Amara Singapore Hotel near Tanjong Pagar MRT Station @ Singapore

We have not been offered free stays at Marina Bay Sands for quite a few months and the staycation bug bites deep and hard, especially when it's still not as easy to travel, compared to pre-pandemic times.

Hence, when a friend shared an incredibly good deal for Amara Singapore; it didn't take me long to book a room for mid January 2021. Price was key to my decision although I wouldn't discount the hotel's location which was near to Tanjong Pagar MRT station and close to many dining establishments, including hawker centres and restaurants.

100 AM was literally next door! For those unaware about this shopping centre, it has quite a wide range of Japanese eateries and hosted a pretty big branch of the popular Don Don Donki! 

Lobby of the hotel. Kind of reminded me of grand hotels in the past, where high ceilings, spacious lobbies and wooden themes were in. From outside, there was even a pair of Chinese stone lions! 

Section of modernity, with plush sofa chairs and even a baby grand piano.

Got our keycards! Check in timing should be at 3pm but as I have always recommended, it's good to arrive earlier and pray that a room is available. If not, you can always leave your luggage with the reception and go out for lunch before returning to check in.

Brightly lit corridor with a wide passage! 

Room

1314 - this deluxe room is the cheapest accommodation within the 5-star hotel but at 32 square meters, it's huge for Singapore's standard and definitely way more inviting than my last staycation at Hotel NuVe Urbane.

For me, I have always looked at hotel rooms as a place for me to sleep and I am honestly not picky so long it's moderately clean, and comes with air-conditioning and an attached toilet with shower facility. This room was fine for me but Alex took issue with the wooden smell and the generally dated furnishing. Oh well. 

Basic hotel amenities with mini fridge, in-room safe with iron, electric kettle etc. Nothing that particularly caught my attention as being interesting / out of the norm.

Maybe because I am too practical; things like chaise lounger don't really appeal to me. However, the same couldn't be said when it comes to Alex; he loves to relax in such chair, eats his snacks while watching the programs on television.

Window view - facing the public housing at Tanjong Pagar, including the Pinnacle＠Duxton, said to be the "world's tallest public residential buildings" at 156-meter tall. 

Wait, there's indeed something interesting about the room; the entrance to the attached bathroom which was slanted at about 45 degrees! Now, I am not too sure about the reasons but my suspicion told me it's likely feng shui related.

There was a bathtub! 

I can finally use my bath bombs! 

Toiletries with the hand soap coming from Amara Sanctuary Resort Sentosa. So much for exclusivity but why not for sharing of resources to reduce the carbon footprint. 

Separate shower! Personally, I dislike it whenever hotels do not separate bath and shower. Each serves different purpose and showering while standing in a bathtub is dangerous! Give me an option between bath and shower and I would gladly choose the latter. 

View of the swimming pool on the 6th floor.

Gym

The fitness center on the 6th floor was closed for maintenance on the days of our stay. From the above photo, it appeared spacious with sufficient equipment for my exercises. 

Garden

Outdoor pavilion before the swimming pool.

Cascading water features; it's all about the visuals for a relaxing stay but ask a true blue Singaporean, relaxation is likely to be in air-conditioned arenas on this hot and humid island. 

See the red arrow? That access was so inconspicuous that many would just ignore its existence and think it's just a access point reserved for hotel staff.

Wrong; it's an accessible path for hotel guests too!

Bordering the perimeter of the hotel, my curiosity was piqued and it's obvious I would check it out in case there are nice, little surprises along the way.

Pinnacle＠Duxton again! 

Given the apparent lack of utilization, the path was almost litter free although wooden railing would benefit from a new coat of paint. 

A small garden as we turned a corner. 

First thing that greeted us, however, was the towering, phallic shaped Oasia Hotel Downtown. It's a hotel in my list for potential staycations but with Singapore slowly opening up the country for tourists, I think prices would not be competitive enough to attract me to make a booking.

Random photo of a flower.

There was an exit sign but it was blocked by a chair and table, which could have infringed Singapore's fire code. I used the word "could" because by its strictest sense, it shouldn't be blocked for safety reason although table / chair could be easily moved away by able individuals. 

Decided to proceed along the path in case it was a loop.

Dead end. Those people working in the nearby buildings would likely be amused by ignorant hotel guests who stood there, not knowing if there's another way back. Guests like us.

Well, walking back was the only official option.

Swimming Pool

Here at the 1.25-meter deep pool; surrounded by palm trees, it gave a very nice, resort, oasis vibe. Bookings are supposedly required but I didn't have anyone checking if I have a booking when I was there. 

There's a benefit to making a booking; you get a pool towel from the hotel lobby. Once you are done, just deposit at the rattan basket at the unused pool bar. 

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In summary, I am quite satisfied with the hotel, especially when I just paid slightly less than S$100 for one night. Alex is pickier and was unhappy with two issues he faced. One, for a five-starred hotel, it should be the norm for a staff to be on standby to open the doors for the guests, which was almost non-existent at Amara Singapore.

Another incident happened when I was out for a jog. The tea room as above was supposedly open and Alex stood at the entrance for 10 minutes, waiting to be brought to a table. No one came. I was surprised actually because the tea room was next to the hotel reception and the last the hotel staff could do is to check with the dining establishment. That should be the basic level of customer service practiced by a five-star hotel.  

Address 

165 Tanjong Pagar Road, 

Singapore 088539

Map

As above.

Pricing

Deluxe Room - S$96.90

(promo price via trip.com)