Mandarin Oriental

Mandarin Oriental

Walk out of the lobby at Mandarin Oriental, Singapore, and the harbour is right there, glass and water meeting the Central Business District's skyline at Marina Bay, with a covered link straight into Marina Square and Suntec Singapore so a wet season never means changing your evening plans. Built in 1987 and rising 23 floors, the hotel holds 527 rooms, a scale that makes it better suited to a convention crowd or a family than to travellers hunting quiet corners. What sets it apart from the newer towers along the bay is its standing partnership with Esplanade-Theatres on the Bay, the cultural and arts centre next door, so an evening there is a walk rather than a cab ride. Inside, guests choose between an indoor pool for grey mornings and an outdoor one for the tropical heat, plus a spa with sauna and steam room, a gym, and a yoga space, none of which require leaving the building. Business travellers get a business centre and event facilities on site, plus a direct link to Suntec Singapore for larger gatherings. Rooms range from Deluxe doubles to sea-view suites with balconies, most stocked with bathrobes, slippers, minibars and DVD players, and a 200 SGD daily deposit is taken at check-in. Families are covered with a children's pool and babysitting, though pets are not permitted. Staff speak five languages beyond English, from Chinese to Russian, and check-in runs from 3pm with checkout at noon. This is a hotel for people who want the address and the access, not a retreat. A waterfront address on Marina Bay, linked to Suntec Singapore and next door to the Esplanade, with 527 rooms across 23 floors that read more convention than retreat. Indoor and outdoor pools, a full spa, and a children's pool cover most reasons to stay in. Pets are not welcome.