Conrad Centennial Singapore Review
Earlier this year I stayed at the Conrad Singapore on a quick stopover between trips to Manila and Kathmandu.
Overview
The Conrad Singapore Centennial is Hilton’s luxury property in Singapore. With legendary properties in Hong Kong and Tokyo, the Conrad brand seemingly promises a lot, but the Singapore property fails to deliver in some ways.
Cost: 39,000 Hilton Honors points per night.
Cash rates: About $240 USD including taxes/fees.
Location
The Conrad Singapore is located in Suntec City in an area very close to Marina Bay, the Singapore Flyer and the Raffles Hotel. This hotel is fairly convenient to many of Singapore’s most popular attractions and is just a few subway stops away from almost everything. The Promenade Station of Singapore’s MRT is located just a 2 minute walk from the hotel’s entrance.
Check-In
Upon arriving at the hotel, I was greeted by an attendant at the check-in line. I inquired if there was a Diamond check-in and she told me I could proceed to the lounge on the 31st floor. On my way up I noticed the decor in the elevator was a bit dated and the trip took a bit longer than I would expect. The elevators were SLOOOW.
At the lounge, the check-in area sits in a narrow hallway just off the elevators and outside the entrance to the Club Lounge. It isn’t a welcoming space, but the staff was very friendly. During check-in I was informed that I had been upgraded to an Executive Room on the 30th floor.
The Room
On my way to the room, I noticed that the hotel’s hallways looked worn. The carpet was dirty in some areas and the wallpaper was also showing significant signs of wear. My first impression of the room was its size. It is small. Unlike traditional rooms where the bed is on the side, at the Conrad the bed faces the window which is nice I suppose, however the television is inflexibly mounted on the side which makes it tough to watch.
Other than the size, the room is nicely appointed. Unfortunately though it too was worn. There was chipped wood and other signs of wear. Thankfully the bathroom was of a decent size and contained plenty of marble along with a separate tub and shower. The amenities provided were of high enough quality as well. Of course there were also the requisite Conrad Bear and Ducky waiting for me as well!
Shortly after I arrived in my room someone knocked on the door and nervously asked if the room was clean. I told him yes, but after he left I noticed a few things. There was a stain on the dresser and a set of silverware without anything else. My guess is he was just trying to be polite, because when I returned the stain had been wiped, turndown had been done and fruit and chocolates were in the room as well.
Club Lounge
As a Hilton Honors Diamond member I received access to the very crowded Club Lounge. They serve a small evening buffet and alcohol from 5:30PM to 8PM and breakfast from 6:30AM to 10:30AM in the morning. I found the Lounge to be incredibly crowded. In fact, at one point during the evening hours it was so loud because of a large party of Australians that everyone began complaining.
The food in the evening and at breakfast is marginal at best. This lounge fails to do anything special in terms of what it provides. Yes you can get fresh fruit, cheeses and a couple of hot items, but truthfully most crappy marginal Hilton properties in the U.S. have the same thing. There were a couple of hot items including a seafood soup which looked nice and breaded pork and spring rolls which didn’t.
Conclusion
The Conrad Singapore is in need of a renovation if it wants to keep a 5 star rating. The Club Lounge offerings are basic for Asia and the property is a bit worn, but the location is very nice and the staff is very good as well. Overall I feel it doesn’t live up to the Conrad reputation set forth by its sister properties in Asia, but it is still a decent place to lay your head if the price is right.
More Photos
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is the old king of travel rewards cards. Right now
bonus_miles_full
Learn more about this card and its features!
Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
This comes just right, as Singapore is on my list for next year again. Do you have a comparison to the Conrad on Hong Kong Island?
After disappointing stays at the Hilton on Orchard, I finally tried out the Conrad. The location was the highlight as was the breakfast buffet in the restaurant. But you are spot on with all the other things you mention…room was well worn, and my welcome ammentity plate of fruit (which I ate) was left on the table for 2+ days; housekeeping never thought to clean it up. The layout with the TV sideways was the worst aspect of the room experience.
Aside from how prohibitively expensive Singapore hotels have gotten, this is a sad commentary on what used to be, a luxury hotel. We stayed at the Grand Hyatt Singapore last December and used a DSU for the two story suite. It may not be the newest or the flashiest on Orchard, but the service and accommodations are top notch.
Very interesting post. I stayed at this hotel 3 years ago. First they put me in a room next to the elevator which I specifically requested ahead of time not to. Second, the room was unacceptable cleanliness wise. I was livid, called the front desk and requested a manager come to the room. I went over and pointed out the state of things. Bottomline: They put me up in a clean and undamaged suite. And they agreed the room I was originally given was a dump. Sad. I didn’t bother to use the hotel restaurant and thought that this Conrad lacks attention, unlike the Bangkok Conrad which I stayed on this same trip. Hope Hilton reads this.
I defintely agree that this hotel lacks attention. I sincerely hope things improve because I loved the location.
Definitely looks a bit crappy. Makes me very glad I booked the IC Singapore instead last year. I highly recommend it, especially if you have a free night cert
I hope you realize the hotel is currently in the midst of a major remodel with several new floors open already.
Glad to hear it. My stay was a couple of months ago and I hope the renovations help. The hotel desperately needs an update. Perhaps I’ll stay again when renovations are complete.