Fraser Place Robertson Walk, Singapore

For those traveling with families and on longer stays, the Fraser Place Robertson Walk is a pleasantly modern place to set up home base. It's an all-apartment complex with a style that blends traditional and contemporary elements, from artwork to furniture. Velvet sofas sit beside iMac workstations and classic wall art contrasts with stylish sculptures in the hotel's main public areas, and some design choices look a bit tired. The two apartment buildings surround a pool deck on the first floor, which offers a nice space to unwind outside of the apartments, with several secluded seating areas. It overlooks the courtyard below and the small poolside cafe has a relaxed vibe. Guests tend to be families with young children and those staying in the city on longer business trips.

Fraser Place is located in the heart of Robertson Walk, a residential area filled with apartments, shops, restaurants, and cafes. It's just a two-minute walk to the river waterfront. A 10-minute walk leads to Clarke Quay, one of the city's liveliest nightspots, and it should only take five minutes on foot to reach historic Fort Canning Park. It's also less than a 20-minute walk to Singapore's best shopping on Orchard Road, though in Singapore's heat a cab might be better. It's only a five-minute drive. Farther afield, the CBD is a little over five minutes away by car or a 20-minute trip on the bus from Shell HSE Bus stop. The hotel also runs a free shuttle downtown and to local shopping spots. Dhoby Ghaut or Clarke Quay are the nearest metro stations, each of which is a 15-minute walk from the hotel, where you can pick up connections all over the city, but the bus is a much quicker route for downtown destinations. It's a 90-minute trip to the airport via the metro, or a 20-40 minute drive, depending on traffic.

Fraser Place's 164 apartments come in one, two, and three-bedroom configurations, and have a simple, classic style, with pine furniture and large windows. The decor is pleasant enough, and includes a bit of modern wall art, though some guests have found it a bit tired and unmemorable. Features across all apartments include living areas, dining tables, separate kitchens with microwaves, stovetops, Nespresso machines, fridges, washer/dryers, and irons. The principle differences between the tiers of rooms within each category is their overall size. Even so, all have a small balcony, with Terrace units offering larger outdoor spaces that include furniture. Amenities such as air-conditioning, safes, home entertainment systems, and free Wi-Fi also come as standard. Daily housekeeping is provided. Apartments all have master en-suite bathrooms with showers and separate baths. Multi-bedroom units include additional bathrooms with showers. Bathrooms look a bit old school, and are decorated with dark brown marble units and pale marble walls, though they do include premium Malin + Goetz products. While the hotel is generally quiet during the week, some previous guests have complained about noise on the weekends.

Most guests find the hotel's pool area to be its biggest asset. The complex is arranged around this area, which includes a pool, a whirlpool, and a cute kids' pool with a slide and mushroom fountain. There are plenty of loungers and a few seating areas scattered around the deck, including a peaceful semi-indoor lounge and some comfortable cabana sofas, and there are tables for parents next to the outdoor shaded playground. Beside the pool is a cafe where a range of food is served from breakfast into the evening. It's small and gets pretty busy during peak times -- especially for the breakfast buffet (not always included in standard rates). For those who enjoy outdoor cooking, there's a barbecue area, and the hotel also offers an in-room dining service. The 24-hour indoor gym has a wall of windows looking out onto the pool deck and has cardio machines and free weights plus a sauna and steam room. The front desk is open around the clock and useful services include laundry and babysitting. The hotel also runs a free shuttle to the business district and to various shopping malls around the city.