Hilton Singapore, probably the most extensive (and good) breakfast buffet you can find on the face of the earth

I have no idea if the Guinness Book of Records measures the most generous breakfast offered by a hotel, but if this category exists this hotel should have its name on one of the pages Of the most printed book after the Bible.

The history of this hotel is interesting. Hilton has been in Singapore since the early 1970s, from when it opened to Dec. 31, 2021 it has always been in the same facility on Orchard Road. At the end of last year, however, it closed its doors, and has since opened in its place a hotel under IHG's Voco banner, waiting to move a few hundred meters further south, still on Orchard Road still inside a historic structure, the one that from the 1970s to late 2019 housed the Mandarin Oriental. E February 2022 saw the opening of the new Hilton Singapore Orchard.

Reservation

To book this room I used 60 thousand Hilton honors points., points that I have accumulated through stays in recent months and through the very rich bonuses that the Hilton Honors program offers. For example during this stay there was the promo that gave double points, qualifying double nights and 2000 extra points with midweek check-out. Because it's good to remember that an award night has the same rights as paid nights, and that means you accumulate all the bonuses.

The cost would have been slightly less than 500$, so it seemed like a good use of points for one night.

Location

As mentioned and as the name implies we are on Orchard Road, a 5-minute walk from the Ion mega mall, but the whole street is a succession of malls and stores of all kinds, from Apple to high-fashion brands.

The subway is a 5-minute walk away, and there is everything around: restaurants, clubs, shopping centers, and activities for every type of guest.

The structure

The hotel consists of two towers with 35 floors each, now only the first one, the one facing Orchard Road, is in operation; the other will be ready by spring. When completed this hotel with over 1100 rooms will be the largest Hilton Hotel in all of Asia, including China and Japan.

Check-in

When the cab dropped us off in front of the doors of what looked like the hotel. No one took care of us or our luggage, The lobby also did not seem too bustling. The reason was simple, it was not the lobby it was just the gatekeepers' quarters. To check in, you have to go up to the 5th floor. The lower floors are partly used as a shopping gallery and offices.

The elevators lead to the registration area; this floor is in effect a connecting plate between the two towers.

The receptionist given my Diamond status asked me if I preferred to do the paperwork in the lounge instead of traditional desks, of course we immediately agreed.

We were thus escorted into the lounge and of course also this is the biggest lounge I've ever seen in a hotel, and I imagine it is the largest in the world in Hilton family hotels. We were seated, and while an attendant offered us coffee the paperwork at the desk was taken care of.

A few minutes later the reception assistant came to us with the room keys and explained the various special features of the hotel.

The room

The attendant then escorted us from the elevators, I thought it was a courtesy to escort us to the room instead she wanted to point us to particular elevators.

Executive guests have rooms on the upper floors of the two towers, 32 through 36, to speed up travel there are 4 dedicated elevators that stop only on the lower floors (1/5/6) and Executive floors, in this way one is able to move much faster. In addition to these there are 6 other elevators that stop at all floors instead.

Our room was on the top floor, or rather on the top floor of the rooms, as the 38th floor has an immense restaurant hall for events. A circular room with a 360-degree view of the city.

The room is brand new, nothing like some Hilton hotels stopped in the 1980s (when good).

The decor is basic, perhaps too much so for a Hilton. A certain kind of standard is sought from this chain, and this hotel seems to be pushing a little too far in a direction that may not please everyone.

Starting with the fact that lacks a real closet. If you want to hang something you can use the space made and hidden behind the TV set.

I like the room, it is modern and has everything I look for from a room, however at this price I also expect more attention to detail And a step up in elegance.

King bed, with topper not too thick, two nightstands one small and one more generous.

Under the window sofa, a small armchair, and a small round table placed in front of the sideboard where there is hidden the mini-bar, practically empty, kettle, and coffee maker.

Excellent environmental awareness and focus on plastics. In fact, there is almost no PVC in the room. The two water bottles are replaced by two tetrapak cards, and the rest of the supply is in glass or cans.

The view is open to Orchard and the skyline.

Ordinary mega TV, but without the classic modern features such as Netflix or the ability to connect your cell phone or tablet and display content on the TV.

Bathroom as basic as the rest of the room and contemporary in design.

Japanese shower, tub, and toilet seat but not very "smart" compared to all the ones I have seen recently.

Otherwise the classic room equipment, there is no butler here and if you want you can iron your own clothes.

Even in the bathroom, no single-use plastic, and reusable dispensers.

Applause to those who thought of installing the "master" button near the bed, from both bedside tables. These hotels have dozens of lights and lights and turning them all off is a treasure hunt, with one click you get the result without having to go crazy.

Services

The hotel is above a shopping arcade, and it overlooks the shopping street so if you need anything you can find it easily.

On the fifth floor of the two towers is the heart of the hotel. The reception, pool, and main restaurants are located here. The gym and executive lounge, however, are one floor above.

Given that this hotel, when the second tower is opened it will have more than 1,000 rooms, the pool looks like a joke. Of course no one goes to Singapore to swim in the pool, Unless it is the one in Marina Bay, or spend hours on it, but is really small and has at its disposal the beauty of  6 single beds, 3 umbrellas and a double sunbed in the relaxation area.

The pool is smaller than a padel court. Really a ridiculous thing, other than a cruise ship.

It's not that the gymnasium on the upper floor is much bigger, but if I understand correctly, the second tower will have a second gymnasium and then guests can share.

If in the U.S. Hilton use Peloton, here in Singapore it's all made in Italy with all the equipment and Technogym-branded weight room.

The lounge

As mentioned, it is huge, something never seen before. It occupies almost the entire floor except for the small portion occupied by the gymnasium and elevators.

Inside there is also a Fully equipped meeting room that can be used free of charge, By reservation, by guests.

To cope with the many guests, there are two buffet areas, all in an elegant, fairly bright, tidy, and very clean environment. The only shortcoming is that it closes at 10:30 pm, but it is not the only one, although some are accessible h24.

In addition to breakfast, afternoon tea and apericena are offered, which in quantity we could say is also equivalent to dinner. The lounge offers everything from sweet to savory, all kinds of drinks, wine and sparkling wine and even cocktails, just ask.

I dare not imagine what it might be on a busy day, but During our stay it was always quiet, with people scattered in every corner working, chatting, or just having a cup of coffee.

Breakfast

The idea is to get you walking enough to get you to work off what you're going to eat for breakfast. The Estate restaurant spans the entire wing of the Mandarin tower. Warm décor, and several small rooms to divide the rooms and not create too chaotic situations.

Breakfast, free thanks to the status, it is something never seen before. It's quicker to say what wasn't there. Frankly, I did not see the mixed fried food, ice cream and champagne. Otherwise there was everything and there were all the flavors in the world.

The egg station is obvious, the Porridge station decidedly less so, As is the ability to have Congee or Noodles, centrifuges, juices and waffles made.

Everything divided into small islands so as not to create crowds and move guests around, it reminded me a lot of the breakfast of the Marriott Surawongnse in Bangkok, But here we are even bigger. I leave out the details to get an idea just look at the photos above.

In conclusion

When I pay with points, I always try to get the most out of the conversion, frankly I was undecided whether to invest it or pay cash, and in the end I chose not to pull out the approximately 500€ required.

The room is ok, the hotel is cool and modern. the breakfast is wow, but honestly I don't know if I would go back.

I prefer smaller solutions such as the The Vagabond in Little india or more spectacular such as the Marina Bay, at this figure I expect something more from what the Hilton Singapore offered us.

• sleep with points