ORCHARD RENDEZVOUS HOTEL, SINGAPORE

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The Orchard Rendezvous Hotel (formerly Orchard Parade Hotel) is a long-established landmark on the corner of Tanglin and Orchard roads. The easy accessibility to the hotel via subway or taxi is another plus point. I always prefer taxis in Singapore. Public transport to and from Changi airport is inconvenient and time-consuming.

I booked the hotel through a booking platform and reserved a king-size bed. Unfortunately, I was then assigned a double bed. I emailed the hotel to change this and, unfortunately, never got an answer. Also at check-in, a change to a king bed was unfortunately not possible, and I was not happy about that.

The rooms are appropriately equipped without frills and are clean. The hotel has a nice swimming pool, but some plants would be nice. (Construction was going on during my stay.) The staff throughout were very friendly and efficient.

The hotel is good value for money, and I had a pleasant stay.

https://www.rendezvoushotels.com/en/hotels/orchard-rendezvous-hotel

FLIGHT CHECK: SINGAPORE AIRLINES

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BANGKOK-SINGAPORE-BANGKOK

Economy Class

SQ705   BKK-SIN B787-10 (Configuration 36-301). Aircraft: 9V-SCB

Check-in: ***** 5/5

Boarding: **** 4/5

Inflight Service : 

Food and Beverage ***3/5  

Cabin Crew: **** 4/5

Comfort: *** 4/5 

Flight Time: 1.57 hrs

Impressions: 

Booking and check-in via the SQ App worked very well. Singapore Airlines opens online check-in 48 hours before departure and lets you change your seat assignments online (For those who did not pre-pay a seat reservation). Airport check-in desks had an “Internet Check-in lane” which was very efficient.

Singapore Airlines continues its full service offering, including a small meal service (a hot meal in a sustainable box) on short sectors. Unfortunately, the meal had not been heated properly and was not hot. Cabin service was polite, if not a bit robotic.

On-time arrival in Singapore in heavy rain and there was a minimal waiting time for the bags of about 10 min. Despite this, an announcement was made to apologise for the delay and cold drinks and cookies were handed out by Changi Airport staff. I found this an excellent and very unexpected service. It was a pleasant surprise for all the waiting passengers.

Singapore-Bangkok

SQ714 SIN-BKK, A350-941 (Configuration: 40/263)  Aircraft: 9V-SHO

Check-in: ***** 5/5

Boarding: *** 3/5

Inflight Service: 

Food and Beverage ****4/5

Cabin Crew **** 4/5

Comfort: **** 4/5

Flight time: 1.57 hrs

Impressions: 

Automatic online check-in was preselected and about 30 hours before departure an Upgrade at a flat rate was offered. The price was about the same as I paid for my ticket BKK-SIN-BKK so I declined the offer. I used the automatic bag drop at Changi Airport and it was fast and efficient. Changi Airport also offers automatic Passport Control Lanes for speedy Immigration which worked well.

A boarding announcement was made which called for passengers to board by groups as indicated on their boarding passes. However, many passengers stood up at the same time and nobody checked the boarding groups which led to a very long queue. 

The hot box food was hot this time and as an extra perk ice cream was served with it. This is always a nice treat when flying. 

Singapore Airlines does not provide menu cards anymore, but the full menu including all beverages are shown in the SQ App about a week before the flight (enough time to order a special meal if desired). I find this a very good solution as passengers are able to get the information before the flight and it is not only cost-efficient but also environmentally friendly.

The aircraft operating on both flights were very modern and in stylish colours with USB plugs on every seat.

Singapore Airlines offers a an excellent value for money product and is a pleasant way to fly. 

 

https://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/th/home#/book/bookflight

RAILJET TRAIN AUSTRIA

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Railjet is a high-speed rail service in Europe operated by Austrian Federal Railways(ÖBB) and Czech Railways(ČD). Branded as Railjet Express (RJX) for the fastest services and as Railjet (RJ) for services with additional stops, it was introduced in 2008 and operates at speeds of up to 230 km/h (143 mph). Railjet is ÖBB’s premier service and operates both domestically within Austria and on international services to adjacent major cities in the Czech Republic, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Hungary and Slovakia.

Railjet trains have three levels of service; economy, first and business classes.

Business class has the highest level of service, containing premium seating for 16 passengers located in the front part of the control car at the opposite end of the train to the locomotive. The seating plan is in an ‘open compartments’ style similar to a corridor coach layout, but open plan and doorless, and intended to be a considerable improvement over previous first class accommodation. A galley separates the business and first class compartments.

First class seating occupies the remainder of the control car, the second coach and half of the third coach which also contains spaces and facilities for wheelchair users. 76 seats are provided in [2+1] formation. The remainder of the third coach contains the restaurant which provides an at seat service. The remaining four coaches provide 316 economy class seats in [2+2] formation, the fourth coach also contains an area for families and children.

https://www.oebb.at/en/reiseplanung-services/im-zug/unsere-zuege/railjet

FLIGHT CHECK: MALAYSIAN AIRLINES

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Flight Check: 

Kuala Lumpur – Bangkok, Business Class

MH 774, Boeing 737-800

(Configuration: 16-144)  Aircraft: 9M-MXH

Check-in: via MAS App

Lounge: *** 3/5

Boarding: ** 2/5

Inflight Service: Food and Beverage: **** 4/5

Cabin Crew: ***** 5/5

Comfort: ****4/5

Flight Time: 1:43 hours

Impressions:

I used the Malaysian Airlines Golden Regional Lounge which was located near Gate 2, overlooking the tarmac and the aircraft parking stands .

