Our morning spirits were refreshed by the verdant greens of tree-lined Singapore. We arrived at our hotel nestled in the exclusive enclave of the tranquil Orchard Boulevard. I stopped in my tracks at the lobby and gaped in wide-eyed wonder. Right in front of me was one of the largest and most spectacular tropical flower arrangements I had ever seen. From behind this huge floral masterpiece came hotel PR director Adeline Toh who proudly welcomed us into the Four Seasons Hotel Singapore.
In all the excitement of that warm welcome, the bell captain patiently awaited our instructions. “You have two rooms, madam. Where do the respective bags go?” We stopped amidst raucous laughter. I was afraid that our noise might break up the 55-million-year-old palm frond fossilized on stone and the three-ton 1862 morning vase we were admiring. (Those are just two of the valuable 1,500-piece artwork collection this hotel is known for.)
“Okay sisters, let’s get back to those sleeping arrangements. Who wants to be room mates? Okay how about we go back to the way we were,” I asked. So Ate Jaqui and I checked into room 904; Christine and Yvonne, 905.
Ate Jaqui and I looked forward to spending the nights together reliving our roomie days. We were both students then who studied for exams side by side. Passing grades were marked with celebrations and oh, those memorable double dates. On rainy days we would write and rewrite each other’s love and break-up letters. Oh how glorious it is to have an older sister!
After unpacking, we took a nice bath to cool us down with the Four Seasons luxurious signature scents of L’Occitane’s lime verbena. We were chattering away and blow drying our hair in our spacious bathroom when we heard strange voices coming from the next room. Roomies Yvonne and Christine were performing Sesame Street songs Rubber Ducky and Doing the Ah-Ah Pigeon, hilariously reliving their childhood.
Fresh from our verbena bath, we proceeded to Jiang-nan Chun restaurant to have gourmet Chinese lunch with another charming asset of Four Seasons, Cristina Dolendo, who has lovingly spent nine years with the hotel. This lady, infused with so much energy, charmed all my sisters with her many anecdotes. She made everyone feel so at home, and ready for a feast fit for royalty. The restaurant’s name translates as “South of the Yang Zi River during springtime,” conjuring historical images of a revered place where emperors and wealthy aristocrats read poetry while dining on the banks of the river.
Proof that the resto was good? It was full! Guests here dine and adore the restaurant’s refreshing art deco look and art nouveau furnishings that reflect the splendor and distinction of its inspirational name, as did the fine linen, Narumi bone china, crystal ware and silver cutlery.
We started with a thick soup of spinach and bamboo piths. Steamed crabmeat and egg white dumplings were next, followed by steamed chicken dumpling with mushrooms and prawns, crispy bean curd skin filled with shrimp and yellow chives. Steamed cod fillet with sweet turnips and, for long life, stir fried mee swa noodles Hokkien style.
We were introduced to a beverage called Eight Treasures Tea — an exotic combination of red dates, wolfberries, longans, chrysanthemums, jasmine, mai dong, ginseng and rose buds. This special concoction is said to help lower cholesterol, aids blood circulation and immunity. Ate Jaqui loved it she couldn’t stop having her cup refilled!
My sisters, who could no longer contain themselves, went nuts over the chilled aloe vera with lemon grass jelly. They were screaming in delight. So much for the aristocratic ambience!
Four Seasons Hotel Singapore, Adeline said, is consistently ranked the top hotel in Singapore by renowned international publications such as Travel + Leisure and Conde Nast.
The secret of the hotel’s consistent success lies in its core and culture values — that which provide clarity of purpose for each and every employee, perpetuating a cycle of success in which happy and loyal employees lead to satisfied loyal customers. The cornerstone of the hotel’s service is deeply embedded in its golden rule which centers on respect.
The lunch was long over yet we found ourselves still entangled in more girly talk. Adeline and Cristina gave us more tips on what we must enjoy with the hotel’s great location being short walking distance to the nearby Orchard Road. Fortunately for us, the Great Singapore Sale and Food Festival was ongoing so we were able to take advantage of this. We acquired some wonderful books at nearby Borders and clothes at Forever 21. It was a very short and pleasant walk back to the hotel as my sisters sang their way under the trees. Our laughter scared the birds away, or was it our voices?! Hahaha!
Memorable nights were spent in our comfortable rooms sipping hot chamomile tea with honey made especially by Ate with a loving squeeze of lemon. We read Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes, laughing all the way while Christine and Yvonne entertained us with an impromptu fashion show of their new wardrobe.
At the Spa, Christine and I enjoyed 75 minutes of Yin and Yang massage. It was performed on what I would describe as like a high tech dental chair that goes up and down allowing the masseuse to expertly reach all areas of your body. An invigorating foot scrub to relieve tired aching feet is followed by a rhythmical and firm body massage with relaxing oil infusion. This is a great treatment for those with a hectic schedule, as it will balance their Yin and Yang. Designed to help people with sleeping problems, it truly worked on hyper me.
On our last day, we had breakfast at the popular One Ninety which specializes in local and international cuisine. It is warm, casual and yet has a comfortable feeling of sophistication. The warm wooden floors, an open kitchen, communal dining and unique décor set the stage for a lively and interactive restaurant. We ate our freshly baked croissants in true Dayrit fashion (the way our late father taught us) with butter and honey. With 16 flavors to choose from, this hotel has the most extensive honey selection — vanilla, chamomile, lavender, rosemary, clover, cinnamon, citrus honey, almond honey, rose, cashew honey to name a few. We were in honey lovers heaven!
This was our last meal in the hotel and we hesitantly tore ourselves away from the luscious buffet. Saying goodbye to our newfound friends, the wonderful staff and our home sweet home at the Four Seasons Singapore wasn’t easy. But we left with the sweet taste of honey on our palates and the warmth of kindness in our hearts.
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