In February 2019, I checked into the One-Bedroom Executive Apartment at Oakwood Premier AMTD Singapore, a luxury hotel and serviced apartment housed with the OUE Downtown mixed development in the heart of the Central Business District in Singapore. Minutes away from Tanjong Pagar MRT Station, the 268-unit concept offers the full suite of hotel services as well as the facilities and amenities of an elegant and thoughtfully-equipped service apartment.
Another notable hotel in the area is Sofitel Singapore City Centre.
The UTW (“Under Ten Words”): Sophisticated, elegantly-designed, comfortable and luxurious homeowner fantasy in Tanjong Pagar.
The must-dos (if any): Enjoy the comfortable and sophisticated apartment experience, take a dip in the infinity pool.
OAKWOOD PREMIER AMTD SINGAPORE
The hotel is situated within the OUE Downtown mixed development, which comprises an office tower as well as the Downtown Gallery shopping complex. Food options within the complex ranges from local breakfast options (Ya Kun Kaya Toast) and Japanese curry (Sama Curry) and ramen (Marutama Ramen) to eat-clean options (Wafuken) and accessible spin-offs of high-end restaurants (Chen’s Mapo Tofu, Chatterbox Express). Weekday guests would have access to the full range of CBD dining options, notable candidates being the nearby Amoy Street Food Centre and Maxwell Food Centre.
Situated on the 7th floor, the hotel’s lobby floor is where the hotel’s key facilities are located, from the restaurant Se7enth and lobby bar The Bar to the Fitness First-standard fitness centre and healthily verdant, harbour-facing and unicorn float-adorned outdoor infinity pool.
To my understanding, the pool-side Oakwood Executive Club was initially operational as a club lounge for in-house guests, but has since converted to an events space for corporate and social functions.
ONE BEDROOM EXECUTIVE APARTMENT
The modern and comfortable 46sqm One Bedroom Executive Apartment comes with a kitchen and dining table, living room with sofa and television, bathroom with rainfall shower as well as a bedroom with a work station. The apartment plays it like an expat female banker’s bachelorette pad, possessing a simultaneously sophisticated and understated elegance, and I am reminded of my stays at the similarly elegant Andaz Singapore and Park Hyatt Bangkok.
The kitchen is breathtakingly well-equipped, with state-of-the-art appliances from brands like Smeg, taking care of your every conceivable kitchen need – think gargantuan fridge, stove, kettle, rice-cooker, toaster, dishwasher, oven, washing machine, Nespresso machine as well as an impressive collection of cutlery, plates, glassware and wine glasses, pots and pans. I was pleased that instead of the reliable but ubiquitous TWG Tea, the hotel offers exquisite Monogram Tea. (The Shiso Mint tea, which I first had at InterContinental Singapore Robertson Quay and subsequently Grand Hyatt Singapore, is sensational.)
The bedroom was blessed with abundant sunshine from its sizeable windows. Elsewhere, both televisions have their own bluetooth sound systems, while the work station comes with a Samsung tablet and mobile phone.
The bathroom comes fitted with a rain shower, with bathroom amenities from Comfort Zone. The window next to the shower area (as well as the one next to the living room area) offers a lovely harbour view for your appreciation (whilst being buck naked) and is able to be opened partially for ventilation, which allows for more comfortably steamy moments.
DINING
The hotel serves breakfast at Se7enth, a contemporary dining concept located on the lobby floor of the hotel which is a popular weekday lunch destination for the CBD crowd. The scale and feel of the buffet breakfast is more club lounge than continental (sample item: Cheesy Polenta with Beef Ragout), with a live egg station attracting the most guests. Apart from your usual coffee options, guests can choose from an impressive selection of Monogram Tea flavours such as Cherry Japonais, Provencal Herbs and Saffronais for their heated hydration pleasure.
The Bar is the hotel’s cosy and non-fussy lobby bar, offering cocktails, spirits and wines as well as a selection of bar bites (sample item: Crispy Chicken Wings with Truffle Maple). There is an on-going $9 Happy Hour promotion (2pm to 7pm daily, even on weekends) for selected cocktails, beers and house pours, which makes The Bar a viable option for post-work, pre-dinner lubrication.
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
I never envisaged that a hotel stay could so closely mirror the experience of being a proud homeowner of a luxurious pad, but the room experience at Oakwood Premier AMTD Singapore was certainly impressive and aspirational in this regard.
While the hotel may not have the accessibly-priced party glamour of JW Marriott Singapore South Beach or the wild child, beach body appeal of W Singapore, Oakwood Premier OUE Singapore offers an elegant and comfortable residential experience which genuinely surprises. Strongly recommended.
Oakwood Premier AMTD Singapore
6 Shenton Way
OUE Downtown 1
Singapore 068809
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