Fairmont Hotel, what's the deal?

[JR8]

I like the Fairmont a great deal, but it is a bit schizo. I believe that this is due to it being the combination of two hotels, the Fairmont (south tower?) and Swissotel (north?).

Anyway what I have found is the rooms in the south tower are extremely spiffy and nice, but the rooms in the north tower are pretty run down, 1990s style and show plenty of evidence of water ingress, repairs, repairs that need repairing again etc.

Trouble is when you book a room, no reference is made to which tower the room is in, so it is a lucky-dip.

Does anyone have on views on this place, or info on why the place is as it is... ?

[aster]

The north tower is the Fairmont, the southern one is the Swissotel.

I've had my parents over at both and the Swissotel is the better choice. It's also worth getting one of those larger, corner rooms for a slightly higher price. It's well worth the extra space, two balconies, and great views if they can place you higher up: http://www.swissotel.com/EN/Destination ... d+Room.htm

When you book a room it's not a lucky dip, if you book via Fairmont you'll be in the small tower, whereas if you book via swissotel you'll be in the southern and much taller tower. They are two separate hotels (connected somehow at the ownership level though).

[JR8]

Hmmm... I’m not sure if you have helped or lead me to be even more confused now

Looking at Google Earth the Fairmont appears to have a north west and a south east tower that are minimally interconnected. People seem to refer to these as the north and south towers. Tripadvisor suggests that the south tower is renovated, and the north tower is being renovated in 2012. I’ve stayed in both and there is a clear difference between the two.

How Swissotel comes into the picture I don’t know it is a totally separate building, though it seems to share the pool. I have never seen any Swissotel branding in use at the Fairmont at all, though I have been to some of the Swissotel restaurants/bars whilst staying at the Fairmont (and yes you can charge it to your Fairmont bill!).

The room we had at the Fairmont last time (north tower) is identical to that that you link. Yes it was very large, two balconies, room lay-out precisely like that etc, but it was tatty compared to their renovated rooms which are really slick. I imagine that in future I need to make sure I’m in the Fairmont south tower, or as the north gets renovated, at least in a renovated room. Look at the prices on the Fairmont site and it describes the rooms, but not which towers they are in...

Still think the operation is a bit schizo, though ta for the ‘feedbacks and advises'

[Splatted]

I'm told by Qantas crew who I believe stay at the Swissotel side that the lower levels are more run down, but the higher levels are much better condition. (renovated, I think)

As they are permanant guests of the hotel, they usually get the lower "well-used" levels. Perhaps this is what you ended up with?

[JR8]

I'm told by Qantas crew who I believe stay at the Swissotel side that the lower levels are more run down, but the higher levels are much better condition. (renovated, I think)

As they are permanant guests of the hotel, they usually get the lower "well-used" levels. Perhaps this is what you ended up with?

Er no, as I have only ever stayed at the Fairmont

[Splatted]

I'm told by Qantas crew who I believe stay at the Swissotel side that the lower levels are more run down, but the higher levels are much better condition. (renovated, I think)

As they are permanant guests of the hotel, they usually get the lower "well-used" levels. Perhaps this is what you ended up with?

Er no, as I have only ever stayed at the Fairmont

Then you probably ended up with one of the rooms British Airways cabin crew normally stay in. They too are permanent guests, but in the other tower.



Edit:
it's probably a simple case of not wanting to lose a booking , so they place the person in the other tower.

[JR8]

Looked at booking a room at the Fairmont again, but as usual you're faced with a guessing game as to what you'll get.

So.... (under some duress) booked the Fullerton instead.

[aster]

Looking at Google Earth the Fairmont appears to have a north west and a south east tower that are minimally interconnected.

Yeah, they actually have two towers, more like west and east, whereas the third one (south-east) is the big one run by the Swissotel. It's that one that's the best place to stay at.

IMO the Swissotel has better rooms and much better views as well. As mentioned before you need to go for the "Grand Rooms" which are priced just slightly higher but give you much more room, two balconies, etc. The room numbers will be XX70 (where XX is the floor).

I booked my parents into one of these rooms recently and the view they had was spectacular, as their room was on the 33rd floor (already higher than the roof of the Fairmont, and still many floors higher up available as I think they have rooms until the 68th floor even): http://i.imgur.com/QcOFg.jpg

[zzm9980]

So.... (under some duress) booked the Fullerton instead.

