Comfort at an attractive price

As its name suggests, the Royal Plaza on Scotts is located on Scotts Road – a strip that criss-crosses Orchard Road in downtown Singapore. This city hotel is as heterogeneous as the people of this island state: a cross between Chinese, European and Indian. Surrounded by malls all around, it begs to be the temporary home of those in Singapore for a shopping spree. 

We book two Superior rooms for two nights during a recent business trip. Check in is simple and swift, with the receptionist handing us the electronic keycards. But, as the Americans would stay, s**t happens, and Room 925, where my friend was supposed to bed down, turns out to be a total mess. 

With the door already half-open when we arrive, we push it a bit further, all the better to capture a few photos with our smart phones before returning to reception. 

“Your room – actually his room – is under construction,” I tell one of receptionists.

“What do you mean, ‘under construction’?” she asks.

We show her the images on the smart phone, which show clearly a bag in front of the bathroom, the floor covered by a blanket and the bed sporting a plastic sheet. All we need are some bloodstains and we’d have the perfect crime scene.

The receptionist gives us an apologetic look and quickly allocates a new room on the 10th floor and the problem is solved.

Located on the corner of Scotts and Orchard roads, the hotel is within easy walking distance from the shops that line Orchard. Orchard MRT station is three-minute walk, while Suntec City and Shenton Way are a short ride away on the MRT. The hotel, which is entirely smoke free, offers free Wi-Fi Internet connectivity – a bonus in this day and age – and has been voted Asia Pacific’s Best Independent Hotel by prestigious TTG Travel Awards for six consecutive years.

I’m staying in room 928, which is a typical hotel room with a typical floor plan, making me wonder if the interior designer downloaded a floor plan dummy from the Internet. A tiny hallway leads into the room. The bathroom is on the left while to the right is a cupboard containing an iron, ironing board, kettle and safe box.

One corner is fitted with an L-shaped working space and comfortable chair, while another corner is designed as a living space with comfy armchair and side-table.

With the bonus of free Wi-Fi connectivity and free local calls, a room in Royal Plaza on Scotts won’t disappoint you if you’re in Singapore for a business trip.

The rooms are equipped with several universal power sockets, a practical touch that as a frequent traveller I appreciate greatly. Despite concerns for the environment, today’s travellers are power-hungry and one power socket next to the bed no longer cuts it. Five years back, when I checked into S. Regis Singapore, I had to run to the community mall for Singapore-usable power sockets. Now, if you’re booked at the Royal Plaza on Scotts, you can leave your universal socket – the very first travel gadget in which you invested – at home.

The pride of the room is probably the Nespresso coffee machine, which comes with three capsules of coffee per day. My king-size bed is firm and comfortable and I sleep remarkably well.

The bathroom is equipped with a toilet and rain shower and stocked with toothbrush, toothpaste and miscellaneous toiletries.

And while the room is small, the mirror panel on one side of the wall fools you into thinking it’s bigger. The view is not outstanding: all I can see is parking lot and towering concrete blocks. 

Like any city hotel in Singapore, Royal Plaza on Scotts offers the business traveller meeting and function rooms. An outdoor pool is located on the roof and there’s also a sports centre that’s open round the clock. I didn’t however have time to check on any of these services.

Royal Plaza on Scotts has only one restaurant – Heat Ultralounge, which is Halal-certified and open 24 hours. With Singapore offering such a wide choice of dining venues, most guests only use the restaurant for breakfast and there’s a long line for a table. The food is good though, with a fine selection of European, Chinese and Indian dishes. 

At 268 Singapore dollars (Bt6,750) a night, the Royal Plaza on Scotts is good value. Rooms at the much more luxurious Grand Hyatt and Singapore Marriott nearby cost almost twice as much.

 

At a glance

High points: A three-star hotel in five-star location

Low points: It’s touristy. 

Pay for it: A Superior room, with breakfast for two, costs 268$S per night

Find it: Corner of Scotts and Orchard roads in Singapore

Call it: (+ 65) 6737 7966

Browse it: www.RoyalPlaza.com.sg