on the Go with Bo!

Trapeze after champagne brunch?

Have you ever tried the flying trapeze?  How about doing some acrobatics right after a great Sunday brunch?

Well we did!

I've been postponing this brunch at Barnacles at the newly renovated Shangi-La Rasa Resort on Sentosa for quite some time.  But somehow it all came together this past Sunday.  A friend was coming in from Switzerland and of course Sunday's are reserved for champagne brunch … so I thought why not try out Barnacles.

First of all,  I've been to the Rasa Resort before, prior to the renovations and I'll be the first to admit it looked very tired.  I knew it had been shut for a year to do a major overhaul and what a success that has been.  The hotel has a total resort feel now.  Fresh, modern and stylish.  Perfect for the family.  As my friend put it as we stepped out of the taxi into the open and breezy lobby area … it feels like we've come to the Bahamas!

Barnacles is set on a beautiful point of Sentosa, right on the western tip, right on the water.  We had amazing seafood platters … fresh lobsters, crab, mussels, prawns … chasing down the oysters with bottle after bottle of rose.  After brunch we had coffee and lounged under the big tree, the afternoon slowly passing by!

And then came the biggest surprise.  The trapeze!  As we're walking towards Tanjong Beach Bar, we passed the flying trapeze.  Slightly tipsy and looking at the circus act setup we thought, why not!  So one after another we all tried being an acrobat for 15 sec or so.  Let me tell you, when you're looking at the ledge from the ground, where you grab the bars and let yourself swing, it doesn't seem so high.  A different story when you're up there.  It's damn high!

Perhaps it was better that we had had a few drinks … to take the edge off!

It was the ending to what was a magnificent brunch!

And then we trotted off to Tanjong Beach Bar … champagne buckets awaiting ...

Find your Wanderlust in Little India

Today I had a meeting at this wonderful little boutique hotel in Little India called Wanderlust.  Very funky exterior with an eclectic industrial interior.  The lobby has a foosball table and 2 dentists' chairs.  Go figure!

Loh Lik Peng, who also runs the New Majestic Hotel, has completely renovated what was previously a Buddhist Welfare Association building and turned it into a 29 room boutique hotel.  Best part, each floor was done by a different designer, which is what gives it the eclectic feel and look.

And the restaurant in the lobby had a great lunch menu!  I tested it and can attest to the quality :-)

Wanderlust is located smack central in Little India … where colours, hustle and shopping abound.

Marina Bay Sands grand opening

Diana Ross steals the show!  At 66, she's still got it.  Dressed in a red sequined gown with an over-the-top red feather boa … the glam diva got the audience of 2600 on to their feet, their mobile phones with video recorders into the air … and everyone was swaying to 'Stop, in the name of love ...'

The evening started with a veeeeery long line-up, that snaked its way to the entrance of the hotel.  Thank god it was overcast, for otherwise I would have drowned in my sweat in my tux.  Although we were all called 'VIP' … standing in line with 2600 people certainly didn't feel like it.  The redeeming point here was that they were serving champagne in the queue.  I forgave them :-)

Marina Bay Sands had several events organized all throughout the day:  they had a climbing competition where teams competed who would be the first to scale the glass walls of the 55-storey towers, an open concert in the plaza by the shopping centre and acrobatic acts in the impressive hotel lobby, which has what to me looks like a big steel bird's nest hanging from the impossibly high ceiling.

The ballroom where the gala dinner was held … is as you can imagine … huge!  I'm always impressed how someone manages to serve 2600 meals all at once.  I can barely make myself eggs.  I wonder what kind of oven they have. Anyhow … food was good … and the staff were students, which made you have to be a little bit patient.

Sheldon Adelson opened the evening quipping how he was happy with the hotel, but he would have been happier if it was a billion dollars cheaper.  And even happier if it had been 2 billion dollars cheaper.  And then he looked at the architect Moshe Safdie … 

What was also impressive in the ballroom were the 4 massive screens that had amazing projections on them, with the stage in the centre.  At one point during the evening one of the screens slid behind the other and revealed the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and a children's choir that did a magnificent performance.

