Two Nights in Singapore at the Grand Hyatt Singapore
We arrived in Singapore from Hong Kong on a Cathay Pacific flight at around 8pm. We easily made our way through immigration and Singapore’s beautiful Changi International Airport, out to the curb to hail a cab for our hotel. We booked a room at the Grand Hyatt Singapore for this short stay.
The cab ride couldn’t have been any more than twenty minutes and I think it ran around 20 Singapore dollars. When I booked the room a few months earlier, I used one of my last remaining Hyatt Diamond Suite upgrades for our two night stay, and we were upgraded to a Grand Duplex Suite.
And it sure was Grand…
A Weekend in Southeast Asia
- Introduction
- American Business Class New York-JFK to Los Angeles
- American Business Class Dallas / Ft. Worth to Hong Kong
- A Layover in Hong Kong and a Quick Flight to Singapore
- Two Nights at the Grand Hyatt Singapore
- Cathay Pacific Premium Economy Singapore to Hong Kong
- American Business Class Hong Kong to Dallas / Ft. Worth
- American Business and First Class Dallas to Los Angeles to New York-JFK
Grand Duplex Suite
We entered into the Grand Duplex Suite on the first floor of the suite. That’s right — it was two floors! On the first floor was the living room with a large flat screen TV, a couple of sofas and a coffee table. The bottom floor also included a very large dining room table, a desk and a powder room.
Atop the staircase is the master bedroom and bathroom, along with another entrance/exit to the suite. The master bedroom featured a king sized bed with a small sitting area. The master bathroom was generously sized with a walk-in shower, a full bath and separate area for the toilet.
The entire floor plan of this two-story duplex is an open floor plan, so the second floor is open to the main level below.
It goes without saying — this room was extremely spacious and comfortable. It was immaculately clean, as was the rest of the hotel. I slept like a baby in the very comfortable, king-sized bed.
Though I don’t have any pictures, the Grand Club at this property was extensive. It is replete with refreshments and had a large hors d’oeuvres selection along with cocktails every evening during happy hour. Though the Club did offer breakfast, we opted to take our breakfast / brunch in the main restaurant – StraitsKitchen. This place is set up as an upscale Hawker Center style, with extensive cuisines form various countries all over Asia. It was absolutely delicious.
The service at the Grand Hyatt Singapore was also fantastic. My main interaction was with the desk agents at the Grand Club, and they were true gems — really nice ambassadors for Hyatt.
The Verdict…
This is just a fantastic property. The hotel is located pretty central to the heart of Orchard Road, and is easily walkable to Orchard Road. The metro system in Singapore is first-rate and extremely easy to use. Of course, the experience in the Grand Duplex Suite really contributed to this being a great stay. But the service, food and general shape of the property would make me happy to return on a future visit.
How I Booked It…
I booked a Hyatt Elite Rate and upgraded it with a Diamond Suite Upgrade. It wasn’t the cheapest room in the world, but we split it three ways so it wasn’t too expensive.
Exploring Singapore
During our two days in Singapore, we walked all around the city and explored several different areas. One night, we went to Ku De Ta — the bar and lounge atop the famous Marina Bay Sands hotel and resort. The views from up there are just fantastic.
- Tip: During the day, the entrance to the Observation Deck and Skypark at Marina Bay Sands costs SGD$23. Instead of paying this fee, you can visit Ku De Ta — the bar and lounge for free – and you get Observation Desk and Skypark access. Entrance is comped provided you buy a drink. The drinks are pricey, but they will be less than SGD$23. Worst case, you break even, but have a drink included!
One of my favorite views in Singapore is by the Merlion, facing the iconic Marina Bay Sands and downtown Singapore.
Food in Singapore
Singapore is known for its food. My favorite places to grab incredible food in the city are at Hawker stands — basically massive food courts with dozens or hundreds of stalls — and each has its own specialty. Most of these specialties come from Southeast Asia and India, so it’s common to see foods ranging from Chinese to Malaysian to Indonesian to Indian to Thai to Vietnamese. The food is absolutely the highlight of Singapore, in my opinion. Though my favorite Hawker Center in Singapore is Lau Pe Sat, we did not get there on this trip.
We did; however, make it to the Newton Food Center, which is about a 15-minute walk from the Grand Hyatt. Some pictures of the food are below.
Overall, Singapore is a pretty cool city. It’s not my favorite city in Asia, but it does have its charm. The thing that does set it apart is the food. And it’s the food that will keep me coming back.
