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If you want to use your rediscover singapore vouchers for hotel staycations think twice. Queued for 2 hours still not our turn to checkin. 🥵 [Update] - It’s been 4 hours I’m near to the counter and just heard that the floor staffs have no clue if there are still rooms for us. Probably more than 70 people here queuing. Many kids and old people. No safe distancing measures, nobody coming out to do crowd control. Even when we ask people queuing behind us to distance away after a few mins they start to come near again.. we can’t even get our refunds or cancel without reaching the counter. What the hell is happening ? Grand Park Orchard P/S : I also heard about similar problems with Orchard Hotel. Are the hotels overbooked? What’s happening can we have some explanation please. At this point of time I am just so exhausted I just want to either get a refund immediately or let me check in. 🥲 [UPDATE 2] Their GM came out to Address the issue, say can’t promise what time they can get us a room, offered to give refund or give us another free stay another day or just wait at the 5 hour mark. We were at the counter a staff put us on waiting and currently until now there’s still no calls from them means no room lo. ----- Came across this fb post. I've one staycay at another hotel booked for December about almost two months ago in advance without using the vouchers. Hope won't encounter the same problem!!

We all missed being able to travel during the dark and uncertain days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even when Vaccinated Travel Lanes were introduced, few of us were interested. After all, undergoing numerous PCR tests is uncomfortable and being subject to quarantines, especially if you catch COVID, is hardly how anyone wants to spend their holiday. So, a lot of folks became 'tourists in their own country'. And staycations, or staycays for short, became popular. Being cooped up in one's home for too long does that to people. But now that we can freely travel without needing PCR tests and quarantines (and face masks for that matter), some have opined that staycays are no longer relevant. I, however, think otherwise. Here are five reasons why. Photo: Paolo Nicolello, Unsplash 1. It's less of a hassle compared to going overseas. Planning an overseas holiday is complicated. You need to book flights, consider where you'll be staying and figure out an itinerary. That means you'll have to do research (Google and YouTube) to come up with a list of places and activities to do at your destination. This also results in having to figure out the logistics and transportation that go along with said activities. How difficult this will be is subjective. But some form of planning is required. In comparison, a staycay only requires me to plan when to take leave and check out the room rates for the hotel my wife and I wish to stay in. Then, we just pack light. There is no need to wake up early or stay up late to catch a flight. Flying off to another country is fun, but it requires planning, time and effort 2. Forgot something? No worries. One of the advantages of staycationing is convenience - you don't have to go or look far to find say, toiletries or swimwear. There's also no need to exchange currency (or worry about exchange rates and which money changer to go to). I don't have to subscribe to a roaming service either. One thing that worries me before my wife and I fly overseas is whether we've left anything charging. If we're on a staycation, we wouldn't be concerned because hey, if needed, we can return home to check. Not having to worry about such things is why staycations can be more stress-free compared to a holiday overseas. You can still eat well in Singapore - just go to your usual haunts while on a staycation 3. There might be food issues. Trying new food is one of the biggest reasons for exploring other countries. You can really get to know another country's culture by keeping an open mind and sampling their local fare. However, not all of us are fortunate enough to have travel companions with the same mindset. If your family members are the type who 'can only eat local food' or worse, only want to patronise restaurants from global F&B chains, holidaying overseas is probably inconvenient for you. But if you're on a staycation, then your less adventurous family members should have less to complain about, which might result in less stress for you as well. Hotels like Dusit Thani Laguna Singapore can make you feel like you're in an overseas resort, even if you haven't left the country 4. Consider medical concerns. Not everyone is blessed with good health, even for those who work out regularly and watch their diet. Sometimes, genetics just gets the better of you. If you have family members that can't travel due to underlying medical concerns, a staycation is a good alternative. Frankly, being able to find a hotel that gives you the feeling that you're not in Singapore is not easy. But perhaps a getaway to Sentosa (which is not on the 'mainland') might suffice. Although you'd still be in Singapore, staying at a hotel means not having to clean your room or worry about running the air-con 24/7. Not having to think about chores is a stress-reliever, which is what holidays are about. 5. Staycations generally cost less. A three-night stay at a local hotel (provided you haven't booked the Presidential Suite and aren't eating all your meals there) can be cheaper than a six-day holiday overseas, so when I feel like I need a quick break from work, a staycation really does the trick. Well-meaning colleagues always mention that part of the hotel budget could have been used for air tickets. Or that we should have redeemed our miles instead. But these suggestions overlook the fact that going overseas entails other costs as well. These include currency exchange, your hotel, food, and pocket money for shopping. When we're overseas, there's a tendency to want to eat more food and buy more stuff because you might not find the same things back home.

