Festive (or not so festive) Hotel

It's our 7th wedding anniversary this weekend. And I had some RWS vouchers to use so we booked a room at the festive hotel. It didn't come cheap either. A simple room with a King size bed and sofa bed for the kids came up to just over SGD$400.

At the end of the stay, we decided that it wasn't worth it at all. It was a good thing that we had vouchers to offset the bill. I'd give it 5/10. For a 4 star hotel, which is just over a year old, right next to Universal Studios, the service and amenities were terrible.

We arrived by car at 2:30pm and the valet service was quick and efficient. The lobby was quite crowded, understandably since it was a weekend and a school holiday weekend at that. There was a queue to check in and we lined up. Once we got to the counter, the receptionist said that check in time was actually at 3pm and so we were early. But she proceded with the checkin, we signed the forms and produced our credit card.

Then she told us the room wasn't ready and we had to come back at 3pm. (half an hour later). I asked if she could get us the first available room since I have a toddler who was grumpy and needed a nap. She repeated that check in is at 3pm and she can't give us a room until then. So I asked how come the couple in front of us were given their room key since check in is supposed to be at 3pm. She looked at the screen and said that we only booked a deluxe room and our check in is at 3pm. (as if booking the cheaper room at the hotel disqualified us from an early check-in). I again I asked if she could give us the first available room. She dismissed me again asking to me to come back at 3pm. She did not at any point in the conversation picked up the phone to call housekeeping to find out if the room was already clean. Neither did she ask any of her colleagues to assist.

At this point, I decided that if we have to wait, we have to wait. So I asked her if I could wait at the side of her counter so once the room was ready I could get the key. She looked at me in disbelief and said no. I had to wait over there. There was quite a queue to check in now and I said ok. But in that case how would I know when I could collect the room keys? She then said that at 3pm I can join the queue again. I felt incredulous. We had already completed the check-in process and all we were waiting for were the rooms keys. And for that I had to join the ever lengthening queue? Most other hotels would have at this point asked us to have a seat and they will call us when the room key is ready. I felt like I was checking into a hostel, not a 4 star hotel. I told her that that was not acceptable. And I was going to wait at the side of the counter until the room was available.

She simply ignored me and proceeded to check in the next person. And she repeated the exact same line about check in at 3pm. Let me again say that the couple in front of me  was already given their room key. So obviously some rooms were already made up and ready. But it's clear that she didn't even bother to find out whether there were rooms available or not.

Anyway, a few minutes later, another receptionist who must have overhead the conversation pulled me to one side and proceeded to process the room key. I thought maybe the first receptionist was just very hassled by the number of people in the queue which was why she was curt and dismissive. However, later in the lift on the way up to the room, the lady who was queueing behind me told us that this hotel is like that. And we had to insist on getting a room key immediately otherwise we'd end up waiting and waiting.

I was quite shocked to hear that. This is supposed to be a 4 star hotel at the Resorts World, next to Universal Studios and that's how they treat their guests? Should it matter that I was staying in a cheaper room and hence I had to queue up again for my room key? This is the first time ever that I've been treated like I don't matter to the hotel. And I've been around to lots of hotels. Comparatively, the Disneyland Hotel in HK (hotel next to the theme park) which costs just a little more, had much much better service.

That aside, when we got to the room, it didn't feel like a new hotel room and it certainly didn't look like it was worth $400 a night. There was no bathtub. The handle on the balcony door came off. The table had scratches and stains. The soap and shampoo didn't come in nice small souvenir size bottles. Instead it was a huge pump bottle. Clearly meant that the hotel was trying to save costs. There were no drinks in the minifridge. There were no snacks available either. And the cost for room service was atrocious. $12 for juice! And wi-fi was charged at $5 an hour! And the price of the room did not include breakfast.

To be fair it had a nice big balcony. Which is probably the best thing I can say about the room.

Another point, this is what is said in the website at Resorts World - "Children-friendly amenities are key highlights, such as the assortment of candies at the reception that will put a smile on any kid’s face. Welcome novelty packs and tailored bathrobes are also catered specially for the little ones." There was no such amenities or welcome packs or tailored bathrobes in the room. That's false advertising isn't it? I chose this hotel because I wanted my kids to enjoy themselves and feel at home there.

