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.