Hello guys, I am going to HGH on a business trip to meet my suppliers. My last trip i did not make a good choice of hotel as it was too far to walk to anyway and too near to hire a taxi. My budget is about SGD$100/night anyone can help? Thank you.

Deleted my trivago app liao.... https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-22/trivago-fined-45-million-dollars-for-misleading-customers/101008006

Anyone stayed at those boutique hotels near Sutera Mall? Any reviews? Safe to park outside the hotel?

Parkroyal Collection Pickering Apologises For Turning Down Lesbian Couple’s Wedding Request Prout noted that while Singapore does not recognise same-sex marriages, having a same-sex wedding is not illegal. https://mustsharenews.com/parkroyal-pickering-reject-couple/?fbclid=IwAR1fHjINLGaB49AmKMxJldvn0IqO_1yGMq-9kkY6f4Mkqd3feT9NNBs0jSU&fs=e&s=cl Pushing the boundaries?

Since this is a car forum, can members here give a list of hotels that don’t give complimentary parking to hotel guests? I don’t usually do staycation in Singapore. My road trip travels to Malaysia has ALWAYS been given free parking. Due to travel restriction during covid, I’ve staycation a couple of local hotels. Felt disgusted by the lack of complimentary parking even after paying $300/night for the room.

Honestly, I think these staycation and cruise to nowhere are putting people to unnecessary risk of infection, from a health and safety point of view. I know of companies that are considering issuing SHN to those returning from cruise and staycation as an added precaution. I wouldn't say that is unreasonable... MOH investigating 13 Covid-19 infections among people who served stay-home notices at Mandarin Orchard hotel SINGAPORE — The Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Saturday (Dec 19) that it is investigating 13 cases of Covid-19 infection among individuals who had served stay-home notice (SHN) at Mandarin Orchard Singapore hotel, which will stop accepting new guests with immediate effect. In a press statement, MOH advised guests who have stayed at the hotel between Nov 11 and Dec 19 to monitor their health closely for 14 days from their last date of stay. “They should see a doctor promptly if they develop symptoms of acute respiratory infection (such as cough, sore throat and runny nose), as well as fever and loss of taste or smell, and inform the doctor of their exposure history,” said MOH. It added that persons on SHN are housed in a dedicated tower and floors at the hotel, segregated from all other guests, with no interaction amongst them. “However as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of all guests in the hotel, the hotel will check out all its occupants. Persons serving SHN will be transported via dedicated vehicles to an alternative SHN dedicated facility. "Deep cleaning and disinfection will be carried out by the hotel, in consultation with MOH and the National Environment Agency.” The hotel has made arrangements to check out existing guests progressively. Restaurant and event spaces within the hotel will also be closed. MOH said that as part of routine laboratory surveillance, the National Public Health Laboratory conducts whole genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis on all Covid-19 cases. It takes about four weeks to culture the virus and complete the genome sequencing. Thirteen imported cases, who were confirmed between Nov 2 and 11 to have Covid-19 infection, were observed to have high genetic similarity despite the cases having arrived from different countries, including Bahrain, Canada, Indonesia, Myanmar, Netherlands, Philippines, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States. “This suggests that these cases were likely infected from a similar source," said MOH." Further investigations by MOH found that these 13 cases had served SHN at Mandarin Orchard Singapore between Oct 22 and Nov 11. Genome sequencing and analysis are continuing for cases beyond Nov 11.” The ministry said that epidemiological investigations were immediately initiated to determine if there is a potential link between these 13 cases and if transmission could have occurred locally, and not from their country of origin. “From MOH’s preliminary investigations, we cannot exclude that transmissions could have occurred at Mandarin Orchard Singapore. ”The ministry has started special testing operations to test around 500 staff of the hotel for Covid-19 infection. These include the staff serving those on SHN as well as those who serve other guests in other parts of the hotel. “We will also test all who are currently serving SHN at Mandarin Orchard Singapore for Covid-19 infection to determine their status, instead of waiting till their SHN exit swab. ”MOH said that hotels used as SHN dedicated facilities must have in place strict protocols to segregate persons on SHN from all other guests. These include placing persons on SHN in segregated blocks, wings or floors, and ensuring their route of movement is clearly demarcated from other guests. Persons on SHN are also not allowed to leave their rooms during their stay, and rooms are thoroughly disinfected and sanitised upon completion of SHN according to strict infection control measures. “They will also not be allowed access to common facilities in the hotels. The Singapore Tourism Board and Singapore Police Force conduct regular checks on these hotels to ensure that safe management measures are complied with, and that security measures are in place,” said MOH. “The Government takes a serious view of any breach in protocols and will investigate and take actions should there be non-compliance.”

