The iconic PARKROYAL COLLECTION Pickering Singapore is located within Singapore’s bustling central business district, and also with Chinatown right at its doorstep. You definitely won’t miss it, with its facade highlighting the eco-friendly garden concept that so defines the property.
Lush green gardens seem to scale the building, a stark contrast to the conventional steel and glass buildings these days.
Step into the lobby and be mesmerised with the lovely wooden contours that frame the front desk area.
As a GHA Discovery Black member, I was accorded an early check in, as well as a double upgrade to the Junior Suite. While the front desk was processing my keys, I was offered a welcome beverage while waiting. At the time of my visit, the hotel was decorated just for the Lunar New Year celebrations.
I also took the liberty to explore the entire lobby area, which had multiple seating sections, as well as a bar that appeared very well stocked.
Once my keys were issued, I proceeded straight up in much anticipation of what more this hotel-in-a-garden had to offer.
The corridors were all basking in natural light, with some sections enclosed indoors and some others not.
The junior suite was very spacious, with a living room area separated from the bedroom by a sliding door. As you can tell, the suite was designed pretty much with nature in mind, with wood being the most prevalent material used for the feature walls and furnishings.
At the front of the living room was a very large work desk, as well as a wall mounted television that also came with a sound bar.
The work desk had a panel for all your audiovisual needs, which I found extremely convenient.
The sofa was large enough to comfortably accommodate 3-4 guests that also offered a comfortable viewing distance from the television.
My welcome amenity, essentially a bottle of red wine, was already placed on the coffee table at the time of my arrival.
The junior suite, being a corner unit, offered spectacular views from the bedroom. Moreover, with the exceptionally high floor-to-ceiling height, the bedroom enjoyed loads of natural lighting. However, it was also possible to view directly into the rooms in the adjacent block, which meant that privacy would be an issue if you so choose to leave the blinds up, whether day or night.
The flat screen television was mounted on wooden beams in front of the bed, with all the cables neatly concealed behind.
Behind the bedroom was the bathroom, which was pretty large with a double vanity and backlit mirrors, kind of what you would expect for a junior suite.
The shower area was separated from the rest of the bathroom by a glass panel, with a decent-sized bathtub right next to it. Once again, do ensure that the blinds are lowered for some privacy.
A splendid design deserves special mention here, where the WC is accessible from both the living room and the bathroom. The sliding door between the WC and bathroom can be kept closed should you have guests who need to use the WC but yet not intrude into your bathroom.
There was adequate wardrobe space available in the bedroom, which also came with a couple of bathrobes, as well as an iron with an ironing board.
Also available were some slippers and a room safe for your valuables.
In line with the hotel being eco-friendly, you won’t find any plastic bottles of water here. Instead, glass bottles of water were provided and can be replenished upon request.
Also available was a minibar cooler well stocked with snacks and drinks, with some hot beverage offerings shelved below.
A few minutes after checking in, a member of staff rang the bell to deliver more welcome amenities, this time a box of chocolates to go with the bottle of red wine.
As if it wasn’t enough, another member of staff returned a while later with even more amenities, namely local snacks and a fruit platter as well.
With loads of time to spare, I decided to explore the common areas within the property. You’ll be impressed with the effort put in to ensure that the property is as eco-friendly and sustainable as possible. From the pool deck, simply look up to appreciate the greenery all around.
The pool itself was fairly small, with lounge chairs almost always occupied for most of the day. Also, with the design of the building allowing natural airflow through the pool area, it can get pretty windy, and cold too in the unheated pool.
Several lanterns around the pool area also make for a great place to lounge in private.
Right behind the pool area is the fitness centre, with a decent range of equipment to suit your training needs.
Breakfast was served buffet-style at Lime restaurant on the ground floor. The dining area was expansive, which seemed to be able to accommodate most guests even during peak periods.
There were Western options available, as well as a live egg station too.
If you’d prefer some Asian fare, do pop by the noodle station for a hearty bowl of noodle soup, or even scoop yourself a bowl of congee with condiments.
Overall, my stay at PARKROYAL COLLECTION Pickering Singapore was nothing short of amazing. I felt truly pampered with the amenities being offered, and could appreciate the efforts being taken by the property to remain as eco-friendly and sustainable as possible. The greenery all around could be enjoyed from practically any level within the property, which is indeed a true celebration of nature and its elements.
