Hotel Review: Sheraton Towers Singapore (Pool King Room)
The Sheraton Towers Singapore is one of the four Starwood Hotels & Resorts property in Singapore. The Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) programme is one of the most rewarding ones in the industry and I will highly recommend for you to sign up for it. In case you do not already have any existing SPG status, do check out my previous article on how to achieve SPG Gold with just ONE stay (as opposed to TEN stays in a year). Amongst other benefits, SPG Gold will give you a 50% bonus on starpoints, a welcome amenity, a room upgrade and a late-checkout (subjected to availability).
Click HERE to check out the room rates for Sheraton Towers Singapore!
The Sheraton Towers Singapore has undergone a S$20 million refurbishment programme which was unveiled in 2013. The 420 carefully-appointed guestrooms and swimming pool has been redesigned in a transitional style. Strategically located off Orchard Road on Scotts Road, the Sheraton Towers Singapore is conveniently accessible by the MRT (Newton station). If you are feeling hungry during your stay, the famous Newton Circus Food Centre is just within minutes of walking from your room (or suite!).
I stayed in one of the much sought-after Towers Pool Room that is located on the fifth floor. The Towers Pool Rooms in Sheraton Towers Singapore come with attached private balconies which open up to the refurbished outdoor pool. They also allow guests to relax and enjoy the sun easily from the bedroom. If you do stay in the Towers Pool Room, you will also enjoy the following Sheraton Club benefits:
Exclusive access to Towers Executive Lounge
Express check-in/ check-out
Daily buffet breakfast at The Dining Room OR Continental breakfast at Towers Executive Lounge (6:30am to 10:30am)
Daily evening cocktails and hors d'oeuvres at the Towers Executive Lounge (5:30pm to 7:30pm)
Butler services
Complimentary in-room internet access
Complimentary in-room local telephone calls
Complimentary self-parking during stay
Complimentary use of the Fitness Centre, Outdoor Swimming Pool and Sauna on Level 5
Starpoints on Starwood Preferred Guest Programme or any of hotel participating airline frequent flyer programmes
An Exclusive & Plush Lounge Experience
While the property has only gone through a refurbishment in 2013, signs of age can be seen through the overall look and feel of the property. That being said, the level of cleanliness and quality of fittings and furnishings were still top-notch. Perhaps I am personally not so much a fan of the warm residential feel that the Sheraton is renown for - this is my first SPG property stay in Singapore afterall. The room was approximately 32 sqm in size and it came with a plush King-size bed, separate sitting area, a work desk and a 40-inch LED television set.
One of the things I really liked about the room was having all the controls by the bed. You can easily control the air-conditioning unit, lights and toggle the privacy (do not disturb) button while being on the bed. Despite the age of the property, the air-conditioning was working perfectly and was capable of achieving your desired room temperature.
Under the Towers Executive Programme, you will also receive daily laundry and dry-cleaning of up to 5 pieces per room (non-cumulative). If somehow you need to iron a shirt immediately, an ironing board and iron can be found in the wardrobe alongside the bathrobes.
Basic coffee and tea making facilities can also be found in the room - otherwise you can always head downstairs to the Towers Executive Lounge for coffee (and non-alcoholic drinks) all day. While the room did not come with a Nespresso machine which I personally feel should be a global standard these days, it did come with a decent french press with coffee bags from Robert Timms - one of the oldest gourmet coffee brands in Australia.
The bathroom was not luxuriously big but was decently-sized. The shower and bathtub combo whilst not being separate, came with a rain shower and quality fittings.
If you are an SPG fan or have stayed in multiple Sheraton properties before, you will be surprised to know that bathroom amenities in Sheraton Towers Singapore were not provided by the signature Shine Bath & Body line. In fact, it was provided by Cenizaro. Since I was not familiar with the brand, a little digging has revealed that Cenizaro Hotels & Resorts actually manages a portfolio of independent luxury hotel properties in some of the world’s most desirable locations - Sheraton Towers Singapore is one of them.
