In March 2025, I checked into the Pacific Club Balcony King at Pan Pacific Orchard. Located slightly off the main Orchard Road shopping belt, the 347-room hotel is located a short walk from Orchard MRT Station as well as shopping and dining destinations such as ION Orchard, Shaw Centre and Wheelock Place. Marina Bay Sands and the Central Business District are about ten minutes away by taxi, while travelling to Changi Airport by car will take less than 30 minutes.
The hotel is the sister property of Pan Pacific Singapore, the flagship property of the Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts portfolio, and belongs to the Global Hotel Alliance (GHA) network of hotels around the world. Local GHA properties include Capella Singapore, PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay Singapore and The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore.
Nearby hotels include The Singapore EDITION, Artyzen Singapore, Conrad Singapore Orchard, The St. Regis Singapore, voco Orchard Singapore, Four Seasons Hotel Singapore and Shangri-La Hotel Singapore.
During my stay, I was not granted a double (or even a single) category upgrade pursuant to my GHA DISCOVERY Titanium status. Instead, the front desk offered a 6pm late check-out, in essence an additional two hours beyond the usual Titanium 4pm benefit.
The UTW (“Under Ten Words”): Futuristic, biophilic resort oasis in the heart of Orchard Road.
The must-dos (if any): Spend time on the balcony daybed, enjoy breakfast and evening cocktails at the Pacific Club Lounge, visit the Beach Terrace.
PAN PACIFIC ORCHARD
Pan Pacific Orchard strikes a distinctive and impressive pose along Orchard Road with its futuristic-looking, Jenga-esque architectural design. Conceptualised by architectural firm WOHA (also behind 21 Carpenter, Singapore and Alila Villas Uluwatu Bali), the hotel is a lush biophilic bonanza over 14,000 sqm of foliage and water features, and is divided into four distinctive zones – Forest, Beach, Garden and Cloud – with corresponding open-air sky terraces cut into the building structure, each with a soaring reflective ceiling. The Beach Terrace on the 5th level hosts a fitness centre and the Pan Pacific brand’s signature St. Gregory Spa along with the hotel’s freeform swimming pool with its own Aqua Bar, while the Garden Terrace on the 11th floor features a manicured garden and event lawn perfect for wedding ceremonies.
As you bask in the “sandy” beach environment of the swimming pool, you gaze up at the mirrored ceiling and realise the vast potential for backstroke swimming – the mirror helps you navigate obstacles and avoid collisions. If you happen to be staying in one of the hotel’s Beach Club Pool Access Lofts, your spacious al fresco daybed serves as a perfect social space for friends to drink and be merry after nightfall in a surreal tropical environment high up in the Orchard Road sky. (It almost rivals the starry-skied Terrace Suite at Artyzen Singapore for surreal escapist kudos, although the latter beats it in terms of grandeur and privacy.)
PACIFIC CLUB BALCONY KING
My 30sqm Pacific Club Balcony King was located within the Garden section of the building, with a balcony protruding into the Garden Terrace which overlooks (and eavesdrops on) the lawn on the 11th level. The room was fairly compact and cosy, with smart design features to overcome the lack of real estate – sliding doors separate the bathroom area from the bedroom space; the minibar is a flat, narrow affair which can only accommodate petite-sized beverages such as coconut water cartons and mini Coca-Cola cans; even the drawers which store glassware and Nespresso coffee capsules/TWG tea packets are Russian nesting doll-esque. I observed that the balcony of a room above mine was used to store luggage and personal belongings.
Elsewhere, the toilet was a fairly claustrophobic affair (although the bidet was much appreciated), while the enclosed rainfall shower was decidedly more comfortable, with ample space for a burpee broad jump and luxurious Jo Loves shower amenities (like its sister hotel, Pan Pacific Singapore).
In view of the cosiness involved, the balcony turned out to be the room’s most livable space. Accessible past sliding doors, the space is fitted with a daybed and coffee table for comfortable lounging as well as L-shaped automated blinds to toggle from privacy to open-air mode. Each balcony directly faces your neighbour’s, and you have views of the balconies both above and below your neighbour’s. The set-up does feel a little bit Swissotel The Stamford/Fairmont Singapore, a little bit commune and a little bit condo-residential, and the giant, purple-glowing Gardens By the Bay Supertree-esque green tower gives the setting a decidedly futuristic Final Fantasy vibe. I do wish the automated blinds were not connected, and that I could lower only the blind facing my neighbours yet enjoy views of the Orchard cityscape in privacy.
