PARKROYAL on Pickering is one of the newest additions to the CBD area of Singapore. As it is built only recently, the building is designed to be green. It is in fact the greenest hotel in Singapore, with the latest technologies and innovative architecture to drastically reduce the hotel’s carbon footprints. The hotel features a very green and eco theme and guests will experience modern green facilities and green living in the hotel without being inconvenienced. But with all these green features, does it actually value add to guests’ experience at the hotel? Or does it result in some compromise that guests have to accept? We take a look into this PARKROYAL hotel and find out more.

Date of stay: January 2014

Address

3 Upper Pickering St

Singapore 058289

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Orchid Club Room
 

Prices start from SGD $348 per night for the Orchid Club Room when you book through the hotel’s website, and prices get as low as SGD $328 when you book using hotel booking websites.

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Location

PARKROYAL on Pickering is located on upper Pickering street in Singapore. It is one of the new additions to Singapore’s city skyline, and is also one of the new “Eco” buildings installed as part of the government’s plans to make Singapore a green city. The hotel is very conveniently located for both tourists and businessmen. There are three Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) stations all within a 5 minutes walk, and the hotel is also adjacent to the CBD area of Singapore. Also, Tourists can look forward to visiting cultural places of interests such as Buddhist temples in Chinatown, which is only a stone’s throw away from the hotel. For the younger crowd and the busy businessman who wishes to unwind and relax after a long week of hard work, the nearby malls at the Clarke Quay area offers options to all people, from dining at popular restaurants that serve delectable dishes for all palates, to busking in the energetic and lively night-life that the countless bars and clubs in the area have to offer.

Furthermore, the hotel is near to a range of shopping malls that cater to guests of a broad age group. The young and energetic would prefer Clarke Quay Central and Liang Court, both of which have fantastic dining and shopping outlets. On the other hand, older guests would prefer to indulge themselves at the Chinatown area, with malls such as People’s Park Complex. Many of these shops are popular tourist attractions as they offer a quick look into what the life if Singaporeans were like in the past. However, the hotel is still a small distance away from other modern and popular attractions, such as Orchard Road, and Sentosa. However, due to its close proximity to various MRT stations, guests have the luxury of a greater number of choice of routes to get them to other places of attraction in the shortest possible time. The prime shopping district of Orchard road is just a short 7 minutes by train, and Singapore’s very own sunny island, Sentosa, which is linked to mega mall Vivocity is a mere 5 minutes away by train. Located just across the road is the lush green space of Hong Lim Park, which is also the “speaker’s corner”. Occasionally, guests will be able to observe Singapore’s harmless and unique ‘protests’ right at that area. Changi Airport, however is not as accessible even by train as it is located all the way east of Singapore. Hence, guests would require a taxi ride of about 20 to 30 minutes long to reach the airport. That being said, the friendly hotel staff would be very eager to assist you in flagging down or booking a taxi.

Check In

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Prepare to be wowed by the architecture of the building when you first view it from the outside. As the building was planned to be and eco friendly one, it was built to inculcate many aspects of nature into it. Thus, guests will be blown away by the lush greenery covering the outer walls of the hotel. The abundance of flora and fauna on the exterior and the numerous outdoor ‘gardens’ seem to give a hotel a rainforest kind of vibe. It also indicates clearly that guests should be prepared to embark on a comfortable but environmental friendly stay in it. Furthermore, the walls and ceilings of the hotel on the outside and the ground floor are very unique and unlike what I have seen before in other hotels.

The ceilings had many layers with brown, grey and white tones that reminds me of the beach. I realised that this design bore an uncanny resemblance with the Punakaiki Pancake Rocks in New Zealand, a country well known for its gorgeous scenery and clean environment. Those who recognise this similar design would appreciate the theme of nature that the hotel is trying to showcase and I am sure that even those who have not seen the Pancake Rocks will still be intrigued by this interesting addition to the hotel.

The lobby of the hotel was pleasantly designed and decorated. Elements of wood can be found throughout the lobby, from the parquet floor tiles to the layered wood design on the upper part of the walls. Once again, such extensive use of natural elements give the lobby a very natural and eco friendly look. Together with the black bamboo woven chairs, comfortable cushioned sofas and long common wood tables, the lobby of the hotel looks very modern and new, but yet makes guests feel comfortable, just like relaxing in a peaceful forest.

There is also a small bar at the lobby area, where guests can choose to sit along the bar or on the comfortable seats. Such a sitting arrangement is rather refreshing and different from other bars, and guests area able to enjoy the architecture and comfort the lobby has to offer. However, there is one setback to this. Large groups of friends who visit the bar together might create some noise while drinking and chatting. Since other guests are held in the same area, guests might find the bar users a nuisance. Nonetheless, the lobby is definitely a nice place to hang out at as it is generally quiet and it only signals the start of more to come.

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