The hotel itself is a historic building, dating back to 1929, and it's part of the Marriott portfolio. Setting aside the Marriott brand for a moment, the overall experience is quite good. For an average price of 1500 RMB per night, including breakfast, and considering its location and the fact that it was during Chinese New Year, this is an excellent value.
It's conveniently located next to Maxwell Food Centre and a subway station, with many bars and restaurants downstairs. Most importantly, it's very close to the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, where you can venerate genuine sariras. Another MRT station, Tanjong Pagar, is also nearby, making the location very accessible. If you don't mind a bit of a walk, you can even reach Chinatown to catch the Downtown Line.
Now, let's evaluate it based on Marriott's standards. As a Marriott Gold member, booking through Ctrip meant I didn't receive any Marriott Gold benefits, which is something to be aware of beforehand.
However, the overall service was still very good. Firstly, I arrived at 6 AM on the first day. When I went to check in, a friendly staff member named Danner (I believe that was his name, hope I'm not mistaken), who spoke Chinese, noticed our predicament – we clearly needed a shower and a change of clothes urgently. After checking us in, he proactively asked if we needed to shower, which was a lifesaver for me (I'm the type who won't leave the house without showering and changing). He also had a great sense of humor. After settling in, we stored our luggage, and he thoughtfully provided umbrellas (it was already raining moderately when we arrived).
We were given two rooms, which were larger than I expected. I even felt like my room might have been the office of the chamber of commerce's owner back in the day (hahaha)! However, this also led to some less-than-ideal experiences.
Let's talk about the room:
First, regarding the daily housekeeping: the small hand towels disappeared after the first day and were never replaced. Every day, I had to bend down to find a towel to dry my hands.
Second, when the bar soap ran out, it wasn't replaced automatically, forcing me to use shower gel for handwashing in the following days.
Third, the tissues ran out and weren't replenished, which was very inconvenient.
The slippers too: my shoes got wet in the rain, and the replacement slippers also got wet and were discarded. The next day, no new slippers were provided.
Finally, during room cleaning, some trash wasn't removed. For instance, a disposable bath towel that had been left on the sink (I usually hang them on a rack when I don't need them to be thrown away) and the slippers that were at the foot of the bed, one facing up and one down, were in the exact same position when we returned, with only the bed simply made.
Now for breakfast:
The menu was entirely in English. While fine for younger guests, it might be challenging for older relatives. Considering the large number of Chinese tourists, offering a Chinese menu could be a good idea, though this is just a suggestion.
The overall taste was quite good, leaning towards British and Indian flavors, which makes sense given the hotel's Indian history. So an Indian-themed breakfast is perfectly fine.
However, on our first order, we weren't served the small bread rolls; it seemed to have been overlooked (we didn't notice it at the time either).
Secondly, every time we ordered, they appeared to remember our requests, but this wasn't always the case. Food was often served haphazardly, with dishes frequently misplaced or incorrect! This is a very poor experience for a luxury hotel!
Lastly, a female server, in her rush, repeatedly swung her ponytail into my face and the back of my head when turning around. I was quite upset at the time.
Fortunately, after I provided feedback to the manager the next day, all subsequent meals were served by the restaurant manager, which significantly improved the experience. He was also very humorous and, although he didn't speak Chinese, he always managed to make us laugh with his witty remarks. This greatly improved my impression and felt much more aligned with the quality expected from a Marriott property.
Finally, the lobby manager was an elderly Chinese gentleman who got along well with my father and shared some historical insights.
Overall, I recommend this hotel. Its location is excellent, and the service is attentive, though you might need to make specific requests for certain things. The hotel also displays many historical military uniforms, deeds, and other artifacts, truly making it a hotel rich in history and culture.
Original TextTranslation provided by AI
