Hotel Re! Staycation Review (Part 1)

At the fringe of Singapore’s Central Business District, within walking distance of Outram Park MRT Station yet far away from the roar of traffic and hubbub of commercial activity, is a tranquil nook called Pearl’s Hill. The lush greenery behind the subway station would render the area nondescript if not for two prominent landmarks: The circular Pearl Bank Apartments to the south of the hill and the pink Hotel Re! north-west of it.

At a staycation at Hotel Re! @ Pearl’s Hill during Christmas season last year, we got to unravel the enigma surrounding the boutique hotel situated at the base of Pearl’s Hill, along Chin Swee Road. You might have driven past it on the CTE – the psychedelic pink and yellow logo is hard to miss.

The theme of the hotel is retro-modern with a psychedelic touch and the furnishings keep very well to this theme. You’ll find capsule armchairs, quilted walls in the rooms, hot pink booths at the bar, glittery mosaic tiles in the bathrooms – fittings I’m sure Austin Powers would approve.

This 12-storey hotel has 140 rooms and used to be Pearl’s Hill Primary School and later, Stamford Student Residence, before being converted into a hotel.

At Hotel Re!‘s invitation, we checked into one of two Family Suites (current best available rate $588++) on a Sunday night and were pleasantly surprised to find that there are two separate bedrooms and a spacious living room with a large sofa and 42″ LCD TV set. One of the rooms has two single beds and the other room has one queen-sized bed. The bathroom has a bathtub and the toilet is fitted with a bidet.

The next day, we woke up to the view of Pearl’s Hill Park (and Chin Swee Tunnel) and went for breakfast downstairs. We could see joggers making their way up the hill to the park and aunties using one of the paths as a shortcut to reach People’s Park Complex on the other side. I longed to explore the park, but Asher wouldn’t hear of it as he wanted to go back to the comfort of the room after breakfast. But we made him walk with us to Chin Swee Road to see papa off at the bus stop before going back to the hotel. There’s a convenient, short flight of steps leading from the hotel to Chin Swee Road.

Later, Alvin’s parents joined us for lunch (we drove to the food centre near Chinatown Point) and upon returning to the hotel we borrowed the Night At The Museum Part 1 DVD and watched it in the afternoon. At night, we drove over to VivoCity to meet papa Alvin for the premiere of Night At The Museum Part 3, before going back to the hotel for a good night’s rest.

We like Hotel Re! @ Pearl’s Hill for:

1. Free and plentiful parking spaces

2. Free DVD rental at the reception desk at any time of night and day

3. In-suite luxuries like La Bottega toiletries, bidet, iron, ironing board, DVD player, minibar, safe

4. Proximity to the CBD and Chinatown

5. Spacious rooms and suites

6. Free breakfast comprising international and local items

7. Attractive room rates

8. The fact that free shuttle service is provided to Outram Park MRT Station on some days of the week.

Currently, the hotel is offering a weekend “Re!ally Fun Staycation” promotion until 31 March 2015. For $158++ (current best available rate $184++), here are some of the main highlights:

• One night’s stay in a deluxe room
• Choice of International Buffet Breakfast OR Weekend Brunch for two (stay tuned to part 2 of our staycation review to see what’s available for brunch)
• Free Annual Re!Member Membership (Worth $50nett)
• One Erabelle Mizu Therapy Mask2 for the lady and a chance to win a gold-plated bracelet worth $170 from RISIS’s latest Luna Collection (One mask per room. Limited to 500pcs only, whilst stocks last)

While we were there, the hotel’s WiFi connection was rather weak, but we have given this feedback to our hosts and they said that they are looking into improving it.

Other than staycations, Hotel Re! @ Pearl’s Hill is also known for being a choice venue for weddings. It’s not hard to see why: There’s the Re!Joice Ballroom, which is pillarless and sports high ceilings, and the Re!Wine Bar, an utterly romantic alfresco bar perched on the second level balcony, mezzanine style. The furnishing of this place is fun enough for a hen party, and can be instantly dressed up for a solemnisation ceremony. Those seeking corporate function rooms and meeting rooms can use Re!Union (seats 120), Re!Tune and Re!Call (don’t you just love these names?!).

Next time, don’t just drive past this hotel, make a left turn into Chin Swee Road and visit this hidden gem. Note – if you are not a fan of retro themes, steer clear as you will definitely find Hotel Re! too tacky for your liking. Otherwise, it’s a decent experience. 🙂

Hotel Re! @ Pearl’s Hill
Reservation hotline: 6827-8288/9111-7137
E-mail: reservations@hotelre.com.sg
Facebook: www.facebook.com/HotelRe