Crowne Plaza Changi Airport

The Crowne Plaza is housed in a nine-story modern building with an interesting criss-crossed metal cage facade that resembles a web of ribbons. The entrance is dominated by a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows that lead to the lobby, a funky and modernistic -- even futuristic (in a retro-1970s kind of way) -- space. Decor includes plush pod chairs and sofas in hues of olive and eggplant, bright, patterned carpets on black-, white-, and gray-paneled floors, and large shiny, black columns; a set of escalators lead to a mezzanine level, with views out over the space. Other common areas include a beautiful outdoor courtyard with lots of potted palms around the pool, plus a couple of restaurants with similarly modern-meets-retro decor, including the pop-art-inspired bar75, with a pool table and high stools that look like they could be taken off the set of Star Trek. The hotel hosts a lot of conferences and consequently gets a lot of business tourists staying multiple days, though many of the guests here are transit passengers looking for a high-end overnight stay while passing through the city. 

The hotel is located next to Terminal 3 of Singapore's Changi Airport, and the airport can easily be accessed on foot. East Coast Beach Park is a 15-minute drive away, while it's about 20 minutes by car to downtown Singapore, with attractions such as Little India and the National Museum. Universal Studios Singapore takes around 25 minutes by car to reach. The Singapore Expo Center is a 10-minute drive away. 

Crowne Plaza offers a variety of smoking and non-smoking rooms, most of which fall under the Deluxe category and come with either one king bed or two doubles. The next level up, Premier Rooms, have a king or two twins, and are the same size as their Deluxe counterparts, but add garden views. Club Rooms are more or less the same, but come with access to the club lounge, with added perks such as a free breakfast plus evening cocktails and canapes. Suites are double the size of rooms and have separate bedrooms and lounges that can be used as meeting spaces. Club Suites are also available. 

Decor is standard throughout rooms, and it might be a little loud for some tastes, despite the subdued tans and creams that dominate the color palette. Patterned carpets offset gigantic tropical-themed floral designs on glass bathroom walls, and though bathrooms do have screens for privacy, when the screens are up the spaces are partially exposed. All rooms have safes, flat-screen TVs, work desks, irons, minibars, coffeemakers with illy coffee, and kettles, and robes and slippers come standard. Bathrooms are big and elegant, with lots of marble counter space, walk-in rainfall showers with ceiling-mounted showerheads, and separate soaking tubs. 

The Crowne Plaza has an excellent number of features that far exceed what's found at the typical airport hotel. The 24-hour fitness center is particularly notable, with floor-to-ceiling windows and plenty of high-end cardio and resistance-training equipment along with free weights. At the center of the hotel's courtyard, there's a large swimming pool with an aquamarine-hued bottom and lots of palm trees in submerged planters that give it a jungle-lagoon vibe. The surrounding wooden deck has a few lounge chairs, with a mix of sunny and shaded areas. The hotel also features a four-room spa with massages, facials, scrubs, and foot reflexology on offer. 

There are two on-site restaurants -- Azur and Imperial Treasure -- and room service is available 24/7. Azur features all-day dining, including a breakfast buffet in the morning and a la carte fare for lunch and dinner. Children under the age of six eat for free here. The other restaurant, Imperial Treasure, serves Cantonese food at lunch and dinner and has a bit more upscale of a vibe. The Lobby Lounge is open from morning until evening and comes with a multimedia table for plug-and-play, while bar75, which has a pool table, opens in time for after-work drinks and stays open throughout the night.

There are also six meeting rooms with audiovisual equipment, the largest of which can accommodate up to 360 people, and catering service for banquets can easily be arranged. The on-site business center is open 24 hours a day (Monday through Friday)  and staffed in the afternoons and evenings. Guests can use the space for printing, scanning, and photocopying, and secretarial services can be arranged. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel, but on-site parking costs extra, and it's expensive.