Over the weekend, I brought the kids over to Ramada Hotel Singapore at Zhongshan Park (along Balestier Road). Here’s a review of the hotel and our experience there with the 2 young boys.
About Ramada Hotel Singapore
Ramada Hotel Singapore is a four-star hotel conveniently located in the Novena district next to Zhongshan Mall in Zhongshan Park. It’s a very central location that gives you easy access to all the things to do and places to go in Singapore like the Balestier Heritage Trail, Little India, or Orchard Road.
The Service
I shall start with the very thing that would make me come back again and stay with Ramada Hotel Singapore – their service. The entire hotel crew from the guys at the check in counter, to those in the restaurant over our 1 night stay were very well-coordinated and obviously worked very well as a team.
We made reservations for dinner at the hotel restaurant, Flavours at Zhongshan Park, and the staff were alert and knew our preferences and had our table prepared beforehand. Even at breakfast the next day, the staff knew of our needs (1 baby chair, and 2 sets of children cutlery) once we told them our name. I really appreciate how comfortable and welcomed they made us feel
Check in and check out was a breeze and took less than 5 mins. ??
We Had A Great Time In The Pool
I wish our stay was longer and we could have enjoyed more of the hotel’s facilities and surrounding attractions. The kids loved the pool and we had a lovely time chilling out there. Besides the usual big lap pool, they had a kids pool and a shallow water area.
The nice shallow area is where you can just lie down and relax under the sky on a pool chair or like how my kids do it in the picture above, without worrying about drowning. LOL.
Park View Room
They knew we had 2 young kids with us and the room greeted us with 2 Panda soft toys, a plate of kueh lapis and a bag of Famous Amos cookies. What a nice welcome touch.
Check out the specially designed bedside lamp that is fashioned after a sugar cane in the above picture. It is designed as a tribute to how the entire Balestier area used to be a sugar cane plantation farm.
The premium Serta king-sized bed promised a good night sleep and it did. My kids slept past their usual waking hours. There were large bay windows that offered plenty of natural light and a relaxing view of the Zhongshan Park.
Little perks from the stay that we really appreciated:
- Free local international calls to selected countries
- Free use of a mobile device that comes with local mobile data (this was really useful – I took it everywhere to play cartoons for the boys)
- Complimentary shuttle to and from Novena MRT Station and Orchard Road
- Childcare in room (on request)
- Cribs and extra beds available (on request)
The only thing we wished the room had was to allow us to easily beam content from our phone to the room TV – it would have kept the kids so entertained. There was content to watch on the TV but most of it was either local free to air channels or paid content.
Review of Flavours at Zhongshan Park Dinner Buffet
We had their weekend themed dinner buffet, the Hawkerlicious’ Dinner Buffet which featured:
- Seafood Wok-Fry station with fresh seafood choices such as Prawns, Clams, Mud Crabs and Snapper Fish and have the chef cook it your way with their signature sauces such as the familiar Black Pepper (pic above!), Salted Egg Yolk, Assam Curry Sauce and Ginger and Onion Sauce.
- Japanese Sashimi Counter with fresh Sashimi and Sushi
- Fresh Seafood Counter with Oysters and Mussels
- Hot dishes section with local favourites such as Nonya Laksa, Penang Assam Laksa or Prawn Noodles
Their local delights theme continues through to breakfast. I love what they offer at breakfast, and their toast deserves a special mention!
I loved this. They let guests grill bread the local way! I had so much fun standing here grilling bread. They had 2 types of coconut kaya, and a variety of other spreads to go with the bread.
Where To Eat At Balestier – Tips From A Local!
If you didn’t already know, Ramada Hotel Singapore is located at a really good location. If you could, do go for the Balestier Heritage Trail and Little India. Balestier Road is well known for many local delicacies that even locals travel here for. Here’s some tips on what to eat at Balestier area from a local! :)
Combat Durian
Durian sellers are not all equal. This is where I go to for good quality durians every single time.
Combat Durian, 249 Balestier Road Singapore 329727, p. 9278 9928
Boon Tong Kee Chicken Rice
Poplar hainanese chicken rice chain in Singapore, this outlet is 24 hours! They also serve zi char to complement the chicken rice.
Boon Tong Kee, #01-93, 34 Whampoa West, Singapore 329801, p. 6299 9880.
Whampoa Fish Soup Steamboat
This dining spot is a household name to many locals. They’ve been in business since 1990 and their star dish is the fish steamboat that is packed with fresh sliced fish and bits of cabbage and seaweed. The soup is not to be missed. It’s very flavoursome and I heard it contains over 30 ingredients! They also serve great zi char dishes like the prawn paste chicken wings, braised pig trotter and prawn rolls.
Whampoa Keng Fishhead Steamboat, 556 Balestier Road, Singapore 329872, p. 6356 7371.
Founder Bak Kut Teh
Tender pork ribs in hot peppery soup – comfort food at it’s best. Every bowl of Bak Kut Teh is packed with great pork flavour that’s enhanced with fragrant herbs and spices.
Founder Bak Kut Teh, 154 Rangoon Rd, Singapore 218431, p. 6292 0938.
Starker Fresh Beer
Enjoy the German-style fresh beer along with some snacks in an alfresco setting next to Zhongshan park. They have a great live band that plays English chart toppers and popular mandopop.
Starker Fresh Beer, 1 Jalan Rajah #01-02/03 Zhongshan Park, p. 6734 1810
Hoover Rojak
Hoover Rojak is really popular among the locals with long queues all the time. The sauce uses shrimp paste procured from Penang and the owner’s own secret mix of ingredients. You must try this :)
Hoover Rojak, 90 Whampoa Drive, Singapore 320090, p. 6253 0137.
Thank you Ramada Hotel Singapore for a wonderful stay! We look forward to going back again!
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