Our travel writer discovers a great staycation with her family, in one of Singapore’s swankiest hotels
By Pamela Chow
Spend a weekend in posh relaxation with your family, and leave your worries behind.
Planning a holiday with the parents is like taking a ride in a hot-air balloon: It starts off with thinking too much and getting worked up and worried about every detail.
I was hoping for a relaxing weekend with my folks at Shangri-La Hotel’s new “Family Stays for Free” package.
This suggestion to them opened up a can of worms with questions such as, “Can we park there? Will our meals be covered? How many people can go? Can we sleep in and skip breakfast? Must we check out so early?”
Nonetheless, once we allowed ourselves to relax and to soak in the experience, we felt at ease and thankful for being on this ‘holiday’ together. Getting to this stage was extremely easy because the minute we stepped into the Shangri-La, all of our anxieties melted away.
The royal treatment
The Line features 16 live-cooking stations and a generous spread of favourites such as waffles for breakfast and seafood for dinner.
True to its reputation, Shangri-La has a knack for making you feel welcome and valued. Because we were signed in under “Family Stays for Free” — to stay in the Horizon Grand Premier Room — we were brought to the Horizon Club on the 24th floor. There, we relaxed over tipples and canapes before being guided to our room.
This Club access was the perfect touch that made our staycation even more luxurious. While the entire hotel’s staff was attentive to guests, those in the Club were extra meticulous, even greeting me by name throughout my stay.
Horizon Club provides complimentary breakfast, afternoon tea and evening cocktails and bites. Needless to say, my parents were extremely pleased to enjoy these privileges, coupled with a panoramic view of the Orchard Road area.
Just when I thought we had already scored the sweetest deal, we were greeted with another surprise: We’d been upgraded to the Deluxe Room in the prestigious Valley Wing. And there I thought that such royal treatment existed only in the movies!
All your needs looked after
It was a laid-back afternoon at the Champagne Bar in the Valley Wing, where we lounged over high tea and tipples.
Initially, we were the most concerned about dinner plans since the package only covers breakfast for the family. Nevertheless, not only were we pampered with a free flow of drinks and canapes at the Horizon Club, we could also fill up on high tea at the Valley Wing Champagne Bar.
With these, my parents were content with simply lounging the day away. I preferred being out and about, and the hourly shuttle service — which stops at places such as Wisma Atria — made it easy for me to hop in and out of Orchard Road for a quick shopping excursion.
Shangri-La Singapore was also accommodating to our plans and changes in them. On the second day, my mother had to leave in the morning, and my brother was allowed to take her place and enjoy the rest of the day.
A full day of fun
Make full use of your late check-out time by spending the afternoon with top-notch equipment in the 24-hour Health Club.
Here’s my absolute favourite part of this package: You get to check out late at 6pm. This gave us plenty of time to enjoy the hotel’s facilities.
After a hearty breakfast at The Line — comprising multiple helpings of maple-drizzled waffles and freshly-squeezed fruit juice — I spent quality time with my sibling exploring the hotel’s swanky interiors and top-notch facilities, like its Health Club.
For many, packing up to leave behind a weekend of fun is usually a sad moment. But as we got ready to check out, my brother enthused, “This was the best weekend ever!”
For taking great care of us and ensuring that we had a whale of a time, Shangri-La indeed gave my family a weekend to remember.
Shangri-La Hotel’s “Family stays for free” key privileges
- Complimentary breakfast at The Line
- Horizon Club Lounge access
- Late check-out at 6pm
- Complimentary extra bed upon request
- Complimentary parking
Shangri-La Singapore’s “Family Stays for Free” package is available from $505 per night. Bookings must be made before Mar 31, for stays on Fridays and Saturdays only. Shangri-La Singapore, 22 Orange Grove Rd, Singapore 258350, www.shangri-la.com
Weekender would like to thank Shangri-La Singapore for hosting our writer and her family.
A version of this article appeared in the print edition of Weekender, Issue 148, March 18 – March 31, 2016, with the headline ‘Pampering the parents in Shangri-La’.
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