As part of the welcome pack for my successful application of a Citibank Rewards Card, there was a voucher for $80 nett couple jacuzzi & massage at Spa Symphony in 313@Somerset. Together with my girlfriend, we went for the pampering session on a lovely Sat morning. We were allocated 40mins for the jacuzzi (30mins in tub + 10mins shower) before the 60mins full body massage.
My only gripe would be the long waiting time, possibly because the staff had to prepare the jacuzzi as we were the first customers for the day. When we were brought to the jacuzzi room, we were delighted at the bubbly private tub and soothing room settings. Without doubt, my girlfriend & I thoroughly enjoyed the relaxing soak & we agreed that moving forth we should schedule such pampering sessions for ourselves on a more regular basis :)
Not quite sure what stroke or technique the masseuse were using but the massage hurts! But the pain was worth it, immediately after the massage my girlfriend could the tension eased in her shoulders. $80 for this session was a real steal. After we got dressed, the sales consultant spoke with us & offered the exact same session at $138 before GST which seems like a really good deal to me. I ended up purchasing one additional session.
Coincidentally, Citibank was having an ongoing promotion, for every $150 spent, shoppers will receive a $20 voucher! As you would have imagined, I left the spa place smiling widely :)
Showing posts with label happy memories. Show all posts
Showing posts with label happy memories. Show all posts
Saturday, 5 July 2014
Sunday, 20 April 2014
Phuket trip Apr'14 - Shopping!
Shopping -
(1) Phuket town weekend night market
This is a large scale local market, you can find everything ranging from food, clothes, souvenirs, accessories, DVDs, temporary tattoo services. First & foremost food, on day 2 we only had breakfast in the hotel before embarking on our city tour at 11am, as your can imagine when we got to the weekend market round 5pm we were famished. But much to our delight there were just SOOOO many stalls in the weekend market selling food.
Some of the food we had -
Grilled squid (THB40 ~S$1.60),
Fresh mango (THB25 ~S$1),
Tom Yum Goong + Thai friend rice + a can of lemon tea (THB185 ~S$7.50),
Huge sausage on a stick (THB20 ~S$0.80)
Fishcake on a stick (THB20 ~S$0.80)
Orange ice blended (THB20 ~S$0.80)
Iced orange tea (THB20 ~S$0.80)
A slice of chocolate crepe cake (THB60 ~S$2.40)
Spicy fishcakes
Mussels omelette
Chicken satay
Fried chicken wing
Mango salad
The shopping was also quite unbeatable, shorts going at THB100 ~S$4, tops also going at THB100 ~S$4. The weekend night market is pretty huge, you could easily spend 4-5hrs there, shopping & filling your tummy at the same time. Day 3 after checking out the walking street in Phuket town, we made our way back to the weekend night market because we really couldn't get enough of mainly the food & partly the shopping!
(1) Phuket town weekend night market
This is a large scale local market, you can find everything ranging from food, clothes, souvenirs, accessories, DVDs, temporary tattoo services. First & foremost food, on day 2 we only had breakfast in the hotel before embarking on our city tour at 11am, as your can imagine when we got to the weekend market round 5pm we were famished. But much to our delight there were just SOOOO many stalls in the weekend market selling food.
Some of the food we had -
Grilled squid (THB40 ~S$1.60),
Fresh mango (THB25 ~S$1),
Tom Yum Goong + Thai friend rice + a can of lemon tea (THB185 ~S$7.50),
Huge sausage on a stick (THB20 ~S$0.80)
Fishcake on a stick (THB20 ~S$0.80)
Orange ice blended (THB20 ~S$0.80)
Iced orange tea (THB20 ~S$0.80)
A slice of chocolate crepe cake (THB60 ~S$2.40)
Spicy fishcakes
Mussels omelette
Chicken satay
Fried chicken wing
Mango salad
The shopping was also quite unbeatable, shorts going at THB100 ~S$4, tops also going at THB100 ~S$4. The weekend night market is pretty huge, you could easily spend 4-5hrs there, shopping & filling your tummy at the same time. Day 3 after checking out the walking street in Phuket town, we made our way back to the weekend night market because we really couldn't get enough of mainly the food & partly the shopping!
