Mandarin Oriental Singapore is one of the most luxurious hotels in Singapore, facing Marina Bay. It has been on our list for a long time. After a massive renovation, we knew it was time to book a stay in this beautiful hotel. We decided to stay for a night in December as part of our multi-hotel celebration to usher in the new year!
We booked our stay through Hotelux, which offered additional benefits. For our one-night stay, we were accorded a S$135 F&B credit that could be used in the hotel’s restaurants or room service. Complimentary breakfast is also provided, although this was not necessary since our room came with lounge access.
Believe it or not, we booked our stay just a few days before the planned staycation. Such is our spontaneity that we sometimes have no idea where we will be for the upcoming weekend! Nevertheless, we were excited and could not wait for our stay at the Mandarin Oriental Singapore!
TL:DR
Newly renovated rooms that are modern and elegantly luxurious
Best service standards in the vicinity of Mandarin Oriental Singapore
Best view of Marina Bay
Top-notch club lounge HAUS 65
Porsche Drive Experience
Service:
On our check-in day, we arrived at Mandarin Oriental Singapore’s first-floor lobby and waited our turn. Upon noticing that we booked the Marina Bay View Room, which came with lounge access, the staff member invited us to complete the check-in at Haus 65, the hotel’s club lounge. She brought us to the 21st floor and ensured we were attended to by a staff member at Haus 65 before returning to the 1st floor.
Throughout our stay, every staff member provided outstanding customer service. While taking photos of ourselves at the swimming pool the following day, a manager who happened to walk past immediately volunteered to take some pictures for us. He also suggested different poses and made sure we were satisfied with the pictures before leaving to check on other guests.
When we found a spot at the lounge chairs by the swimming pool, we left our belongings there before wandering elsewhere to take more photos. After a short while, we were pleasantly surprised to find iced water, wet towels, and face spray, placed by our table. It is amazing how attentive the staff were; they ensured that all the customers’ needs were attended to.
The top-notch customer service is definitely one of the highlights of our stay at Mandarin Oriental Singapore. The key advantages of staying at Mandarin Oriental Singapore are pretty simple. They have recently undergone a massive renovation that now means they have strong hardware: some of the newest and arguably best rooms in the vicinity. Add to that an equally strong software via top-notch customer service means that guests will enjoy the best hardware and software at Mandarin Oriental Singapore. This is no mean feat; neighbouring hotels will find competing against such a strong hotel challenging!
Hotel Facilities:
Mandarin Oriental Singapore has a beautiful swimming pool with some of the best views of Marina Bay. Located on the hotel's fifth floor, it has an expansive space that can accommodate plenty of guests.
Plenty of sunbeds surround the swimming pool, and hotel staff are always moving about to ensure guests' needs are met. Poolside cabanas are also available to enjoy shelter from the unforgiving Singapore sunshine. As the sun sets, guests are greeted by the amazing Singapore lights. Marina Bay Sands lights up; depending on the season, you will see different colours light up MBS. For those who enjoy a drink, you could also head to the nearby Bay@5, the hotel’s alfresco lounge by the swimming pool. It is one of the best places at the hotel to enjoy a nice relaxing drink while admiring the views of Marina Bay.
There is a gym on the same level and many equipment for guests. Besides treadmills, many other pieces of equipment should please most gym users. Free weights, spin bikes, and a rowing machine allow guests to carry out an intense workout. During weekends, complimentary programmes are also available. You could choose from a yoga workout or a sunrise yoga session. For us, we walked all the way to the swimming pool, snapped plenty of photos, and went for a dip!
HAUS 65:
Mandarin Oriental Singapore’s club lounge, HAUS 65, is on the 21st floor of the gorgeous hotel. It is open to hotel club guests and members of the Mandala Club in collaboration with the private club.
What this means for Mandala Club members is access to Mandarin Oriental Singapore’s beautiful HAUS 65, the pool terrace (including, of course, the usage of the swimming pool), the gym, and the spa. Members can also look forward to room, dining, and spa discounts whenever they travel to Mandarin Oriental Singapore for a well-deserved break.
