In today’s article, I’m chronicling my recent staycation over at Orchard Rendezvous Hotel.
While booking my Hilton Singapore stay, I noticed that Orchard Rendezvous Hotel was situated just right opposite. Having recently reopened its doors after a lengthy renovation, I decided to book a stay out of curiosity, having never stayed at any Rendezvous hotels (there’s another Rendezvous property located in Dhoby Ghaut). Let’s see how my stay went!
Orchard Rendezvous Hotel – Video Review
If you’re interested in seeing some hands-on footage of the hotel, do watch my Youtube review of Orchard Rendezvous hotel below:
Orchard Rendezvous Hotel – the Brand
Orchard Rendezvous Hotel is part of the Rendezvous brand, which is managed by Far East Hospitality locally.
Built in 1970, Orchard Rendezvous Hotel was first known as Ming Court Hotel, then Orchard Parade Hotel, and finally Orchard Rendezvous Hotel. The 388-room property underwent a renovation in 2018, and recently reopened its doors.
I’ve been keeping a tab on Orchard Rendezvous Hotel for some time, where rates generally go for $120-140. When I saw its rates drop to a mere $100 during Traveloka’s Weekend Flash Sales, I immediately took the plunge. It’s essentially free, after the $100 SRV and my own Traveloka promo code – who doesn’t love a free staycation?
Orchard Rendezvous Hotel – Check-in
As its name suggests, Orchard Rendezvous Hotel is located near the start of Orchard Road, right beside Hilton Singapore and Forum Shopping Mall.
Upon entering the lobby, I was awed by the leaf-inspired chandelier – the first of many botanical aesthetic features in the hotel. As I checked in on a weekday, there wasn’t much of a queue and I was assigned a room within minutes.
The hotel lobby also features an art gallery, a hair salon, and a lobby bar that’s unfortunately closed until further notice. A variety of dining options are also available, including Akanoya Robatayaki, Akashi Japanese Restaurant, Brewerkz, Kam Boat Restaurant, Tunglok Signatures, as well as alcohol purveyor The Oak Cellars. With such a variety of food options located in the hotel, I never had to worry about food.
Orchard Rendezvous Hotel – Deluxe Room
It turns out that I had been assigned a corner room, with a layout that’s more spacious than usual.
Upon opening the door, I felt like I was entering someone’s studio apartment, not a hotel. While Hilton Singapore (which I stayed at just prior to Orchard Rendezvous) was the definition of cookie-cutter hotel rooms, the Deluxe room of Orchard Rendezvous felt remarkably different.
Located right beside the door is a pair of mirrors – perfect for checking yourself out before heading out.
However, the mirrors are actually wardrobe doors. Inside, one can find multiple wooden hangers, an iron and ironing board, a safe, as well as a pair of room slippers.
Move deeper into the room and you will find a connecting door, as well as a wooden cabinet. It turns out that all corner rooms have connecting doors. I didn’t mind it that much, though I occasionally heard noises from the occupants of the adjacent room.
The wifi router – each room has its own wifi network – and a mini-fridge can be found inside the cabinet. The mini-fridge is quite large, and I had no issues fitting a six-pack of beer inside.
There’s also the usual kettle, as well as instant Nescafe coffee and Dilmah tea sachets. The options here are a tad underwhelming, especially considering that Hilton Singapore provided TWG tea and Nescafe gold sachets, while even Orchard Hotel had Raffles Lighthouse tea.
While the refreshments were disappointing, the workstation passes muster. The work desk is a beautiful ebony black that’s finished with a glass top. There’s also an aesthetic wall mirror and table lamp that gives the workstation an added panache. The ergonomic chair – though no Herman Miller – was sufficiently comfortable as well, and I found myself doing hours of work in the room with no issues. Definitely one of my favourite workstations in a hotel room thus far.
Guests weary from working can rest on the room’s queen-size bed. The bed itself was pretty comfortable to lie in, though on the firmer side. Two pairs of pillows are provided, with more (presumably) available upon request.
I like how the bed is positioned right beside the balcony – I woke up to sunlight streaming in and felt well-rested.