Now, in the room, there is a sofa bed which is supposed to open up in to a bed for my kids. And when we went out for dinner, we had expected a turn down service when we returned at nearly 9pm. There wasn't any. So I had to work out how the sofa opened up myself. Then put the sheets on. The worst part was the design of the room was terrible. When the sofa bed opened out, it blocked the cupboard. So once it was opened, there is no way of opening the cupboards. And guess where the extra pillow and blankets were? In the cupboard! What a waste of my time!

The next morning, we went swimming. The pool there is small compared to the Hard Rock Hotel next door. And I think the water wasn't very clean. In the water, I felt my legs itching and I came up with a few small bites on my legs. I swim a lot and I don't usually get rashes from pool water. I also noticed my younger boy scratching his legs. There were also areas of plants next to the pool. And on the ledge of the pool, we spotted a few millipedes? Or were they centipedes? Hmmm... I certainly didn't want to go swimming with any of these creatures. We got straight up out of the pool after that. The boys were rather fascinated with the bugs though.

Again to be fair, checking out was fast and there was no issue there. The hotel offered to hold our luggage for us if we wanted to walk around in Sentosa for the rest of the day. They do also provide free parking at Sentosa/Resorts World which has insanely expensive parking fees. And valet parking is a mere $3.

Well, not quite the way we wanted to spend our wedding anniversary. I can say safely that I'm not going back there, neither am I recommending it to anyone! Glad to be back home.

And yes, this review is going to be put up on Trip Advisor.

Enjoying Nature

When we were in KL, my dad took us to a waterfall to play in it. It was a lot of fun for the kids. They've only ever swam in swimming pools. Gabriel loved it so much he was rather upset when we had to leave. And it didn't matter that the water was cold, it was fresh and flowing!

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New Year Photos

These were taken on the ship by the photographer. It was right after the New Year Eve's Dinner. I scanned the photos in. Would you believe they cost USD$19.95 each?

Cruise D6 - Back to Singapore

We got back in the morning but didn't have to leave until 9am so we had breakfast first. At home, Hubbie and I spent most of the afternoon editing the photos and uploading them onto Facebook. It was a lovely trip. Both relaxing and exciting at the same time. Bryan certainly enjoyed himself. Gabriel just tagged a long but he also had a lovely time with his brother.

Cruise D5 - Port Klang (KL)

In Port Klang, my father picked us up and we had Bah Kut Teh and Chendol. The kids had a nice time in the Butterfly Park in KL. It was nice to see him. Bryan missed his other grandfather.

Cruise D4 - Langkawi

 We arrived at Langkawi port but didn't leave the ship. We preferred to sleep in and then spend the morning playing mini golf and swimming. The water was very cold and the deck very windy. But the whirlpool was lovely.

That evening we had dinner in the ship, celebrating 2011. The dinner in the Romeo and Juliet restaurant was lovely too. Then just the two of us, we enjoyed a bottle of champagne in our room when the kids were asleep. A quiet HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Cruise D3 - Phuket

 Today is our busiest day. We arrive in Phuket and went straight for a tour. We were going to Phang Nga Bay and take a boat ride to the 'James Bond Island'.

Part of the tour includes going to a fishing village on one of the islands. The scenery was gorgeous and the weather was lovely. We got back to the ship in the evening and the kids were so tired.

Cruise D2 - At Sea

Spent the day on the ship since we were at sea. We checked out the minigolf course which Bryan liked a lot.

There was a little surprise for us back in the room. The stateroom attendant had made a little towel sculpture for the boys. He changed it to something different everyday.

Cruise D1

Leaving Singapore on the Legends of the Sea. Bryan's on the balcony waiting for the ship to sail.

Short Trip

 It was a long holiday weekend. And we decided to take a short trip up to Malacca. Which initially started out as a bad idea because we were stuck in a 3 hour jam, just to clear the immigration. The kids were grumpy, hubbie was tired and we were all hungry. But things got better once we all had a bit of a rest.

We spent a lot of time just relaxing and having fun. One walk through a shopping mall led us to a stall selling slippers. And my in-laws bought both my boys a cute furry pair. Aren't they just so cute! It might have been our good luck charm because on the way home, there was barely any traffic.

A Short Trip

It was a long weekend due to Singapore's National Day. We had planned a short trip to Malacca, just across the causeway. With my in-laws. We borrowed the bigger Volvo XC 90 so that we could fit everyone in one car. It made the ride more enjoyable with so many people in the car.

