The Fullerton Bay Hotel opened its doors for reservations in 2010, making it a relatively new hotel compared to some of its older cousins around the Marina Bay reservoir area. Even so, more than 10 years have passed since The Fullerton Bay Hotel first began operations, and an ever-growing list of hotels are continuing to sprout up all over Singapore.
Even since it was built, I was in awe of the hotel and had always wanted to stay in this hotel. I was aware of its history as a former pier (Clifford Pier) and understood that pier operations actually continued until 2006. It is amazing how quickly the area has transformed into a fully functioning reservoir with a five-star hotel taking over the original pier. I love history and while the hotel is a new structure, the history surrounding the building makes it really interesting for me.
TL:DR
Great views
The room has a nice layout
Adequate breakfast
Fantastic service
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For history-fanatics, you might be keen to know that Mahatma Gandhi’s ashes were scattered in the waters near Clifford Pier. When he passed away in 1948, his ashes were placed in urns and sent all over the world. One of them reached Singapore and the Indian Government Representative John Thivytook scattered his ashes in the waters off Clifford Pier. When Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Singapore in 2018, a plaque was unveiled to commemorate this event. The next time you visit The Fullerton Bay Hotel, you might want to check out this plaque, which is just outside Clifford Pier! Alternatively, check out this Straits Times link to find out more about the plaque and its history!
Besides the history surrounding this area, I was also aware that this hotel had really great service and wanted to experience it for myself. I booked the Suite Compliments promotion with The Fullerton Hotel Singapore and spent the second night here. For those who are unaware, this promotion allows me to stay a second night for free when I book the package. I could choose from 2 options for the second night. Either stay the second night in the same hotel and same room for free or stay in an equivalent room at The Fullerton Bay Hotel Singapore. The 2 nights must be completed in one stay and includes a limousine transfer to your home at the end of your stay. Naturally, I jumped at this offer and decided to stay one night each in The Fullerton Hotel Singapore and The Fullerton Bay Hotel Singapore. This article is the second part of my two-night stay at Fullerton properties.
Service:
The fantastic service continued as I left The Fullerton Hotel Singapore and arrived at The Fullerton Bay Hotel Singapore. The check-in was done quickly and efficiently. By the time I reached my room, I found out, to my surprise, that my bags were already there, placed neatly beside the wardrobe. I did not remember taking too long to walk across from The Fullerton Hotel Singapore and did not notice anyone walking past with my bags as well. I thought this was quite impressive as the staff made sure tasks were completed efficiently and without fuss.
I did not interact as much with the staff here at The Fullerton Bay Hotel compared to my time at The Fullerton Hotel, as I mostly spent my time in my room. When I headed out, it was either for breakfast, a swim or went out of the property. However, I noticed that each time I headed in and out of the hotel, the staff were really friendly and always had a smile on their face. They made it such that you felt comfortable to approach them for whatever needs you had. This cannot be said for all hotels, even certain five-star ones. As such, The Fullerton Bay Hotel and The Fullerton Hotel stand out in terms of their service.
Hotel Facilities:
This hotel has a gym and a rooftop swimming pool, both located on the same floor. While I did not visit the gym (obviously), I had an early morning swim before breakfast again. I remember heading to the pool at about 7.30 am and no one was there. This could be a good time if you feel the need to get a workout during your stay. I definitely enjoyed the peace while swimming and the weather was perfect as well, with the heat from the sun still tolerable at that time.
Having said that, I must admit the view is just not as amazing as the pool at The Fullerton Hotel. While it is on the rooftop and has an amazing bar in the form of Lantern Bar, it is actually the bar that has those amazing views of Marina Bay Sands and the reservoir. The pool is in fact in the middle of the property and you will hence not be able to get a great view while swimming. One consolation might be the buildings you will get to see, as the hotel is a low-rise building surrounded by skyscrapers in the central business district.
There are always those jacuzzi pods for those adamant about getting a view to accompany those Instagram posts. While you cannot swim, you can soak in these pods while getting a great view. These are limited though, so make sure you come early. As I mentioned, there were no guests when I headed there at about 7.30 am. There was still no one there when I left at about 8 am. Hence, you might want to sacrifice a little beauty sleep if you absolutely need those shots and view.
Breakfast:
Breakfast is held at La Brasserie, which also serves as a French restaurant. I enjoyed some amazing room service meals from this restaurant, but more of that later. As this hotel is in the Central Business District, do take note that there might be breakfast meetings held in this restaurant. I saw a group having such a meeting early at 8.30 am while I was in my shorts and tee, having breakfast and thinking about my lunch options.
