The hotel inside Singapore airport - anhyone been?

[mckenzie]

The DCs and I will be staying there next week en route to Australia.

Any tips please? Do I need to take towels/toiletries or could I make do with what is in the room?

TIA

No need to pack extra.
In case you need anything, the transit area has got shops to cater for everything you can think of, pretty much round the clock.
There are a couple of small playframes and a kiddie TV/playzone too depending on their age.

Good luck!

but Slim22, I wont be getting my luggage as that is checked straight through to Melbourne so I'll only have what is in my hand luggage. Will the hotel provide anything at all or is it farily basic?

www.airport-hotel.com.sg

How long is the transit time?.

I think this is the hotel you'll be staying at; this is in Changi airport. This is completely separate from the area that slim is referring to.

BTW Changi have extremely strict rules re liquids, you cannot for instance take a bottle of water bought airside onto the plane as the security checkpoints are by the departure gates. They are sticklers for anything liquid more than 100ml (or toothpaste more than 100ml) - it will get confiscated.

thanks Attila, that's the one. I've just seent hat the swimming pool is only at terminal 1 - I have an awful feeling wwe might be Terminal 2!
We land in Singapore at 18.00 local time and don't take off again until 21.00 which with hindsight is much too long isn't it? Why ever did I make that gap so long - I really dont know

sorry, that's 21.00 the next day of course!

You'll need to go to the gate by about 8pm for boarding though, and to be honest Changi is the best airport I've ever been to so I don't think you'll be at all disappointed

Oh the next day!

Well in that case why not take yourselves off to the zoo during the day?

There's loads to do in Singapore and nothing is ever that far away, there's loads to do with children. You've got the beach and playgrounds only a 10 minute bus/taxi ride away.

Get into any taxi and ask for East Coast Park and there will be lots of restaurants, coffee shops and a great beach/playground

Think you were wise actually to break the journey to Australia - we did and it helped a lot.

This hotel's website has a contact facility - would send them an e-mail if you have any queries. Have always found all Singaporeans to be very helpful to visitors.

If you have a whole day there I would suggest a visit to either Singapore Zoo or Jurong Bird Park. Taxis are both plentiful and cheap to use (there are taxi ranks outside both).

Give yourselves plenty of time to go through the immigration departure checkpoint - the Singaporeans stamp each passport with a departure stamp. Once you are through that you are in the departure lounge area.

Wish all airports were as pleasant to use as Changi!.

Hope you don't mind the hijack but we are stopping in Singapore for 3 days on route to Bali.

We want to do Raffles but would love some other recommendations. Is the zoo you refer to the same as the Tiger Balm gardens. (They have one in Hong Kong which I remember from a child ).

I used to live in Singapore so just love these threads!

TigerBalm Gardens is on the west coast and is in a different place to Singapore Zoo. Both are worth a visit in my opinion, but it's the Night Safari at the zoo that I really recommend!

Chinatown is also great, but take care to avoid the most humid times of day. It's been refurbished to a very modern state which includes air con cafe's and shops. (I preferred the older, slightly scruffier Chinatown myself though!)

Post any questions here and I'll answer as best I can

I've screwed up then haven't I?
If we land at 18.00 on the saturday and dont take off again until 21.00 on the sunday I shouldn't have chosen to stay at the transit hotel but opted to leave the airport and play tourist for a day?

Or i should have chosen the transit hotel just to break the journey up but should have chosen a flight that left much earlier on the sunday?

B$%^&%$£%CKS

No I think you've done this well actually.

Land, clear immigration go to hotel get settled and have a good night's sleep. Go out the next day, have a lovely time and return to the hotel to shower/bath re-pack and get ready for 9pm flight.

I think it's a perfect plan

Hi

Actually the hotel IS in the transit zone, but on the third floor, whereas the shops and entertainment areas are on the second.Is that what you mean Atilla?

The bathrooms are stocked with basic toiletries and towels as in all hotels. You might just want to pack toothbrushes/change of clothes/swimsuit. You can't take liquids through customs clearance in UK and singapore that's why I suggested going to pharmacy in transit zone. They are well stocked in travel size basics such as toothpaste and sun lotion.

