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Stay Details
Last time, I emailed to extend two Fairmont Free Nights until after the end of March. Then, thanks to procrastination, I didn’t seriously start looking for hotels until about a week before they were about to expire. In the end, I booked four nights at Fairmont Singapore for my family, spanning late March and early April. I guess this was the Fairmont credit card’s final contribution. Trips driven by Free Nights always come with that slightly ironic feeling of being “played” by the rewards program.
- Property: Fairmont Singapore
- Dates: Late March to early April (4 nights)
- Room type: Deluxe Harbourview King NS (one category above the base room)
- Redemption: Four Fairmont Complementary Free Nights (all earned from spending rewards on the now-discontinued Fairmont credit card) + one Room Upgrade
One unfortunate part of this booking was that the base suite was not available for all of the dates I needed, so I couldn’t use a Suite Upgrade certificate. I had to settle for a Room Upgrade instead and move up from the base room type. Still, I was pretty satisfied overall. The room was 45 square meters and even had a bit of a balcony, which made it feel quite spacious.
About Fairmont Singapore
Fairmont Singapore is located in the city center, only a little over a 10-minute walk from the famous Marina Bay. The hotel is part of the same building complex as Raffle City Mall. It is also very convenient to reach directly from the City Hall MRT station in about five minutes on foot.
The entry-level room at this Fairmont is the Deluxe King, and all room categories are at least 45 square meters. The top-end Penthouse suite is 200 square meters, with rates naturally in the $1,000+ range. On top of the room rate itself, hotels in Singapore generally add a 10% service charge and 7% GST, so the total can get fairly expensive.
If you’re interested in the room types at Fairmont Singapore, you can check them out using the hotel’s Virtual Tours tool.
Hotel Redemption
This time, we used 4 Free Night certificates earned from spending on the Chase Fairmont credit card before it was discontinued (2 per card). The redemption rule is simple: the base room category must be available for all of the nights you want to book. If you also want to use a Room Upgrade from your account, then the room category one level above the base room must also be available. Likewise, if you want to use a Suite Upgrade, then the entry-level suite must be available for those dates. See also:
Unfortunately, during our dates in Singapore, a suite was available for only one of the middle nights. To avoid changing rooms, we ended up using only a Room Upgrade. When I booked, the phone agent assigned us a Deluxe Harbourview King NS. I initially thought we would get a real harbor view. Unfortunately, because the floor wasn’t high enough, we could only see a few high-rise buildings. If you are interested in booking a Harbour View room, make sure to request a higher floor, otherwise it’s not really worth it.
Hotel Stay Experience
Lobby
We arrived at Fairmont Singapore in the evening, and I was surprised to find the lobby absolutely packed. Quite a few people appeared to be crew members and ground staff from a certain airline. At check-in, we specifically asked whether there were any suites left that could be used for an upgrade, but there still weren’t any. The young woman directing the check-in line seemed to be wearing traditional clothing, which made her stand out among all the people in business attire.
The bubble-like decoration above the seating area in the lobby looked pretty dreamy.
Our room was in the hotel’s North Tower. The other side seemed to be where the Executive Rooms were located. Since we never ran into any flight attendants on the elevators, I’m guessing they were all staying on the other side.
Room
Overall, the room was solid and unremarkable in a good way, but the biggest impression was simply how large it felt. Our room was in a protruding corner position, so although it wasn’t a standard shape, every part of the space was used well, making it feel especially roomy. In addition to the sofa, coffee table, and large bed, there was also a huge desk setup. Near the bed, there was a small vanity table with a lift-up top, something I hadn’t seen before.
The bed was extremely comfortable, with a very supportive, contouring feel, but it wasn’t as soft as the beds you often find in U.S. hotels.
On the wall by the bed, near the bathroom side, there was a recessed area that fit a vanity table perfectly. The top flipped up to reveal a large mirror. I think many women would especially like this feature.
The sofa and coffee table were nothing particularly special. The rounded corners on the coffee table were nicely done, though, and safer for kids playing around it.
The area behind the desk was actually a corner, and the placement made the room feel even more spacious.
Although the room came with a balcony, it seemed to be mostly decorative. It was only wide enough for one person to step out, but it was quite long, stretching from the bed area all the way to the desk. The nighttime view was still pretty nice, though unfortunately the photo came out blurry.
Bathroom
There wasn’t anything especially notable about the bathroom: just a large bathtub and a separate shower stall.
The toiletries were the same Le Labo products as at the Fairmont in Santa Monica in the U.S.
We requested a baby crib, and when it was delivered, it also came with a set of baby bath products and a stuffed toy, which was a thoughtful touch.
Hotel Restaurant
When it came time to renew that year, Fairmont issued another batch of dining certificates: $25*2 per account. So we decided to use all four certificates during this trip. I figured $100 in Singapore should be enough for a pretty decent meal. In the end, we went to Prego on the first floor of the Fairmont, which is supposedly European-style Italian cuisine. Unfortunately, it turned out to be both expensive and not very good. In the end, we’re all used to Asian food, so this kind of Western meal just wasn’t a good fit for us.
We ended up ordering four dishes and spent more than 170 Singapore dollars (about 140+ USD). Honestly, it felt less worthwhile than eating local Hainanese chicken rice for half a month.
I regretted it while we were eating—going to ANTI:DOTE for afternoon tea a few times would probably have been the better move.
Bottom Line
For this stay at Fairmont Singapore, we mainly used the room for resting in the afternoons and sleeping at night. We didn’t use the gym or spa at all, and we didn’t have breakfast at the hotel either. The location is excellent, and getting around by MRT is very convenient. Singapore’s weather is so hot and humid that I wished I could stay underground in the air conditioning the whole time. Even though the cash rates at this Fairmont are not especially high, the facilities and service made for a very comfortable stay, and overall I’d give it a solid thumbs-up.