Fairmont Signature King Suite review: special weekend rates with American Express

This is my hotel review of the Fairmont Signature King Suite, where we had a 3D2N staycation.

Special Weekend rate voucher from American Express

As a holder of the Amex Platinum Charge Card, every year, upon payment of the card’s hefty annual fee of $1712, I would receive a stack of hotel and dining vouchers. This is in addition to the Fine Hotels and Resorts (FHR) rate that’s offered to Platinum Charge Card holders. 

The voucher in use at the moment, is a special weekend rate of $270++ per night at Fairmont Singapore. 

Special Weekend rate of SGD $270++ per night at Fairmont Singapore

For owners of the American Express Platinum Reserve Card, the card does not include FHR benefits afforded to their Charge card counterparts, so Platinum Reserve owners would receive a slightly different stack of vouchers that give one-time discounted rates at specific hotels (e.g. Quincy Hotel, M Social, Hotel Fort Canning, among others).

Interestingly, the special rates vouchers for Fairmont, Swissotel, and Swissotel Merchant court are given for both cards. 

The Platinum Reserve Card has an annual fee of SGD 535. But since I hold the Charge Card itself, one of it’s perks is that I can have the Platinum Reserve one free of charge.

Want to apply for an American Express credit card? Apply through one of my referral links and receive either bonus Membership Rewards points, vouchers and / or Krisflyer miles:

• The Platinum Charge Card: Use this referral link and receive up to S$900 statement credits and Samsonite Choca Spinner 68/25 (worth S$700) when you apply and minimum spend criteria is met.
• The American Express Platinum Card: Use this referral link and receive up to S$350 statement credits when you apply and minimum spend criteria is met.
• American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Ascend Credit Card: Use this referral link and receive up to 38, 000 Krisflyer miles and S$50 statement credits when you apply and minimum spend criteria is met. 

Checking-in here – the beautiful lobby at Fairmont Singapore

Double Room Upgrade: Deluxe Room to Signature King Suite.

At the time of booking, part of the hotel was reserved for COVID-19 purposes to accomodate people on Singapore’s SHN (Stay Home Notice).

It so happened that many of the Deluxe rooms set aside for SHNs, therefore rendering this room category unavailable for staycations. When our booking was made via phone, the staff automatically upgraded the stay to the next available category: Deluxe Harbour View Room. So that was our first category upgrade.

I took this one step further: in a previous stay at Swissotel the stamford that had some hiccups, I had raised my concerns and politely shared those experiences with the hotel management. At that time, the management was really apologetic. To make up for previous hiccups, it was offered that should we ever return to stay at Swissotel or Fairmont, they would compliment us a one-time upgrade and throw in breakfast to boot. So, following the phone booking, I wrote in to the person who handled our case and gave her a heads-up that we’ll be coming back.

The response was positive – the hotel thanked us for giving them a second chance. As promised, our room was further upgraded – so we got a second category upgrade to the Fairmont Signature King Suite.

Hallways. Making our way to the room

Fairmont Signature King Suite

One word: Wow.

The 56 sqm / 602 sqft area is spacious enough for our three-year old child to run about.

Complimentary extra bed for the child

King Bed. Yes, that bag is my Hermes Picotin 22 (see bag review here)

With the King bed on one end, and a separate lounge and work desk area at the other side, the overall impression feels like an oversized studio (in a good way).

Fairmont Signature King Suite

Honestly – I don’t know if the staff went the extra mile because they were trying to ‘make up’ for disappointments from our past stay, or whether the set-up to accomodate kids is a standard procedure. But it does mean that the Fairmont IS capable of delivering; there’s no harm calling in to request for something to make the kids happy.

Spot the toy for the kid. Yes, it can be taken home.

Initially, I didn’t even notice that crayons and colouring paper was given – this was all placed on the child’s table and entirely discovered by my daughter. 

Someone’s busy

For adults, there was the standard Nepresso coffee machine – practically a requirement in high-end hotels these days – and tea from TWG.

Coffee and Tea Making Facilities

The table by the bedside doubles up as a dressing table – we flipped open the flap to reveal a large mirror and hairdryer.

