway which turned in an L-shape to the living room, but it featured an extra pot of decorative flowers. They actually seemed out of place on the first day we were there, as some of the flowers hadn’t bloomed yet.
The Westin Singapore Executive Suite Entryway
The Westin Singapore Executive Suite Entryway Flowers (Day 1)
Fortunately it didn’t take too long for housekeeping to realise their mistake, as either the flowers bloomed, or a fresh pot was brought in on the second day instead (I’m assuming the latter happened).
The Westin Singapore Executive Suite Entryway Flowers (Day 2-6)
There were also pretty handy cubbies for placing backpacks or, potentially, a small carry-on.
The Westin Singapore Executive Suite Entryway Cubbies
Straight ahead of the L-shaped hallway was a half bath, which featured a toilet and a sink. Most of my family found the half-bath useful, though I stayed in my room for the most part, so didn’t end up using it at all.
The Westin Singapore Executive Suite Half Bath
The actual suite’s living room was of a decent size – nothing close to the suite we had at the Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore, though still sizeable. It was probably around 25-30 square meters, as the entire suite was advertised to be 66-74 square meters. The living room featured a large L-shaped sofa, a desk, a flatscreen TV and a sofa. I wasn’t able to actually get a photo of the room as a whole as my parents and Hailey were venturing around it at the same time, so I apologise.
The Westin Singapore Executive Suite Living Room Couch
The couch itself was plush and I loved the pillows, and my dad and Hailey seemed to use it a lot during the stay.
The Westin Singapore Executive Suite Living Room Couch
The flatscreen TV came with a Bose entertainment system, which I’m sure others will enjoy.
The Westin Singapore Executive Suite Living Room Flatscreen TV
I love how the desk once again featured the great chair that came with our room, and also faced away from the room. If there’s one thing that the Westin Singapore gets absolutely right, it’s their desks.
The Westin Singapore Executive Suite Living Room Desk
There was also a sofa on the far end of the room, which was akin to the one that we had in our room. The sofa was comfortable to sit in for a while, but the lack of armrests made it hard to “sink” into, if that makes any sense.
The Westin Singapore Executive Suite Living Room Sofa
The bedroom was similar in fashion to a normal entry level room, except that it was slightly smaller as the desk and similar amenities were featured outside. It featured a Westin Heavenly king bed, a flatscreen TV and yet another sofa.
The Westin Singapore Executive Suite Bedroom Heavenly Bed
The Westin Singapore Executive Suite Bedroom Flatscreen TV
The Westin Singapore Executive Suite Bedroom Light
The bathroom was markedly similar to the one that was featured in our room, though slightly bigger (it featured more open space in the middle of the bathroom). The bathroom featured double sinks, an enclosed toilet, and a separate tub and shower.
The Westin Singapore Executive Suite Bathroom Tub
The Westin Singapore Executive Suite Bathroom Double Sinks
The Westin Singapore Executive Suite Bathroom Enclosed Toilet
The Westin Singapore Executive Suite Bathroom Shower
It’s unfortunate that the Executive Suites now only feature the same Westin Heavenly amenities in tiny containers, as I know that the hotel used to offer Bulgari amenities.
The Westin Singapore Executive Suite Bathroom Amenities
Overall, I found the suite well appointed – it was also modern, minimalistic without losing its own personality and voice in design.
As my dad and I were registered into the Executive suite, we were entitled to lounge access (interestingly the key cards to our room were the ones that opened the doors to the lounge, which you can enter with a valid key card, instead of the key cards leading to the suite – all the more convenient, I guess). The Westin Executive Lounge was located on the 35th floor, to the left of the lifts and a short walk in. It was constantly staffed by friendly staff, and when I wanted to bring my sister in to grab drinks back to the room while the lounge was empty, she was welcomed in, despite being under 12.
The Westin Singapore Executive Club Lounge Reception
There was a couch facing the lounge’s reception, which no one used.
The Westin Singapore Executive Club Lounge Entryway
There was also a little business center area that featured quite a bit of privacy, which I’m sure travellers without computers would appreciate.
