Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre

Popular with business travelers and leisure tourists alike, the eight-story Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre is a chain hotel with touches of elegance, particularly in common areas. The lobby has a colorful woven rug and pink crystal chandeliers under vaulted, coffered ceilings. There's also a high-ceilinged space for a lounge-style bar with a TV and plush seating in shades of peach. Other common areas include two restaurants: Windows on the Park, a bright, bustling spot on the second floor under the atrium, and Tandoor Restaurant, with Asian-inspired floral art, white tablecloths, and soft lighting. Throughout the look is regal, but some details can feel a touch passé.

The Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre overlooks the Central Expressway, a seven-minute walk to Orchard Road, a main shopping and dining area, and an eight-minute walk to the Somerset Mass Rail Transit. It's a five-minute drive or 18 minutes on public transportation to both Raffles City and The National Museum of Singapore. The Peranankan Museum is also a five-minute drive or 20 minutes away on public transit. Clarke Quay and The National Gallery of Singapore are a six-minute drive or 24 minutes on public transit, while getting to the Suntec Convention and Exhibition Center takes just a tad longer. Robinson Quay is a nine-minute drive or 27 minutes on public transportation, while the Marina Bay Sands Casino takes 11 minutes by car or 34 minutes on public transportation. The Changi Singapore Airport is a 21-minute drive or 65 minutes on public transit. 

Rooms at this Holiday Inn are classically decorated, with dark wood and tailored, contemporary furnishings and upholstered pieces in shades of blue, peach, and lime. Higher-floor rooms have some cityscape views, while those on lower floors in the front overlook the highway and, in the back, a commercial space. Windows have blackout drapes and sheers and beds are on platforms with a high, fabric-covered headboard and white linens. All rooms offer free Wi-Fi, safes, pillow menus, 37-inch flat-screen TVs, DVD players, stereos, and electronic adaptors and converters. There is also minibars, robes, slippers, and ironing facilities. The bathrooms have beige tile with walk-in showers or shower/tub combos with pressure-adjustable showerheads. Bathrooms are equipped with scales, hairdryers, and magnifying mirrors. Free toiletries are more generous than average and include a toothbrushes, toothpaste, and razors. Higher-category rooms have marble bathrooms and sitting areas that includes a dining table and chairs and rooms on the Executive Floor get free access to an Executive Club, with free beverages and drinks. 

This Holiday Inn offers lots of amenities, the most attractive of which is arguably the rooftop area with a rectangular rooftop pool, a hot tub, and a kids' pool ringed by brown woven lounge chairs. The fitness center has windows to the pool, a skylight, and treadmills, stationary bicycles, free weights, and ellipticals -- though its neon-green walls are unappealing. The hotel also has a spa with facials and massages. 

Windows on the Park Restaurant includes a free breakfast buffet with Western and Asian fare, though it can get busy in the mornings. The restaurant also serves lunch and dinner with an emphasis on East Asian cuisine. Tandoor Restaurant serves Northern Indian food in a sedate setting, while the Lobby Lounge and Bar serves drinks and light snacks and occasionally features live entertainment. 

Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel and guests can use the computers, fax, copier, and courier services at the business center. There's also space for weddings and events of up 380 people, with a tech services and AV equipment. The hotel also provides free newspapers and shoeshines for its guests and luggage storage and concierge services are available through the 24-hour reception desk. Parking is free and limo service is provided for a fee.