But then … it was time for Diana … and she blew us all away.  That is what I'm going to remember the most, even though a young Korean girl sitting next to me said 'Diana Ross?  Who is that?  If I don't know her she must be old!'

Klapsons boutique hotel

When I read that the media event that I had to attend this morning was going to be held at the Klapsons Hotel I got excited ... for I've heard lots of great reviews about this place.

Located in the CBD close to Tanjong Pagar, this boutique hotel has 17 rooms over 2 floors.  Best of all, all the rooms are different in design.  And as I was shown around, I quickly realized that the centre-piece of each room was the shower.  Always exposed, always visible, always funky.  One room had a glass cylinder in the centre of the room with the shower in it.  Luved it!

And the lobby … the reception area is located in a metallic sphere, elevated from the ground, located in the centre.  Very space age.  Obviously, the design concept they went for is modern, spacious and high-tech.

To top it off, as you entered the mirrored elevator, my eyes quickly jolted to the ceiling where there were 2 screens playing music videos.  Never saw that before.

P.S. don't ask me why the vertical pix are laying horizontal!

 

  

 

 

 

Easter weekend at the Capella Hotel on Sentosa Island

Stayvacation!  This is the name of the game this Easter.  Actually have to admit that I've never done it … went on vacation in the city where I live.  And the concept excited me.  As it excites many Singaporeans who do this quite frequently.  Given that 80% of citizens live in subsidized housing and many with their parents, a stayvacation enables them to a more private experience all within close proximity to their home.

So on Friday morning we packed our backpacks:  2 pairs of clean underwear, 2 shorts, 2 T-shirts and a pair of long linen pants … just in case! … and left on our Segways to Sentosa Island.  That in itself was a thrill!

Ever since the Capella Hotel opened on Sentosa I've been wanting to stay there for a weekend.  Branded as an ultra-luxury hotel and sitting atop a lush knoll it holds a prominent spot on the island:  private, expansive grounds and with great views of the South China Sea.  I don't think there is any other place in Singapore where you can experience such a luxe resort feel.

The hotel combines four original bungalows dating from 1880 that were used to accommodate the British officers along with brand new structures that house the rooms, suites and private villas.  It's the combination of new and old that I found appealing.  Especially since Norman Foster did a lot of the exterior design.

The centerpiece of the hotel are the three terraced pools, set amidst a lush landscape of green foliage and beautiful white flowers (forgive me for not knowing their name, but they are plentiful in the tropics!).  This combination of green and white, its simplicity, along with the great single- and double- deck chairs situated around the pool make you want to spend your afternoons there sipping cocktails and reading a book.

Unless … you have a private villa with your own private pool.  Which is what we splurged on.  Room 006 - perfectly situated - close to the big pools, high up on the grounds so that you have a great view of the sea and with a Segway parking station right adjacent (I don't think the Cappella people planned it that way - but that was our interpretation of the power sockets we found).  The villas are ultra-luxe and very well appointed.  Loved the open layout and design which involves a more subdued Balinese decor with simple, clean lines.  Sitting from the bed (where I'm writing this) and overlooking our private pool, the trees and bushes a little further out and the sea with ships in the distance combines both a resort feel with an industrial edge.  The Nespresso machine, the Bose sound system, the private butlers (as cool as that sounds, not sure why one really needs them for with the iPhone you can do most everything yourself!!) and best of all my electronic command centre right by my bed … it's worth the hefty $$$.  I also loved the linens, not something I often focus on.  But they had this simple embroidered pattern along the edge that really made me notice them.

Thanks Capella for a great relaxing weekend, wonderful service … and for me finally being able to admit that I've experienced a stayvacation.  And thanks to that beautiful peacock that was perched on top of the roof of one of the old colonial buildings, elegantly posing … perhaps even showing off … as we passed by on our Segways ...