The Westin Singapore Executive Club Lounge Business Area
The club lounge itself was a nice space, and was set up more like a restaurant than a working area. It featured a ton of four-tops with reasonably comfortable seating, though you would be able to find a variety of seating spread throughout the lounge.
The Westin Singapore Executive Club Lounge
The variety of seating included bench seating, armchairs, sofas, etc.
The Westin Singapore Executive Club Lounge
The Westin Singapore Executive Club Lounge
While there are seats by the window, they do face another office building, as there’s been a lot of development around the area recently. Still, it was a good place to sit, especially when it offered natural light in the morning. When you craned your neck, much like in our room, you would be able to spot the sea.
The Westin Singapore Executive Club Lounge
The Westin Singapore Executive Club Lounge
The lounge itself was a big space, and it was never crowded, so under conditions of staying in an entry level with SPG elite membership, I wouldn’t hesitate to work here under the option to do so.
The Westin Singapore Executive Club Lounge
The Westin Singapore Executive Club Lounge
There was an abundance of free drinks, including many bottles of Dasani water, Schweppes tonic water and ginger ale, Coca Cola, Sprite, Diet Coke and a variety of juices…
The Westin Singapore Executive Club Lounge Drinks
…but I was certainly most excited about the mini-bottles of San Pellegrino sparkling water, which normally retail for quite a high cost.
The Westin Singapore Executive Club Lounge San Pellegrino Sparkling Water
My dad and I had the option of eating breakfast at the club lounge each morning, so I took advantage of that one morning when I had limited time. The breakfast spread was quite varied for a club lounge and featured many options, including bacon, a variety of meat sausages, Chinese food, yoghurt, muesli, lunch meats, etc.
The Westin Singapore Executive Club Lounge Breakfast Spread
The Westin Singapore Executive Club Lounge Breakfast Spread
The Westin Singapore Executive Club Lounge Breakfast Spread
The Westin Singapore Executive Club Lounge Breakfast Spread
The Westin Singapore Executive Club Lounge Breakfast Spread
The Westin Singapore Executive Club Lounge Breakfast Spread
The Westin Singapore Executive Club Lounge Breakfast Spread
The Westin Singapore Executive Club Lounge Breakfast Spread
The Westin Singapore Executive Club Lounge Breakfast Spread
The Westin Singapore Executive Club Lounge Breakfast Spread
The Westin Singapore Executive Club Lounge Breakfast Spread
On the morning I had breakfast I was offered coffee, in which I took a decent cappuccino.
The Westin Singapore Executive Club Lounge Cappuccino
However, as a guest with lounge access, you can also choose to have breakfast at the hotel’s lobby restaurant, Seasonal Tastes. The restaurant is a nice space, well decorated, and features comfortable seating.
The Westin Singapore Seasonal Tastes
However, the breakfast spread is quite a bit better than the one in the lounge, if not one of the best spreads I’ve had within the past year. There was a variety of soups, meat, lots of pastries, a more extensive hot food spread, etc. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.
The Westin Singapore Seasonal Tastes Breakfast Spread
The Westin Singapore Seasonal Tastes Breakfast Spread
The Westin Singapore Seasonal Tastes Breakfast Spread
The Westin Singapore Seasonal Tastes Breakfast Spread
The Westin Singapore Seasonal Tastes Breakfast Spread
The Westin Singapore Seasonal Tastes Breakfast Spread
The Westin Singapore Seasonal Tastes Breakfast Spread
The Westin Singapore Seasonal Tastes Breakfast Spread
The Westin Singapore Seasonal Tastes Breakfast Spread
The Westin Singapore Seasonal Tastes Breakfast Spread
The Westin Singapore Seasonal Tastes Breakfast Spread
I have to say that despite not having ice cream, the amount of high-quality sweet breakfast food in this spread definitely made my heart content.
The Westin Singapore Seasonal Tastes Breakfast Spread
The Westin Singapore Seasonal Tastes Breakfast Spread
The Westin Singapore Seasonal Tastes Breakfast Spread
The Westin Singapore Seasonal Tastes Breakfast Spread
There was also a selection of juice to choose from, which not only consisted of the standard, but also featured cranberry, guava, some of their homemade smoothies, etc.
