Swissotel Merchant Court, Clarke Quay, Singapore

Located central of Singapore, the Swissotel Merchant Court is a gorgeous enclave from the hustle of busy life in Singapore. The hotel is designed in a casual colonial style with Straits Chinese influence. It is situated just outside the Central MRT and next to Clarke Quay where the hippest and most happening watering hole and dining destination is located in Singapore. A few bus stops away is Chinatown one of the oldest settlement in Singapore, and a total sight to behold especially the month before each lunar new year.

I must say that I love the pool and gym area. The pool is large enough to allow you to swim laps and at the end of the pool is a man made waterfall. I love to stand under the waterfall as the water jets is strong enough giving you a good back massage. Don't be deceived by the smallness of the gym from first glance, there are actually 3 levels of it. The first level contains running machines and weights, 2nd level is the stretching area, and the third level houses cross training and rowing machines. Working out at the 3rd level is the best as you get to enjoy a great view of Clarke Quay. Personally I would have come to the gym more often had I known the existence of the 3rd floor, which I only did on my last day here.

Just next to the Swissotel Merchant Court is a relatively new and small mall called The Central. What's great about the mall is its many Japanese restaurants as well as Japanese supermarket found at the basement. Clarke Quay is also well known for Liang Court which also has a strong Japanese influence. In fact it probably is a place where most Japanese would shop and dine. Liang Court is about a 15 minute walk away from Swissotel Merchant Court. Do check out this little Japanese bakery called Tampopo Deli which is famous for fresh cream puffs and very light Japanese tea cakes.

Langham Place Hong Kong

One of the best hotels I have stayed in Hong Kong is the Langham Place Hong Kong (now known as Cordis) The hotel is located at downtown Mongkok. You could not get any closer to the heart of the night action as the hotel is located near Hong Kong famous night markets. What I love about Langham Place is the superb service where each staff is tasked to go all out to make your stay a memorable one. The hotel is 5-star hotel is right above Mong Kok MTR and Langham Place, which in itself is a shopping mall. There is a H&M outlet located at Langham Place, so it is very easy to shop to your hearts desire and lug those purchases back before going for another round of shopping. Several delicious eateries can also be found in Langham Place, hence you do not really have to go far. Another great place to shop is Argyle Center, which is diagonally across from the hotel.

For sports enthusiasts and gym fanatics, you can be rest assured that the gym is brand new, houses proper weight and cardio equipment. In fact I enjoyed working out the gym as it overlooked the Hong Kong skyline. The Chuan Spa, where the gym is located at, also has a zen area where you can rest, have tea and soak in the skyline. The swimming pool albeit small, is a nice place to hang out. Imagine swimming 40 floors above sea level. There is kind of a muffled sound when you are at the outside pool area, as if your ears are all compressed. What I really loved are the gorgeously decorated ladies equipped with locker facilities, hot tub, steam room and sauna. Since it is decorated in oriental style furnishings, you almost feel like an empress in the ladies.

The hotel room in Langham Place Hong Kong is expected of any 5-star hotel, lush carpeting, comfortable bed and excellent furnishings. What makes this hotel stand out amongst the other 5-star hotels is the excellence they give in details and the personal touch added to it. They have the most unique bathroom I have ever seen, all encased in glass and mirrors. Their toiletry items are also really good to use, the best disposable toothbrush ever! In fact, if you are planning to stay at this hotel, you probably can skip bringing any toiletries apart from your face wash. The hotel room has a ipod docking station which I could dock my iPhone to hear my ipod tunes but only that it could not charge while it played.