Breakfast came at three timings and you decide between 7.30 am, 8.30 am, or 9.30 am to have your breakfast. I arrived around 8.30 am and the restaurant was not crowded at all. Of course, it was a weekday and this probably explained the lack of crowd.
Similar to how it was done at The Fullerton Hotel, breakfast came in a set that came with your own bakery basket, yoghurt, fresh fruits, juice, and hot beverage. Along with this came your choice of mains. I heard that you were apparently able to have more than one main but I was not offered this and neither did I ask about it. As it was not offered, I simply assumed I had one set and that was it.
The pastries were pretty standard in a good way and I enjoyed the start to my breakfast. Of the mains, I chose the Eggs Benedict that came with smoked salmon. It was simple but delicious. While they had oriental options like Nasi Lemak, Laksa, and Mee Goreng, I do not really enjoy eating these for breakfast and hence almost always opt for the English Breakfast or something similar.
In totality, I thought it was an adequate breakfast and it certainly filled my tummy. However, I cannot say that it was amazing or that it was something special. It was simply adequate. For those who look forward to a sumptuous breakfast, this could be an issue if you stay at The Fullerton Bay Hotel. While I am not sure if they provide a la carte buffets for breakfast now, you might want to take how breakfast is done at this hotel into consideration.
However, I did note that there was an option for in-room breakfast dining and you could actually choose from the selections on your tablet. I did not notice any limit as to how many items you could order. Hence, I might be wrong as to whether there is in fact any limit to the number of mains you could order. Make sure to check before booking a stay!
Room:
I stayed a night at the Premier Bay View Room, where all the rooms under this category are located on the first floor. It covers 624 square feet, or 58 square metres, which is actually quite big for a “normal” room. Most hotel rooms are smaller and some hotels actually have suites of such a size. This tells you that you can be quite assured of comfort and spaciousness when you stay in this room.
A huge plate of fresh fruits wrapped in cling film was waiting for me in the room as a welcome gift. It was lovely and really generous. If you are aware, you will know that some hotels actually charge a fair bit to deliver fresh fruits, albeit cut up, to you. The best thing about this plate of fresh fruits is that none of it required any cutting. This was a really thoughtful gesture by the hotel to make it convenient and easy for guests to eat!
From what I understand, the difference between this room and the Bay View Room is essentially the additional balcony afforded to guests, where one could laze away on the lounge beds all afternoon. This is why all Premier Bay View rooms are located on the first floor and all Bay View rooms are not located on the first floor.
Before we talk further about the balcony and how amazing it is, let me try to focus on the room first. It is spacious and you can really enjoy a stay in this room for a considerable amount of time.
As it is a hotel room, as opposed to a suite, there is no separate living room. You have a workstation at the end of the room, beside the balcony, while the bathroom is beside the entrance to the room.
Despite the number of furniture in the room, you will not feel congested at all and in fact, feel like there is a lot of room to manoeuvre. The plush pair of chairs is perfect to watch television or chat with your partner if you do not want to dirty the bed. The chairs are also comfortable enough to sit on them for a long period and take a nap!
The bathroom is quite spacious, with a bathtub and separate standing shower. There is a 19-inch LCD television in the bathroom which is perfect for catching the news while you are soaking in your bathtub. However, I did find the height of the television a little high. Perhaps it was designed for really tall people. Nevertheless, it was not a bother and I was still able to catch the news just fine. Bath salts were provided and you could add to your hearts’ content while you soak for hours.
If you prefer to enjoy a view rather than watching a show, you should be happy to know that the blinds in the bathroom can be moved up for you to see Marina Bay Sands. However, do note that your room configuration could affect your view. My room was configured such that my bathtub faced Marina Bay Financial Centre instead. Hence, I could not enjoy the view to the fullest extent. Toiletries came in the form of Balmain-branded toiletries and a loofah was provided in the standing shower.
You have a tablet by the bedside and you can do quite a lot of things with this tablet. Besides ordering room service, you can also catch up on some news with its e-newspapers, request a taxi or contact Guest Services. I used it myself to order some room service and it was quick and efficient. I believe this helps in managing the efficiency of the hotel’s services and customers’ needs are met more quickly using technology. I definitely enjoyed ordering room service in this manner.
The workstation located at the end of the room enjoys natural sunlight and you can actually get quite a lot of work done with such an amazing view behind you. If you feel overwhelmed, simply turn over and enjoy a few minutes of Marina Bay Sands and get back to your work refreshed. Not that I did much work, but I enjoyed the view anyway.
The workstation also comes with different plugs and you can connect your laptop to the television via HDMI or VGI cables. There really is no excuse to stop working even if you are on a vacation. Adding on to the fact you have that amazing view behind you, you really ought to be motivated to work harder to allow such stays to become a regular occurrence.
