Grand Pacific Hotel

The Grand Pacific Hotel was last renovated in 2009, and its rooms could use some sprucing up. Past its facade of polished stone and glass, its high-ceilinged lobby has glossy tile floors, a bleached-wood reception desk, and clusters of wooden chairs with beige cushions or upholstery in windowed niches. The lobby level dining room, the Sun Cafe, has bentwood chairs or muslin-covered chairs at glossy wood tables with cloth napkins and white-tile floors and a view of the pool. Outside, the pleasant pool is framed by bright yellow stucco arches with planting boxes and interspersed with palm trees. The pool is surrounded by stone paving stones and dark woven loungers, tables, and chairs with umbrellas. There are also meeting and event spaces that include a mirrored room that is popular for weddings. Given its amenities and central location, the hotel attracts international tourists and business travelers. It's especially family-friendly -- children 11 and under stay free, and the hotel offers supervised kids' activities.

The Grand Pacific Hotel is conveniently located in a quiet, mixed residential and business area of Singapore within walking distance of several attractions. The Bras Basah subway station is a five-minute walk from the hotel, and the Raffles section is a six-minute walk. The National Museum of Singapore, the Pernankan Museum, City Hall, and, for shopping and dining, Bugis Village are within a 10-minute walk, as is the Suntec City Mall. For business travelers, the Suntec Singapore International Convention Center is a 12-minute walk. By car, the National Gallery of Singapore is a four-minute drive or 22 minutes on public transportation. It's a seven-minute drive to the Singapore Flyer Ferris Wheel or 21 minutes on public transportation. It takes 11 minutes by car to reach the Art Science Museum or 27 minutes by public transportation. The MRT, a big transportation hub, is 12 minutes away by car or 23 minutes by public transportation. The Central Library of Singapore is a 17-minute drive or 68 minutes by public transit. To reach Changi Airport Singapore, it's a 20-minute drive or 60 minutes on public transportation.

The 240 rooms at the Grand Pacific Hotel are average in size but could use a refresh with signs of wear and stained carpet in some. Cream walls have rosy wood finishes. Accent pillows and red sheers and dark drapes on the deeply recessed windows complete the decor. Some rooms have ginger-jar lamps, while others have adjustable spotlight reading lamps. All rooms come with air-conditioning, free Wi-Fi, 32-inch flat- screen TVs, minibars, and safes. The rooms also include such niceties as robes, slippers, free mineral water, and coffee- and tea-making facilities. Some suites have furnished living areas with tailored sofas. Bathrooms have white tile walls and gray-tile floors with tub/shower combos with curtains and powerhead fittings. Some of the renovated bathrooms have upgraded the hairdryers and white marble counter sinks. Hotel-brand toiletries include toothbrushes and toothpaste. Some rooms have city views but the others have limited street views and less light. Rooms are soundproofed, and those near the elevators can be noisy. 

The Grand Pacific's standout feature is its outdoor pool with loungers and drink service at umbrella tables. But other features do a good job of appealing to a range of guests from business travelers to families. For business travelers, the property has a large, flexible space for meetings and conferences with audiovisual equipment, including wireless microphones, LED projectors with screens, and flip charts. The space can also be configured for parties, including weddings. The hotel's lobby level, pool-facing Sun Cafe serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with a menu that offers Pernankan and Western cuisine. The fitness center looks out at a planted terrace, has a variety of cardio machines, free weights, and exercise mats and benches. For families, there's supervised children's activities, and children 11 and under stay here free if they're staying with adult guests. One draw for extended stay travelers is the coin-operated laundry. The 24-hour front desk offers concierge service and free luggage storage. Wi-Fi is free throughout