Phuket trip Apr'14 - Shopping!
(2) Phuket town Sunday walking street
Sunday after checking out, our first destination was to the Sunday walking street. As the name implies, this shopping street only operates on Sundays. This is reason why tourists intending to visit Phuket should go on weekends as this is when the weekend market & also Sunday walking street opens for business. Personally I felt this walking street was not a must-go unless you have plenty of time to spare on your itinerary because the stretch of street was not long & hence only a handful of shops available.
Sunday after checking out, our first destination was to the Sunday walking street. As the name implies, this shopping street only operates on Sundays. This is reason why tourists intending to visit Phuket should go on weekends as this is when the weekend market & also Sunday walking street opens for business. Personally I felt this walking street was not a must-go unless you have plenty of time to spare on your itinerary because the stretch of street was not long & hence only a handful of shops available.
Saturday, 19 April 2014
Phuket Trip Apr'14 - Airport transfer & city day tour
Airport Transfer
After some research online, I am glad I went with Phuket Connect Transfers. Single trip from airport to resort costs us THB800 (other sites have given higher quotes) & the duration fmo airport to resort took round 1 hour.
Day 1 of our trip - Our flight landed at 10.10am local time but the immigration queue took aeons to clear, we only exited the terminal at 11am. Fortunately the driver did not forsake us. I certainly heaved a huge sigh of relief when I still saw him waiting patiently outside the airport holding up my name on a cardboard. Best part about booking with Phuket Connect Transfers is you only pay the driver after he has sent you to your destination. I believe there are other sites which require pre-payment with credit card. I certainly do not want to risk paying only to have the driver do a no-show.
On our last day, we again hired the same company for a half day service. 4 hours for THB1,700 (~ S$68) & the final drop-off at Phuket airport. It is critical to mention in your request for quotations that you require drop-off at the airport because the location of the airport is pretty far off & requires considerable travelling time. This is an important factor for planning your itineraries, definitely wouldn't want to miss your flight!
Email: info@phuketconnecttransfers.com
Web: www.phuketconnecttransfers.com
Phuket Sightseeing & City Tour
Day 2 of our trip - Why not just kick back relax & engage a tour guide & driver to bring us round the city? Besides its the first time my other half is in Phuket. Private tour for 2 THB2,000 (~$80) & extra charge for the remote location of our resort THB200 (~$8). Well, like what the guide says, Avista Faraway.
Attractions visited -
Karon Viewpoint
Phuket Big Buddha
Wat Chalong
Cashew Nut Factory
Gem Factory
Of course the cashew nut & gem factory were not places we wanted to visit but it was part of the tour as part of the local tourism board's effort to promote their local industries. Don't worry, there is no hardselling, just take a walk around & you are free to go. We did buy a few cans of cashew nut as they are pretty tasty! Each can for THB199 (~ S$8). Comes in various flavours, we bought Tom Yum, BBQ & Wasabi.
Much of the time was spent on the bus, driving round scenic routes. We requested for drop-off at the weekend night market at the end of the tour but as you would have guessed it, the tour guide persuaded us to do a Thai massage at this shady massage place . Don't be mistaken, the place is not some "lup sup" or inappropriate business, it is a legitimate massage parlour just that it would be equivalent to the foot reflexology joints we find here in Singapore. 1hr Thai massage for 2 pax, THB800 (~S$32). Before the driver & guide left, we were negotiating on price for transportation on our 3rd day. THB2,000 for 4hrs (tour guide & driver) & final drop-off at airport, in the end we didn't engage her as prices were too steep!
As we were short of Thai Baht, we made a stopover (or rather WALKED) at Central Mall which was a 15mins walk away (& also along the way to our final destination the weekend market), we exchanged our monies at Thai Military Bank (TMB) on the 2nd floor of the mall. Rates were comparable to Singapore money changers. Central Mall also offers free WiFi for tourists, just register at the Information Counter with your passport.