A sweet gesture from the hotel was this care kit given to us.

simple but enticing packaging

“The signature Fairmont Lion in the card actually looks hand-drawn” – the husband.

Masks, hand sanitizer, wipes – essentials for everyone these days. 

One of the unexpected things that surprised us – that the view from the room was actually beautiful. It’s like I’ve been to the City Hall area many times, but have never quite seen it from this angle. 

view from the Fairmont Signature King Suite

The scene at night was entirely beautiful on its own.  Infinitely romantic.

Suite Bathroom

The modern bathroom carried monotones of black and white.

Towel Storage

The bathtub looked comfortable for soaking, but those who prefer a quick shower can adjust for a rainshower option. 

Bathtub

 There was also a separate shower sectioned off in the bathroom’s corner.

separate shower facilities

La Labo bath amenities were provided. For those with kids, it may be worth requesting for child bath amenities. 

Bath amenities, for adults and kids alike

The Kodomo brand ones for children even included a child toothbrush, and a toiletry bag with four items (shampoo, bath, lotion, and dry power for baby bottoms).

La Labo for adults. Kodomo for kids.

Breakfast at Prego

With COVID-19 social distancing measures in place, the hotel has (i) mandated that guests must book a time slot for their breakfasts, and (ii) encouraged guests to order their breakfast in advance. 

To order breakfasts, we received this link in the welcome email sent to us, and we could see the options for pre-order. 

At the time of staying, we were verbally informed at the front desk that each guest could order ONE main dish for breakfast. However, the online system itself does not stop you from ordering extra – it does give guests the false impression that you can order as much as you need. When I called to enquire, the staff informed me that we should still choose just one main per person, as extra orders will be subjected to charges.

Scrolling through the food options

Not that any tangible costs were shown upfront for extra helpings, so unfortunately the onus is on us to check what extra charges would be (if any). 

Well, at least one can have an infinite amount of drinks. And there were plenty of options for that.

Drink options

The dining experience itself at Prego (located on the ground floor) was quite pleasant in itself. We’ve dined at Prego before for the a la carte menu, but this was our first time having breakfast here. 

Bathtub

We were technically considered as three diners. On the first morning we had the French Boulangerie…

French Boulangerie: Tuna Flakes with Avocao, Grilled Tomato, Giant Asparagus, 65 degrees slow cooked egg, Hollandaise sauce and French Baguette

… and the American Full Feast and Fruit Platter (more on this later)…

American Full Feast (left): Scrambled Egg with Fresn Chives, Maple Glazed Pork Bacon, Chicken Sausages, Hash Brown, Bean Stew, and Toasted Multigrain bread. The Fruit Platter (right) is pretty self-explanatory.

There was some confusion as to whether the Fruit Platter was considered as one breakfast item or something that was thrown in for all guests.

(Guess what – it’s actually considered a breakfast item)

When we asked the Prego staff to clarify, they admitted that the system was new and there were hiccups. They acknowledged that the requirements of the hotel breakfast policy and the ambiguity of the online system have left some guests confused, and many people do not consider a Fruit Platter on equal terms as other more filling breakfast items. So for the benefit of the doubt, any accidental fruit platter orders were given as complimentary items. And we were told we could order one more thing if we wished.

The gesture was generous and we were very touched by it. As we didn’t exactly need something large, we got the child menu item for the kid. 

Child Menu Item – small scrambled eggs, ham, two pancakes, small salad

Hopefully the online food ordering system would become less confusing in the future. In all fairness, the system was new, and the Prego staff were trying very hard to manage staggered timing and accomodate a crowded breakfast situation, so kudos to them for remaining so professional and understanding throughout.

On the second morning, we decided to try different breakfast items.

French Toast – egg-coated brioche, with fresh berries and whipped cream

Arabic Flat Seed Medames (vegan): Medames Beans with Flat seeds, chopped tomatoes, tahini and parsley. Served with Pita bread. 

English Onion Bagel. Served with Smoked Salmon and Lemon seed Hummus. Comes with Aquaponics Green Salad on the side.

