Park Royal Hotel Staycation
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Thinking of having a Weekend Getaway? Wondering how to take some time off and go for a budget Holiday? How about a weekend Staycation at Park Royal Hotel!
Located in the heart of downtown Singapore, Park Royal Beach Road is an excellent location for business and leisure travellers. Awarded the 2012 Certificate of Excellence by Tripadvisor, Park Royal Hotel is a good choice not just for Singaporeans but also a visiting tourist to Singapore.
As you can see from the size of the rooms, the rooms are adequately sized, as compared to hotel rooms in Europe. For guests, who need to put in an additional bed, there is more than enough room.
Kids were loving the fact that we had connecting rooms! Coupled with the fact that each room came with complimentary fruits and chocolates, the kids became high in sugar!
Expect a good spread when you have breakfast at the Park Royal. From Kaya Toast, Asian Prawn Noodles to the your traditional American Omelette, the breakfast table caters to all palettes, and offers one a full stomach before you start your day.
The Plaza Brasserie is not just the place for breakfast but they offer buffet lunch, dinner with food hailing from the gourmet capitals of Hong Kong, China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, India and more. From freshly sliced sashimi to enticing seafood platters, you can check out the buffet lunch, dinner and high tea at the brasserie as well.
Things to check out when staying at Park Royal Beach Road:
1. Istana Kampong Glam
Built by Sultan Hussein Shah, this is the original palace of the Sultan of Singapore. Sultan Hussein is the man who signed Singapore away to the British Government in 1819, and this house was given to him by the British (East India Company). The Istana Kampong Glam compounds was refurbished as part of the development of the Malay Heritage Centre in 2004.
The Istana includes a Museum where visitors can patronise to find out more about the history of the early settlement.
2. Sultan Mosque
Sultan mosque, also known as Masjid Sultan, was built in 1824. It was proposed by Sultan Hussein himself and funded by the British East India Company. The present mosque was rebuilt in 1925 by Denis Santry, an architect from the British architecture firm of Swan & Maclaren.
The great thing about Singapore is that you can find a Mosque, Temple and a church within the same vicinity of each other. Sultan mosque is open to visitors and travellers can find English interpreters in the Mosque who are willing to explain to you the finer points of the Islamic Faith. Although the Mosque does not allow visitors with shorts to enter the premises, one can borrow an overall to cover up from the desk near the entrance.
3. Kampong Glam
Park Royal is located within the historic old city, and visitors will find many shops, buildings and structures that truly add character to this civic district. With many vibrant refurbished buildings, one get easily imagine early life, as walks along rows of conserved shophouses. As one walks through the area, it’s easy to have a good feel of the Malay culture in Singapore.
4. Famous Prawn Noodles
If you are visiting Singapore for the first time, you have got to experience some of Singapore’s most famous local cuisine. Prawn Noodles is not just a local favourite, but the Blanco Court Prawn Noodles store located just opposite the Hotel, gets the “Thumbs up” from the locals, as well. Expect long queues during lunch time, so do avoid going to the store from between 12-1pm.
5. Quaint Cafes
Singapore is simply a cauldron of food! The best part about the Kampong Glam district is that there are many chefs who come from nearby foreign shores to set up shop here. Instead of the franchised Restaurants that you find in Orchard Road, here you will find quaint cafes with authentic food that will satisfy your palate.
When you walk around the Kampong Glam district, you will find different restaurants from different cultures. This is also a popular area for sisha pipes, where flavoured tobacco is smoked via a long pipe connected to a vessel filled with water.
6. Indonesian Food – Dapur Jen’s
We found our favourite Indonesian restaurant in this area, which is a simply MUST TRY if you love Indonesian food.
Dapur Jen’s simply means Jen’s Kitchen in English. Opened by Jen and her Italian husband Franck, this restaurant offers great food at affordable prices.
The soups and curries are simply flavourful and my personal favourite is the fried drumlets. We had them cater to one of our parties after visiting them, and we got rave reviews from our friends as well.
7. Arab Street
Owned by an Arab Merchant and located at the site of an Arab Kampong, this street is definitely an interesting enclave. Discover shops selling textiles, carpets and other interesting cafes, as you walk around this part of historic Singapore
8. Haji Lane
Located just opposite the Hotel, this lane offers trendy young fashion from local designers. If you like the street shopping in Korea and Taiwan, you will love the alternative fashion found along this street.
You never know what to expect in Haji Lane, and you might just stumble unto a sale, and get a great bargain at these fashion shops.
9. Bugis Street
Venturing a bit further down the streets, you will find Bugis. Originally renown for its trans women, this street has been transformed into another young trendy shopping market. From shopping malls to small little shops, this street offers much in variety. As a predominantly Chinese area, one can also find temples and other Chinese delicacies in this area.
It is also within the shopping malls in Bugis that you will find the MRT or subway, which takes you down to town. Park Royal Hotel is therefore ideally situated within the transportation hub of busy Singapore.
10. Sim Lim Square
This is the electronics capital of Singapore. Located at 1 Rochor Canal Road, and just a stone’s throw away from Bugis Square, this is where locals and tourist alike go to find the latest in electronics. From Cameras, Notebooks, LCD TVs to Home theatre systems, this is the place to go!
For tourists, do be aware of prices before you head into the square, Sim Lim is also the “Lions den” when it comes to exorbitant pricing, so this is not the place to browse, When you go in, you go in for a killer price!
Conclusion
Park Royal Hotel at the Beach Road is a real value for money hotel. Besides the great location, its vicinity to the historic city therefore adds much value to ones stay in Singapore. With the MRT station close by, one can hop on to the train to get to other tourist attractions in Singapore. Find out more about Park Royal by visiting their website here.