The tour guide convinced us that the weekend night market was well within walking distance from the massage parlour, boy oh boy, we walked for a great distance under the sweltering sun before arriving at our destination! More details on the night market in next post!
Email: info@PhuketHotDeals.com
Web: PhuketHotDeals.com
After some research online, I am glad I went with Phuket Connect Transfers. Single trip from airport to resort costs us THB800 (other sites have given higher quotes) & the duration fmo airport to resort took round 1 hour.
Day 1 of our trip - Our flight landed at 10.10am local time but the immigration queue took aeons to clear, we only exited the terminal at 11am. Fortunately the driver did not forsake us. I certainly heaved a huge sigh of relief when I still saw him waiting patiently outside the airport holding up my name on a cardboard. Best part about booking with Phuket Connect Transfers is you only pay the driver after he has sent you to your destination. I believe there are other sites which require pre-payment with credit card. I certainly do not want to risk paying only to have the driver do a no-show.
On our last day, we again hired the same company for a half day service. 4 hours for THB1,700 (~ S$68) & the final drop-off at Phuket airport. It is critical to mention in your request for quotations that you require drop-off at the airport because the location of the airport is pretty far off & requires considerable travelling time. This is an important factor for planning your itineraries, definitely wouldn't want to miss your flight!
Email: info@phuketconnecttransfers.com
Web: www.phuketconnecttransfers.com
Phuket Sightseeing & City Tour
Day 2 of our trip - Why not just kick back relax & engage a tour guide & driver to bring us round the city? Besides its the first time my other half is in Phuket. Private tour for 2 THB2,000 (~$80) & extra charge for the remote location of our resort THB200 (~$8). Well, like what the guide says, Avista Faraway.
Attractions visited -
Karon Viewpoint
Phuket Big Buddha
Wat Chalong
Cashew Nut Factory
Gem Factory
Of course the cashew nut & gem factory were not places we wanted to visit but it was part of the tour as part of the local tourism board's effort to promote their local industries. Don't worry, there is no hardselling, just take a walk around & you are free to go. We did buy a few cans of cashew nut as they are pretty tasty! Each can for THB199 (~ S$8). Comes in various flavours, we bought Tom Yum, BBQ & Wasabi.
Much of the time was spent on the bus, driving round scenic routes. We requested for drop-off at the weekend night market at the end of the tour but as you would have guessed it, the tour guide persuaded us to do a Thai massage at this shady massage place . Don't be mistaken, the place is not some "lup sup" or inappropriate business, it is a legitimate massage parlour just that it would be equivalent to the foot reflexology joints we find here in Singapore. 1hr Thai massage for 2 pax, THB800 (~S$32). Before the driver & guide left, we were negotiating on price for transportation on our 3rd day. THB2,000 for 4hrs (tour guide & driver) & final drop-off at airport, in the end we didn't engage her as prices were too steep!
As we were short of Thai Baht, we made a stopover (or rather WALKED) at Central Mall which was a 15mins walk away (& also along the way to our final destination the weekend market), we exchanged our monies at Thai Military Bank (TMB) on the 2nd floor of the mall. Rates were comparable to Singapore money changers. Central Mall also offers free WiFi for tourists, just register at the Information Counter with your passport.
The tour guide convinced us that the weekend night market was well within walking distance from the massage parlour, boy oh boy, we walked for a great distance under the sweltering sun before arriving at our destination! More details on the night market in next post!
Email: info@PhuketHotDeals.com
Web: PhuketHotDeals.com
Friday, 18 April 2014
Phuket trip Apr'14 - Cooking lessons at Pum's
Pum Restaurant & Cooking School
This would come across as pretty odd to you but as much as I love beach vacations, I am never a fan of the sun nor sea (non-swimmer here). So I never participate in sea sports when on beach vacations. On our 3D2N Phuket trip, I decided to include something out of the norm & perhaps also to prepare for wedded life. There are quite a few cooking schools available in Phuket, depending on your schedule, budget as well as preferred dishes, you will have no problem booking a class to cater to your needs.