The Westin Singapore Seasonal Tastes Breakfast Spread
The Westin Singapore Seasonal Tastes Breakfast Spread
Some of the options I found the best included their fried rice and their noodles (that were laid out dry, but you could add the broth in from the pot on the side), which you could top with the crispy fried shallots that just added so much flavour to the noodles.
The Westin Singapore Seasonal Tastes Breakfast
Overall the breakfast spread was certainly very impressive, and I’d take it any day over the one in the lounge. I was thrilled that both options were free, though the variety and quality of the food here made the choice obvious. However, I did believe both spreads were very well executed for what they were.
In terms of other hotel facilities, there’s a gym, which features very nice equipment from LifeFitness, which I’m used to at home.
The Westin Singapore Gym
The Westin Singapore Gym
The Westin Singapore Gym
The Westin Singapore Gym
The Westin Singapore Gym
There was a broad range of equipment in this gym, which I hugely appreciated. While the gym wasn’t a huge space, it was definitely one of the better gyms I’ve seen out there.
The Westin Singapore Gym
The Westin Singapore Gym
The Westin Singapore Gym
The Westin Singapore Gym
The Westin Singapore Gym
The most impressive thing about the gym was probably the fact that it featured free headphones – is that a trend at hotels that I’m not noticing?
The Westin Singapore Gym
The Westin Singapore Gym Amenities
The Westin Singapore Gym Amenities and Towels
The Westin Singapore Gym Water
There’s also a pool. I believe it used to be an infinity pool, but it didn’t look like one from above. I’m assuming it’s because of the new building that’s being built in front of the pool, which sort of stops any purpose of an infinity pool, as I think you used to be able to see right into the harbour.
The Westin Singapore Pool
Service at the hotel was consistently friendly, and whoever we talked to would be courteous and engage in small talk with us. Every night we reeived packaged cookies as part of their turndown service, which I found cute, and the cookies were delicious as well.
The Westin Singapore Turndown Service
However, I do have a slight pet peeve with housekeeping – they never seemed to be comfortable with throwing anything away. I understood when housekeeping covered my mom’s coke can with a cup cover instead of throwing it away, as you don’t know if the guest is doing an experiment or anything, and you don’t know how long they’ll be gone for. However, I forgot to throw away a plastic wrapper after retrieving something the second morning, and instead found it sort of placed very neatly on the bedside table when I came back that afternoon – I think that’s slightly less excusable. It’s clear effort had been put into our room every day, I’m just not sure how it was executed.
Bottom Line
The Westin Singapore is probably one of the best options to stay in in such a premium yet dated hotel market. The rooms were all nice and I loved the decor, and I don’t think ~HK$3200 is too much to spend on an executive suite in Singapore, especially one as nice as the one we got. The room was also great, though I’m not sure if there’s too much difference between an entry-level deluxe room and the room that we got, bar the extra window, so I’d go ahead and book an entry-level room next time.
The only other point of comparison I really had coming in was the Ritz-Carlton, which was HK$6,000 for a suite on a prepaid rate and normally considered one of the best hotels in Singapore, so I still consider that to be in a different league. However, the Westin Singapore is attainable on points, and I wouldn’t hesitate to stay here in the future.
I loved the Westin in Singapore when I was there. And for SPG members, they had 25% off on the Veuve Clicquot pours during Happy Hour. And I was there during a heat wave (yes, they happen in Singapore, the weather gets even worse!) the pool was a life saver, and Airbus folks were demonstrating the A350, so it would do flybys while I was bobbin’ in the pool. #AVgeek heaven. The staff and room were great, I would go back anytime.
@ fussyflyer – Looks like you had an amazing time there! Do you remember if the pool looked like that? Was it also by the spa area on the 35th floor and was there a building obstructing?
It was on the same floor as the spa. The pool has a good view of the Bay (for now)… no telling what they build in front, though I think it is mostly lo-rises.
Had a night here a year or two ago – nice hardware, right in the midst of the business district which is absolutely quiet over the weekend (could be a boon or bane depending on your style, too quiet for my tastes)