Hmmm....no wonder their prices often seemed higher than other booking websites

What exquisite pursuits do the ultra wealthy truly fancy? According to Bruce Wayne's personal butler, it would be "driving million dollar souped-up sports cars, dating movie stars, buying things that aren't for sale." As far as luxury real estate developer and boutique hotelier Satinder Garcha is concerned, amassing a treasure trove of rare vintage whiskies from around the world sure puts a smile on his face. Hence bear witness to The Whiskey Library at The Vagabond Club ( a hotel operating out of a series of restored historic shophouses which he owns by the way), where endless sleekly customized glass cabinets stocked with over a thousand carefully curated bottles of prized spirits stand tall in one astoundingly fashioned lobby lounge of sultry red, pink and brass. Indeed The Whiskey Library is Garcha's proud labor of love; admittedly he scoured the globe for a good two years, visiting countless distilleries and procuring top finds in far-flung places. Ardbeg Kildalton 2014, Old Pulteney 1983, Aberlour Single Malt Scotch and 32 year old Bunnahabhain from Scotland, '2018 Kirin Fuji-Gotemba 'Kunpu' Blended Whisky' , 'Kurayoshi 12 Year' Matsui Whisky and Mars IWAI Tradition Wine Cask Finish from Japan, Blood Oath Pact Bourbon from the US, Brighton Gin from the UK and Star of Bombay from Sri Lanka.......suffice to say the inventory cultivated is sheer staggering. https://www.theluxebrigade.com/whiskey-library-at-vagabond-club

Grand Hyatt incident: Singapore Civil Defence Force and Singapore Police Force on the scene after smoke was seen billowing out of the hotel.

Hi guys, not sure anyone have started this thread before.. Anyway thinking about doing staycation in Singapore soon. Anyone have any great idea/experience which hotel in Singapore give you superb staycation hospitality service, food and places to relax? Going with wife ah... So no naughty stuff...

Anyone stayed there before? How is the parking over here? Safe? Sheltered?

