Staycation at Hotel Jen!

I first came into contact with Hotel Jen Tanglin Singapore a few weeks ago when they invited their media friends and business partners over for a house party.

Wait a minute, Hotel Jen? New hotel in Singapore? Nope, it’s the rebranded Traders Hotel with a refreshed identity inspired by the virtual persona Jen, a professional hotelier who loves life, travel and the adventure of discovering new places!

Boy, the team at Hotel Jen really knew how to throw a party – superbrunch (the spread was huge!), human foosball (we won, yay!) and lucky draws (no luck sigh). Anyway, we were told of the rebranding offer (ending Nov 30 so check out the “Weekend Staycation at Hotel Jen Tanglin Singapore” offer which expires 31 Dec 2015 instead!) at the party which sounded very attractive – $230++ for buffet breakfast in Cafebiz, 20% discount at Ah Hoi’s Kitchen, free WiFi etc etc – and I thought, K’s birthday is coming up so why not right?

Actually, K’s birthday is at the end of this month but he will be celebrating it in Thailand (army duty for 2+ weeks!) so I wanted to surprise him with a weekend staycation. I even gave him an invitation card to complete the surprise – he totally didn’t see it coming!

We were assigned a Club Room on the highest floor which is 25sqm size and comes with an en-suite bathroom. Honestly, the room (see above) looks quite “tired” right? So I’m glad to report that the rooms will be renovated (hotel will remain open) to feature modern, apartment-style furnishings such as a bay window sofa –> see mock up room below which was introduced to us at the party. Such a big difference!

Our room faced the pool and we spotted our dinner venue! You can’t see it in the photo but the signage of Ah Hoi’s Kitchen is right above the yellow umbrellas ha.

Poolside dining at Ah Hoi’s Kitchen was unexpectedly impressive! My favourite dishes are both crab-based – soft shell crabs stir fried with almond and just a handful of chopped chilli padi (so fragrant!) and the meaty salted egg yolk crab from Sri Lanka. The salted egg yolk sauce was rather magical – usually it gets overwhelming after the initial “shiokness” but the version here had a hint of spicy heat and balanced flavour. Simply 好吃!

K is a gym junkie so it’s great that the gym is 24 hours and has decent equipment! We also took the opportunity to use the sauna, steam bath and whirlpool facilities located within the spa… Staycation bliss!

Time always fly by so much faster during a staycation! We woke up not wanting to check out haha. Our breakfast at Cafebiz was very hearty because of the vast spread of food! Asian, international and local cuisines, made to order eggs any style, breads and danishes, cereals and fruits, hot dishes, and there’s even an ice cream section omg. I applaud the idea of having a “tapao” corner – guests can openly takeaway food and drinks from the buffet using the disposable boxes and cups provided, nice!

The Club Lounge also offers breakfast but a smaller spread – continental and classic hot items such as eggs, bacon and sausages. Throughout the day, there’s free drinks and snacks, along with canapes and wines in the evening. Again, the lounge seems kind of old so I can’t wait to see how it looks after the facelift!

I must really thank the staff at Hotel Jen for delivering a surprise birthday cake to our room! The soccer balls (K is a huge fan and plays every week) were such a thoughtful touch, thank you!

Other points-scoring aspects of Hotel Jen include fruit cups inside the fridge (conventional whole fruits are so yesterday and chilled fruits do make a difference!), refreshing infused water served in the lobby and at various places (Level 2, Ah Hoi’s Kitchen) and the useful mobile chargers displayed at the lobby (I always see guests camping by the chargers haha).

And with that, our weekend staycation came to an end… Quirky cushions on sofa, see you soon! I’ll be keeping a lookout for the various room offers on your website!

My heartfelt thanks to Wai Ling and the team at Hotel Jen Tanglin Singapore for making our stay so comfortable and memorable!

Hotel Jen Tanglin Singapore (Formerly Traders Hotel)
1A Cuscaden Road
Singapore 249716
6738 2222
hjs@hoteljen.com

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1st Ever Staycation at Grand Hyatt Singapore

My Christmas present came early in the form of a staycation at Grand Hyatt Singapore, courtesy of our local Hyatt team! We stayed in one of the Grand Club rooms, which I immediately gushed over how huge and warm (as in ambience, not temperature haha) it was once we stepped through the door. Super comfy king bed, free wifi, great amenities, extended workstation, 37-inch flat screen TV, spacious bathroom –> you get all these and more when booked into a Hyatt guestroom. And you can bet that Hyatt is Listening to your needs: a new healthy room service menu has been launched, plus I love that unconventional (but oh so essential) items such as phone chargers, yoga mats and even free weight sets can be borrowed and delivered right to your door!

Thanks to the team for the chocolate cake! That was a delicious surprise : )

Before we checked into our room, we popped by Mezza9 for a cooking demonstration conducted by Chef Martin. It was kind of like watching a cooking show live, and he’s so talented and composed in the bustling kitchen! Within an hour, he showed us how to prepare three dishes that are supposedly easy to replicate at home. I say supposedly because with my current almost-non-existent culinary skills, they are definitely not going to make an appearance on my table anytime soon haha.

Lunch was (you guessed it) the dishes prepared earlier! Hokkaido scallop pops with sauce romesco, free range egg with young spinach and truffle veloutee, wood fired barramundi with pumpkin, chestnut and crustacean jus, and a special nosebleed-inducing dark chocolate fondant with coconut ice cream. A very good and satisfying meal, maybe because I personally saw how much effort Chef Martin put into each dish!

We spent a luxurious afternoon at Damai Spa thereafter. I wanted to take some photographs for memory’s sake but unfortunately, the rooms were all full when I headed back with my camera in tow. Nevertheless, the hour long body massage was splendid and so relaxing! I really wish I could stay for another hour haha. And of course, with an exercise freak with me, K and I had to pay a visit to the well-equipped gym. Within 24 hours, we actually went to the gym twice! Gosh. Dinner was at Oasis grill, a poolside restaurant where we enjoyed barbequed meat and seafood cooked on charcoal-fired grills.

All too soon, the next morning arrived! Groan. Sigh. Haiz. Anyway, guests staying in Grand Club Rooms can access to the Grand Club Lounge, which — in addition to evening cocktails and all day beverages — also serves a complimentary Continental breakfast. The spread is rather limited, but it has everything we like: fresh fruits (I loaded up on the sweet and juicy strawberries!), bircher muesli, eggs cooked a la minute (poached, scrambled, omelette, sunny side up — I think K ordered all these), breads and pastries, cold cuts (smoked salmon rocks!), and even free flow Yakult for digestion!

This was an amazing experience and guess what, also my first ever staycation! I’m the type who’s not into local staycations as I’d rather buy an air ticket and travel overseas. But I think this Hyatt staycation has changed my mind! Can’t wait for the next one : )

Big big BIG thank you to Indrani, Sandee and Nicole! You ladies have given me one of the best memories of 2013!

Grand Hyatt Singapore
10 Scotts Road
6738 1234

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