PRICE:
Frommer's Highly Recommended

Smack in the center of Orchard Road is the Mandarin Hotel, a two-tower complex with Singapore's most famous revolving restaurant topping it off like a little hat. The 39-story Main Tower opened in 1973, and with the opening of the South Wing 10 years later the number of rooms expanded to 1,200. True to its name, the hotel reflects a Chinese aesthetic, beginning in the lobby with the huge marble mural of the \"87 Taoist Immortals\" and the carved wood chairs lining the walls. The South Wing is predominantly for leisure travelers, who have access to the tower through a side entrance. These guest rooms are the same size as those in the Main Tower but feel slightly smaller, most likely because of the dark wood modular units that fill up major wall space with imposing TV and minibar cabinets and a built-in seating area. Mandarin refurbished the carpets, drapes, and linens in this wing in 2003, which really freshened up these rooms from previous dull colors. While rooms in this wing are priced for greater value, be warned that this is where they put all the tour groups. Be prepared for large groups milling around the public spaces during peak tourist seasons.

Facilities: 4 restaurants; revolving observation lounge and lobby lounge; outdoor pool; fitness center w/Jacuzzi, sauna, steam, and massage; concierge; tour desk; limousine service; business center; shopping arcade; salon; 24-hr. room service; babysitting; same-day laundry service; dry cleaning; nonsmoking rooms; executive-level rooms

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Singapore & Malaysia, 5th Edition, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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