Malacca itself looked rather crowded with a lot of weekenders there as well. The night market at Jonker Street was very packed. But it was a good atmosphere and there were lots of stuff to see. It didn't rain either which was great.

The food was very good. And cheap too. Different from the sort of stuff we get back home in Singapore. Everyone had more than enough to eat. Even Gabriel enjoyed the new tastes.

We ended the weekend with the National Day Parade back home in Singapore. We could even see the planes flying by over the house.

Langkawi Day 4

It was going home day today. But our flight was at 4pm so we had a lot of time to while away. All of us woke up very late. And decided to walk around the hotel. We discovered the other wing, which looked like it was closer to the sea. And much more expensive I imagine.

We also found the games/library room. It was completely empty. So we went in and tried to play a game of snooker. It's been a long while since I've picked up a cue. So it was fun for me.

Lunch was KFC at a petrol station. It had a little discovery area which Bryan was itching to go to. It had lots of fun stuff, like balls, and learning about gravity, balance etc. Gabriel slept right through lunch and woke up just in time to run around the play area.

Then it was time to go to the airport. I was actually pleasantly surprised that the plane was early. The flight left on time and arrived early. Which I felt was a huge bonus. So flying budget isn't all as bad as it sounds. And if you pay up the premium for more luggage space and better seats, the experience is pretty ok. But of course, keep expectations low and the experience wouldn't be as bad as what other people make it up to be.

Langkawi Day 3

Today, our adventures took us to the Underwater World. Bryan really wanted to go. It was actually not too bad. There was a rainforest section, a penguin section, a section with all the freshwater and marine fishes. A bit like an aquarium but there was a wide variety of fishes. There was also a big tunnel tank with sharks and all. Both Bryan and Gabriel were fascinated with the fishes and sharks and other stuff. There were even sea urchins, eagle rays and a stone fish.

At the souvenir shop, I bought a T-shirt for Bryan. And Bryan picked out some Nemo cups.


Later that afternoon, we went for a walk on the beach. It was a very nice, quiet beach. The sun was still very hot But with loads of sunscreen on, even Gabriel didn't mind. Bryan and hubbie discovered a small stream that emptied into the sea. And Bryan picked seashells there.


Gabriel walked on the soft sand which he found rather interesting. Then he picked out small crabs running around on the sand. And kept stopping to point them out. It was really cute! He had never seen them before. It was fascinating stuff to him.


Dinner was at the beach. The setting sun made it a lovely place to sit and eat dinner. There were quite a number of ants though so we made it quick, waited for the sun to set and then left. The sunset was amazing though. The photo saz it all. I didn't change/photoshop it at all. This is exactly what it looked like.

Langkawi Day 2

Today, we decided to try the nearby national park. There was supposed to be a cable car but it was under maintenence. And Bryan was quite upset that it was closed. But we did visit the Animal Garden where he fed the rabbit. Which cheered him up a bit.

We drove up a bit more to visit the waterfall. Gabriel couldn't go because it was a steep climb up and down steps. So I went with Bryan. After a long climb and another long walk, we finally reached the waterfall. It was nice. Bryan liked it. We took off our shoes and got up to a nice spot to take photos. Then we dipped our toes into the cool water. It felt lovely after a hot day's trek. It reminded me of the times when my dad would take me to waterfalls for a swim.

Later on, we drove down to a strip of motels and restaurants for dinner. It was much cheaper than the hotel and pretty yummy too. On the drive back, we passed the airport's runway and watched an aeroplane land.

Langkawi Day 1

We went for a short trip to Langkawi over the weekend until yesterday. We didn't have a big budget to work with so we decided to go by Tiger Airways. The flight times were more favourable actually. And for 2 adults, a child and an infant, it only cost us just under SGD$700, return, all inclusive. I had heard a lot of horrible stuff about budget flights. So my expectations weren't very high to begin with. But I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised.

The adventure in budget flight started in the budget terminal. It was a small terminal, supposedly with no frills. It was basically a huge hall with a Macdonalds on the side and a couple of other small shops. But there was also a small play area so occupy kids. Inside, after checking in, was much larger. There were lots of shops and a food court. Including an internet terminal. Lots of stuff to see and do.

The flight was a little late. But boarding the plane didn't take very long. We didn't have the luxury of an aerobridge so we had to climb up the stairs. It wasn't that much of a hassle though.