Club guests of Mandarin Oriental Singapore can look forward to a beautifully designed club lounge, which is basically a second location for the private Mandala Club. This is perfect for hotel guests who wish to enjoy some luxurious pampering during their stay. As part of the collaboration with Mandala Club, hotel club guests can also access this private club during their stay. However, HAUS 65 should be more than sufficient for hotel club guests. During our time there, we loved the overall design of the lounge. The high ceiling in the middle of the lounge immediately makes the area feel so spacious. Yet, on the two sides of the lounge are small private spaces where families and friends can gather. The best part of our time there was when the city was experiencing a thunderstorm. Immediately, the lounge’s warm lights filled the area, and there was a sense of cosiness in HAUS 65. The beautiful chandelier set a nice mood in the entire lounge. It was just perfect.
For those who wish to experience a taste of vehicular luxury, HUAS 65 guests can request a complimentary drop-off service to any nearby destination in the comfort of a Porsche Taycan. In yet another collaboration, this time with Porsche, Mandarin Oriental Singapore is bringing luxury to its guests without needing to leave the hotel.
HAUS 65 offers three complimentary dining services for its guests. When you check in, you should be in time for afternoon tea between 2 pm and 4 pm.
Afternoon tea service comes in a traditional format where afternoon tea items are served to you. However, dishes are served in the most beautiful china you can see rather than in a usual three-tier stand.
When we first checked in at HAUS 65, we were offered coffee and tea to start our vacation. We grabbed a hot Americano and iced tea before deciding to stay at the lounge for afternoon tea before retiring to our room.
First, the standard servings of scones were offered and sent to our table. Of course, it came with jam and clotted cream. While these are standard offerings, we love the china they were presented in. They were just beautiful! The scones are unique as they are Madagascar vanilla and pistachio flavours. We enjoyed the subtle flavours that these had on the scones. For sure, after putting some clotted cream and jam in pure British style, we devoured those scones in no time.
Next, the savoury options came in small portions that were perfect for us. Comprising five types of sandwiches, we requested only one serving as we were not hungry then. The five types of sandwiches, tuna with capers and onion, smoked salmon with lemon mayonnaise and cucumber, turkey ham and cheddar cheese, cream cheese tomato, and eggs with truffle mayonnaise and spring onions, were all fantastic. Perhaps it was the bite-size portion of the sandwiches, but it left us wanting more. It took some resisting to stop ourselves from ordering additional portions. Alas, the staff must have noticed as they came over and asked if we would like any additional servings of the afternoon tea. We gratefully requested an additional serving of each of the smoked salmon sandwiches, which were quickly prepared and served. It was yummy!
Finally, the sweet treats are next. Consisting of a chocolate mousse with hazelnut, cherry compote with Earl Grey milk chocolate mousse, crunchy pistachio pate a choux, mango compote, coconut sable tart, and a purple yam financier, we are happy to report that we finished all of them. Having one serving was nice as we were well-fed but did not feel overwhelmed by all the delicious food.
We finished up our beverages, and that was it for our first meal service at HAUS 65!
Evening cocktails with hors d’oeuvres operated between 5 pm and 7 pm, and we made our way there some 10 minutes after 5 pm. We were quickly ushered to an empty table and shown the wonderful buffet spread. We were informed that the hors d’oeuvres for that evening comprised a foie gras crostini with orange marmalade, takoyaki, and stuffed jalapeno peppers with cream cheese. Those sounded global and exotic, and we could not wait to try them! When they arrived at our table, it did not disappoint. I loved the foie gras crostinis. It literally melted in my mouth, and the raspberries and blackberries that rested on top of the foie gras made it even better. As my partner did not enjoy foie gras, I also took the opportunity to finish her portions. They were so good! The takoyakis were quite standard, and while they did not “wow” us, it was nice and tasty. The jalapeno peppers were just uniquely tasty. Deep fried to perfection, it went well with the cream cheese. The spicy jalapeno peppers balanced the cold cream cheese, which was great. We enjoyed this unique dish at HAUS 65.
The buffet spread must be the star of HUAS 65. You first meet a spread of fresh fruits where trays of cut watermelon, dragonfruit, papaya, pineapple, and muskmelon are neatly displayed. Bowls of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries are presented behind the trays. And if these are not enough, they also have cherries, bananas, and grapes plated further behind. As people who enjoy fruits, especially berries, we were floored by this display of fresh fruits. The variety and freshness were incredible, and we thoroughly enjoyed all the fruits.
Some Japanese makis and sushi were presented. Next to the Japanese selection was a table of cheese, crackers, cold cuts, four types of smoked fish, and pastries. This must be my favourite section as I came over quite often to take multiple servings of the cheese, cold cuts, smoked fish, and pastries. One word: delicious! In case you miss it, we find it essential that you be aware that they offer six types of spread for your pastries and bread: peanut butter, Nutella, kaya, apricot jam, strawberry jam, and orange marmalade.