Travelling between T1 & T2 takes about 20 seconds via skytrain so really no sweat. Finding your way/walking around the shopping/transit zone is also very easy, but take your time, it's big.

When you land, go to transit desk. They'll issue your boarding passes for the next day and redirect your luggage. very helpful staff.

I second the idea of spending the day in singapore.
The zoo is great and they have shuttles running back and forth from/to airport.
It's on the other side of the island so journey is about 40mn.

If you do not want to venture too far, then yes, east coast park is the place. About 10mn from airport.
Beach (overlooking supertankers), bicycle/rollerbalding rentals, lots of food stalls/snacks/restaurants.

Taxis are cheap and plentiful as said before.

I live in singapore so if you need more info, let me know.

How old are your kids?

OF course I forgot.... The best place to spend the whole day has to be sentosa.
It's an entertainment island with a much better beach (siloso point) and lots of activities for kids.
Google it to see what's on offer.

Very easy to get there. Taxis will drive you straight into it (30 mn from airport)they have free shuttle buses and little trains to get around different activities.

Many food outlets along the beach. Showers and lockers along every beach. Very convenient.

It will be OK. Singapore is a user friendly place. You'll have a good time. Everybody/everything very child friendly.

If you land at 18:00 i suppose you will have been on an overnight flight from the UK. The only worry is kids might be a bit jet lagged.
Try and get them to sleep early on the plane and wake them up 3 or 4 hours before landing.
Set the clock mid morning the next day as you will probably go to bed quite late. And go out to get some sunshine into your system.

Hi Slim

In answer to your question, yes I was thinking of those things on the second floor.

As you live there may I ask a couple of questions of you:-

1. Is there still a lot of construction work happening on the entrance to Sentosa Island?.
2. What do the Singaporeans think about the F1 grand prix coming to visit?.

TIA

Mckenzie,

We arrived at Changi late afternoon and although we felt a bit tired the next day it soon wore off when we went outside.

Hellooooooo

1. yes...and pretty much everywhere else in singapore!but they keep it all very tidy.

2.money, money, money....they are very excited about all the cash involved of course

Thanks Slim for your reply.

Singapore was the tidiest place I have ever visited by a long chalk. I had never seen so many shops and shopping centres in all my life either!.

Am certain as well the hoteliers are very excited by the amount of money they will charge for hotel rooms along the route also!. Bet the room rate at the Raffles Plaza will triple for the duration of the Grand Prix.

thank you so much for all these replies. Forgive me if I haven't got the hang of this yet but.....
I go straight from the plane to the transit hotel once we land yes? 6pm local time. Maybe have something to eat and then bed probably. But then when we wake (hopefully the next morning local time) we can leave the hotel and venture outside?
How does that work though because I thought that we would not have been through immigration or customs etc?

BTW Slim22, my children are nearly 7 and just turned 3. And I'm travelling alone wiht them, DH is hopefully meeting us later.

hi

Most welcome. I have pregnancy insomnia ......

Here's the plan:

Go to transit desk upon landing to sort out boarding passes for onward trip.

Go to hotel - sleep if you can

Next day get out of airport through customs clearance as any normal arrival.
You can leave your bags in the lockers in transit zone. (not sure if T1 or T2, ask hotel)

Get back to airport around 6 pm. Go back through customs without any checking in as you already have boarding passes. Get your bags, give the kids a lollipop and chill before our flight with a foot massage

If you opt for the zoo, you don't even need to keep a buggy for the 3 year old, you can borrow one there.

Congratulations on your pregnancy Slim but sorry to hear about your insomnia (although also grateful for it . Thanks so much for all your help here. I've started to get a bit stressed about this trip (but that's a whole other thread!) and you have now made this particular bit of it much easier.
One more question please? Will my checked in baggage go straight through to Melbourne? The bags I have with me in Singapore will be just hand luggage yes?

I think if you clear immigration you have to retrieve and re-check your luggage.

thanks Shiny, perhaps I'll ask the travel agent to check that out.