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.

Class Of Accommodation Five Stars

Length Of Stay Six weeks

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.

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.

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

Year Opened-Renovated N/A

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.

Bathrooms The bathroom was spotless with shower and separate tub area.

Rooms My room was clean and well maintained. The view of the river was pleasant and remained quiet, even with rousing entertainment across the river. The non-smoking floors where I stayed was a relief since I am a non-smoker. The bed was comfortable and there was a decent sized desk to work. Storage space was limited, so I kept some things in my suitcase.

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.

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.

Spa I did not try it

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.

Watersports Just the pool

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.

Check-In-Check-Out Process Ease Efficient and fast. 

Cleanliness Overall cleanliness was excellent.

Date Of Review April/May 2000

Ease Of Reserving A Room Simple and quick

Overall Service Excellent

Would You Stay Again? Yes

Overall Impression If you want to see the tourist side of Singapore, this is a fine place to do it from. Reasonably priced for the class of accomodations, with spacious rooms and many facilities, the Mandarin Singapore is a great spot to rest up after a trans-pacific journey. The rotating restaurant in the tower is worth a look, just for the view at night of the entire city/country. The buildings all around this area are honeycombed with stores, although the prices are not really bargains, the selection is overwhelming. This is a fun area too, with lots of street performers and regular events (mostly promotional), and a great place for people watching.

Class Of Accommodation Five Stars

Length Of Stay Four nights

Location Located in the heart of Orchard Road – Singapore’s shopper’s paradise. This bustling area has every concievable shop and store within easy walking distance. The crowds can be a bit intense sometimes, particularly during the early evenings, when the shoppers are still out catching last minute items, and the nightclubbers are just starting to come out.

Restaurants The Boiler Pub was a casual spot for drinks (a bit tame as Singapore tends to be). The Pine Court Chinese restaurant was pretty good, and served the breakfast buffet in the morning. The Top of the M restaurant had a great view and wonderful food with associated prices. Frankly, with all the restaurants to choose from in the area, I did not spend many meals other than breakfast at the hotel.

Size 1200 guest rooms, with 54 suites

Year Opened-Renovated N/A

Lobby And Common Areas : Elaborate marble with columns and a spacious feeling. Everything sparkles in this hotel, and the cleaning staff are constantly working around the clock. Doormen (about 10 of them) are quick to help with cabs and directions.

Bathrooms My bathroom was all marble and clean. The shower/tub combination was comfortable for a full size western man, not always the case in Asian hotels.

Rooms The room I stayed in was standard for the type of hotel. It was reasonably spacious, comfortable and well maintained.

Facilities The hotel had a good fitness center, free to guests. It also offered a spa, drugstore, gift shops, several restaurants, from a pub to a formal dining room at the top of the towers. There were tennis and squash courts, and an outdoor pool area. The business center had complete services, although prices seemed a bit high.

Pool And-Or Beach The pool area was quite pleasant, although a bit crowded on the hot sunny days of summer. The services by the pool were excellent, with high marks for cleanliness and atmosphere.

Spa I did not sample its offerings.

Amenities Satellite television, coffee and tea service in room, minibar, nice bathroom amenities (I liked the soap particularly). There was a lovely bowl of fruit when I arrived and turndown service with a chocolate on my pillow. The telephone had a data port (no high speed access yet), and the ubiquitous hairdryer. Room service operated 24 hours a day.

Watersports Just the pool.

Other For the type of hotel and service offered, and depending a bit on exchange rates, this hotel is a really a good value. I have heard from other travelers that not all of the upscale Singapore hotels are as nice and well maintained. Oddly enough, food prices are comparable to five star hotels everywhere, and although the quality was good, food is inexpensive and available everywhere in Singapore.

Check-In-Check-Out Process Ease : Very smooth and a nice relief after 26 hours of flying from the US and a forty-five minute cab ride. Checkout was equally smooth.

Cleanliness The entire hotel was spotless when I was there.

Date Of Review April 2000

Ease Of Reserving A Room Easy

Overall Service Excellent, the staff were all friendly and helpful

Would You Stay Again? Yes

Overall Impression The Singapore Zoo was very modern and clean when we visited. Sitting almost right on the equator, the weather only seems to vary between wet and dry, it is always warm. The designers of the zoo have utilized the tropical conditions to full advantage with lush landscaping and open pavilions to escape the rains.

Many of the species in the zoo are allowed to wander free about this tropical paradise without the typical bars and fences. Monkeys inhabit the entire property and diners must be careful not to leave their lunch unguarded, or it may be pilfered. Various types of birds were present on the lawns and there was a large flock of flamingos in the swampy areas.

The entire zoo was designed to minimize the enclosures wherever possible and allow natural viewing of the animals. With the exception of a few big cats and other dangerous creatures, the visitor could imagine they were walking in the wild and viewing these creatures in nature.

At night, the Singapore Zoo offered one of the most amazing experiences we have seen – the Night Zoo. This environment was constructed to allow visitors to see an entirely different side of the wildlife, lit only by the bare minimum necessary for safety. Lions, tigers and leopards were all fully active and hunting, with carcasses placed to challenge them and provide additional interest. The wolf pack was also amazing to see through plexiglass in red lights – out and active which they seldom would be during the day. The night zoo at the Singapore Zoo was amazing.