Qunicy ... the new modern boutique hotel close to Orchard Road

I remember the Mt Elizabeth area behind Orchard Road quite well from my early days in Singapore.  After having had stayed several weeks at the Park Hyatt, we moved into a 'company flat' in Mt. Elizabeth.  Well let me tell you ... I hated it there.  Reason?  There was construction (read noise!!) on either side of the building and it drove us nuts.  Needless to say, we didn't last there for long!

Anyhow ... wouldn't you know it that one of the building sites that was creating so much noise ... has turned into the splendid new boutique hotel called Quincy Hotel.

I had read about it in the newspaper and today I thought I'd pay it a visit.  Somehow I was excited about a new boutique hotel in Singapore!  Reason being is that there are several wonderful boutique hotels in the CBD area, but none in the shopping district of Orchard Road.

I walked to Mt. Elizabeth and as I walk into the front door of Quincy I meet Kristine, the Front Office Manager.  We started chatting, I told her I would love to see the rooms, she takes me upstairs on a grand tour.  Simple as that.

The concept of the hotel is that it's all inclusive.  With the price of your room you get a transfer from the airport, your room (obviously!), free wi-fi, restaurant serving 3 free meals a day, free daily-replenished mini-bar and two pieces of laundry per night.  Given that everything is 'free', that is why the front doors are closed to visitors.

I hope I didn't get this wrong and am creating some false advertising here!

The rooms have a modern spacious feel, just the right size with all the 5-star amenities that you would need.  And they have huge windows with great views of the Orchard area.

And the cantilevered pool on the 12th floor?  what a stunning view while swimming in a glass walled pool.

Kristine was super nice to show me around ... and if this is the service level they promise at the Quincy ... I may just end up moving in there :-)

So the next time friends ask me to recommend a great new hotel in Singapore ... Quincy it shall be!

Feel the Breeze at the Scarlet Hotel

Saturday night we were looking to do something special.  We were celebrating new beginnings with a friend from Switzerland, an Indian couple and a Singaporean girl.

I wanted something outdoors for I love tropical evenings.  After having lived in Belgium and Holland for several years, where being able to sit outside happens 6 times a year ... I tend to saviour every tropical evening.

The Breeze Restaurant at the rooftop of the Scarlet Hotel fits that bill perfectly.  Al fresco dining under the stars!  It's not a large place, and just like the hotel, feels somewhat boutique-ish.  For larger groups they have these canopied tables that feel very lush.  The champagne came in very funky flutes and the seafood platter for two was very fresh.  To end the evening we had a chocolate fondue, which put my taste buds into over-drive.

Since we didn't want to go home yet, we went for drinks to the Loof Bar at Odeon Towers.  It was packed when we got there, with groovy music and a great view overlooking the Raffles Hotel.  It's a perfect rooftop terrace for drinks after dinner.

We came home with a sense of mission accomplished.  And drunk!

Hotels in Singapore

Where to sleep?

Friends always ask, but where can I sleep in Singapore? Well, if there's no room at our place ... Singapore really has no shortage of five-star hotels, with service that will impress even the finest of you out there. For a truly luxurious experience, try one of these hotels:

> Grand Hyatt

> The Fullerton Hotel

> The Sentosa (a Beaufort Hotel) - not centrally located but a great hotel

> Raffles Hotel

> St. Regis

> Capella Hotel - Sentosa Island

> Fairmont Hotel

> Four Seasons

> Shangri-La

> The Mandarin Oriental

> The Ritz Carlton Millenia

> Pan-Pacific

You may also want try out some of the boutique hotels that are around town. There are not many of them, but the few that do exist are well worth the visit:

> Majestic Hotel

> Scarlet Hotel

> Naumi Hotel

> Quincy Hotel

Click on the Agoda banner above for more details on the hotels ...