After reading reviews I settled with Pum Restaurant & Cooking School. They have a variety of classes available depending on what you want to learn & how much time you are willing to spare. 2 of us enrolled in Pum's Little Shoes (2 pax THB3,000 ~S$120) where each of us picked 3 dishes which we wanted to learn, it was a full hands-on class. At the end of 3 hours, you get to taste the fruits of your labour!
Day 1 of our trip - After some rest, we took the resort shuttle to Jungceylon for lunch before our cooking class at 4pm. There was 6 students in a class & our teacher is called Irene. At Pum's, they advocate cooking using natural ingredients which should be easily found in wet markets (or hopefully Golden Mile Complex here). All ingredients are prepared beforehand so we just follow Irene's instructions to cook the dishes. Quite an experience I'd say. I was certainly surprised at how simple the dishes could be prepared & for those health conscious, you will be happy to know that at Pum's, they cook without using MSG.
Dishes we prepared -
Phad Thai Goong - Thai fried noodles with prawns
Gai Satay - Chicken Satay with peanut sauce & cucumber dressing
Sam Tum - Spicy papaya salad
Tom Yum Goong - Thai hot & sour prawn soup
Gaeng Kheo Wan Gai - Thai green curry with chicken
Khao Nieo Mamuang - Mango with sticky rice
http://th.pumthaifoodchain.com/cookingschool.html
This would come across as pretty odd to you but as much as I love beach vacations, I am never a fan of the sun nor sea (non-swimmer here). So I never participate in sea sports when on beach vacations. On our 3D2N Phuket trip, I decided to include something out of the norm & perhaps also to prepare for wedded life. There are quite a few cooking schools available in Phuket, depending on your schedule, budget as well as preferred dishes, you will have no problem booking a class to cater to your needs.
After reading reviews I settled with Pum Restaurant & Cooking School. They have a variety of classes available depending on what you want to learn & how much time you are willing to spare. 2 of us enrolled in Pum's Little Shoes (2 pax THB3,000 ~S$120) where each of us picked 3 dishes which we wanted to learn, it was a full hands-on class. At the end of 3 hours, you get to taste the fruits of your labour!
Day 1 of our trip - After some rest, we took the resort shuttle to Jungceylon for lunch before our cooking class at 4pm. There was 6 students in a class & our teacher is called Irene. At Pum's, they advocate cooking using natural ingredients which should be easily found in wet markets (or hopefully Golden Mile Complex here). All ingredients are prepared beforehand so we just follow Irene's instructions to cook the dishes. Quite an experience I'd say. I was certainly surprised at how simple the dishes could be prepared & for those health conscious, you will be happy to know that at Pum's, they cook without using MSG.
Dishes we prepared -
Phad Thai Goong - Thai fried noodles with prawns
Gai Satay - Chicken Satay with peanut sauce & cucumber dressing
Sam Tum - Spicy papaya salad
Tom Yum Goong - Thai hot & sour prawn soup
Gaeng Kheo Wan Gai - Thai green curry with chicken
Khao Nieo Mamuang - Mango with sticky rice
http://th.pumthaifoodchain.com/cookingschool.html
Phuket trip Apr'14 - Flight & accomodation
Flight
JetStar sale tickets $448 for 2, departs on Fri 18 Apr 8.20am & returning on 20 Apr 10pm. Flight landed puncutally but immigration at Phuket airport took an hour to clear (can you believe it??). We did not encounter any delays for our departing flight on 20 Apr :)
Resort
Location - Booked a 2N stay (THB12,000 ~S$500) in Club Vista room at the luxurious Avista Hideaway Resort & Spa, located up the hill (exact location is Tri Trang Beach) from Patong Beach. Location of this resort is not most convenient, the tour guide which brought us round the city on Day 2 joked that this is Avista Faraway. Also, when looking for transport back to resort from the weekend market, taxi quoted us THB700 (~ S$28) again because of location. Transportation back to Patong Beach would probably at best only cost round THB500 (~ S$20).
