Sophisticated elegance, warm and inviting, Four Seasons Hotel Singapore has it all
“With elegant furnishings and Asian artwork surrounding you, highly efficient and pro-active staff, the hotel is refined, sumptuous and elegant”
Classical elegance
Set on a small leafy driveway on Orchard Boulevard is the unassuming entrance to the Four Seasons Hotel Singapore. The only indication of the sumptuous interior is the 4 metre bronze sculpture, entitled Vitality, designed to filter out and purify worries, setting you up for the elegant luxurious welcome inside.
The focal point of the lobby is a stunning floral display created by the artistic team in charge of all the floral arrangements in the hotel, from table displays to wedding bouquets, which beautifully sets off the golden warm wood, marble floors and subdued, yet warm lighting.
The hotel is home to over 1,500 pieces of original art, many Asian or Asia-inspired, ranging from paintings, to prints, sculptures and vases thoughtfully positioned throughout the hotel, as well as a huge ancient fossil, framed in the corner of the lobby.
Adjacent to the lobby is the Living Room with heavily cushioned, deep and comfortable armchairs, a chess set, antique writing desks and home to numerous pieces of intriguing art. It lures you into its opulence, and begs you to take tea or something stronger and while away a little time as your mind relaxes or wanders to an artistic wonderland. Should you have an early departure, early morning coffee, tea and pastries are on hand. Or perhaps you’ve been hitting the shops along Orchard Road and throughout ION Orchard and need to revive your body and mind from the frenetic pace outside.
Spacious luxury
The 20-storey hotel has 255 guest rooms and suites, all of which are elegant and spacious. The smallest room is 49 sq.m., with the obligatory sumptuous bed and fine linens, as well as a comfortable seating area, high quality audiovisual equipment and marble-feature bathroom with separate shower and bathtub with a range of quality, fragrant amenities. A light fragrance tinged the air and I was delighted with the view across the sparkling lights of the Singapore skyline at night and to at last to be able to set up my laptop in comfort, get some work done and then, tasks done and mind finally at ease, relax with my feet up on the ottoman. Of course, my relaxation was superbly aided by the do-it-yourself Chocolate Martini thoughtfully left by the hotel. I truly felt pampered.
Favourite room features: The working area is efficient, ergonomic and spacious. Sit down, grab your laptop and get to business. It’s ideal for busy travellers.
The thoughtful and fabulous housekeeping staff – I returned to my room to find my reading glasses had been cleaned and a cleaning cloth left next to them, and all my cables neatly tied at just the right length from gadget to power source!
Chic drinking
It is hard to say which my favourite place in the Four Seasons was, but one was definitely the recently renovated One-Ninety Bar and Terraza by Javier de las Muelas, a cool sophisticated space with mirrored bookshelves, polished bar and dark wood inside and a hip 60-seat outdoor terrace. Any time of the day or night, it is a great place to meet up with friends and enjoy some of creatively designed food and drinks.
The food menu takes you from breakfast pastries, to lunchtime paninis, afternoon tea and bar food – including five specially created burgers. The cocktail menu, crafted personally by Javier de las Muelas of Dry Martini bar in Barcelona fame, is impressive and presents a range of classic drinks, new twists on the classics and intriguing taste sensations like the wonderful Wasabi Martini, a marvel of refreshing complexity alone, and divine alongside the mouth-watering The Catch, the One-Ninety’s fish and chip burger.
Favourite cocktail: The stunning Amalie, an artfully tart combination of bitter Campari, sweet vermouth and Martini Rosso with a hint of vanilla, although the classic Gimlet, clear and simple, served with a tiny floating flower, was a very close second. I’m counting off the days until I can get back there to try the other flavours of martinis!
Pampering and Wellness
The Four Seasons Hotel Singapore guests are pampered throughout their stay, whether they are fitness freaks, sports nuts, on business or want to relax. Features like the Living Room, the business centre and the 3rd floor Club with its comprehensive health and fitness facilities including, the gym, tennis courts, two swimming pools – one for laps on the third floor and a free-form family pool on the rooftop, are freely accessible, while the knowledgeable concierges are always on hand to provide any advice or services required. Singapore is a vibrant, busy city and it’s easy to return to your room exhausted from a busy day, or in my case, the shops on the nearby Orchard Road. Tempted to soak away my weariness in the lovely bathtub in my room, I decided instead to try the award-winning spa and be cosseted by the wonderful therapists. A new treatment, Harmonize, had just been introduced to reflect Singapore’s melting pot culture combining Chinese, Malay and Indian massage techniques. Focusing on reflexology points throughout the body and deep massage to boost circulation and detoxify, the incredible fingers of my masseuse, aided by a coccinelle for the head and spine, and a kansu bowl made of five metal alloys on my feet, worked to detoxify, boost circulation, combat insomnia, anger and anxiety and rebalance my nervous system. The luscious rose scent of the massage balm not only gave me silky skin but stayed with me throughout the day.
Favourite treatment: Harmonize massage. A blissful combination of Chinese, Malay and Indian massages provides a sense of peace, revitalization and renewed well-being.
In a nutshell
While staying at Four Seasons Hotel Singapore feels indulgent and very sophisticated, it is also very welcoming and friendly. Hotel guests have all the facilities to hand; fabulous dining concepts, from hip, stylish bar food and cocktails, to the hearty Chinese Cantonese fare at Jiang-Nan Chun and the fabulous treats at One-Ninety Wood-fired Steaks and Seafood.
With elegant furnishings and Asian artwork surrounding you, highly efficient and pro-active staff, the hotel is refined, sumptuous and elegant, warm and cosy, with a very classic European feel, while at the same time retaining a sophisticated Asian touch and thoughtful service. It is ideally located in the heart of the city, making it ideal for just about anyone visiting the city-state. The final, typically considerate, touch, as my visit came to an end, was the waitress offering me a coffee to go as I told her I was heading off to the airport as soon as I finished my breakfast. This kind of thoughtfulness, for me, puts Four Seasons Hotel Singapore, firmly on my favourites list.
Favourite memory: Do it yourself Chocolate Martini, designed by the hotel mixologists, with all the ingredients and an instruction card on a tray in your room. Put the alcohol and chocolate sauce in the shaker with ice, shake it all about, et voila, sinful indulgence in a glass!
