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It is no secret by now that my family loves going for staycations. The short breaks, usually during the weekends, help us to relax and rejuvenate after a week of work, and get us ready for a brand new week ahead of us. There’s no need to clean up, no laundry to do (at least till we get home!), facilities to enjoy and good food to eat. Staycations are awesome! Especially when we are talking about staycations at new and nice hotels with great customer service. We recently stayed at Hotel Jen Tanglin, which went through a complete refurbishing and rebranding from Traders’ Hotel just barely a month ago. Needless to say, the experience was wonderful! Just to break down my experience into bite sizes, here are 5 reasons why we enjoyed the staycation at Hotel Jen Tanglin so much, and why I think you would too:
1. Everything’s Brand New & Classy!
The moment you step into Hotel Jen Tanglin, you are greeted with a very sophisticated and classy lobby. The designs are edgy, modern and cosy all at the same time. Bold use of different fabrics and lightings enhance the whole look and makes one feel fresh and young.
2. The Rooms Are Spacious & Beautifully-Decorated!
Our family was given a Club Suite and we love everything about it – The space, décor and furnishings – Everything was meticulously designed. Love those lamps by the bed side and the wallpaper. It’s something I would love to have in my own home!
The Club Suite has a separate living area with sofa, work desk and a mini kitchenette complete with microwave, sink, coffee machine, cutlery, plates and cups. Very perfect for families, don’t you agree?! The sofa is huge and can be converted into a double bed. The other area is the bedroom with king-sized bed and the bathroom. Both areas have their own televisions, and a sliding door in between gives both areas the privacy that they need. After the kids slept at night in the living area, we could close the sliding door and continue watching TV without disturbing them.
Our view right out of our room’s window – The hotel’s swimming pool!
Oh yes, what got me really excited was the red SMEG fridge! I’ve never seen one in a hotel room before. So sleek and nice! Inside the fridge was our sweet welcome gift of chocolates with nuts. Nice gesture by the hotel.
The bathroom was bright and contemporary with all the necessary stuffs you need. No bath tub though – They only have a standing shower area.
3. Interesting & Useful Facilities Everywhere!
These bicycles were hanging on the wall just before we reach the lift lobby from the main lobby. What we didn’t know until later on was that it was actually a Trick Eye installation!
So we took a photo of Joey holding on to the bike and rotated the photo clockwise to get this: Joey flying of a bike! =P
I guess that’s how Hotel Jen Tanglin communicates fun and quirkiness to their guests. There are fun elements everywhere you go. These funny designer road signs are another example. Staying in a hotel should be like this – Fun, relaxing and interesting!
Yet another ‘fun element’ can be found right at the main lobby – The swing chairs with colorful cushions. It quickly became one of my most favorite spots in the hotel.
Hotel Jen Tanglin has a swimming pool bigger than most hotels of similar rating and they are really proud of it. There is also a small paddling pool at the side for the young kids, so this is really good for families with kids. There are plenty sun beds around the pool, and you can order food and drinks to enjoy as well while swimming. The hotel also provides some floats and water toys for the kids, so thumbs up for their service!
Just a short walk away from the swimming pool and gym, there is a garden full of different fruit trees, plants and herbs. We were told that the hotel decided to spruce up this previously unused space with a garden because the hotel’s situated near to the Singapore Botanical Gardens, and they want to stay in line with that theme. I thought it was a really nice thought – a garden right in the middle of busy Orchard Road sounds just about right. Families with kids can also take the opportunity to introduce certain familiar plants and fruits to the little ones.
A vending machine with different titbits and cup noodles can be found outside the garden and I was told that instead of stocking mini bars in the rooms with titbits and drinks, which are usually exorbitantly expensive, the hotel decided to install the vending machine for the guests to purchase whatever they need. The prices are mostly $2 and below – More hotels should do this!
4. An Exquisite Club Lounge Accessible 24 Hours A Day!
Most hotel club lounges have opening hours, but not at Hotel Jen Tanglin! Even when you feel hungry or thirsty in the middle of the night, you can pop by the Club Lounge with your room access card and enter the lounge. Hot and cold drinks, as well as some nuts and biscuits are always available. At night, cup noodles are also provided. I know that because I popped by for a cup noodles at night and was very pleased to see that it was Laksa flavor! =P
The Club Lounge’s located on the second highest level of the hotel and you can get a really nice view of Orchard Road from there.
Like most club lounges, they also provide tea breaks and cocktails for the guests. We popped by for some bites and drinks and they were yummy!
We also had our breakfast the next morning at the lounge. I love it because it’s quiet, peaceful and you get personalized service from the staff. As compared to the lobby restaurant that serves buffet breakfast to the other hotel guests, I always prefer to have mine in the Club Lounge.
5. Many Places To Explore Nearby!
Hotel Jen Tanglin is located at the tail end of the busy shopping streets of Orchard Road, so shopping and dining options are aplenty within walking distance. Shop to your hearts’ content at Tanglin Mall (directly connected to Hotel Jen Tanglin), ION Orchard, Orchard 313, Orchard Central, etc!
Our UNESCO Heritage site – Singapore Botanic Gardens – is also within walking distance from the hotel. We spent a morning chasing the swans and birds, and running around in the garden.
For those of you who are fond of orchids, you can also take the opportunity to visit the Singapore Orchid Garden. It was our first visit there, and I was so amazed at how many different species of orchids there are! Of course, we also saw our national flower and took the chance to share some history of Singapore with our kids. Our staycation turned out to be pretty educational!
For those of you who can’t wait to book your staycation at Hotel Jen Tanglin, do check out these attractive offers before you book. There is a good Family Package for families at SGD350 which gives you a stay in the Club Suite with Club Lounge access, free breakfast, free late check-out till 4pm as well as free meals for the kids below 12 years old! Check out this link to find out more. Those of you who make advance bookings of 14 or 30 days can even book a room for as low as SGD170! That’s such a good deal for a hotel along Orchard Road! For more details on Hotel Jen Tanglin, hop over via this link now. :)
I have two more blog posts coming up on the dining options available at Hotel Jen Tanglin, so look out for them in the coming weeks. In the meantime, if you are still considering whether to book a staycation, think no more! The March school holidays are coming very soon! =D
Disclosure: The J Babies was provided with a complimentary night of stay at Hotel Jen Tanglin’s Club Suite. No other financial compensation was received, and all photos and opinions in this post are mine, and all rights reserved.