Of course, those who need a little warmth in their tummies will not be disappointed. Miso soup and lobster bisque soup are provided so lounge guests can get a little heat in the low temperatures of HAUS 65. A lovely garden salad with the necessary condiments and dressings is also available.
Finally, they serve a rotating dessert menu, so you will be surprised every evening you spend at HAUS 65! During our stay at Mandarin Oriental Singapore, we were served a mixture of local kuehs and puff pastries.
For those who enjoy a responsible amount of alcoholic beverages, HAUS 65 has a selection of champagne, wines, spirits, and beers, available until 7 pm. If this is crucial to your evening meal service, be sure to make full use of this opportunity!
After enjoying the various types of food and sweet treats, we were stuffed! The variety and quality of the food must also be highlighted. We were being pampered silly at Mandarin Oriental Singapore!
The next day, our final meal service at HAUS 65 arrived. It offers a champagne breakfast service between 6.30 and 10.30 am. After our morning workout at the most beautiful swimming pool below, we showered and headed to the lounge famished. Even though we arrived at the lounge around 9.50 am, HAUS 65 was not crowded and still felt very spacious and quiet.
We settled in quickly and headed straight for the buffet tables. Like the previous evening’s presentation, fresh fruits were displayed on the table, with slight changes to the available fresh fruits. We had papaya, watermelon, dragonfruit, mango, passionfruit, cherries, bananas, and peaches in the morning. The amazing berries were still available, while the morning service also had four types of yoghurt for guests to enjoy.
Cheese and different pastries are also available, with those Danish ever so appetising. The large croissants are also tempting, so guests must plan their food intake accordingly to avoid overeating too fast! As always, guests who require hot food can opt for either miso soup or chicken congee. A hot bowl of congee can sometimes be the answer to a cold morning. Those preferring a more traditional Western breakfast can look forward to different cereal options, cold cuts, and smoked fish.
Finally, the star of breakfast at HAUS 65 must be the ala carte options. Besides the limited buffet options compared to having breakfast at a club lounge, HAUS 65 elevates breakfast to the next level by offering top-quality ala carte options to pamper guests. During our stay, there were twelve fantastic options, and we had a hard time deciding what to order! This is mainly because we knew our tummies had limited space and wanted to try them all!
Ultimately, we decided on a few dishes we thought were special. Of the ala carte dishes, we ordered the Singapore Wanton Noodle Soup, Cherry Garden Homemade Dim Sum, Kaya Toast of Foie Gras, and Lobster Egg Benedict. Every single dish was made to perfection. We thoroughly enjoyed each dish, and I especially loved the kaya toast and lobster egg benedict. A lover of Asian food, my partner gave high praise to the wanton soup and dim sum. We had to try a few more dishes to end our breakfast. So, we further ordered the Homemade Pancakes and Homemade Waffles. As they say, there is always room for desserts. And so it was! Like every meal presentation at Mandarin Oriental Singapore, we enjoyed the sweet treats. It was a great way to end our meal at HAUS 65. It was just a fantastic breakfast at one of the best hotels in Singapore!
Views from HAUS 65:
The location of HAUS 65 must be mentioned as well. Housed on the top floors of Mandarin Oriental Singapore, club guests are rewarded with great views of teh city each time they are at the lounge. We managed to snap a few pictures of the different places surrounding the hotel. We hope you will enjoy them!
Overall, we had the best time at HAUS 65. If you have not realised by now, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves here. More than just another club lounge, HAUS 65 has raised the level so high that we see many hotels struggling to match Mandarin Oriental Singapore’s sky-high levels. We highly recommend choosing a club room for those considering an ordinary or club room here. Assuming you will enjoy most of your time in the hotel, HAUS 65 access makes it much more enjoyable. This is the best hotel club lounge we have experienced so far! We will definitely be back at Mandarin Oriental Singapore again for another pampering session.
Food/Room Service:
As part of our booking via HoteLux, we were given a S$135 dining credit, which forced us to make several dining decisions.