I picked this resort as I wanted peace & tranquility considering we were visiting during the Easter long weekend, I would expect Patong Beach to be packed with tourists & parties late into the night. And this resort only opened its doors in 2012, everything is new which is something I really like. Pardon the cleanliness freak in me but I would hate to imagine head lice crawling on used pillows and bedsheets!
Day 1 of our trip - When we arrived at the resort on Day 1, it was approximately 12pm local time. Once you step into the main reception area, you can't help but be blown away by the lovely scenery. Being immersed in such lush greenery all around the resort, the unblocked view is simply breathtaking. Official check-in was at 2pm but fortunately the staff was accommodating enough to allow us to check-in ahead of 2pm, we waited approximately 20mins for the staff to prepare our room. We eagerly explored the resort & snapped many pictures while sipping on the welcome drinks.
The walk from reception desk to our room requires a fair bit of navigation but nothing too mind boggling :) I was pretty disappointed to find out that none of the rooms have a sea-view because of the orientation of the resort. To my dismay, our room 902 faces barren lands, probably pending construction works to be done. Looking down from the balcony you would see the Club Vista pool :) The room is spacious & the lightings create a warm & cosy ambience, perfect for relaxation!
Right after we checked into our room, we crashed & took a nap & only got up in the afternoon to catch the hotel shuttle to Jungceylon. Our hungry tummies settled upon Urban Food for lunch, food was nothing to shout about & prices were comparable to Singapore X_x.
After lunch we strolled around Patong area before our cooking class at 4pm.
Breakfast - Our room reservations included buffet breakfast served at Vista - The Restaurant every morning, food variety is not too shabby! I certainly enjoyed my sumptuous breakfast for the 2 consecutive mornings, in particular the high ceilings & surrounding greenery makes you feel very refreshed & recharged each morning.
Swimming Pools - The Avista Hideaway has 3 pools - (1) the main pool which is right in front of Vista. (2) The Club Vista is a private pool located right beneath my block of rooms. This is an adult-only pool so for those who want to escape from the screaming kids, this is the pool to go to. (3) The riverside pool, right beneath the main reception area.
Day 3 of our trip - Got up for breakfast before heading to the pool, frolicking in the water & sipping our drinks (Mango ice-blended & Mojito for THB320) by the pool is quite an indulgence! Our return flight was at 10pm & the hotel has kindly extended late check-out at 4pm. We arranged for transport to pick us up at 4pm. Based on my interactions & experiences with local Singapore hotels, none of which has ever offered such late check-out timings. Maybe partly because I am a local doing a staycation, not a tourist waiting to catch a flight.
JetStar sale tickets $448 for 2, departs on Fri 18 Apr 8.20am & returning on 20 Apr 10pm. Flight landed puncutally but immigration at Phuket airport took an hour to clear (can you believe it??). We did not encounter any delays for our departing flight on 20 Apr :)
Resort
Location - Booked a 2N stay (THB12,000 ~S$500) in Club Vista room at the luxurious Avista Hideaway Resort & Spa, located up the hill (exact location is Tri Trang Beach) from Patong Beach. Location of this resort is not most convenient, the tour guide which brought us round the city on Day 2 joked that this is Avista Faraway. Also, when looking for transport back to resort from the weekend market, taxi quoted us THB700 (~ S$28) again because of location. Transportation back to Patong Beach would probably at best only cost round THB500 (~ S$20).
I picked this resort as I wanted peace & tranquility considering we were visiting during the Easter long weekend, I would expect Patong Beach to be packed with tourists & parties late into the night. And this resort only opened its doors in 2012, everything is new which is something I really like. Pardon the cleanliness freak in me but I would hate to imagine head lice crawling on used pillows and bedsheets!
