Tucked into the corner and more fashionable end of Orchard Road, just five minutes from the MRT station, this hotel is snuggled in lush tropical greenery. This handsome, well-regarded tan tower rises comfortably amid huge trees. Inside, Asian, European and modern influences fuse to give an opulent residential feel.
Guests are greeted under a simple porte cochere and relieved of their luggage, which is whisked immediately to their rooms. After they enter through the grand brass door, good hotel ergonomics lead them to the right, where a corner is reserved for checking in and out, leaving the other side clear of the hustle and bustle for the enjoyment of visitors and guests. Service blends the best of East and West and delivers the goods with exceptional grace.
The entry foyer feels aristocratic, with the black marble staircase contrasting with white marble sculpture. European furniture and superb Imari porcelain grace the lounge, and in a second lounge, the hotel serves a noteworthy tea every afternoon.
The main restaurant, One-Ninety, offers award-winning regional and Continental specialties
and fine wines from Australia, California and France. The private dining room lays out an extravagant Sunday brunch: Reservations should be made well in advance. A Cantonese room, Jiang-Nan Chun, and a cafe with an inverted Venetian chandelier are also on hand.
The Club at Four Seasons, an exclusive dining and recreational enclave for members and guests, includes two floors where guests enjoy a lavish free breakfast and refreshments while rubbing elbows with Singapore's elite.
The recreational facilities are indisputably the finest in the country. They include a cornucopia of spa treatments, a state-of-the-art gym with virtual-reality bicycles and computerized treadmills, a sports clinic, saunas, whirlpools and a flotation tank. The two indoor tennis courts are air conditioned; the two outside are lighted. An aerobics room, a billiards room and a computerized golf simulator vary the activity.
Natural light fills function rooms, including a ballroom for 300, and the business center is open 24 hours a day.
All guest rooms have Continental and Asian decor, muted earth tones, three dual-line phones with voice mail, external speakers and data ports, TVs, hand-held controls for everything that plugs in or lights up, minibars, safes, ample closet space, slippers, robes and yukata. The large baths have folding doors, stall showers, magnifying mirrors and scales. Superior, Deluxe and Premier units vary in size and exposure, but because rate hikes between grades are minimal, guests should book Premier rooms, as these are among the city's largest and most luxurious lodgings, with spacious sitting areas, sofas, armchairs, armoires and desks. Two rooms are wheelchair accessible, and 80% are smoke-free. However, wireless Internet access is still not available in guest rooms.
Room service and the concierges work round-the-clock. The relatively small size of the hotel, its world-class service and its fine facilities leave few people to dispute the pre-eminence of the property. It is a good stay any day of the week, better than the Hilton and the Hyatt.
