There's a big wide world out there…..

A heritage hotel, with a modern wing. I have stayed in this hotel before so this was a return visit, and as it falls into the 'heritage' label, it's naturally one I gravitate to when looking at the list of Singapore hotels. The original parts of the hotel were built in 1900 as the Teutonia Club, a club for expat Germans. In 1918, it was sold to Manasseh brothers who renamed it and converted it into a hotel. One of the guests who stayed there in the 1920s was the ballerina Anna Pavlova (the one after whom the dessert was named!) By the 1930s it was one of the best known hotels and another famous guest was the then Prince of Wales, later Edward VIII and later still, Duke of Windsor. So bundles of history for me to read up on! The entrance from the heritage wing, under the tower (which, more research! Is designated a national monument in Singapore) There is a new entrance with the hotel reception in the newer wing. Walkway through the heritage wing, with the re...

Summer Palace, Beijing

Summer Palace, Beijing The Chinese Emperors lived in the Forbidden City which is in the centre of Beijing City. It's an interesting complex but mainly stone buildings and in the summer it becomes stifling hot. In the 12th century the Emperor at the time ordered the construction of what is now known as the Summer Palace. In summer the court would move to this cooler, greener and far more pleasant locality. I like the Summer Palace and visited again during my recent trip to China. Since my last visit a new subway line has opened up and it's now possible to travel by subway to the palace. You do however enter by a different gate from where most of the tourists make their way into the Summer Palace grounds. This ended up being a positive, while it's crowded with visitors, much less so than those who enter through the Eastern Palace Gate. The station you exit the train is the Beigongmon station on Line 4. Once out of the station I couldn't see any signs (in English...

Yotel Singapore Orchard Road

Quirky hotel in a sought after location An interesting addition to the hotel scene in Singapore. The hotel is compact and is marketing itself to a younger demographic with the computer self checkin, room service robots and cocktail lounge. Price It's the medium price range for a hotel in Singapore, I stayed in the hotel a few months after it opened and therefore it was a budget option. Now you're paying for the location. Entrance to the hotel Location The hotel is set back from Orchard Road, with a pedestrian laneway to walk down to exit on Orchard Road. The road entrance if arriving by taxi is through a side street. It's a 5 minute walk to the Orchard MRT station, there's quite a few options of cafes, coffee shops and places to shop. Facilities The rooms are very compact, the bed takes up most of the room. It was a tight fit with luggage and I was constantly stepping over my suitcase. It's OK for a one night stopover but would get quite annoying for a longer s...

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