The Lounge offered a generous seating area, a bar, a dining buffet, a coffee bar and working tables as well as a Prayer room and a napping area.

The food offered was decent, comprising a choice of Asian and Western dishes, soup, a small salad bar and some sweets. (Unfortunately the hot food items were only lukewarm but the taste was fine)

No announcements were made in the lounge but the staff informed me personally about a small delay to my flight departure time.

Boarding was a bit chaotic as the flight was delayed by nearly one hour and passengers on the next flight were already queuing up. (KLIA uses a gate security check so there was an unexpected long queue.) The gate staff did not separate passengers for the “first flight” so this caused a lot of confusion among the passengers.

When I boarded the flight I was greeted nicely and as I was the only passenger in Business Class the crew always mentioned my name when they approached me. I pre-ordered a so called Chef-on-Call menu and it was delivered promptly. The meal was delicious and the crew was charming and professional.

https://www.malaysiaairlines.com/us/en.html

LE MERIDIEN, KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA

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Together with the Hilton Kuala Lumpur, the Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur are identical sister hotels. They are located directly at KL Sentral Train station which is easily accessible from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) by a direct nonstop train which takes only 28 minutes. There is a covered indoor walkway between the train station and the hotels providing for convenient access.

Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur is a hip hotel (Marriott Group) which offers a cool and colourful setting. I checked-in online well ahead of time and got a message on my Bonvoy app as soon as the room was ready. Check-in at the front desk was therefore only a quick key pick-up stop.

The room was located on the 27th floor with a nice view over the city and the KL Sentral station. A generous room size, a French press coffee maker, as well as a water boiler and a large empty fridge was available. The decor was minimal but functional with a very comfortable bed and plenty of pillows. Bathroom was nice with built in shower bench.

The twin hotels share the same pool, the same gym (which was surprisingly not open 24 hours as per Marriott standards) and the Spa. Both hotels offer plenty of dining options.

NU shopping mall is only 4 minutes walk away via the train station. This shopping centre offers everything that a traveller might need.

My stay at Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur was a very pleasant one and besides the fantastic location the service was good and the staff members that I met were all friendly and helpful.

 

https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/kulmd-le-meridien-kuala-lumpur/overview/

FLIGHT CHECK: KLM, ROYAL DUTCH AIRLINES

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JAKARTA-KUALA LUMPUR, BUSINESS CLASS

Online check-in and bag drop was smooth and fast, and enabled me to by-pass the check-in counter. I was given a voucher for the Garuda Indonesia Lounge, KLM’s SkyTeam  partner airline (see separate review).

Boarding took place on time and this older Boeing 777-200 made a rather *vintage* impression. The seating layout was 2-2-2 which is really outdated nowadays and usually only offered by airlines which have not updated their business class cabins in a long time. The cabin made a clean impression and the crew were in a good mood. This particular aircraft seemed to have a problem with the vacuum systems as all left hand lavatories were inoperative. This was not a big deal for such a short flight, but might be a bigger issue for passengers traveling on to Amsterdam.

My flight took about 1:45 hours and the inflight service was almost non-existent. An ice-cold sandwich (choice of vegetarian or crabmeat) and a drink were served. No second round of sandwiches, drinks or sweets was offered. Asian carriers usually serve a full meal on flights longer than 1:30 hours in their premium classes.

Nevertheless, I found this flight convenient as it was the only wide-body aircraft available on this route and the fares are very competitive as this flight is an  extension to the Amsterdam-Kuala Lumpur route, a so called fifth-freedom service.

 

https://www.klm.com

GARUDA INDONESIA LOUNGE, JAKARTA, INDONESIA

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The Garuda Indonesia Lounge is located in Terminal 3 at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta Airport. This is the airport’s newest terminal and is mostly frequented by Garuda itself, and some other international carriers.

I visited this lounge because I was departing on a SkyTeam partner airline.

The lounge is a mid-size average business class lounge which offers views over the terminal and the tarmac. There are a couple of dining tables, a few napping chairs, a lounge area for relaxing, a Muslim prayer room and a restroom/shower facility. The food on offer was very limited and mediocre. There was soup, a choice of two hot dishes, some bread, potato chips and a small fruit bar. Drinks on offer were soft drinks, coffee, tea and beer. Nothing really special to write home about and rather on the underwhelming side. The Garuda International Lounge serves its purpose but not more than that.