The food itself was actually not bad – all items were above average, akin to a cafe-standard breakfast. However, while I was fortunate to have breakfast included with the stay, it’s hard to say if it’s worth if one has to pay additional amounts for it (after all the system doesn’t show the a la carte prices upfront). Despite that, the staff were very patient and willing to explain everything to diners, and for that I gave positive feedback and expressed my sincere gratitude for their efforts. 

Willow Spa at Fairmont

With social distancing measures in place, several of Fairmont’s hotel facilities – including the gym, pool, and spa – have limited the number of people that can use the facilities at any given time. They all recommended bookings in advance.

Being a sucker for spa facilities, the husband and I ensured that we each booked ourselves some spa time.

Willow Spa Etiquette

I have written in an old blog entry on Swissotel the stamford and mentioned that the Willow spa (shared between Fairmont and Swissotel) was literally the best part of my stay. 

And today, the spa is as inviting as ever. Possibly even MORE relaxing too, with the reduced human capacity enforced for spa usage.

Three baths: cold (front), bubbly jacuzzi (middle), and warm bath (round one all the way back)

Throughout the spa usage – which was as relaxing and as zen as ever, the entire facility was practically deserted. This came as a surprise initially as I was told the occupancy rate of Fairmont was pretty high that weekend. And then I remembered – that ‘occupancy rate’ now included guests on SHNs (Stay Home Notice), and those folks would be locked in their rooms and are unable to use any hotel facilities. 

At least these folks would not compete with other guests.

Locker area at Willow Spa – no one else in sight

Overall Stay Review

Our staycation at Fairmont’s Signature King Suite was comfortable, relaxing and generally pleasant. It was definitely a huge improvement from the previous hiccups at Swissotel, so we were so glad that we decided to give the Swissotel/Fairmont hotels a second chance and try again.

Understandably, it can be annoying for guests to adhere to social distancing measures sometimes. For those with small kids, including myself, it could be difficult to plan to use the hotel facilities – for example, my own kid has unpredictable nap schedules and when we tried to book a time for the pool, she just had to nap that time away, and we ended up cancelling our time slot… and couldn’t find another one later. 

Swimming Pool

It’s no fault of the hotel of course, but scheduling everything from your leisure time to gym workouts can be challenging for young families – this could be a deal breaker for some people; why staycation when there’s a chance that you can’t use the facilities?

The very well-equipped gym

Nevertheless, with the special weekend rate of SGD 270++ a night, or SGD 317.79 nett (which works out to SGD 635.58 nett for two nights), AND to receive these upgrades and breakfast, the stay at the Signature King Suite for a price like this was definitely a steal. The cost could have easily been doubled, and with hotels and travelling shut down in so many other places in the world, the staycation IS especially a luxury in times such as these.

For that, supremely minor issues aside, we felt really privileged that we could have had this experience as a whole family. I’m grateful to American Express for the voucher, and I’m thankful to the mangement of Fairmont/Swissotel for offering us additional upgrades to make our stay a pleasant one. 

Beautiful views from Fairmont Hotel

Inspired by this post and want to apply for an American Express credit card? Apply through one of my referral links and receive either bonus Membership Rewards points or statement credit:

• The Platinum Charge Card: Use this referral link and receive up to S$900 statement credits and Samsonite Choca Spinner 68/25 (worth S$700) when you apply and minimum spend criteria is met.
• The American Express Platinum Card: Use this referral link and receive up to S$350 statement credits when you apply and minimum spend criteria is met.
• American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Ascend Credit Card: Use this referral link and receive up to 38, 000 Krisflyer miles and S$50 statement credits when you apply and minimum spend criteria is met. 

Disclaimer: the views and opinions expressed on this page are that of Happy High Life and may not necessarily reflect the position of American Express. Happy High Life is not responsible for any decisions made by readers. The terms and conditions for each credit card's application and usage may be subject to change by American Express. Therefore, readers are recommended to check any matters with American Express or its partners; the list of all benefits of the Platinum Charge Card can be found here.

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Fairmont Signature King Suite

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