Review: A luxurious staycay at the newly revamped Hilton Singapore Orchard

Elegant and comfy rooms

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1/7

The hotel houses 1,080 rooms across two towers. We checked into the 312 sq ft King Executive Room, which is located on the higher floors. In place of Mandarin Orchard’s tired, slightly dated decor are contemporary interiors doused in a soothing palette of greys, white and black. Nature-inspired elements, like the abstract prints on the wall decor as well as the moss-coloured geometrical carpet, soften the space.

There’s ample room for two, along with a coffee table, a chaise longue, and a king-sized bed we wanted to sink into all day. And for in-room entertainment, there’s a 55-inch LED TV. If you’re going with the kids, consider the more spacious King Premium Family Room, which comes with a convertible sofa bed. You can also request an additional rollaway bed.

If you’re particular about bathrooms like I am, you won’t be disappointed with the one here, with marble furnishings and a large LED mirror. The hotel has also, rather impressively, outfitted each of its rooms with a bathtub to enjoy a leisurely soak, along with a separate walk-in rain shower.

In line with its sustainability efforts, shower essentials come in large bottles, and the rooms are also equipped with eco-friendly motion sensor-controlled lighting and air-conditioning. Additionally, plastic key cards have been ditched in favour of wooden ones, with digital key cards for Hilton Honours members.

Soon, the hotel will also be doing away with disposables for its bottled water, and will instead be providing guest rooms with glass water bottles filled from an on-site filtration plant.

A sumptuous buffet dinner at Estate

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If your tummy is up for an all-you-can-eat spread, make your way to the all-day dining buffet restaurant Estate. The beautiful interiors, dreamt up by award-winning design firm EDG Design, are designed to recall a colonial-style residence, with rattan furnishings, sofas, and botanical artworks.

Large glass windows afford a view of Orchard Road, and the vast space has been segmented into half-rooms so you still get a sense of cosiness. You won’t be able to help yourselves to the food ⁠— each counter is manned by a server who’ll hand you the food. It does get hectic come dinner time, but the servers were attentive and quick to attend to us.

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3/7

Food-wise, the options are extensive. Elevating familiar regional favourites, you’ll get everything from charcuterie to a salad bar, as well as Asian and Western choices that run the gamut of soups, pasta, noodles, grilled meats, dim sum, and seafood. For local-style delights, think Singapore XO Hokkien Mee, Nasi Goreng Kampung and Carrot Cake with Chinese Sausage.

But there are hits and misses. What’s worth the calories? The sweet-meets-savoury Estate Black Truffle Roasted Duck from the Wok, Fry & Premium Barbeque Kitchen, drizzled in a truffle plum sauce and ginger honey soya. The Wok-fried, Balsamic Vinegar Pork Rib, and Beef Short Ribs deserve your attention, too.

Don’t miss the juicy, flavourful Asian-inspired skewers from the Grill Kitchen too, like the Black Miso Chicken and Wagyu Beef Kofta. We also enjoyed the robust and gluten-free Squid Ink Tagliatelle with Octopus Confit, with the springy pasta made in-house.

There’s also seafood on ice, with sashimi, scallops, tiger prawns, black mussels, and freshly shucked oysters. The oysters are a tad small, but it’s served free-flow after all, so I’m not complaining.

Save room for dessert, which sees rows of Instagram-worthy deconstructed desserts ⁠— think Black Forest Cake and Marsala Wine Tiramisu ⁠— in lidded jars. Or sink your teeth into a selection of Nyonya kueh.

Lunch is from $62++ per adult. Dinner is from $82++per adult. Children under five years old dine for free, and children aged under 12 can enjoy 50 per cent off adult prices.

Breakfast at Estate

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4/7

Breakfast is also held at Estate (unless you have access to the Executive Lounge), with a good selection of Western and Asian choices. There are the usual suspects of hams, smoked salmon, sausages, a variety of viennoiseries and bread. For Asian options, we got individually portioned chee cheong fun, herbal chicken noodle soup, and an Asian Fry Station with the likes of sesame balls, youtiao, and samosas.

There’s even a Nasi Lemak Corner, as well as Indian fare like roti prata, chicken curry, and ⁠⁠aloo bhonda. Over at the eggs station, you can take your pick from scrambled eggs to omelettes and eggs benedict. But these aren’t prepared a la minute and my gripe was that my eggs benny came with the yolk overcooked.

A plus: A juice bar where you can order and sip on freshly squeezed fruit juices.

Don't miss Ginger.Lily for delicious cocktails

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5/7

Located at the heart of the hotel is the lounge and bar Ginger.Lily. It impresses with nature-inspired design elements, cathedral-inspired glass panels, and a semi-open-concept design that invites you to linger over drinks or afternoon tea — and both are equally good.

The beverage menu boasts signature botanical-inspired craft cocktails, like Bees’ ($20++), an exotic concoction of bourbon, scotch, tumeric, curry, honey, egg white, and lemon, or the Longan ($20++), an absinthe-forward sipper with gin, vanilla nutmeg, and pineapple bitters.

Go for the bespoke drinks. Head mixologist Michael Mendoza was away during our visit, but our mixologist for the day, Preshna, shook up great cocktails exactly as we had described our preferences — botanical without being overly sweet.

And a delightful afternoon tea

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Afternoon tea is also an enjoyable affair at Ginger.Lily. Themed after Orchard Road’s storied past as a plantation, the four-part experience starts with scones and warm savouries like the smoked beef burger (sliders, really), a salt-crusted pork bun, and a grilled cheese and spinach sandwich. I was thoroughly impressed by the beef sliders especially, with thick juicy patties and a melty cheddar on top.

The sweets are beautifully presented as a ‘storybook’ with decadent treats like the fruity yet indulgent Almond Fig Tart and Spiced Apple Tatin, which are my favourites. There’s also a bold and rich Valrhona 46% Amatika Chocolate Cake, a fun Tutti Fruitti Tea Cake, and cherry macarons given a twist with a hit of peppercorns.

Long story short, we were stuffed.

Apart from afternoon tea and cocktails, you can also order artisanal cakes and pastries, and options from the Wellness menu (think wholesome and plant-based plates) at Ginger.Lily.

Other dining destinations within the hotel include the Michelin-starred Shisen Hanten, the soon-to-open Italian restaurant Osteria Mozza, as well as the nostalgic Chatterbox (read more about Chatterbox’s revamp here).

Afternoon tea is available daily from 2pm to 5pm. Priced at $58++ per person, or $78++ with a glass of champagne.

Amenities

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7/7

Those who opt for suites or an executive room also get access to the Executive Lounge, where you can enjoy evening cocktails and snacks. At 270 sq m, the well-appointed space is one of the largest in the country, and can accommodate over 200 guests. You can also enjoy a quieter breakfast here, though there’ll be fewer options compared to Estate.

Apart from foliage to enliven the surroundings, most of the pool area has been left untouched since its Mandarin Orchard days. Located next to the lobby on level five, there’s not much of a view here, but you can expect privacy if you’re up for a dip.

And if you’re in the mood to work up a sweat, the large and sleek fitness centres are available 24/7.

Hilton Singapore Orchard is located at333 Orchard Road,Singapore 238867. Visit its website for more information.

This article was first published in Singapore Women's Weekly.