I headed downstairs to the Towers Executive Lounge on level 3 for evening cocktails and canapes (530pm to 730pm) daily. Like most executive lounges, you will require your room key to access this private lounge. If you stay in a room without breakfast or lounge privileges, you may consider paying S$100++ per person per night to enjoy these privileges. If your room rate does not already come with breakfast, the S$100++ may be a pretty good deal since you get a whole lot of other privileges with a little bit more.
The Executive Lounge occupies approximately 243 sqm of space and is broken down into three separate areas for buffet dining, lounging and TV viewing. My personal favourite is the Library Lounge which has a seating capacity of 14 The area has a light dimming control, professional sound system powered by Bose and a remote control curtain so that you can enjoy your favourite movie on a LCD TV mounted on a backlit oynx feature wall. The Main Lounge has only seating capacity of 68 guests so it may get pretty crowded during the evening.
While the wine was decent, I thought that the variety of food could have been better. Also, they ran out pretty quickly and the lounge staff actually took some time to refill. Lounge staff also seemed pretty busy while I was there - no drink orders were taken, I was left to find a seat on my own and empty plates took long to clear. I also tried to check-out the next morning from the lounge but after waiting 5 minutes for the staff to show up, I gave up and went downstairs to check-out instead.
I chose to have my breakfast at The Dining Room located on ground level in the morning. Famous for the serene ambience of cascading waterfalls, rockpools and carefully landscaped gardens, The Dining Room offers exquisite international, Asian and local favourites on the menu.
There is truly no better way to start the day than a bowl of piping hot Laksa. From the ala carte menu, the Sheraton Towers Laksa can be served either fried or gravy style. During the breakfast however, you may choose to have it gravy style as part of the buffet.
Hash browns here were fried to perfection - golden brown, crispy and full of texture inside. Staff in The Dining Room seems a lot more prepared than the lounge staff at refilling my drinks and clearing the used plates.
Like the teabags provided in my room, tea in The Dining Room was provided by Mackwoods Fine Tea which is sourced from Sri Lanka and is established in 1841. I really like the Mackwoods teabags (even more so than the TWG ones that luxury hotels in Singapore usually serve) and thought it was an excellent choice on Sheraton Towers Singapore's part.
Breakfast runs from 6am to 1030am every day (even on weekends) so be sure to get up bright and early to indulge in a little Laksa.
After breakfast, I managed to find time to check out the newly refurbished outdoor swimming pool that is accented with shades of blue mosaic tiles, creating an inviting temptation for me to jump right in. At night, the energy efficient LED lights creates a gentle glow for you to enjoy some swimming while looking up at the stars (if you are lucky). The fitness centre and sauna is also available on level 5 for those who want to stay fit.
While the Sheraton Towers Singapore did not offer a luxurious atmosphere like the Mandarin Oriental Singapore or the Grand Hyatt Singapore, it offered a warm and comforting ambiance throughout my stay. I can definitely see why some businesses choose to host their business partners and guests here at the Sheraton Towers Singapore. If you are considering a long-term stay here, do note that they have special rates and privileges so it is best to check with the Sheraton Towers Singapore Sales Team directly.
Even though the Best Available Rates (BAR) at this property seem to be rather high, there are always promotions running and it is sometimes possible to stay in the Deluxe room here for under S$200 - not bad at all for a five-star hotel! The Deluxe Rooms are going for S$204++ now and the Towers Pool Room which I stayed in is available right now for S$325++. If you are looking for convenience without actually having to deal with the crowd, the Sheraton Towers Singapore offers a great location with outstanding value. Although I personally feel that there can be improvements in the level of service at the Towers Executive Lounge, you are definitely getting your money's worth at this property.
Hotel stay has been sponsored by Sheraton Towers Singapore, though all views expressed are my own.
TRIBE Living Bangkok Sukhumvit 39 is a great value choice for budget-conscious travelers but its slightly longer walk from Phrom Phong BTS Station may make it less convenient compared to more accessible (but pricier) options in the area.