Grand Park Orchard Singapore

Needless to say, the Crystal Club Lounge was the highlight of the hotel. Club room and suite guests will get unlimited usage of the Club Lounge, including all day refreshments and light snacks. However, my trip to the Crystal Club Lounge did not exactly start on a good note. This is purely because upon exiting the lift on the 11th floor (which is also the top floor), there was no clear sign or indication on how to proceed to the Club Lounge. It was only after after I decide to take the path on the right that I found the lounge.

I was blown away by the interior of the lounge, and I must admit that it was unquestionably one of the best lounges I have been to. Crystal Club Lounge features soft leather seats and posh black-stained glass tables throughout, creating a contemporary and luxurious atmosphere.

It was tea time when I arrived and fortunately for me, snacks were being served. There was delectable selection of cakes, muffins and cookies and there is bound to be something that your taste buds will enjoy. I must also commend the staff in the lounge, as they were extremely welcoming and helpful. They were friendly and offered me a seat and without hesitation, asked me for any drink preference. Once I finished my drink, they would be quick to notice and would once again offer a choice of drinks. I also enjoyed the fact that the staff made the effort to start and maintain a friendly conversation with me. This reflects a high level of service standards that I would expect from every 5 star hotel.

The peaceful and tranquil environment sets up an optimum venue for you to concentrate on getting some work done or even carrying out a discussion, and the luxury of having unlimited snacks and drinks only makes it much more convenient for you. For the business minded, there is a small meeting room which Club Room guests can use it with compliments for an hour daily. For those who prefer not to lug a heavy laptop every where, you will be pleased to know that there is a mini business centre in the lounge, fully equipped with almost every thing you need, from high speed internet to large screen PCs to printers.

Of course not every one goes the Club Lounge to work, and I would assume that most guests would actually be seeking a nice place to just kick back and relax. If that is the case for you, the Crystal Club Lounge would be a fantastic place as well. There is a large comfortable sofa located just next to the entrance of the lounge with a large array of magazines and international newspapers available for your browsing. The most commonly rad newspapers are available as well, ensuring that you do not miss out on the latest news on your favourite choice of papers. However, some guests might not be too comfortable resting on the sofa as it is located adjacent to the lounge’s reception, meaning, there is always one staff in close proximity.

Although there aren’t any major flaws of the lounge, I felt that it was lacking in cosiness. Lounges should be comfortable and cosy so as to provide a comfortable abode for tired guests. Contrary to what I have just mentioned, Crystal Club Lounge is lacking in this ‘comfort’ area, as it does not have sofas or coffee tables besides the one near the entrance. The tables and chairs in the lounge are all restaurant-styled and seem to be rather formal. Hence, guests might find the environment a little too similar to what they might be accustomed to – restaurants and work places – instead of a cosy, homely lounge. Nonetheless, this does not decrease the level of comfort and peace, neither does it compromise the quality of the foods and service. Thus, I would classify this as a major disadvantage or boon to the lounge.

The swimming pool of the hotel is located at the same floor of the reception. When I first visited the pool, I though that it was very average and nothing seemed to stand out. The pool area was tiny and cramped with not much space for guests to move around. Children would definitely find it challenging to run around and I would say that there is actually a higher possibility of them tripping or hurting themselves.

The size of the pool is very modest, with it being about 20 metres I would say. However, the depth is a reasonable 1.2 metres. Guests who seek a serious swimming workout will be disappointed, but at the very least, the pool is usually empty and quiet. Thus, it would still be a good place for those who wish to have a peaceful soak under the sun.

There are also a plethora of sunbeds available and most of them are unoccupied throughout the day. However, the beach would be a better place for a tanning session, as the exterior of the hotel hangs over the pool area, greatly limiting the time where by the sunbeds are exposed.

The gym is located right next to the pool, and floor to ceiling windows give those on the cardio machines an inhibited view of the pool. This welcomes quite a bit of natural lighting into the gym, and also introduces the illusion of space into the cramped gym. The equipment in the gym are state of the art, with many being new equipments launched by Technogym, a favourite brand even among leading gyms. Thought the gym is small in size, all basic equipments are provided, including several treadmills, an elliptical, yoga balls, isolation machines and dumbbells weighing up to 20kg.

What really enhance my experience in the gym was the thoughtfulness of the hotel. regardless of the limited space, the hotel included free bottled water and even chilled Gatorade at no additional costs! Towels were also provided to safe guests from the hassle of having to bring their own towels from the room and also to maintain a higher level of hygiene in the gym.

Besides the standard facilities like the swimming pool and gymnasium, Grand Park Orchard also ensures that its business guests are well taken care of.

The business centre is located right next to the main reception of the hotel and is open 24 hours daily for the convenience of those who wish to work late into the night.

Several work stations are available in the business centre together with high speed internet access and even a quality printer. The work stations in the business centre are commodious – perfect for those with hordes of papers and books to go through. Furthermore, the business centre is not frequently utilised by guests, so you can expect to get a desk almost every time you wish to.

After a hard time of work, guests utilising the business centre can also take a breather by browsing through the vast selection of magazines and newspapers on the comfortable leather chairs. Unfortunately there is no option of having snacks or drinks in the business centre as this can only be enjoyed in the luxurious Crystal Club Lounge.