Guests staying in Pacific Club Balcony King rooms enjoy access to the Pacific Club Lounge on the 11th floor.
DINING
Breakfast is served at Mosella, the Mediterranean restaurant located on the ground level. The buffet line comprised a variety of options such as Scallion Pancakes, Deep Fried Money Bags (Chicken), Roti Paratha, Lon Han Chai, Fried Rice with Vegetables, Black Olive & Egg as well as Mee Goreng, while the noodle station offered Chicken Broth and Singapore Laksa options. The pastry section showcased a wide spectrum of sweet and savoury selections such as Ham & Cheese Croissant, Mushroom Pie, Coffee Cake and Pandan Chiffon Cake and other Assorted Danish Pastries.
My favourites were the shrimpy and thick Singapore Laksa, served with a smorgasbord of ingredients such as tofu, taupok, vegetables and prawns, as well as the pairing of Tumeric Nasi Lemak and the accompanying Prawn Sambal (although the duo was sorely missing some form of fried chicken to bring it all home).
Set within the Garden Terrace on the 11th floor with al fresco, private booth and bar counter seating, cocktail bar Florette serves a variety of tipples inspired by botanical elements, from the smooth Chicory (Monkey Shoulder, Averna, chicory, honey, acid) and refreshing Celery Leaf (Beefeater, Mancino Bianco, saline, celery leaf, maple, acid, soda) to the juicy, savoury Guava (Los Arcos Tequila, Del Magyey Vida Mezcal, saline, guava, lime, chili).
The bar also serves hot nosh – think Crispy Maine Crab Cake (Chipotle mayonnaise, mango salsa, coriander), Grilled Lemongrass King Prawn Skewers (calamansi, tamarind and chilli sauce) and Baja Style Fish Tacos (corn tortilla, red snapper, cabbage, cilantro, jalapeño). My favourites were the moreish and umami Chicken Karaage (sriracha, sesame, burnt lime) as well as the addictive Spanish Padron Peppers (togarashi, Maldon salt).
PACIFIC CLUB LOUNGE
Located within the Garden Terrace level, the Pacific Club Lounge serves breakfast, afternoon tea and evening cocktails. Breakfast was a semi-buffet affair, with the spread comprising dishes such as Garlic Chicken Sausage, Bacon and an assortment of pastries, with the main attraction being its a la carte menu comprising dishes such as Signature Eggs Benedict, Sourdough Avocado Toast, Wonton Noodles Soup, King Prawn Nasi Lemak (superior to the one downstairs with its old-school Nasi Lemak fried egg and sambal prawn instead of, well, prawn sambal) and Malaysian-style Chicken Curry with Potatoes.
I had more than a few Coffee Cups and Fried Beancurd Rolls during afternoon tea. Evening cocktails was a Taittinger champagne-fuelled affair with a menu of classic cocktails – think Manhattan, Negroni, Boulevardier and Old Fashioned – paired with small bites such as Scallop Dumplings, Seafood Fried Rice, Chicken Satay and Pistachio Financier. My favourite was the Chilli Crab Sauce with Mantou, with the latter being simultaneously sweet yet flirtatious with a spicy agenda.
Special thanks goes to the club team – Edlyn, Sid, Anil and Venice – for going above and beyond in making my lounge experience a pleasant one on multiple occasions. I recall the moment when a team member wished for me to enjoy my Taittinger with much earnestness – coupled with a warm, almost sheepish smile – and I swear that specific glass of bubbly tasted that much sweeter when served with so much kindness.
CONCLUSION
While sister property Pan Pacific Singapore is superior in many ways – from having larger and more livable rooms to more extensive F&B offerings – the Pan Pacific Orchard possesses its own strengths, from its strategic location in the heart of Orchard Road to its restful resort oasis stylings that genuinely make you forget where you are. I’d choose a bigger room category next time.
Pan Pacific Orchard
10 Claymore Road
Singapore 229540
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