The Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore

The range of hotels in Singapore is huge. The closer you get to the famous Marina Bay, the more luxurious and expensive the rooms become. During my last stay in the Southeast Asian city state, I stayed at the posh Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore. In the following hotel review, you can find out what you can expect in the 5-star hotel with 608 rooms, which is unassuming from the outside.

Booking, arrival and check-in

From the sweltering morning heat of Singapore, I entered the large lobby of the Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore. In addition to the pleasantly cool room temperature, I was warmly greeted by a large number of hotel employees in elegant black trouser suits. Then I noticed an oversized work of art hanging from the ceiling. It is one of over 4,200 modern works of art scattered around the hotel. Among them are works by Frank Stella, Andy Warhol and Dale Chihuly.

As a room had been reserved for me on the so-called Club Level, I checked into the Ritz-Carlton Club on the 32nd floor by invitation. As expected, check-in at the hotel was professional. For example, I was asked for the desired daily newspaper or a wake-up call. I enjoyed the fruit smoothie that was served as a welcome drink.

How are the rooms (Club Room) at The Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore?

My room (no. 2118), with a fantastic view of Marina Bay, was on the 21st floor. It's amazing to think that when the hotel opened on 19 January 1996, when you looked out of the window you mainly saw landfill and water. Today there is one tower block after another and finally the famous Marina Bay Sands.

The 51 square metre club room had a living and sleeping area with a walk-in wardrobe and a bathroom with a separate toilet. Overall, the real wood furniture made a very high-quality impression. However, slight wear and scratches were visible in some places. The wall design in the living area was a good mix of wood, mirrors and a leather-like, patterned green wallpaper. Only in the seating area was the light-coloured parquet floor covered by a carpet.

Sleeping area

When I entered my room, there was a large and very comfortable double bed (king size) with feather pillows and duvet on the left-hand side. There was a bedside table on either side, which offered plenty of space. There was a telephone and an alarm clock on it, as well as magazines and newspapers. I was also able to control all the light in the room with the built-in light switches and charge my iPhone overnight via the socket in the drawer. The wall behind the bed was clad in elegant mahogany veneer.

To the right of the entrance door was a walk-in wardrobe. There was a storage area for the suitcase, numerous drawers for personal items and a clothes rail with plenty of hangers. There was also an ironing board, a Ritz-Carlton umbrella, a personal safe (laptop size) and other small amenities.

Desk and seating area

There was a desk and a seating area with a sofa and armchair by the large window front. There were two sockets at the spacious desk (no adapter for Euro plugs was required), a telephone and a connection for older iPhone models with a dock connector. The hotel should replace these as soon as possible. Micro-USB and an AUX input were also available. I had a great view of Marina Bay from the sofa. When I arrived, there was a delicious welcome gift of fresh fruit, biscuits and squeezed orange juice waiting for me on the coffee table. After the Breakfast on the plane I haven't really worked up an appetite yet, but I can't pass up treats like this.

Of course, there was also a television. The 46″ LED TV was mounted on the wall between the dressing room and the entrance to the bathroom. The cupboard below housed the minibar, a kettle and a DVD player.

Bathroom

The bathroom, which is completely clad in different coloured marble, has a large bathtub, a spacious shower with a rain shower head and a toilet separated by a door. The toiletries were supplied by Asprey. After a long-haul flight, the bathtub was my first destination. It was impressive to relax in the tub while watching the Marina Bay skyline. As the guest rooms are located above the third floor, the exclusive view of Marina Bay or the Kallang River is guaranteed for every guest. Thanks to the many mirrors in the bathroom, the view outside is possible from almost every angle.

How is breakfast at The Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore?

Breakfast is served to hotel guests in the Colony restaurant. As the name suggests, British colonial history played a key role in the interior design of the Colony restaurant. The mixture of vintage furniture and bespoke tartan furniture adds to the colonial charm of the restaurant. The walls and partitions are decorated with old maps, photographs and postcards reminiscent of a bygone era. All in all, the Colony is a first-class buffet restaurant with several show kitchens for Chinese, Indian, Indonesian, Malaysian, Western and local dishes.

What is the Executive Lounge at The Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore like?

Access to the Ritz-Carlton Club on the 32nd and therefore top floor of the hotel is free of charge for all guests on the Club level and above. For the room types below, access is subject to a charge. Guests are requested to dress smart casual.

The Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge was open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and the spacious seating area with a view of Marina Bay offered space for 75 guests. Five different buffets with culinary delights were served during the opening hours. Breakfast was served from 7 am to 11 am, lunch snacks from 11.30 am to 2 pm, afternoon tea from 2.30 pm to 4.30 pm, hors d'oeuvres from 5 pm to 8 pm and desserts from 8.30 pm to 10.30 pm. Drinks, including alcoholic beverages, were always served at the same time. Here, too, the selection was huge. I found the wine cabinet particularly interesting, which kept the various bottles of wine at the perfect temperature and poured a glass at the touch of a button.

What does The Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore offer for relaxation?

As a guest in a room on the Club level, I enjoyed various amenities such as a turndown service and access to the hotel's own lounge, "The Ritz-Carlton Club". Every evening, my bed was made up for me to sleep in, a bottle of water and a piece of chocolate were placed on the bedside table and a small dessert was served.

Other complimentary benefits for Club guests included washing and ironing of two garments per day, car transfers around Marina Bay, high-speed internet via Wi-Fi throughout the hotel, a 24-hour fitness centre, an outdoor pool and room service with hot drinks. A hot coffee can also be brought in time for your wake-up call.

Participation in the trip was supported by Singapore Airlines and the Singapore Tourism Board. We would like to take this opportunity to thank them once again for their co-operation and support. This article represents our free and independent opinion. Further information on journalistic independence can be found at Cooperation.

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