Day 1 of our trip - When we arrived at the resort on Day 1, it was approximately 12pm local time. Once you step into the main reception area, you can't help but be blown away by the lovely scenery. Being immersed in such lush greenery all around the resort, the unblocked view is simply breathtaking. Official check-in was at 2pm but fortunately the staff was accommodating enough to allow us to check-in ahead of 2pm, we waited approximately 20mins for the staff to prepare our room. We eagerly explored the resort & snapped many pictures while sipping on the welcome drinks.
The walk from reception desk to our room requires a fair bit of navigation but nothing too mind boggling :) I was pretty disappointed to find out that none of the rooms have a sea-view because of the orientation of the resort. To my dismay, our room 902 faces barren lands, probably pending construction works to be done. Looking down from the balcony you would see the Club Vista pool :) The room is spacious & the lightings create a warm & cosy ambience, perfect for relaxation!
Right after we checked into our room, we crashed & took a nap & only got up in the afternoon to catch the hotel shuttle to Jungceylon. Our hungry tummies settled upon Urban Food for lunch, food was nothing to shout about & prices were comparable to Singapore X_x.
After lunch we strolled around Patong area before our cooking class at 4pm.
Breakfast - Our room reservations included buffet breakfast served at Vista - The Restaurant every morning, food variety is not too shabby! I certainly enjoyed my sumptuous breakfast for the 2 consecutive mornings, in particular the high ceilings & surrounding greenery makes you feel very refreshed & recharged each morning.
Swimming Pools - The Avista Hideaway has 3 pools - (1) the main pool which is right in front of Vista. (2) The Club Vista is a private pool located right beneath my block of rooms. This is an adult-only pool so for those who want to escape from the screaming kids, this is the pool to go to. (3) The riverside pool, right beneath the main reception area.
Day 3 of our trip - Got up for breakfast before heading to the pool, frolicking in the water & sipping our drinks (Mango ice-blended & Mojito for THB320) by the pool is quite an indulgence! Our return flight was at 10pm & the hotel has kindly extended late check-out at 4pm. We arranged for transport to pick us up at 4pm. Based on my interactions & experiences with local Singapore hotels, none of which has ever offered such late check-out timings. Maybe partly because I am a local doing a staycation, not a tourist waiting to catch a flight.
To sum it up, I am very glad to have booked my stay with Avista. The resort was simply amazing!
Monday, 6 January 2014
Staycation at Equarius Hotel, RWS (Part 2)
Following morning, buffet breakfast was served at Forest 森 (Equarius Hotel, Lobby). Before arriving in the restaurant I was feeling all hyped because c'mon, buffet breakfast = scrumptious meal = superbly done scrambled eggs + yummy sausages + oily sinful bee hoon + all things yummy/delectable blah blah blah!
As it was a Monday morning, the restaurant was pretty empty, we got seated promptly. First dish I went for has got to be scrambled eggs. Gosh, it was a major disappointment! :( If McDonald's scrambled eggs was a perfect 10 then their scrambled eggs will be a miserable 2. Goodness gracious, the eggs were completed soaked in milk, all gooey & yucky. Gets me upset just to talk about it.
Well, since they are capable of screwing up such a simple dish, needless to say the other dishes were totally not worthy of mention. You honestly will not revisit for a second helping. Even the watermelon juice was horrid, super diluted! Please don't tell me they actually used syrup! My oh my. After the unsatisfying breakfast, we crawled back to bed.
Requested for late check-out at 1pm, after checking out we realized we just missed the shuttle bus going toward S.E.A. Aquarium. Normally buses come at every 15min interval but as its lunch time, the next bus only arrives 30mins later. We were hanging round the lounge area, waiting for time to pass. Round 15mins later, a friendly staff approached us & offered to get a buggy to send us to our destination. SWEET!
Related posts -
Staycation at Equarius Hotel, RWS (Part 1)
As it was a Monday morning, the restaurant was pretty empty, we got seated promptly. First dish I went for has got to be scrambled eggs. Gosh, it was a major disappointment! :( If McDonald's scrambled eggs was a perfect 10 then their scrambled eggs will be a miserable 2. Goodness gracious, the eggs were completed soaked in milk, all gooey & yucky. Gets me upset just to talk about it.
