The Hotel It is a property on my to stay list, and glad I managed to book The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore for a birthday staycation. There have been a couple of promotions on Klook and even the hotel’s website itself since Singapore entered Phase 2 and hotels are allowed to reopen subsequently. Well, and now we have the SingapoRediscovers Vouchers and it is another good reason to consider this property for a more luxurious staycation.

Back to The Capitol Kempinski Hotel, this luxurious property linked to Cityhall MRT Station has 155 rooms and suites, and is a restoration project of the neoclassical-style Capitol Building (1930) and Venetian Renaissance-style Stamford House (1904). The Kempinski brand is part of the Discovery Loyalty Programme, and if you hold a GHA membership, you can apply the membership perks to your stay. The lobby of the property is classy and due to my GHA Black membership, I was accorded an early check in before 10am.

I arrived early before 10am as the Lady In Red (the property’s fancy name for their butler service) informed me the day before that I was granted early check in as part of my GHA Black benefits. No rants here, and the check in process at the lobby was fuss-free. Good service and good first impression so far, as one of the staff escorted me to my room.

The Room Another perk as part of my GHA Black which I enjoyed is a triple room upgrade to the Terrace Room, a 45m² (484 sqf) room with an outdoor terrace area. It is nice to have an outdoor balcony, though there is not much view to speak of as the bushes are quite high. My Terrace Room faces the main road, so it can be quite noisy as well. I was happy to stay indoors.

The room takes on a neutral tone with mainly white and brown finishings. The entrance is denominated by the mini-bar and wardrobe area, and all guests are able to enjoy complimentary non-alcoholic beverages. The usuals apply like a Nespresso machine and TWG tea bags.

King size bed, with a work desk which doubles up as a dressing table by the side. I also appreciate that there are multiple charging ports in the room.

The bath room is quite an elaborate size which takes up the same length as the room. The highlight is the bathtub with a TV screen, so bubble bath goals can be fulfilled.

There is a double vanity sink, toiletries by Ferragamo, rain-forest shower, and a toilet bowl with Japanese technology. Yes, the toilet bowl seat is heated as well.

I love the little touches of the hotel and a handwritten birthday message. These are some of the aspects of good service from a luxury brand.

The Facilities My Terrace Room is the same level as the pool, fitness centre and spa on level 4. I wouldn’t exactly call it a pool, but the Saltwater Relaxation Pool is more like a huge jacuzzi not meant for serious swimming. It is best to book the pool slots in advance which comes in 90 minutes slot during this period. The sun deck chairs are limited to just five, so come early to snag it. There are two other sofa seats which is not ideal for lying down.

The fitness centre is also quite small, but decently equipped with basic free weights, treadmills, and cable machine. It was quiet during my stay, so there is likely to be no issues if you want to visit more than once a day.

The Restaurants The dining concepts by the property are aplenty. The main restaurant where breakfast happens is 15 Stamford by Alvin Leung.

My room booking comes with S$38 dining credit, and GHA Black members also get to enjoy 15% off their dining bills over the course of their stay. I chose to make a dinner reservation at 15 Stamford by Alvin Leung, where the cuisine is largely fusion and you can expect dishes like Kaya Toast with Foie Gras and Barramundi with Buah Keluak Sauce.

Breakfast was at the 15 Stamford and it was surprisingly not that busy. The menu is a one page option which is easily accessible via the QR Code, and I feel that the options are quite a good variety between western and local delights.

My favourite dish is the Kaya Toast, done the old school way. I also managed to try dishes like Nasi Lemak, Fish Congee, Eggs Benedict, Roti Prata with Chicken Curry and the Fresh Bakes which makes its rounds by the staff.

Overall, the quality is not too bad and I can’t help but to compare it against Raffles Singapore. I can safely say that Raffles Singapore serves the best breakfast so far for me, based on the staycations I had since circuit breaker ended.

Other dining concepts by the property include The Bar at 15 Stamford, Lobby Lounge, Frieda, Berthold Delikatessen, Broadway American Diner, La Scala Ristorante, and El Teatro Tapas.

Rants For a luxury brand, the pool is really small at The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore. Parking is not directly connected from the hotel’s main lobby, as you need to walk through Capitol Piazza to access the car park.

Overall Experience The Capitol Kempinski Hotel is like a luxurious boutique property given its size and facilities. The service is generally quite polished, and I had a pleasant stay. If you are a GHA Black member, it is a no brainer to book a stay here. That said, I can’t help but feel that Raffles Singapore still top the luxe factor chart for me.

The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore
15 Stamford Road
Singapore 178906

For more information, do check out The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore website.

Ranted by The Ranter