Whether its a man or a hotel, the first impression matters. It can make or break the deal. You can either fall in love at first sight or build not-so-good pre-conceived notions.
Thats why check-in is an important aspect of any hotel experience. My check-in at the Furama Riverfront Hotel in Singapore was a tedious two-hour saga. After a long flight (Malaysian Airlines via Kuala Lumpur in case your are wondering how did Singapore get so far) when we reached the hotel the front office executives told us that the room was not ready and we will be informed when its ready. It was quite understandable as the hotel check-in time is 2 PM and it was only 10 AM. After an hour another executive informed us that a pipe had burst in the hotel because of which as many as 30 rooms were not operational and since it might take long to fix it they are shifting few guests to another hotel. I agreed with a smile. The other hotel where the front office manager took us was also booked and after another 30 minutes of waiting when he showed us the room we realised it was one third the size of rooms at the Hotel Furama for which we had paid double the price. When we complained we were taken back to the Hotel Furama and given an upgrade. What happened to the burst pipe I don’t know.
This was the two-hour long check-in but once in my room, an Executive Club room on the 19th floor, it didn’t matter as the room was spacious, had a nice view and staff was friendly. The only errant was the washbasin which was right next to the bed in my room and not in the bath area. Sure it looked stylish at first, but inconvenient especially if the room is occupied by two people and not you alone. I wish there was a balcony but at the price point at which this hotel operates maybe its too much to ask for.
The hotel not exactly swanky has a swimming pool, gym and also a small reasonably priced spa. The dining options include The Square @ Furama, Kintamani Indonesian Restaurant which serves Halal Indonesian cuisine and you can also grab a bite at the Waterfall Lounge located at the lobby level. The breakfast spread at the Square is decent and the food at the hotel doesn’t disappoint. Here is another piece of information: wi-fi is free only for the higher category rooms. One has to pay about 25 Singapore Dollars (around Rs 1200) to use unlimited wi-fi for a day!
For a quick business trip staying at this hotel definitely doesn’t hurt, but if it’s a leisure holiday you are looking at you might want to check-out other options.
Fast Facts
Summary:For a quick business trip staying at this hotel definitely doesn’t hurt, but if it’s a leisure holiday you are looking at you might want to check-out other options.