Well, since they are capable of screwing up such a simple dish, needless to say the other dishes were totally not worthy of mention. You honestly will not revisit for a second helping. Even the watermelon juice was horrid, super diluted! Please don't tell me they actually used syrup! My oh my. After the unsatisfying breakfast, we crawled back to bed.
Requested for late check-out at 1pm, after checking out we realized we just missed the shuttle bus going toward S.E.A. Aquarium. Normally buses come at every 15min interval but as its lunch time, the next bus only arrives 30mins later. We were hanging round the lounge area, waiting for time to pass. Round 15mins later, a friendly staff approached us & offered to get a buggy to send us to our destination. SWEET!
Related posts -
Staycation at Equarius Hotel, RWS (Part 1)
Sunday, 5 January 2014
Staycation at Equarius Hotel, RWS (Part 1)
1st weekend of 2014 saw us celebrating our 6th anniversary with a staycation at Equarius Hotel in RWS. Since our anniversary falls on the 6th of Jan, it made sense to book our stay on 5th Sun -6th Mon which inevitably helped saved us some money because if we were to book our stay on the weekend (4th Sat - 5th Sun) the price will be alot higher. Furthermore, when I was doing my research I was also surprised to find quite a few hotels that require a minimum number of stay during this weekend since it was the first weekend of Jan.
After reading mixed reviews on TripAdvisor, I went with no expectations, or rather I am ready for the worst & all prepared to meet & counter-attack nasty duty managers & any other nonsense that may come my way. Official check-in was at 3pm but I did make a request for earlier check-in, we arrived round 2pm & all service staff at check-in counter were pre-occupied serving other guests. To my surprise, less than a minute of standing in queue, a friendly staff stepped out & offered to settle my room check-in. Delightful surprise! I had half expected some waiting time spent queuing. The staff who served me happened to be a sweet young thing (quite a chiobu leh!) too, pleasant on the eyes indeed hehe.
I booked a deluxe room but the staff, upon knowing we were celebrating our anniversary, has generously upgraded us to a deluxe garden room with a huge-ass lawn + balcony. Honestly, the area was so big, it could probably house 6 mahjong tables! Our room 301, faced lush greenery but if you looked downwards, it was the road leading to the hotel. I especially liked the serene surroundings, the peace & tranquillity was exactly what I needed. For those who prefer another view, the other end of the hotel rooms face RWS Adventure Cove Waterpark.
I was the mastermind behind this year's anniversary celebration, in my reservation I had stated we are celebrating our anniversary. The hotel was generous enough to offer a complimentary cake (which tasted just like a lump of milk, but well, free things cannot hiam right) though I did try to request to swap the cake for 2 glasses of champagne instead since for my dinner reservation I had requested for a customized cake. So much for inflexibility & certainly UN-personalized service. Which brings to mind how awesome W Singapore Sentosa Cove was when we celebrated our 5th anniversary there.
Equarius hotel does not offer free wifi which seems pretty ridiculous considering this is a 5-star hotel! Booo! I spoke to duty manager Randy who handled my enquiry really badly.
Bad experience aside, the walk to the pool was horrendously far & there was no shelter! Barely 10mins into the pool & rain came, we had no choice but to retreat back to our room. Soon it was dinner time & we caught the Sentosa island shuttle bus to Quayside Isle (the stop to alight is W Singapore Sentosa Cove). Being a Sunday night, the restaurants were pretty empty & we dined at Quayside Fish Bar & Bistro, pretty decent food. Only quibble being the time taken to serve our dessert, at 8pm I already gestured to the waiter to bring our the surprise - customized cake. It was a frustrating long wait as the fiancé was asking for the bill & wanting to leave the restaurant.
Finally at 8.30pm my long-awaited surprise came! Phew! The restaurant served the cake complimentary & even gave us 10% off the bill.