I had also paid the premium for front row seats. So the flight itself was quite comfortable. Bryan sat at the window seat and Gabriel sat on my lap in the middle, while hubbie took the isle. It was only an hour and twenty minutes flight so we were barely in the air before we started our descent. There was just enough time for a quick snack or drinks. The air hostesses were very professional. They attended to our requests fairly quickly.

At the arrival lounge, there were a few counters to hire cars in Langkawi. And we did. It was supposed to be a small island and the roads were easy to drive around in. There wasn't much of a hassle finding our way and we ended up in our hotel after about 40 minutes of driving.



We checked in and unpacked. After a while of bouncing on the beds, Bryan wanted to see the pool and we all went swimming. It was a lovely pool with different depths at different sections for babies, older children and even a jacuzzi area for adults. Bryan saw a water slide and he loved it. The water was warm due to a very sunny day. A gorgeous day for a swim.

Dinner was fresh fish, just caught by fishermen. We had it grilled. It was simply delicious. An excellent meal.

Hong Kong Day 4 - Going Home

More last minute photos from the hotel before we checked out. I especially liked the beautiful chandelier.


At the new Hong Kong International Airport.

Hong Kong Day 3 - Disneyland

We had breakfast at the Enchanted Garden. Where we have breakfast and some Disney characters come by to say hello. Bryan was very excited to have breakfast with Goofy, Pluto and Mickey. Gabriel meanwhile, was wondering what the fuss is all about. He found the furry characters rather intruiging.



Then it was off to Disneyland again. This time we went early and enjoyed shorter queues on the rides. Bryan especially loved the Buzz Lightyear ride and went on it three times! We had enough time to have lunch before the Disney Christmas parade. Bryan managed to find a front row spot. We saw floats from Toy Story, Disney Princesses and of course Mickey Mouse.

Hong Kong Day 2 - The Peak

We went to the Peak on Hong Kong Island. Bryan loved taking the Tram up to the top. Then we went up to the top of the Peak Tower. It was windy and cold. And the kids were all bundled up. But it was foggy still. We couldn't see very much. But we still got some really amazing photos.


We walked around a bit and had lunch at the Peak. There was an old tram which we could explore too.


Then in the afternoon, we changed hotels from the Excelsior to the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel on Lantau Island.


The hotel was really gorgeous. Everything had a Disney theme to it. Even the toiletries came in the 7 dwarfs. There was a Mickey Mouse logo on the slippers, carpets and even the lampposts. The room was pretty big and had 2 double beds there, just nice for a family of four. And they were very thoughtful about the kids. There were small sized slippers for kids and even a small sized bath robe.


We decided to start our Disneyland adventure that evening. And the moment we stepped into the park, we saw Mickey and Minnie. And we just had to line up for the photos. It was drizzling a little bit that evening so we got Bryan a poncho and Gabriel a cover for his pram.


The Enchanted Castle was really pretty and brightly lighted. This would be where we could watch the fireworks that night.

Hong Kong Day 1

The next few posts are going to be quite photo intensive. But it's only a few of hundreds of snaps that mostly hubbie took. He's great with the camera.

The trip started out pretty well. Gabriel certainly seemed to enjoy himself.

Bryan meanwhile, like a seasoned traveller, takes out his headphones and watches a movie...


When we first arrived, we were taken care off right away by the Excelsior hotel. The assistant manager came right out to greet us, check us in right away and even showed us to our room. What really impressed me was that the cot was already put in the room. Most of the time, we had to wait for someone to bring it up. Then, later that night, we even got a bottle of complimentary wine sent up.


It was very foggy in Hong Kong. So the view wasn't that great during the day. But we did have a fabulous view of the harbour of Causeway Bay at night. And you could even see the light show that illuminates the buildings of Hong Kong.

But the food was so yummy. We had dinner at the World Trade Centre. It was a Chinese restaurant called Dragon King. The roast duck was very good. And so was the steamed fish.

Phuket, Thailand Day 5

Today was the day we were going home. So we had a late breakfast and packed up. Bryan insisted on a final swim. While Gabriel took a nap. We ate lunch at the airport which actually was pretty good. By the time we got home, it was almost dinner time. It was nice to be home. But I definately want to go back when the kids are older. We could go on the boat rides and do more fun stuff... Now, to take a holiday from the holiday...