When I received an invitation for a staycation at Grand Mercure Singapore Roxy hotel, I didn’t say yes immediately. As tempting as the offer was (hotels in Singapore are pricey) we made ourselves clear that the main reason would take up the offer was because we wanted to visit Singapore for a weekend getaway.
So, our staycation experience will be written from on a traveling couple’s perspective focused on convenience, ease of getting around and comfort.
Grand Mercure Singapore Roxy hotel is located in the Singaporean Peranakan neighbourhood of Marine Parade. My favorite Singaporean food – Katong Laksa was born here.
The hotel’s exterior might not look or feel grand, but I have stayed at enough hotels to know that it’s the inside that really matters.
To cut to the chase, we were extremely pleased with the stay and we enjoyed the facilities provided in the hotel and room. All our expectations were met, and then some. That said, we have never been too picky when it comes to hotel stay.
Location is definitely a plus fort Grand Mercure Singapore Roxy, as it’s only 15-20 minutes away from Changi Airport. If you are not in a hurry, you can save money by taking the complimentary hourly shuttle bus service that runs between the hotel and airport.
East Coast Park is also within walking distance and that’s where you can find even more food and recreational activities beach side.
For your daily needs, Parkway Parade Shopping Centre is just across the road while Roxy Square adjacent to the hotel has spas, beauty and personal care shops for relaxation.
The hotel has 576 guest rooms and suites, choice of four dining outlets, outdoor swimming pool and a well-equipped fitness centre. We stayed at the deluxe pool side room which opens up to the pool deck directly.
The room was spacious, spotless with a warm light that conjures up a cosy feeling. The king-sized bed was super comfy (for us) and we slept like a log.
The room also features a see through bathroom equipped with a bath tub so you can unwind in while watching the TV. And of course, there’s a window blind for privacy.
Our favorite feature of the bathroom has got to be the shower. The water pressure was on point and the heater worked great – we enjoyed it a lot.
All the basic toiletries are provided but I’d suggest that you bring your own set of toothbrush, toothpaste and other oral care essentials. No matter how posh the hotel is, I still prefer to use my own.
When it comes to Internet access, I am glad to say Grand Mercure Singapore Roxy did not disappoint a bit. Both WiFi/LAN connection are provided and the speed is fast enough to be shared by many devices at once.
The WiFi signal is strong and we never encountered any issue with the connection while moving around the hotel. It just works seamlessly.
Facilities wise, I think the pool size is adequate, while the fitness centre is modern and well-equipped. Although we did not have time to utilize them, seeing the happy faces of other guests say a lot of things.
Since it was raining heavily that night, we decided to have dinner at Breeze Bistro Bar on level 4. Their halal certified ala carte menu consists of mostly Western fare but there’s also a good mix of Asian dishes.
Prices are fair considering we are dining in a hotel, and the food is good, in fact on par with many restaurants in KL. Not to mention hotel guests get to enjoy a 30% discount dining here. Here’s a summary of what we had.
Home made pita bread with spiced olive oil dip.
Roasted portobello mushroom salad.
Pan seared salmon.
Grilled rib eye.
Dessert: strawberry mousse and black forest cake.
And some mocktails we sipped by the pool while listening to the live band.
Hotel breakfast is served at Feast@East Buffet restaurant at 3rd floor. The quality and selection of the spread is similar to what you’d find at other hotels of the same range, so there’s really no surprise here.
However, we found the pastries above average and I personally enjoyed the dim sum and sandwich DIY section the most. Do come early before the crowd arrives, as the restaurant is quite small to cater to more than 500 rooms of guests.
Since we were also given special access to the Executive Lounge, it’d be silly of us not to check it out, especially when it just underwent refurbishments recently.
Guests staying at Executive Room and Suites will enjoy exclusive services here including private check in, complimentary breakfast, all-day refreshments, complimentary evening cocktails with hors d’oeuvres and a selection of reading material. The lounge if also fitted with a floor to ceiling window for an unobstructed view of the sea.
After check out, you may still access the WebCorner at the lobby by the entrance to get up to date information about your flight and do web check-in. That’s actually what we did. Then, we took the free shuttle bus again to airport. Since the seats are first-come-first-served, it doesn’t hurt to book your seats as early as possible.
Overall, our staycation experience was better than we have anticipated and we genuinely enjoyed the room. Usually when we travel we try to minimize the time spent in the hotel, but we gladly made an exception for Grand Mercure Singapore Roxy hotel.
We can’t recommend this hotel enough for those looking for a fuss-free, family-friendly and convenient accommodation in Singapore. When the MRT Circle Line extension is completed by 2023, getting around will be even easier because the Marine Parade MRT Station is located at the hotel’s door step.
50 East Coast Road, Roxy Square, Singapore 428769
T: +65 6344 8000
E: H3610-FO16@accor.com