A HDB flat in Woodlands is suspected to have been transformed from a brothel to hotel. From the usual occurrences of having more than 10 male strangers visiting the flat, it has transformed itself into a short-term stay hotel, charging visitors at $100 per day. According to the media report last week, Police conducted island-wide anti-vice operations in 6 housing estates Sembawang, Woodlands, Jurong West, Sengkang, Chinatown and River Valley. 34 prostitutes and 2 pimps were arrested. The HDB flats involved serving as brothel may be confiscated. After the report last week, Chinese media received a tip-off that this former whorehouse has re-surfaced in Woodlands. The unit is located at Blk 686C, Woodlands Dr 73. It was rented out to a Filipino family. About 3 to 4 months ago, it was sublet to one PRC woman. One of the residents in the block told the reporter that after the new tenant moved in, everyday from morning to night, there would be many unknown men aged between 30 to 50 yrs old, constantly streaming in and out of the said unit. She said, They start to appear in the morning about 11am, one after another. Usually after one left, another will turn up about 2 to 3 hours later. There would be more than 10 of them in a single day. She added that these men usually would behave surreptitiously, looking around at the corridor. They seemed to be searching for the correct unit. Once they found the right unit, someone hidden behind the unit door would open it for them. Thereafter, it would be silent without movement. The door of the unit is always closed. Also, we hardly see any of the occupants coming out from the unit. The last time was on Sunday when two women and one man came out to throw rubbish, she said. Another resident revealed that earlier, different unknown men would come to the unit even at 11 plus in the night. Usually, they would make a call after coming out from the lift to ask for the correct unit number. Upon confirmation, they would proceed to the said unit to look for someone. HDB flat turned into a hotel But, according to an insiders tip-off, the unit has actually been transformed into a hotel recently. It was found on WeChat that someone was advertising the flat for short-term rental of rooms at a rate of $50 for 5 hours or less or $70 per night. The pictures of the rooms were also uploaded. Other residents confirmed that they saw people going into the unit with luggage. The reporter called the advertised number on WeChat to test. A lady answered the call and confirmed that there are rooms for rental at $100 per day. Later, the reporter made a second call to enquire. This time round, no one answers the call. The reporter then made a visit to the said unit, but no one responded. Tenant and sub-tenant dispute One of the residents revealed that last Saturday at about 3pm, two policemen appeared at the said unit. They left after talking to the occupants. However, it was not known what actually transpired. According to some sources, the dispute arose between the tenant and sub-tenant over the contractual agreement. The argument became very heated and someone called the police for assistance. Police confirmed the incident and replied that both parties have been advised to settle the matter amicably and they complied. The enforcement actions from the authorities and the publicity from the media have proven that they do not deter foreigners bent on making money illegally in Singapore. Indeed, it appears that our enforcement units are no match to the multi-faceted talents exhibited by the foreigners that PM Lee likes to welcome into our little island with open arms. Singapore belongs to everyone Last year, during a grassroots event in Ang Mo Kio in celebration of the Indian New Year [Link], Mr Lee was reported to have said that the event was an embodiment of the theme as well as on a larger scale where everyone participates as one big Singapore family and that Singapore was a place where we all celebrate one anothers festivals and happy events together. He added that Singapore belongs to all of us, which he said included Singaporeans, new arrivals, people who are on permanent residence here, people who are on employment pass here. Many foreigners are just taking the opportunity given by Mr Lees magnanimous attitude towards foreigners, to make a quick Singapore buck here. And many from third world countries couldnt care less about following the rules and order in Singapore because back in their own countries, they view that rules are meant to be bent. As stated by the new Manpower Minister Lim Swee Say, Singapore is still welcoming FTs at a rate of about 30,000 per year, not including the undisclosed numbers on short-term visits seeking employment here. Can our enforcement units cope with the creativity and entrepreneurship of FTs who couldnt care less about our rules and regulations?

Dear All, Wife's relatives are flying to Singapore next week for about 4 nights' stay (husband and wife). Wife volunteered to find hotel for them, which means I am doing the work. Budget about $100-$120 per night. Walking distance to MRT station - very important, or I might be volunteered to be their driver. And they are going to take the train to airport for the flight back. When it comes to hotels in Singapore, I am stumped as I cannot remember the last time I stayed in a hotel in Singapore. Geylang area is out for obvious reasons. Are the budget hotels in Chinatown ok? Or those at Bencoolen area OK? Saw a V Hotel Bencoolen which has quite good review in Agoda. Tenkiu...