I was pleasantly surprised to find a card on the bed, signed by the housekeeper that supposedly cleaned and touched up the room. It’s a small touch that goes a long way.
The card also displayed the various touchpoints that the housekeeper has sanitized and cleaned. It reminded me of the Hilton CleanStay programme, and I was initially heartened to find such dedication to cleanliness.
However, I was dismayed to find a large conspicuous (blood?) stain on the side of the bedsheet. It’s by far the most egregious stain that I’ve come across to date, and it baffles my mind as to how housekeeping could have missed it. I immediately called the front desk to complain/ask for a duvet change, and they promptly sent a housekeeper (clad head to toe in PPE) to do so.
Moving on, a plastic-clad TV remote can be found on the bedside table, along with a greeting card that sounded a tad too religious for my liking. The bedside table features a flora-inspired motif that’s congruent with the overall botanical inspiration of the hotel.
An analogue phone, intriguingly shaped lamp and a notepad can be found on the other bedside table. Several bedside switches can also be found, along with a single power port. I wish there were more power ports available by the bedside, preferably on both sides so that both guests could charge their phones on their respective sides.
Another slight disappointment was the small 32-inch Sharp Aquos TV, which looks like it was manufactured in the early 2010s. I would have expected the room to sport a more modern TV given the hotel’s recent renovation. Furthermore, due to the TV being wall mounted without a table underneath, connecting your own devices (Nintendo Switch, laptop, etc) to the TV is next to impossible. If you’re looking to lug your PS5 to a staycation, this Deluxe Room is not for you.
What the Deluxe Room has going for it is a balcony with a killer view. Most hotel rooms, even 5-star ones, have mediocre views. In contrast, the view from my Deluxe Room was simply spectacular, overlooking a platform of some sort and the hotel pool in the background. I loved waking up in the morning, leaning against the balcony with a cup of coffee in my hand, just gazing at the tranquil view. It’s a view that makes me feel like I’m not in Singapore – which is arguably the raison d’etre of staycations.
Because my room was a corner room, it came with an additional balcony that faced Orchard Road.
In a way, the view here is the opposite of the main balcony. While the main balcony had a relaxed, Bali-esque vibe, the corner balcony overlooked Orchard Road and all of its hustle and bustle. Oddly enough, I found it equally therapeutic to gaze upon the cars and people streaming by. It’s also right opposite Orchard Hotel, Delfi Orchard, and the infamous Orchard Towers – an interesting trio of Orchard landmarks indeed.
If you’re tired from standing on the balcony, you can take a break on either of the room’s armchairs. The armchairs are very comfortable, and I found myself curling up in them while reading a book. The standing lamp – which sports the same design as the bedside and table lamps – provides great reading light, especially at night. There’s also a coffee table with a floral design, and frames of flora sketches hanging on the walls. Combined with the wooden flooring, the room feels modern, airy and bright, full of natural light that befits its botanical inspiration.
Right beside the armchairs is the bathroom, which features a translucent glass door.
The bathroom continues the modern, floral-inspired aesthetic of the bedroom. I like the concealed cistern design of the toilet bowl, though I was disappointed about the lack of a bidet. The rest of the bathroom is decked out in wooden and marble furnishing, giving it a luxurious but contemporary look.
Complimentary toiletries are provided, so you don’t necessarily have to bring your own dental items.
Fans of bathtubs will be disappointed to find a rain shower in the bathroom. Strangely enough, only the entry-level Superior rooms feature bathtubs – the rest of the rooms sport a more modern rain shower instead. Personally, I didn’t miss having a bathtub much, and really enjoyed using the rain shower. Given the nature-inspired theme of the room, using a rain shower (as opposed to a bathtub) seemed more appropriate.
Unfortunately, the toiletries provided are by Escape, which is Far East Hospitality’s in-house toiletries brand. They get the job done, but were fairly unremarkable to use. The lack of a body lotion is also a slight bummer, and I ended up using the Crabtree & Evelyn body lotion that I swiped from my Hilton room the night before.
