At home by the sea

There’s no better place for a staycation than Singapore’s only beachfront resort, Shangri-La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort & Spa.

Portrait of Tammy Strobel

There’s no better place for a staycation than Singapore’s only beachfront resort, Shangri-La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort & Spa.

The beach resort on Sentosa was voted the top family hotel in Asia in TripAdvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Awards 2016. Facilities for children like Cool Zone (below) provide diversion for kids so parents get to relax.
The beach resort on Sentosa was voted the top family hotel in Asia in TripAdvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Awards 2016. Facilities for children like Cool Zone (below) provide diversion for kids so parents get to relax.

Let’s face it – travelling is amazing, but getting to the destination isn’t. Especially not when you have a large family, a ton of luggage, and a limited amount of time. That’s why staycations are popular with Singaporeans, who love the idea of packing light and going directly from home to hotel. So, if you want a beach vacation with sun, sand and sea, then you want to check in at Shangri-La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort & Spa.

Singapore’s only beachfront resort caters to leisure and business travellers, and has been voted the top family hotel in Asia (and 19th in the world!) in TripAdvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Awards 2016.

After undergoing an $80 million upgrade, the hotel opened in 2011 with 454 spacious rooms, each designed with the needs of different travellers in mind. The larger Deluxe Garden Rooms provide direct pool access and are perfect for families, while couples will love the Panoramic Sea View Rooms or the Deluxe Seaview Suites with their private outdoor jacuzzis.

Beach holidays are governed by indolence, and it’s possible to relax without leaving the resort. Guests can treat themselves to uplifting massages at CHI, The Spa, spend an afternoon at The Flying Trapeze, or laze by the natural water swimming pool, which employs a modern water management system to keep water in its most pristine, natural state. Thanks to this technology, children can enjoy the fun splash pad and water slides, with minimum risk of chlorine-induced eye irritation and respiratory problems.

In the same vein of providing parents with a worry-free stay, Shangri- La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort & Spa offers Cool Zone, one of the largest children’s clubs provided by a hotel in Singapore. Operating daily from 9.30am to 9pm, it consists of Toots Club, which offers fully supervised activities for kids between the ages of five and 12, and Mini Toots Club for children below five years, with guardian supervision. The former costs up to $25 per day including lunch and dinner, while the latter is complimentary.

My Reading Room

Grown-ups can indulge in me time, knowing that their kids are being engaged, thanks to at least eight new activities per day at Toots Club. There is also a newly launched Teens Zone, open daily from 10am to 9pm, which offers teenage guests Xbox One and a foosball table, with plans for an air hockey table and F1 Simulator in the pipeline.

There are plenty of dining options at Shangri-La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort & Spa. Siloso Beach Bar at the poolside features an ice-cream bar to keep guests cool, and the open-air Trapizza at Siloso Beach sells excellent thin crust pizza made in a traditional wood-fired oven. The resort itself has three restaurants: Casserole serves international casserole dishes; 8 Noodles is a Chinese noodle house; and Silver Shell Cafe offers a la minute buffet specialities.

Silver Shell Cafe, in particular, has kid-friendly features such as a scaled-to-height buffet counter, and a food spread that includes fried rice and spaghetti, cupcakes and gummy bears. It also has a Baby Zone which provides complimentary baby food during lunch and dinner. Bottle sterilisers, hot water, a microwave, baby utensils and baby wipes/diapers are also available.

On Sundays, the hotel offers brunch at Barnacles by the Sea, which is located on the waterfront. Available from 11.30am to 3pm, the seafood spread includes fresh prawns and lobsters, a live roast carving station, deep-sea French oysters, and a caviar bar. Children’s entertainment is provided in the form of balloon sculpting and magic shows.

A weekend at Shangri-La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort & Spa promises to be an experience of total relaxation and enjoyment, for adults and children alike. Visit Singapore’s only beachfront resort, and find a slice of heaven close to home.

For more information, visit www.shangri-la.com/rasasentosa.