Oh, however will you cope. If it turns out that unbearable, I can pull my mountainbike out of the utility room and you can rent the floor there

[JR8]

So.... (under some duress) booked the Fullerton instead.

Oh, however will you cope. If it turns out that unbearable, I can pull my mountainbike out of the utility room and you can rent the floor there

Bwahahaha, very generous of you Z

p.s. It's not the kind of place I'd usually stay, but the increment to stay there is not that big in the scheme of things. Plus it'll keep my wife happy so it's worth it...

[JR8]

Looking at Google Earth the Fairmont appears to have a north west and a south east tower that are minimally interconnected.

Yeah, they actually have two towers, more like west and east, whereas the third one (south-east) is the big one run by the Swissotel. It's that one that's the best place to stay at.

Definitely looks NW<>SE to me. With the Swissotel being the separate southern block.



But it is besides the point as what I was trying to figure out was the difference between the two towers at the Fairmont (as I like the hotel, but the difference between their two towers is significant).

IMO the Swissotel has better rooms and much better views as well.

Ah but, have you seen both towers at the Fairmont, because if you're comparing vs one of their older rooms then yes I expect the Swissotel does come out better. The new rooms at the Fairmont are damned spiffy though.

As mentioned before you need to go for the "Grand Rooms" which are priced just slightly higher but give you much more room, two balconies, etc. The room numbers will be XX70 (where XX is the floor).

Yes, like I said we had an identical rooms to that (which you linked) in the Fairmont, and it was in the north tower, it was big but it was tatty. So I'm coming to the conclusion that the south tower (the Fairmont do refer to them as their north and south towers) is the one to pick. Smaller rooms than the north tower corner rooms, but beautifully done out.
http://www.fairmont.com/singapore/Accom ... mIndex.htm

I booked my parents into one of these rooms recently and the view they had was spectacular, as their room was on the 33rd floor (already higher than the roof of the Fairmont, and still many floors higher up available as I think they have rooms until the 68th floor even): http://i.imgur.com/QcOFg.jpg

The views might be great for tourists but views don't really do much for me (for example I found visiting the skydeck at MBS a complete waste of time and money), having seen them already from the Swissotel F&B outlets and other nearby tall buildings. Maybe though I'll consider Swissotel another time... so thanks for 'the feedbacks'



edit: typos

[zzm9980]

p.s. It's not the kind of place I'd usually stay, but the increment to stay there is not that big in the scheme of things

Yeah, and that's how I always talk myself into the nicer bigger hotel rooms I don't need.... "It's only $100 more and I get the HARBOR VIEW! Oh, $50 more than that and I get free internet and club access!" By the time it ends, I'm in checked into a $600 a night room in HK that I'm not even using since I'm slumming it at some crappy wanna-be british pub in Wan Chai

[JR8]

Lol I hear you

Like I hinted I'm not doing it for me, I'd probably be happy sleeping on the pub banquette too lol. Anyways I think you get to a point of figuring you've saved almost just about every discretionary $ all your life... and you know... isn't it time you enjoyed just a fraction of that once or twice a year? It's silly but it is quite hard for me to do as it is quite against my nature, but hey (pop a beer or two) and now and again I'm like well why the hell not, lets splurge on something high-end but value for money...

Ideally I should sit down and say, ok I probably have 30 years left, what's my wealth/30, and I must now spend that every year... hmmm ... but I just couldn't do it... So I expect I'll die not short of money, and yet still feel driven to walk a mile to save a $1 on a 6-pack. ... silly isn't it... lol

[zzm9980]

Ideally I should sit down and say, ok I probably have 30 years left, what's my wealth/30, and I must now spend that every year... hmmm ... but I just couldn't do it... So I expect I'll die not short of money, and yet still feel driven to walk a mile to save a $1 on a 6-pack. ... silly isn't it... lol

I don't quite believe in "fate", but I believe in people that do that living for 50 more years running low on cash. People put off enjoying their $$ will get hit by a car in 2 yrs.

[JR8]

I don't quite believe in "fate", but I believe in people that do that living for 50 more years running low on cash. People put off enjoying their $$ will get hit by a car in 2 yrs.

Oh that's a happy thought

It seems to be a fact that people who are engaged in their financial arrangements on average over-save for their retirement. The pensions industry certainly encourage that as well ('it's never too early to start a pension'... 'It's the earlier years compounding that really make a difference', etc...)