Address: 9 Wallich Street, Singapore 078885
Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar MRT station [East-West line]

We booked a package which includes a two night stay, first night dinner at Arbora and second night was tapas and one drink. There was a promo for buy one night and get the second night free on Klook when I booked, and I managed to use my Singapore Rediscover Voucher (SRV) to deduct an additional $100 off.

Welcome to Sofitel Singapore City Centre, a luxury hotel set in the heart of the central business district. Amidst the historic shophouses and tall skyscrapers of Tanjong Pagar and directly above the MRT station, discover our singular blend of French art de vivre and local sophistication. With elegant function rooms, a restaurant serving authentic French and refined Local Chinese cuisine, a tea lounge and bar and coffee bar, multiple fitness options and an outdoor pool, Sofitel Singapore City Centre is a magnifique setting for work, play and relaxation in the Garden City.

Check in process took about 45 minutes as there were too few counters. Our room was not ready until around 5pm so we had to wait at the lounge area. The receptionist gave us a welcome drink voucher, which we used to redeem for a bottle of beer and a cocktail. Most of the afternoon tea goers were still around, so we were allocated to a small table for two just behind the bar.

After checking again with the staff on the status of our room, we finally got the keys, to room 913. Upon entering the room, we were impressed with the spacious layout. It had views of the Chinatown and CBD area, and a huge bathtub in the toilet. As part of the SG Clean programme, there was an amenity kit with hand sanitizer, anti-bacterial hand wipes and masks.

There were wine and champagne glasses in the room, perfect for those who like to bring their own bottle. The mini expresso machine allows you to brew a cup of coffee in the morning, to perk you up and get started for the day.

The painting in the bathroom looks kind of creepy, but it is part of Sofitel City Centre’s direction to incorporate more art pieces in the hotel. As for the sliding door, it can only cover the toilet bowl or the shower area at a time, so it is not convenient for two people to do their business at the same time.

I like the amenities given, using Lanvin from Paris, from the shampoo, body foam, conditioner to hand cream. The screw on cap gave me a false idea that I was supposed to twist the cap open, but afterwards I realised that the cap was supposed to be flicked open.

Besides, expresso capsules, tea bags from TWG were also provided. I enjoy the wide selection of tea available from TWG, especially unique flavours such as Paris-Singapore tea. The link is obvious, because Sofitel is a French brand and they set up in Singapore, so the French-Singapore connection is apt.

Breakfast was included for both days but there was no booking system so there were long queues, even when we went down as early as 7.30pm. I think Sofitel is overwhelmed with staycation bookings and should improve their service first before trying to maximize its occupancy. Ordering breakfast using the QR code provided on the table was a breeze. Each person is allowed to order only one main course and unlimited sides. I had udon soup on the first day and nasi lemak on the second day. Even though the food selection was wide, the taste of the food was not that great. Even the eggs selection that my wife ordered, a typical American breakfast, was also not outstanding.

And lastly, the drinks and tapas on the second day was not recommended because there was only one drink included per person (I was expecting free flow) and the tapas was too minuscule (imagine one piece of kueh cut into half to serve 2 people). It was barely enough to make us full for dinner, so luckily I had planned to have Korean food around the area for dinner subsequently.

In terms of facilities, the hotel has a gym and a small swimming pool. Both need to be booked in advance. The gym was not crowded and you would need to sign in before using it. There is a staff stationed at the counter on level 6, who would ask you to exchange your room card for another access card. This is to allow tracking of who uses the pool and the gym.

The pool was quite crowded. During our three-day stay at Sofitel, we had trouble booking a swimming slot on the online system because all the slots were fully booked. It was during the March holidays. We were advised to turn up and see if anyone cancelled their booking. I was lucky to be able to go to the pool on the last day, just before checkout. The sun was playing hide-and-seek, shining brightly for a few minutes and disappearing behind the clouds for the next few minutes. As the pool is not located on a high floor, we can see Oasia Hotel and Carlton City hotel in the background.
Lastly, for the Dinner at Arbora, we enjoyed the sunset at the restaurant and also a filling dinner. We didn’t know the cable car last ride was until 8pm so we didn’t manage to use the return ticket but that would be for another story. I shall leave this for another separate review.

Do make use of the chance to use your SDV soon because the validity date is until 30 June. There is a variety of 5-star hotels to choose from, or if you don’t like to do staycations, you can also consider going on a local tour, to explore the lesser-known areas of Singapore. Even though Sofitel is a 5-star hotel, we had qualms about this hotel because of the less-than-satisfactory experience, especially for the food and the booking of facilities. I hope that Sofitel can step up its act and recruit more service staff to cope with the higher demands for local tourism. They seem pretty overwhelmed at the moment. We did not ask the housekeeping to clean our room during our stay, but I would like to commend them for their prompt service in delivering additional water bottles or tea to our room.