When stunning architecture meets sustainability, you get to experience a world-class garden hotel which is PARKROYAL COLLECTION Pickering. This hotel-in-a-garden concept perfectly fits where it’s situated in — Singapore being hailed as the Garden City (more hotels like this please?).

As a plant collector, I can’t help but gush at how this five-star hotel was able to strike a balance between impressive architecture (designed by WOHA, who also created Oasia Hotel Downtown) and showcasing a variety of lush foliage (this actually constitutes 200% of the total land area). Photo above shows a plethora of my favorites — monstera adansonii and heartleaf philodendron which you’ll easily spot while passing through the hotel corridor.

Even if you are not plant obsessed, you’ll easily fall in love with Pickering. Let’s start with it’s architecture — as you enter the lobby, you’ll notice the intricacy of the high ceilings which were inspired by terraced rice paddy. Even the interior furnishings live up to its theme by displaying natural elements such as stone grey, forest green and rust red.

Room Rates

What the COLLECTION Club Rooms and Suites offer:

• Exclusive access to the COLLECTION Club Lounge with 360-degree views of Singapore’s skyline

• Priority check-in and late checkout

• 20% savings at the Business Centre and Lime restaurant

• Daily Champagne breakfasts, afternoon tea and evening cocktails

One of the benefits of being in the Collection room is the breathtaking view of the hotel’s gardens and Chinatown through the window which covers one side of the room. Even inside the room, nature can be easily felt — I was beyond impressed with the natural wood and stone finishes. Glass windows are amazingly large enough so that there’s enough natural light to come inside (which they call the open-sided concept).

Lime Restaurant

Collection Club Lounge

First thing we did after check-in is to indulge in afternoon tea which is 3:00pm to 5:00pm daily. Menu can be found here and take note that it varies daily. My favourite would be the super yummy Crab Meat Remoulade.

Another exciting thing to look out for at the lounge is the evening cocktails from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. You can see the menu here, but do note that starting May 16 to June 20, 2021, the club lounge is closed due to Phase 2 restrictions. As such, food will temporarily be brought to the hotel room.

Amenities

PARKROYAL COLLECTION Pickering boasts its amazing infinity pool, jacuzzi and fancy bird cage cabanas with the beautiful city view. This is located at Dedicated Wellness Floor on Level Five which opens from 6:00am to 8:00pm. In the light of the current safety measures, please note that pool access is limited to 1.5 hours per room in a day and booking is required in advance.

Of course, what I really looked forward to was to wander around the 300-meter garden walk. There are actually fifty plant varieties that make up the 15,000 square meter garden, to name some are monstera, alocasia, calathea, heliconia, alpinia, frangipani and bucida.

In addition, the hotel also has St. Gregory Spa which opens from 10:30am to 8:00pm, as well as fitness and recreational facilities also located at Level Five.

Hotel Corridors

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Unlike the usual enclosed hotel corridors, PARKROYAL COLLECTION Pickering went above and beyond by making the hallways rejuvenating — yep, they placed well-kept plants on the walls while the other side shows you the stunning view of the city. Photos above and below are what we saw before reaching our hotel room — as such, it made us feel like we’re staying in a resort.

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Best word to describe PARKROYAL COLLECTION Pickering? Refreshing. Well, this is what we’re after when we go for staycation, right? Nowadays, it’s not frequent that we come across socially responsible businesses and it’s so inspiring that Pickering was able to successfully incorporate sustainability and energy conservation to their hotel (and this is the reason why I’ll always have a soft spot for this place).

Verdict:

Overall Hotel Experience: 9.5/10

Service: 10/10

Breakfast: 9/10

Room: 9.5/10

What it boasts: greenery, sustainability and architecture