After enjoying a nice dinner at the nearby Makansutra Gluttons Bay late, we walked around the gorgeous swimming pool and snapped plenty of pictures. After the stroll, we got a little thirsty and went to Bay@5, Mandarin Oriental Singapore’s alfresco lounge. Over there, we sat and enjoyed the cool night breeze while admiring the views of Marina Bay. We ordered a couple of mocktails to relax, and they were delicious. Even though it was near closing time, we were grateful that the staff did not chase us or show any sign of displeasure. We were left alone, and they only came over to ask if we wanted any final orders for the night. It was a great way to wind down and end a great day at the hotel.
The next day, we had a fantastic breakfast at Haus 65. After enjoying so much food for our first meal, finding more space to eat even more was not easy. However, the dining credit must be spent! Hence, we took advantage of the late check-out at 2 pm to have a light lunch in our room.
We ordered a light room service meal that consisted of satays, mango sticky rice, and a chocolate dessert. We did not order any drinks since we literally had the entire cabinet of drinks to choose from.
The savoury satays were great and tasted no different from what you enjoy at Makansutra Gluttons Bay! The added benefit of eating them in our room was the convenience! The peanut sauce had the right amount of viscosity and worked perfectly with the satays. The cucumber and rice were fresh and worked great as a balance with the satays.
After that, it was time to enjoy the mango sticky rice. It was simple and delicious. The mango was juicy and sweet, and when eaten together with the sticky rice, it was so tasty. We poured the sauce, and it was even better. Finally, we had the chocolate dessert, which, as a chocolate lover, I cannot resist. While she is not a fan of chocolates, she acknowledged that this dessert was yummy. It was not so sweet that it became overbearing, but it had just the right amount of sweetness that one could still taste the chocolaty taste of the dessert.
Overall, it was a delicious room-service dessert meal, and we will return for a proper room-service meal!
Porsche Drive Experience:
The Porsche Drive Experience must be the main highlight of every guest’s stay at Mandarin Oriental Singapore. As guests of Mandarin Oriental Singapore’s Marina Bay View Room (Marina Bay View Room category and above), guests are entitled to a Porsche Drive Experience. As its name suggests, you can borrow the hotel’s Porsche Taycan, an electric sports car, for a spin around Singapore. Guests can book up to three hours and get behind the wheel of a German-engineered sports car.
I am not sure about you, but as an ordinary folk, I do not usually get to drive a Porsche! One of the first things we did when checking in was ask for more information about the Porsche Drive experience. I was afraid that it would be fully booked. We were then informed at the Club Lounge that we could book directly with the first-floor concierge.
After relaxing in our room and enjoying the amazing view of Marina Bay, we made our way down to the concierge. Thankfully, the Porsche was available for booking. We decided to book the last 3 hours of the day, between 6 pm and 9 pm. We were advised to head down earlier, around 5.30 pm, to complete the necessary paperwork. This included signing some forms for insurance purposes and putting a substantial 4-figure hold on a credit card in case of an accident.
Before long, another staff member appeared with the Porsche car key, and we were guided to the Taycan. After wishing us a good time and saying “Enjoy!”, we were off on our way; however, not before numerous pictures were taken of the car.
We enjoyed the beautiful ride, and as the skies opened up, we continued cruising around the island, driving past VivoCity before heading towards Gardens by the Bay. Over there, we found a nice, quiet spot for a photo shoot of the Porsche Taycan. Now we know what love at first sight is! We next headed to Changi Airport and had a cup of coffee before cruising back to Mandarin Oriental Singapore.
Without us realising, the 3 hours were almost up! We were enjoying ourselves driving the Porsche Taycan. We loved the handling and the overall beauty of the car. We were in love. Of course, this is to be expected as Porsche is one of the most famous car brands in the world, and it is known for producing the most beautiful sports cars. This is also a great marketing strategy by Porsche, as guests who enjoy the experience may wish to purchase one! For the rest of us, this driving experience is a great motivating tool to work hard to get a fantastic piece of machinery in the future! At the last check, the price of a brand new Porsche Taycan starts from approximately S$420,000. Now, back to work!
Overall, the Porsche Driving Experience surpassed all our (my) expectations. It simply made our already perfect stay at Mandarin Oriental Singapore even more perfect.
Room:
The Marina Bay View Room measures 34 square metres, which is relatively spacious for a standard room. The best part of this room is the view it offers. Directly facing Marina Bay, guests see Marina Bay Sands and the Central Business District the entire time they are in the room. With near floor-to-ceiling windows, there is basically no obstruction that can prevent you from taking any pictures you fancy.