 

 

https://www.garuda-indonesia.com/id/en/garuda-indonesia-experience/on-ground/premium-service/lounge/index

ASCOTT JAKARTA, INDONESIA

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SERVICED APARTMENT

A serviced apartment is different from your average hotel room. It’s usually fully furnished accommodation,complete with home-like facilities and a number of services that you would find in the best hotels. In a serviced apartment you have access to the complete package including a bedroom (or multiple bedrooms depending on the apartment’s size), fully equipped kitchen, living area, bathroom, parking, WiFi and internet access, TV, washing machine, linen and towels also come as a standard. Housekeeping, room service and a restaurant are usually available too. Access to a gym, swimming pool and meeting rooms are also available at selected locations.

I stayed at the Ascott Jakarta on this trip. Ascott Limited is a Singaporean based lodging company with a strong footprint in Asia. Ascott has more than 700 properties in over 200 cities spanning more than 40 countries around the world.

The Ascott Jakarta Kuningan serviced apartments are connected to the Lotte Shopping Avenue which makes it easy for a quick trip to the supermarket, restaurants, barber shop etc. Everything is kept clean and housekeeping service was efficient and reliable. There is a 24-hour reception desk and guests can easily stay in touch with guest services through a WhatsApp line which enables easy contact regardless of whether the guest is in-house, or at an outside location.

The restaurant offered and indoor and outdoor section and breakfast was offered daily. The price of US $ 10 for breakfast was very moderate and even included an egg station.  (Restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner)

I also enjoyed the pool and the gym.

My stay at the Ascott Jakarta was an uncomplicated and easy one. Everybody seemed to be relaxed and a little less stiff than at some hotels. I enjoyed  my stay very much.

https://www.discoverasr.com/en/ascott-the-residence/indonesia/ascott-kuningan-jakarta

THE RITZ-CARLTON, JAKARTA, INDONESIA

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The Ritz-Carlton Jakarta is a skyscraper hotel at Mega Kuningan which is the centre of an upmarket business district. The complex has two towers and the hotel was opened in 2005. The building is 212 m tall and has 48 floors and 4 basement levels. The hotel has 278 club-sized rooms and 55 suites.

 Check-in was done swiftly in a separate club floor area where a welcome drink and a hot towel was offered before I was escorted to the room.

 What a nice surprise was waiting for me there. The hotel staff had a personal welcome message on the TV screen waiting for me (including my picture, which was cute) and a birthday surprise painted on the window! I found this a truly welcoming gesture. 

With a high staff-to-guest ratio, the level of attentiveness is so high that one always feels like one is staying among friends.

The Club lounge offered daily breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and snacks as well as a full dinner. All of my meals were of excellent quality and were delicious. An ever changing meal selection made this a very pleasant experience.

The staff at the Club lounge were highly professional, always ready for a chat, and always addressed guests by name. The lounge claims to be one of the largest in Asia. I cannot praise the staff enough for their unending efforts to make guests feel welcome and to take care of them.

The room was of a large size with a huge marble bathroom and, of course, featured all amenities that one could think of. (including a Nespresso coffee maker).

There are two restaurants in the hotel, a spa, a gym, and a nice swimming pool.

I give this hotel 6 stars for the large oversized rooms, the Club lounge, and the wonderful staff throughout the hotel.

Club Lounge:

SPA, Pool and Gym:

Hotel and Restaurants:

https://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/indonesia/jakarta#HOTEL

FLIGHT CHECK: THAI AIRWAYS

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Bangkok to Jakarta, Business Class

Check-in: ***** 5/5

Boarding: * 1/5

Inflight Service : *** 3/5

Food and Beverage ***3/5  

Cabin Crew: **** 4/5

Comfort: *** 4/5 

Thai Airways is currently operating 41 aircraft (pre-pandemic approx. 85) after facing severe operating restrictions for almost 2 years. Many of their aircraft are still grounded at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport and it’s kind of a sad sight when taxiing to the runway. Thai Airways is still operating under the bankruptcy law and were recently rated number 46 in the world on Skytrax airline awards.

Check-in was smooth and efficient and the new Fast Track lane near door 1 at Suvarnabhumi Airport works fast and is hassle free. 

Boarding was a bit chaotic as always when travelling on Thai Airways at this airport. Thai Airways does not strictly separate business and economy class passengers at the departure gate area. This confuses passengers and no clear announcements are made. A gate agent tried to pick out the priority passengers holding a paper sign in her hand which is not particularly professional or effective. (Most airlines at Suvarnabhumi airport organise this very well, and I don’t know why Thai Airways has never streamlined passenger boarding since this airport was opened)

The aircraft was a newer Airbus 350-900 but it looked a bit worn and tired. I think dirty carpets and seats are the main problem areas.

Thai Airways does not offer menu cards anymore and the friendly crew tried to improvise and showed the meal choice on private mobile devices to passengers. It was a nice gesture, but I think the airline should handle  this more professionally and put this information for passengers in the airline app, or on their website. This time I have pre-ordered my breakfast choice which worked out well.

The breakfast served onboard was nice and delicious; and disembarkation at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta airport was smooth. 

I am looking forward to seeing some improvement in Thai Airways’ ground handling and inflight cabin services. I hope they will improve their service offering generally, and climb back up the ladder to where they can be, and should be, as a top-tier, globally competitive, airline carrier.

https://www.thaiairways.com/en_TH/index.page