All in all, I really enjoyed the Deluxe Room of Orchard Rendezvous Hotel. It’s not perfect by any means, but there’s a je ne sais quoi about the room that relaxes me. In fact, I liked the room so much that I decided to extend my stay by another night. I could foresee myself spending a week in the room with no issues, and it – to use a clique – really felt like a home away from home.
Orchard Rendezvous Hotel – Amenities
The hotel has a swimming pool and gym, though the latter was closed during my stay due to COVID restrictions.
I didn’t really mind it that much (who goes to a staycation to gym anyway?) because the swimming pool – arguably the pièce de résistance of the hotel – remained open. The pool is relatively large, with its L-shape design ensuring that multiple groups of guests can swim in relative privacy. There’s also plenty of sheltered cabanas along the side, as well as a shaded platform where dance classes/live music was presumably held pre-pandemic.
I really enjoyed taking a dip in Orchard Rendevzous’ pool – I would say it’s definitely one of my favourite hotel swimming pools that I’ve been to, right alongside the one at One Farrer Hotel and the infinity pool of MBS. There’s an idyllic charm to the pool that makes me feel like I’m residing in an overseas villa. The pool is crystal clear and sparkling clean as well, unlike that of Goodwood Park. I ended up swimming thrice over the course of my 2 nights stay, so much so that I actually developed a bit of a sunburn on my neck. Don’t be like me – put some sunscreen on before your swim!
Orchard Rendevzous Hotel – Service
Another highlight of the hotel is the service. Every staff that I’ve encountered was attentive and courteous. I indicated in my booking that the stay was for a birthday celebration, and I was delighted to find an elaborate birthday greeting on the bed when I first arrived. I was then pleasantly surprised when I got a knock on the door a few minutes later, where I was greeted by a staff offering a complimentary tiramisu cake for the occasion.
When I feedbacked about the conspicuous stain on the duvet, the receptionist was immediately apologetic and actually offered me a change of rooms, which I declined as I loved the layout of the corner Deluxe Room which I was assigned. Requests for items such as wine glasses were also promptly fulfilled. I would say that the service of Orchard Rendezvous definitely ranks at the top of my hotel experiences thus far, save perhaps that of One Farrer Hotel.
Conclusion – so Orchard Rendezvous Hotel “shiok” or not?
I really enjoyed my stay at Orchard Rendezvous Hotel. I loved how spacious and well-designed the corner Deluxe Room was, and liked the dual balcony concept. The view was great too, as was the pool, and for the most part it really made me like I was touristing overseas. I posted some photos/stories of Orchard Rendezvous Hotel on my personal social media, with several of my friends replying along the lines of: “Are you even still in Singapore?”. If you’re looking for a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, Orchard Rendezvous Hotel is a great option, with the top-notch service serving as the icing on the cake. Sure, the room was not perfect – the prominent bedsheet stain was an unfortunate mishap, toiletries and refreshments were fairly generic, and the TV could have been more modern. However, these were relatively minor details (save for the stain, though that was quickly remedied with a duvet change) that do not detract from the guest experience. I’m curious to try their Club Lounge (which was closed due to the no dine-in restrictions during my stay), so I’ll definitely return.
Those interested in booking a stay can do so on the Traveloka app. Traveloka constantly has some sort of ongoing promotions, with prices so ridiculously low that I’ve personally booked about 90% of my staycations on Traveloka. Just for my readers, you guys can use the promo code “WAHTVLKSRV” (if you’re using SRV) and “WAHTVLK” (non-SRV) for 10% off any hotels bookings (up to $30 off, with a minimum spending of $100) for new users and $5 off any hotels bookings (with a minimum spending of $50) for existing users. The codes are valid till the end of 2022. Here’s a pro tip: keep a lookout for Traveloka’s Weekend Flash Sales which occurs every Friday to Sunday for the lowest prices! However, this post is not sponsored – I paid my own dime to book and review my staycations.
Orchard Rendezvous Hotel Location:
1 Tanglin Rd, Singapore 247905
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P.S.S.S Shiok is a common word Singaporeans use to express admiration or approval. As of 2016, you can find the definition of the word in the Oxford English Dictionary.