Poor hygiene at 5-star hotels in China: Toilet brush used to clean cups https://youtu.be/F_B7E_eE7Zc Three five-star hotels in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, were punished on Wednesday after authorities found poor hygiene conditions in their guest rooms. The city's health and family planning commission has not disclosed what penalties were given to the properties, which are operated by Kempinski, Shangri-La and Sheraton. It comes after undercover video footage emerged online on Tuesday that showed cleaners at the hotels using the same brushes to wipe the toilets, bathtubs, sinks and other surfaces, sparking public concern over cleanliness. Footage recorded at the Kempinski and Shangri-La properties even showed workers using the same brush to wipe drinking water cups and then drying them with used bath towels. All three luxury hotels were accused of failing to change bath towels, bed sheets and pillow cases for new guests, despite charging from about 800 yuan to 2,800 yuan (S$163 to S$572) for a room per night. Shortly after the video began to spread online, inspectors from the health commission, tourism office, market supervision department, food and drug administration, and legislative affairs office descended on the properties to collect samples for testing, according to the city government. The results of these tests confirmed that the hotels had hygiene problems. "We feel sorry to learn about the substandard conditions found at our hotel," the Kempinski Harbin said in a post on Sina Weibo on Tuesday. "We have been working on providing our guests a friendly and safe environment with strict policies. We will co-operate with the investigation and strengthen measures to avoid similar problems." However, the case has again affected people's faith in the quality of five-star accommodation in China. Undercover footage exposed similar hygiene issues at five high-end hotels in Beijing in September. "I have clients in different cities, so I frequently travel for business," said Sun Chang, 36, the manager of an advertising agency in Beijing. "I've heard such things happen in some midrange hotels, so I usually choose well-known five-star hotels during my trips. I didn't imagine the problems are just as serious there. "I'm considering taking my own sheets, sleeping bags, kettles and bathrobes on my next trip." Harbin has now launched a citywide inspection of all hotels. "It is really difficult to monitor cleaners in the hotel rooms without cameras being installed," Wu Ben, an associate professor of hotel management at Shanghai's Fudan University, told Caixin magazine on Tuesday. "Without the proper detection equipment, one is unlikely to notice dirty bedding and poorly cleaned toilet seats." http://www.asiaone.com/china/poor-hygiene-5-star-hotels-china-same-brush-used-clean-toilets-and-cups

Let says that you have time to kill but do not know where to kill time whilst with girlfriend or wife. Heard of one such appartment for hourly rental at Amber Glory, Lor 4 Geylang, air-con, TV with Starhub, bath tub and free 2 bottles of mineral water. Charges $15/- per hour and minimum 2 hrs rental. Any other budget hourly hotels or appartments you know and facilities available ?

Any tips on where to exit from NSH to Boulevard Hotel / Mid Valley Megamall? Thanks.

Asking a feedback with you guys, Have you encounter when u booked online hotels through either agoda.com / booking.com / latestays.com Once you made the payment, reached the hotel, check-in process they asked for deposit of certain amount which is refundable when u check out. Is this their policy?? I encountered this, i felt disgusted. Since i have paid fully for hotel which wants me to pay full through creditcard, yet when checking-in they still ask for deposit. I only encounter this in malaysia selected hotels. Whereby those online booking website doesnt stated the requirement clearly, too smoky. Especially booking.com prices stated all "Exclude Taxes" Some websites "Included Taxes" Any tips to handle this kind of issues? Or better suggestion of online hotel booking websites. Especially Malaysia, as i go there frequently.

Hi Guys, need to get feedback from here. any recommendation on Hongkong hotel in Tsim sha shui or Mongkok. Budget around 150-180 sing. I saw this hotel Imperial and Xi hotel. if it fine?

ERC and sakei Sushi suing each other being going on for ages. Now that Big Hotel, which was own by ERC is now sold, is the chapter now closed.?

Anyone suggest some good eating places in PD. Also is Bayu Beach resort far from these food places??

Any bros got ghost story to share about Berkeley Pratunam Hotel? I'm going to stay there next week, so I hope to know which room to avoid. So far, i googled, only advise I've got was to avoid level 13.

A tycoon who owns a chain of budget hotels is suing the authorised agent of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars here over an alleged flaw in a $1.4 million Phantom limousine he bought four years ago. Mr James Koh Wee Meng, 49, the man behind the Fragrance chain of budget hotels, appointed Senior Counsel Davinder Singh of Drew & Napier to file the suit last November. In it, he claimed the car made loud thumping and whirring noises when moving out of a three-point turn when he took delivery of it on or around Dec 23, 2008. He also claimed that he felt 'significant vibration' from its steering wheel. He claimed the agent, Trans Eurokars, had failed to rectify these repeatedly, and is therefore seeking damages. http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/S...ory_759941.html

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/roof-collapses-on-hilton/2343448.html# Looks like better not to go Orchard this year. So many incidents.