Related posts -
Staycation at Equarius Hotel, RWS (Part 2)
After reading mixed reviews on TripAdvisor, I went with no expectations, or rather I am ready for the worst & all prepared to meet & counter-attack nasty duty managers & any other nonsense that may come my way. Official check-in was at 3pm but I did make a request for earlier check-in, we arrived round 2pm & all service staff at check-in counter were pre-occupied serving other guests. To my surprise, less than a minute of standing in queue, a friendly staff stepped out & offered to settle my room check-in. Delightful surprise! I had half expected some waiting time spent queuing. The staff who served me happened to be a sweet young thing (quite a chiobu leh!) too, pleasant on the eyes indeed hehe.
I booked a deluxe room but the staff, upon knowing we were celebrating our anniversary, has generously upgraded us to a deluxe garden room with a huge-ass lawn + balcony. Honestly, the area was so big, it could probably house 6 mahjong tables! Our room 301, faced lush greenery but if you looked downwards, it was the road leading to the hotel. I especially liked the serene surroundings, the peace & tranquillity was exactly what I needed. For those who prefer another view, the other end of the hotel rooms face RWS Adventure Cove Waterpark.
I was the mastermind behind this year's anniversary celebration, in my reservation I had stated we are celebrating our anniversary. The hotel was generous enough to offer a complimentary cake (which tasted just like a lump of milk, but well, free things cannot hiam right) though I did try to request to swap the cake for 2 glasses of champagne instead since for my dinner reservation I had requested for a customized cake. So much for inflexibility & certainly UN-personalized service. Which brings to mind how awesome W Singapore Sentosa Cove was when we celebrated our 5th anniversary there.
Equarius hotel does not offer free wifi which seems pretty ridiculous considering this is a 5-star hotel! Booo! I spoke to duty manager Randy who handled my enquiry really badly.
Bad experience aside, the walk to the pool was horrendously far & there was no shelter! Barely 10mins into the pool & rain came, we had no choice but to retreat back to our room. Soon it was dinner time & we caught the Sentosa island shuttle bus to Quayside Isle (the stop to alight is W Singapore Sentosa Cove). Being a Sunday night, the restaurants were pretty empty & we dined at Quayside Fish Bar & Bistro, pretty decent food. Only quibble being the time taken to serve our dessert, at 8pm I already gestured to the waiter to bring our the surprise - customized cake. It was a frustrating long wait as the fiancé was asking for the bill & wanting to leave the restaurant.
Finally at 8.30pm my long-awaited surprise came! Phew! The restaurant served the cake complimentary & even gave us 10% off the bill.
Related posts -
Staycation at Equarius Hotel, RWS (Part 2)
Thursday, 14 November 2013
Hong Kong Trip - Tim Ho Wan, IFC Mall
When one mentions Tim Ho Wan in Singapore, other than the mouthwatering dim sum that comes to mind, the less exciting part has got to be the long queue & endless waiting time. So when we were in Hong Kong, other than savouring the authentic Tim Ho Wan, we also hoped for a shorter waiting time.
Secretly stowed in the basement of Hong Kong MTR station, the restaurant is not exactly easy to find but ask your way around, you will definitely get there. The dim sum is worth the walk!
We arrived at 11.30am & there was a crowd of customers around, fortunately we barely waited 10-15mins for the table, thank goodness! The food was excellent, price was acceptable too. After eating here I am a believer, thankfully Tim Ho Wan has outlets in Singapore, just a matter of whether we want to brave the queue :)
Secretly stowed in the basement of Hong Kong MTR station, the restaurant is not exactly easy to find but ask your way around, you will definitely get there. The dim sum is worth the walk!
We arrived at 11.30am & there was a crowd of customers around, fortunately we barely waited 10-15mins for the table, thank goodness! The food was excellent, price was acceptable too. After eating here I am a believer, thankfully Tim Ho Wan has outlets in Singapore, just a matter of whether we want to brave the queue :)
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