Travelbeat Editorial Review Le Meridien: a Singapore Tradition Le Meridien Hotel, Orchard Road, Singapore Story and photos by Kerry Hennigan If it's shopping you're after, whether for souvenir bargains or up-market luxury labels, the twenty-plus years old Le Meridien sits smack in the middle of the best shopping in Singapore, on legendary Orchard Road. To say the venerable hotel is well-located is an understatement! In the tiny country that is the thriving hub of South East Asia and global cross-roads of cultures, Le Meridien Singapore is also one of the rare properties in the city not to have changed its identity during its lifetime. Here you’re a short walk from the glitzy department stores and shopping malls. Hawker stalls surround the base of the hotel itself, and there’s a handy food court which sells every sort of Oriental delight, as well as international cuisine. While the Meridien Shopping Centre on the first two levels of the hotel complex consists mostly of travel agents, karaoke bars and Japanese restaurants, at street level there are some handy outlets for the traveller, including licensed money changer and mini-mart, photographic supplies and internet cafe. Getting to the 3rd floor lobby of Le Meridien on foot is a little problematic. It can only be accessed by a combination of stairs and elevator or escalator and elevator. A different elevator then transfers guests from the lobby to their rooms. As a guest here you might wish you could walk strait into the lobby off the street. On the other hand, it does mean guests are well insulated from the noise and bustle of busy Orchard Road. The hotel's 407 rooms are on levels 4 to 9, including a dedicated non-smoking floor, Club President luxury suites, open air pool, Le Lagon pool side café and a large fitness centre. There are also 11 conference halls capable of accommodating up to 800 people. One of these function rooms is the pillarless Margaux Ballroom covering a maximum area of 5942 square feet. When Travelbeat arrived at Le Meridien Singapore, we discovered a lobby that was quite breath-taking (pictured top left) with its towering atrium overhung on each level by flowering yellow orchids. Also on this level are the main restaurant Café Georges, Nogawa Japanese Restaurant, the gift shop, coffee lounge and bar, plus a tour desk for booking all types of Singapore sightseeing experiences. Our room was a twin-bedded non-smoking room on the 8th floor (at left) with a view over Orchard Road and lush Istana Park, with the city skyscrapers beyond. The beds were made up with duvets, which we requested be changed for sheets and blankets as per our usual bedding arrangements. We were also short a pillow, which housekeeping also quickly supplied when we requested it. This kind of willingness to meet the many different needs of guests is essential for frequent and long-haul travellers, and anyone wanting to feel at home in their holiday accommodation. For in-room entertainment there were local and foreign language channels on the television, in addition to cable news, sports and four free movie channels. We did regret not having access to the ABC's Asia Pacific channel, Australia Network, particularly for news and sporting coverage. We've watched this service from Bali to Bangkok and had fully expected it to be one of the channels available at our Singapore accommodation. It's a small matter perhaps, but becomes increasingly important the longer one is away from home and family. For breakfasts and evening meals, Café Georges (pictured below right) is a glorious place of fine food surrounded by chandeliers, stained glass and mirrored opulence. We ate both al a cart and from the International Buffet during the course of our stay and can vouch for the quality of both options. The al la cart menu is probably the best choice unless one possesses sufficient appetite to do justice to the many buffet dishes. We also enjoyed dinner one night at the Bali House al fresco café located at the rear of Le Meridien, overlooking Kramat Lane, and another time walked through to the traditional shop house restaurants in nearby Cuppage Road. Good food outlets external to the hotel within short walking distances are virtually inexhaustable. Guests booked into the hotel's luxury President Club suites also have their own exclusive Le Club Lounge dining area, of which we glimpsed just a tantalising peak! We walked around Singapore's city sights sufficiently to feel we didn't need to use Le Meridien's fitness centre but happily made an exception for the exquisite The Little Spa. This gem of a one-room facility is operated by teacher and therapist Mia Munshi. A personalised session with Mia goes beyond the usual holiday spa indulgence. With her extensive knowledge of holistic techniques, Mia can also provide some invaluable tips for self-maintenance and improved wellbeing once the trip is over. Given the setting of Le Meridien, there's no excuse for guests not to enjoy Singapore. One doesn't even need to leave the hotel to feel surrounded by many of the delights of this vibrant city. For more information on Le Meridien, Singapore (a Starwood Hotel) visit: www.starwoodhotels.com Travelbeat would like to thank: Kim Quek, of Le Meridien Singapore Mia H. Munshi of The Little Spa and Hwee-Peng Yeo of Starwood Asia Pacific Hotels & Resorts Ltd. Back to Front Page