Coffee and tea come in the standard Nespresso and TWG teabags. They were really generous by providing guests with 10 TWG teabags! Uniquely, Fullerton Bay Hotel also provides guests with other types of beverages. Two packets of hot chocolate are provided and this is especially welcome for someone with a sweet tooth or children. I did not drink that during my stay but I made sure to bring them home to enjoy!
Other premium snacks, including almonds and other assorted biscuits, are also available. However, these are not complimentary and you will need to pay for them. I was satisfied with the plate of fruits and coffee and had no real need to feast on these premium snacks.
The light switches to the entire room are conveniently located at the side table beside the bed so you do not need to get up and walk about in the darkness. You can also work the curtains via the switches so you can catch the amazing sunrise from the comfort of your bed. Seriously, it is one of the most beautiful things you can see.
Finally, after overcoming the distraction of what the room itself offers, we can come to the highlight of the stay: The balcony and the view it offers.
In all honesty, I feel that this balcony makes a world of difference when compared to the rooms above the first floor. The balcony is actually very private and you will not be able to see your neighbours (although you can hear them if they talk loudly). If you are alone or even with your partner, you can just read a book and laze away in the afternoon, weather permitting. I did just that and it was really relaxing. As you stopped to digest what you have just read, you will be looking at the magnificent Marina Bay Sands and the newly completed Apple store. Once you have finished admiring this megastructure, you can continue with your book and lazing.
As its room category name suggests, you get one view when you stay in the room, which is the Bay view. You get to see Marina Bay Sands in all its glory, with the highlight being the sunrise you will enjoy each morning. For early risers, you will be in for a treat. The sun rises behind Marina Bay Sands and you will see a lovely orange hue in the morning. I saw it when I woke up and saw it for a brief moment before my eyelids decided I enjoyed enough of it. Even though it was only for a short while, I really liked that view. It was just beautiful.
I know it comes off as repetitive but the balcony is really the highlight of this room. It is your private sanctuary from your private sanctuary. The peace you get while on the balcony is quite priceless. There is a fountain nearby and the sounds it makes gives you calmness as you read your book. Get some water, a cup of coffee, and read away. It is one of the best ways to relax your mind. Come at night, replace the book with your family. Have a nice chat while enjoying the night view. The Apple store lights up and Marina Bay Sands switches on its bright lights. If the balcony is too dark for you, simply switch on the room lights and you are good to go. However, from my experience, I would say that the darkness helps you appreciate the beauty of the surroundings better.
Perhaps it is because you are located on the first level, somehow it feels like you are closer to Marina Bay Sands. You are literally by the reservoir and you can hear the gentle and light splashing of the waves ever so often. The refreshing smell of the clean reservoir makes your senses aware you are close to a water body. Take a glance at the horizon and you see the majestic Marina Bay Sands standing proudly in the Singapore sun. This is why you want to stay in this room category!
Complimentary one-way transfer:
For this Suite Compliments promotion, it came with a complimentary one-way transfer. I believe this is part of the usual complimentary transfer afforded to guests staying in suites at The Fullerton Hotel. I opted for a ride home as I thought it would be the perfect ending to a perfect stay. To my surprise, my ride home was in a brand-new Mercedes Benz S-Class. I was quite blown away as it is quite a pleasant car, to put it mildly. The car ride was so smooth and quiet; it was really the perfect ending to my perfect 2-night staycation at Fullerton properties.
As an afterthought, do take note that there is complimentary bottled water provided in the car so you will not get thirsty during the long ride home. If you feel uncomfortable, you can adjust your seat settings, while you can also adjust the aircon temperature to your liking. You can be assured that you will reach home regretting that your staycation has come to an end. However, this just motivates you to continue to work hard so you can head back for another stay soon. At least this was the case for me!
Overall, my stay at The Fullerton Bay Hotel was a delight. It is an absolutely beautiful room with fantastic views. Coupled with great service from the staff, this makes The Fullerton Bay Hotel such an amazing property to stay in. The fantastic car ride home was just the icing on the cake. While it is pricey, I feel it is worth it, based on its location, the views it offers, and the great service by its staff. I will definitely head back to this property one day for another stay.
Cost of Premier Bay View Room: S$812.13 a night - stayed over a weekday in September 2020 (Note: This stay was booked under the Suite Compliments promotion. This promotion allowed you to have a second night free, either at The Fullerton Hotel Singapore or The Fullerton Bay Hotel Singapore. The total cost of the 2-night stay at The Fullerton Hotel Singapore and The Fullerton Bay Hotel Singapore was S$1,624.27.)
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