In April 2018, I checked into the Fabulous Room at W Singapore. Situated within Sentosa Island and boasting one of the best swimming pool experiences in Singapore, the purple-loving, playful and proudly flamboyant Marriott Bonvoy property is one for the hip families and beach bod (and blonde) babes and hunks…or those who like to ogle said beach bods.
Other notable hotels on Sentosa Island include Capella Singapore and Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa.
The UTW (“Under Ten Words”): Flamboyant stylishness ahoy with a wonderful holiday-esque pool playground experience.
The must-dos (if any): Take a swim in the pool, dine at SKIRT Singapore.
W SINGAPORE
The one key reason anybody should stay at W Singapore would be their amazing pool – the 1,338 sqm WET® pool (yes, it is a registered trademark) is one of Singapore’s largest and arguably best resort outdoor pools.
The lush, stemmed greenery and proximity to the marina and yachts give the pool area a wonderful resort feel. Classic tanning chairs and canopied sun loungers line the pool for your relaxing outdoor horizontal-ling or poolside burger and calzone noshing purposes. Massive swimming pool floats are available for sky-facing lazing, although you probably need help boarding one in a dignified manner. (I repeatedly fell back into the water like some Bridget Jones-type sitcom character whilst attempting to board, until assistance was sought.) The WET bar is available for waist-underwater guzzling on slushy cocktails as the sun’s rays caress your slick skin, although I must say the Strawberry Negroni I had was more mudcake than shortcake.
During my stay, the pool guests comprised bronzed men lying on yellow floats and busty blondes enjoying cocktails at the poolside WET Bar. I must say the average (and decidedly non-Asian) guest at the WET Pool possesses a beach bod – even the parents.
As I laid afloat on the swimming bed, the sun’s passionate rays caressing my skin whilst underwater speakers blast out summery tunes accompanied by the laughter and splashing sounds of frolicking ang moh kids, my eyes scanned the pre-dominantly Caucasian pool crowd with a fairly even distribution of families and couples, and for a fleeting moment I genuinely forgot I was still in Singapore. It was glorious, escapist, relaxed pleasure.
The pool is such a destination that the hotel allows non-guests to use just the pool facilities alone – for a fee, of course.
Aside from the pool, guests have access to the 24-hour FIT fitness centre as well as the AWAY spa, which includes a decompression area, sauna, steam room, vitality pool and herbal bath.
FABULOUS ROOM
The 40sqm Fabulous Room executes its grey-and-purple design mandate to a tee, with stylish design details such as branch-like golden doorknobs and abstract floral wall motifs. The room has mood lighting options which allow guests to change the room’s vibes instantly at a flick of a switch, with the flower feature behind the bed being one of the elements which illuminates based on your fancy. The orange “Hello” selection feels warm, cosy and friendly, whilst the purple-pink “Flirt” selection plays it all crotchless panties and fluffy handcuffs. The superior Bose sound system provides the required oomph for whatever tunes shall soundtrack your stay and suit your chosen mood lighting, be it an Adele or Pussycat Dolls track.
The bathroom comes equipped with a bathtub…and a sliding window which allows people to have a lovely show from the bedroom.
The balcony faces yachts docked in the marina (if you are lucky, you might get a good view of the glamorous music video-esque parties that often take place onboard) as well as the hotel’s sprawling pool (more on that below).
Given the hefty price tag for a stay at W Singapore, I was surprised to see that many amenities such as the bottled Evian water in the bathroom and, more significantly, the boxed souvenir Merlion plush on the bedside table wore big, eye-catchingly shouty-fonted price tags. Psychologically or otherwise, the idea that these amenities were placed in plain sight (unlike, say, mini-bar items) yet did not come with the room stay made the wallet glower huffily whilst it sulked in the corner. If the plush was chargeable, perhaps it belongs in the gift shop instead? (In contrast, the souvenir mascot teddy bear that greets you on the bed when you stay at Conrad Centennial Singapore is complimentary.)
DINING
Breakfast is served at The Kitchen Table, the hotel’s all-day casual dining buffet restaurant. The breakfast selection is more than serviceable although fairly limited, and what you would expect from a luxury hotel of comparable stature. Aside from the breakfast experience, The Kitchen Table offers different lunch and dinner buffet menus throughout the week, with the notable one being their Sunday Remix 2.0 Sunday champagne brunch (which even comes with a package that allows a dining guess to access the pool facilities!).
Woo Bar is the hotel’s lounge bar, where you can enjoy afternoon high tea and various alcoholic offerings. The bar’s dramatic transformation of appearance from sun-lit day-time lounge to disco balls-ablazing neon-lit nightspot is pretty rad. As far as the drinks go, let’s say you’d feel right at home if you generally enjoy the beachy resort drinks you’d find whilst on casual holiday at Bali, Phuket or similar. For those who like their margaritas, there is an interesting “DTF – Down to Fiesta” promotion happening every Saturday 6 – 9pm where guests can enjoy unlimited tacos, tortillas and tequilas for an attractive price.
SKIRT is the hotel’s grill restaurant, catering for romantic date nights and cosy get-togethers. The restaurant offers prime cuts of meat and seafood prepared using the restaurant’s centerpiece parilla grill. SKIRT has a strong reputation for its steak, and I will vouch for the show-stopping marvellousness of its Cape Grim Beef Tomahawk. Other highlights include their Sri Lankan Crab & Caviar, Shell Fish Broth, Lemongrass and Oven Roast Bone Marrow, Escargot, Café de Skirt Butter.
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
Whilst the WET pool is truly a must-try destination for all aqua aficionados and SPGs (heh), and SKIRT deserves attention for its steak dishes and date-night feels, W Singapore’s price point is fairly demanding, and would likely deter casual return visits after one has enjoyed the W experience once.
W Singapore
21 Ocean Way
Singapore 098374
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