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I really love going for staycations.

It’s perfect especially for families with young children because you get to enjoy a holiday without having to travel too far or burn too big a hole in the pocket. Interestingly, I always sleep better in hotels and so do my kids! I love the relaxed and happy feeling I get when I am on a staycation – There are smiles on everyone’s faces and we get to spend quality time together as a family. Plus, staycations do not affect our schedules too much because it is usually a short 2 to 3 days.

My family was invited for a staycation at Grand Park Orchard recently, and we felt so pampered by the staff that we left the hotel feeling rejuvenated and refreshed. Good and meticulous service make a great experience and that is what I want to share with you today. I’ve stayed at different hotels before but not every one of them would spare no effort to make my stay a special one. Grand Park Orchard managed to surprise me in little ways during our 2D1N stay there - Let me recount them one by one:

We were greeted with smiles everywhere we went in the hotel. From the main entrance where the Concierge directed us to Level 4 for the check-in, to the staff who personally showed us to our room, everyone exuded a happy vibe which made us feel happy too.

When we entered our room, we were happy with what we saw. The room was spacious and beautifully-furnished. We were even presented with our personalized pillow, which we could bring home! How lovely is this? It was such a nice touch that surprised us. Little surprise #1.

 

Next to our huge and comfortable bed, there was a lounge chair with a coffee table – Perfect for lazing around.

 

The bathroom was pretty spacious too and I like it that it’s got a standing shower area right next to the bathtub. And of course, everyone loves pretty-looking toiletries, don’t we? They smell really good too. :)

Love their complimentary mini bar as well – Good selection of tea provided!

We went out in the afternoon and when we came back, we saw that our used towels had been replaced with new ones and there was even a fresh fruit platter & cookies left for us! Little surprise #2. Looks like while we were away, the staff had been busy trying to make our staycation an even better one. :)

The hotel kindly hosted us to a buffet lunch at The Open House. Firstly, at the entrance, the staff recognized me and greeted me as‘Miss Lee’ – How did she know?! Certainly a pleasant surprise – Little surprise #3. There are different stations in the restaurant and you can order what you need, tell them your table number and the dishes will be delivered to your table. Lots of yummy selection!

There were sliced fish noodles, roasted cuts, laksa, desserts, ice-cream, cakes, salads, pizza etc.

 

I really enjoyed the claypot dishes – There was braised beef in sake, assam fish, kungpo chicken, etc. All in really mini portions so that you can keep ordering and ordering if you like them.

 

How to resist such a pretty palate of sweet offerings? So pretty to look at.

Service was meticulous as well. Our plates were cleared very quickly, and our glasses topped up without delay.

Little surprise #4 awaited us when we got back to the room later in the evening – The staff converted our adjourning room into the kids’ room, complete with cute bedsheets & comforters, soft toys for the girls and kid-friendly toiletries, OMG! It totally won the kids over and Joey kept saying, “Such good service, Mummy! They are so nice!” Yes, darling. I agree.

 

Needless to say, the kids were thrilled that they could sleep on their own that night. Daddy even made a special exception for them that day – They could watch TV till whatever time they want! Truth be told, that got me a little nervous. What if they decided to watch till after midnight?? Thankfully, by 11pm, they agreed to sleep because they were too tired. :P

One of the things I look forward to the most during a staycation is the hotel breakfast. I will wake up for it no matter what. You cannot blame me, right? There’s cereals, juices, bacon, sausages, baked beans, breads, eggs, porridge…. Ahhhhhhh! A hearty breakfast is such a happy thing.

Staying in a hotel that’s located in the heart of Orchard Road is such a wonderful thing. Once we step out of the hotel, we reach the paradise of shopping! Love the atmosphere in the air as many people must be doing last minute shopping for the Chinese New Year. Whenever we want to get out of the scary crowds, we get back to the hotel and enjoy the peace and quietness. How perfect. For this staycation, we didn’t go swimming because the hotel’s lap pool is a tad too deep for the girls. Nevertheless, I love how this whole area has been furnished in a bright & cheery colour – A good place to relax and just enjoy a cocktail or two.

We thoroughly enjoyed our 2D1N staycation – Many thanks to Park Hotel Group for inviting us! :)

If you are considering a staycation as well, this may well be one of the best choices around. The location’s convenient and perfect with abundance of dining options and shopping nearby. The service’s meticulous and great, and the rooms are lovely and comfortable. Park Hotel Group has recently launched a staycation campaign called “Staycate. Stay Park”, offering different staycation packages and there are so many perks offered in the package that you wouldn’t want to miss! If you book the Staycate Plus package, for instance, you will receive complimentary room upgrade, free internet, late check-out and parking, 20% off your ala carte food & beverage bill, as well as 20% off ala carte spa treatments. Plus, get to bring your personalized meme-poster home! I think the Family Moments package is so very suitable for us parents with children – The second room can be booked at 50% off! How very awesome is that!?
Click to http://staycate.sg to see the various packages now!

 

Now, here’s a chance for you to win a staycation at Grand Park Hotel by creating your personalized meme-poster! Go on to https://www.facebook.com/parkhotelgroup/app_223498504486700 and follow the instructions to participate. The top 3 memes with most likes win! All the best!! :)

 

Staycate. Stay Park.

I heard about this diner/cafe that has got beautiful vintage Volkswagens parked in front of the shop, and wanted to check it out. Kombi Rocks is located at 66 Yio Chu Kang Road (the stretch that’s near to Serangoon Gardens), and when I arrived at the place, I didn’t see a fleet of Volkswagens like what I saw on its website, but thankfully, there was one blue one there, looking pretty and classy.

 

If you want to take wedding photos with these vintage beauties, you can rent them from the shop. For photo shoots to be done at the shop, you can also pay a fee to do so. I think they will add such a retro feel to the photos!

But of course, I was not there for any wedding photo shoots. I wanted to check out the place and try the food perhaps. Turned out, Kombi Rocks was not a classy cafe that I imagined it to be. Truth be told, it looks like a coffee shop, except that you can find many little vintage knick knacks inside the shop, for decor & for sale. I cannot really pinpoint a specific theme for its interior decor – It’s a mash-up of indie, cheena, vintage & rock ‘n’ roll. The menu looks very vintage English style, but the tables are the traditional Chinese designs, complete with Chinese cutlery featuring red roosters.

The owner is obviously a collector of all things Volkswagen, Vespa and Kombi. There are many models on display, along with many other vintage items for sale (if the price is right).

The menu prices are very reasonable. My Mee Goreng costs $6 and my root beer served in a glass mason jar costs $4.

 

The other side of the wall featured different items which were beautiful and vintage, no less. Looks like the owner is not just a Volkswagen fan, but a Beatles fan as well. Apparently, on selected evenings, you can enjoy your dinner and drinks here while enjoying live performances by local artistes.

 

I enjoyed my Mee Goreng very much – Pretty tasty.

 

The husband ordered latte as well, and it was not bad except that it was served in a glass filled to the brim, which made it very difficult to drink from when it was very hot.

 

Here’s the price list for the rental of the vintage cars, incase you are interested. :)

 

Kombi Rocks
66 Yio Chu Kang Road