When you first enter the room, you will see the wardrobe on one side and the bathroom on the other. The closet is spacious enough to hang all your clothes for a few nights’ stay, while the room slippers are just so luxurious. There is also a safe to store your valuables, and a tote bag is available in every room for purchase.
The lovely folks at Mandarin Oriental Singapore welcomed us with a delicious gift in the room. In the form of a chocolate dessert, a “Cocoa Pod” was provided. Comprising various chocolate snacks, almost everything on the plate was edible, and we kept finding surprises to eat throughout our one-night stay. Suffice it to say, this was one of our favourite welcome gifts in all our hotel stays!
The bathroom looks so beautiful and bright; we love this part of the room. It is clear that a lot of effort was made into designing this bathroom. A beautiful bathtub can immediately be seen when you enter the bathroom and is undoubtedly the star of the room. If you so fancy, you can raise the bathroom’s roller blinds and catch a glimpse of the Marina Bay view from the comfort of your bathtub. A standing shower is also available, equipped with a rainforest shower. The buttons are self-explanatory so there should not be any shocks by pushing the wrong button. We know as we have been there! The toilet also has a remote-controlled bidet, so techies should love spending time in the bathroom. Toiletries are by Natura Bisse, a Spanish beauty brand, while Mandarin Oriental-branded bathroom products are in a drawer. We have to say that those hotel-branded products are top quality. I used the shaver and loved it! Even though it is a standard room, credit must be given to the designers as they managed to fit double-vanity sinks into this 34-square-metre room, and it still felt spacious. Indeed, we enjoyed washing up together in the bathroom the following day before heading for a swim.
The King-sized bed faces the large television mounted against the wall. For TV addicts, you might want to choose the side away from the windows so your partner can enjoy the Marina Bay view by turning her body away from you. After all, this is why you booked this room! To control the room’s lighting from the comfort of the bed, hotel guests can now rely on a simple tool with easily understandable buttons to guide them. This is great for those uncomfortable with the ever-increasing technologically advanced gadgets in hotel rooms. Most of us should have no trouble selecting the correct options. Another part we love about this room is the many power points the designers have built into the room. On both sides of the bed is a power point with both a USB-A and USB-C point, so you need not worry if your device is too new or too old. It is even better for those who enjoy lounging in the chair. If you prefer relaxing there during the day, the chair also comes with USB-A and USB-C points, so you can charge your phone while using it!
Besides the television, there is a small workstation that allows guests to complete their work quickly before returning to the lounge chair or king-sized bed. It comes with two power points to charge laptops and mobile phones.
The final part of the room is our favourite part of it all. The humble-looking cabinet at the end of the room, beside the near floor-to-ceiling windows, contains all the food and beverage options in the room. As hotel guests with Haus 65 access, we were also granted a complimentary in-room minibar. This makes it so much more enjoyable to discuss these options! For caffeine connoisseurs, a proper tea-brewing set comes complete with a small kettle. Coffee lovers can use the Illy coffee machine to make a proper cup of coffee. Those likely to be peckish can enjoy Tyrrell’s chips or Mandarin Oriental-branded nuts. Containing various types of nuts, such as almonds, cashews, and walnuts, they act as a healthy form of snack! Chocolate lovers can bite into one of the two chocolate bars. Next, there is a variety of beverages available in the fridge. From Coca-Cola to kombucha to orange juice to ginger ale to iced tea to beers to wine to still and sparkling water, there is something for everyone.
Views from the room:
Of course, we saved the best for last. As its name suggests, this room is all about the views. We managed to capture quite a few pictures while staying in this room. We hope you will enjoy them!
We loved the room and the view of Marina Bay during our stay. As much as we could, we spent our time in the room just lazing around and enjoying the views of the city. The hotel was also a nice place to roam around, as Haus 65 was great for enjoying delicious food, and the swimming pool was so pretty. The fantastic views from the swimming pool also made us love it even more. We can say with certainty that the renovation did wonders for Mandarin Oriental Singapore. The top-to-bottom approach, where everything was re-designed and beautified, has made the hotel such a fantastic place to stay. Rather than simply booking a hotel room, we see staying at Mandarin Oriental Singapore as booking an experience! We will definitely be back at this hotel again!
Click here to find out more about Mandarin Oriental Singapore and book a stay today!
Cost of Marina Bay View Room: S$831.60 a night - stayed over a weekend in December 2023
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