F In Singapore's towering icon of Swiss hospitality - jeepneyjinggoy

In Singapore's towering icon of Swiss hospitality


IT IS one of Asia's tallest hotels at 226 meters, a masterpiece by architect extraordinaire, I.M. Pei, the same man who created the iconic Paris landmark, the glass and metal pyramids of the Musee du Louvre- the Swissotel The Stamford.



From the Fairmont Hotel, I move to my next home in the Lion City- Swissotel The Stamford. The hotel is in the "next room" of the complex that includes a mall, an array of award-winning restaurants that will satisfy everyone's food craving, and the impressive state-of-the-art, 70,000 square feet Raffles City Convention Center that can accommodate meetings and events of various sizes.

Its idyllic location makes it the perfect haven for the businessman or the leisure traveler who wish to be at the center of the business, shopping, dining and entertainment hubs of Singapore. With the City Hall MRT Station and other transportation nodes is literally at its doorstep, everything else is just one stop away.

Voted as Asia Pacific's Best Business Hotel, Swissotel The Stamford beckons everyone to step into the world of ease and comfort and experience the finest in Swiss hospitality.

"The hotel will enchant every guest with unrivalled comfort in 1,261 guestroom and luxurious suites with private balconies providing breathtaking panorama of the country's bustling landscape as well as the scenic views of nearby islands of Malaysia and Indonesia," said Ee Jin Lim, director of marketing and communications.


Stamford Crest Suite

This hotel is busier than Fairmont with a mass of businessmen zipping in and out of their premises. But this doesn’t in any way diminish their attention to the needs of any of their guests. In my case, I was met and accompanied to my room on the 50th floor by Jeffrey Tan, the duty manager.

Swissotel The Stamford Classic Harbour View Room
Welcoming presents from the management. Sweet!

Mr. Tan explained the features of my deluxe room and presented me the impressive nightscape of Singapore that went along with it. The view embraces the magnificence of the Marina Bay, the Quays, the business skyline and beyond, glittering in their nighttime glory.

A view embraces the magnificence of the Marina Bay, the Quays & the business skyline of Singapore from the 50th floor of the Swissotel The Stamford.

Personal service from Duty Manager Jeffrey Tan.....and good  friends Christian Jourdain & Karyn Flores enjoying the view.

"Breakfast is at the Cafe Swiss but you may have it and enjoy the evening cocktails as well at the Swiss Executive Club, if you wish," he added, a service they only offer to the guests of the grand Stamford Crest Suites on the upper floors of the hotel. It was my initial exposure to the reputed Swissotel The Stamford’s commitment to hospitality and personal service.



The scene at the Cafe Swiss on Level 2 was busy with all the guests in suits and ties flowing in and out of the restaurant getting their morning boost over an offering of Swiss delicacies as well traditional and modern fare.

Men in ties, women in suits. THe busy breakfast scene at Cafe Swiss.

But on the 60th floor, the quieter Club Lounge not only extends the exclusivity and freshly prepared preferred fare expected of the place, but it also perks the guests up with a great view- the sunrise over the iconic bay, that no caffeine drink can match.

Morning perk at the Swissotel The Stamford Club Loungesunrise: sunrise over the iconic bay & Raffles City, that no caffeine drink can match.... that goes for the lovely smiles of their Filipina associates.

To be on "top of the world” or close to it in Singapore, head to the 70th floor of this hotel (Swissotel The Stamford was tallest hotels in the globe when it was completed in 1986 and still enjoys having its name on the list as one today) where the "very happening" Equinox Complex is.

The top floor houses five contemporary restaurants and bars that include Singapore’s “towering” culinary landmark- the Equinox Restaurant, the jewel of the complex-JAAN, a very intimate 40-seater award-winning French restaurant, and New Asia where the Lion City’s partyphiles converge.

Penthouse groove. New Asia sits on the 70th floor, the top floor, where the Equinox complex is.

To experience everything Swissotel The Stamford has to offer, time should be on your side. Time which, sad to say, I didn’t have. It would have been great to party on the roof deck where a 360-degree view of Singapore can be enjoyed over great cocktails. That certainly gives one good reason to go back.


Swissotel The Stamford is at #2 Stamford Road, Singapore. Telephone +65 6338 8585.
For more information about the hotel, visit their website at www.swissotel.com/singapore-stamford


Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on December 15, 2011.





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