Singapore has gone into a lockdown. It wasn’t quite phase 1 in which we were not allowed to see any friends or even go out except for exercise and essential reasons like shopping. We call it like Phase 1.5. This time, no dining-in and we were allowed to only mingle with 2 people that aren’t from our household. Now, as we speak, dine-in has resumed for 2 pax only and gatherings allowed at 5 people. No music in any restaurants, can you imagine?
Well until this goes back to almost normal which is phase 2 where dining out in groups of 5 is allowed at least, a staycation might be something interesting to consider!
During that previous lockdown, at the end of may, we went to the Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort and Spa. There are luxurious activities you can do solo or with a loved one. From the Bali and French-inspired living areas where you can chill and read a book, the hotel has gone out of its way to offer some experiences as accommodating as possible for guests while maintaining a safe environment for all. To ensure your safety and well-being, they have put in place the most stringent cleaning standards and operational protocols in the world of hospitality and as mandated by local authorities.
So here is what to expect when you are at the Sofitel Sentosa during this period, until regulations change.
Safety Measures at Sofitel Singapore Sentosa
- All dining establishments are open with 2 pax dining, in-room dining is still available. We were only allowed to have picnics by the beach or eat in our own room;
- Sofitel SPA remains open with only body treatments permitted, facial treatments are not permitted;
- The pool remains open, service of food and beverage is limited to 2-pax only;
- Villa des Enfants remains operational with a maximum of 5 children at any one point in time;
- Usage of Sofitel FITNESS will temporarily cease;
- A maximum of 5 guests are permitted in each room with no intermingling between guests from different rooms allowed.
Current Promotions at Sofitel Singapore Sentosa
Sofitel have so many programs that you can try out while you are there. They have wellness programs, several staycation packages (such as the Infinite Family Experience, Retreat to Sanctuary and Furkid Retreat), enjoy LeBars French High Teas, a brunch from their Kwee Zeen restaurant and their B Leisure-Lifestyle.
During our stay, restaurants were closed so all meals were delivered to the room. If you love to get pampered, the Sofitel Spa and Sentosa Spa is open and available. Make sure to call and see what are the available treatments as regulations keep changing.
Why we enjoyed a Lockdown Staycation
- In-room dining all the time! On the positive side, it did feel great to have lazy days in the room with food delivered to the room. We could eat on the bed, couch and just relax, something that we have not been doing enough of. We had a good range of International cuisine, Singaporean and Chinese meals, as for now, travelling through our food is pretty much the only way to go!
- Plenty to do. Just because you must eat inside, doesn’t mean you are limited to staying in your room all the time. You have direct access to the beach, only about 10 minutes walk from your room. Being so conveniently located in Sentosa, you should leverage de paths for running and walking to get fit too! If you want to stay at the resort, you can access the swimming pool (book first please), use the outdoor Fitness area (a Bike and Elliptical trainer was available while the gym was closed during our lockdown period) and a shuttle service to get around the island.
- Being safe is the main priority here. We felt safe, checked in and well looked after during our time. It’s hard to have a full 5-star experience when there are so many restrictions, but we felt as though Sofitel really worked hard to make that happen.
Our experience at Sofitel Sentosa Singapore
As soon as we arrived, we booked most of our activities for the whole stay. Our breakfast, lunch and dinner times, so we can plan other leisure time around that. We went straight to the room, booked our spot at the pool (2hr blocks) and then hit the water. As the hotels are slighter quieter now it is great to just chill out by the waters edge.
After a few hours, we head back to the room for a bit before our picnic experience. The experience that you should get during you stay is the Sofitel Sentosa Picnic. You can have your Picnic on Tanjong Beach or at the other beaches, you pretty much decide. The picnic isn’t arrange for you at the beach, you get it from the hotel and need to make your way to where you want to picnic by yourself.
After going down the set of stairs and a short walk, we were at the beach with a picnic basket full of goodies we had handpicked for dinner. Items such as red wine, steak, pizza, fries and salad were all downed and were enjoyed thoroughly as we watched the sunset go down over the water. The team provides you with a giant picnic mat, but as you can see, we wanted to use our cute little Aperol Spritz beach towel to have the colours pop even more in our photos! After an incredible sunset, we headed back to the room for a VERY comfortable night swim in the massive King size bed.
We woke in the morning to the door as we ordered our breakfast in bed. As Thuymi slept, I could arrange the food and room so we could get some pics before we scoffed the Singapore and Chinese dishes down. My Singapore Laksa was a great way to kickstart the day. We really enjoyed the done in concept. It was in general a great stay and a well needed vacation out of the house!
- Have you ever visited Singapore before? Share with us your experience if you have been!
- Have we missed a place where we need to go?
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