Merchant Court Hotel, Singapore

Overall Impression: A great spot to stay in the city a little bit away from the frantic pace on Orchard Road, though it offers good access to the downtown area. The health club, swimming pool, local entertainment and dining make the Merchant Court a fun place to stay while working or sightseeing in Singapore. With the MRT station just a half block away, access to any location in the city is just that much easier.

Location: Located on the edge of Chinatown on the Singpore River, across from Clark Quay in Singpore. From here, it is an easy walk to the heart of downtown, or into the hustle and bustle of Chinatown. At night, the quay provides entertainment and dining.

Year opened/renovated: N/A

Class of accommodation: Five Stars

Size: 476 rooms, with 6 suites, 6 studio rooms and 3 executive club floors.

Ease of reserving a room: Simple and quick

Check-in/check-out process ease: Efficient and fast. 

Language: English is spoken throughout.

Lobby and common areas: : The check-in area was relatively small though attractive with marble and flowers. The common sitting area just around the corner was quite spacious with a small bar that served coffee and drinks, as well as snacks in the afternoon.

Amenities: The room had the usual amenities - nice bathroom supplies, coffee and tea service (instant coffee) and the typical hairdryer. There was also an in-room safe and although no high speed internet (hotel has now installed this feature, but it was not there when I was there), the phone had a data port. There were pay-per-view movies and a decent selection of channels on the television.

Facilities: The hotel had a health spa and fitness center built right in, which was an attractive touch. This was free for guests and quite well maintained when I was there. There was a pool, small shop in the lobby and a business center. A feature that I liked at the time was the Laundromat. Sometimes I just did not feel like counting up my socks and unmentionables, and it was easier to just run a wash load. The hotel would supply me with free tokens for each week I stayed at the hotel.

Pool and/or Beach: The pool area was large and well maintained, with a poolside restaurant and bar from which you could order food and drinks a table or lounge chair. The pool has a waterfall that provided a refreshing blast of water. It is so hot there that this pool got a lot of use, but it was generally pleasant and the staff kept up with the towels and chairs well enough.

Watersports: Just the pool

Spa: I did not try it

Restaurants: The breakfast buffet was well stocked and at its best early in the morning. The hotel catered to some large tour groups that tended to overwhelm the restaurant at some hours of the morning. The evening meals I did not enjoy as much, but there was great food just across the river.

Overall service: Excellent

Other: The Clark Quay across the river (on a bridge just outside the hotel) was my favorite hangout in Singapore. The Crazy Elephant Blues bar was a fun place to enjoy a Tiger beer, and some great tunes. A wonderful Indian restaurant, Sakhara was one of my favorites. The food courts and other restaurants got plenty of business from me. I worked just around the corner from here, and spent about six weeks living at the Merchant Court.

Length of stay Six weeks

Date of review: April/May 2000

Would you stay again? Yes