Can anyone recommend a serviced apt. in Singapore for a holiday?

[SunshineandShandy]

We are thinking about a having a holiday for a week over NY. I am looking for a serviced/hotel apt. as we have 2 small children, so need at least 1 bedroom plus a living area and kitchen. We are never again taking a hotel room until the DC are old enough to have their own room! If anyone knows a good place to recommend, then I will be very grateful.

Ideally we would like to be fairly central. Do you think we should hire a car or do it all on the MRT/taxis? If we want to get out to the zoo would we have to take a taxi or can we go on the MRT? The girls will be 3 and 1 so am wondering about car seats. If we hire a car it's no problem to bring them over.

Thank you!

[specialsubject]

regarding transport:

you don't need a car (you don't WANT a car there) or a taxi, Singapore has an excellent public transport system with buses and a metro. You can get to the zoo on MRT and bus, plenty of information. Get MRT passes for everyone and top up as needed.

[Cerisier]

Are you used to driving in Asia? If you are flying in from somewhere local (presumably if just coming for a week) you might be ok, but driving in Singapore takes a bit of getting used to. I would suggest using the MRT and taxis, however it isn't easy to use car seats in taxis as you don't want to drag the seat round at the other end.

Have you considered using connecting hotel rooms? We used the Holiday Inn Park View with 2 connecting rooms when our girls were small. It worked very well.

There are very central serviced apartments here or these are about twenty mins walk from Orchard Rd. It all depends how much you want to pay, but NY will not be cheap anywhere.

[MasterOfTheYoniverse]

Treetops has a great location just off orchard road and close to the botanical gardens. Its like a hotel woth a good pool and poolside restaurant.
Best of the crop for a holiday feel.

[SunshineandShandy]

Great. Thanks for your suggestions. We will be coming from the Middle East, so crazy driving doesn't faze us, but, we don't know our way round Singapore so guess we will MRT it most of the time.

We could use connecting rooms in a hotel, it's just we'd quite like a living area so DH and I can relax in the evening and a kitchen (however small) would be useful for cooking for the DC.

Will look at Treetops and other suggestions now.

[Lozzamack]

Not sure there are that many places like that here. Orchard Parade Hotel is very centrally located and has extremely spacious family rooms - they are one of the few that do.

[Cerisier]

There is no need to cook in Singapore! There is food available everywhere and you can keep a few chilled bits in the hotel room minibar fridge too.

[butterfliesinmytummy]

We stayed at Fraser place serviced apartments for 6 weeks when we arrived 5 years ago and have our last month back there in June. It's clean and homely, there is a play area for kids, good pool and gym, shuttle bus, and it's on the river so lots of riverside eating places within walking distance too

[specialsubject]

Singapore driving doesn't look crazy - just expensive. Why bother in a city with such efficient and cheap public transport?

[Cerisier]

Special- it took me a while to get used to the driving, knowing which lane to be in and where the U turns are only the start of it. Having pedestrians with a right of way when you are turning right or left is dangerous and twice when I have stopped for a pedestrian other drivers have hit the back of my car.

Then you get the undertaking, nobody signals and taxis slam their brakes on in front of you to pick someone up. No one ever lets you in to a lane, you just have to signal and go for it. There are very few driving manners.

[specialsubject]

blimey. I must have been too hot to notice...

sounds like even more reasons to take the MRT!

[MasterOfTheYoniverse]

Driving is actually very easy and quite orderly in Singapore apart from the crazy taxis.
Its just that in a week, you'd probably be wasting time trying to figure out itineraries and where to park.
So yes MRT and taxis.
A word of caution, do get a local prepaid sim card and ask your hotel for numbers of taxi companies so you can call when you cant find one or the queue too long. It has become quite a pb.

[BegoniaBampot]

have stayed at Great World City service apts. Good indoor play area and lovely pool. Very central and close to Orchard rd and the river. It's connected to a large shopping centre with supermarket and cinema etc.

[Katiepoes]

Park Plaza has nice ones too, with a pool and gym. It's on Beach Road and right across from the Arab district, a lot less busy than Orchard Road area. I'm jealous, I spent a very happy year in Singapore!

[londonmoo]

These ones are meant to be good: www.shangri-la.com/singapore/traders/apartments-residences/

Right on top of a mummy-friendly mall, near the Botanic Gdns, at the end of Orchard. Close to lots of things.

[SunshineandShandy]

Thanks so much for all these suggestions. I will look at them all and then we can book. We have decided not to go over NY week as we aren't tied to any time as DC not at school yet so seems daft to go in one of the most expensive weeks of the year. I will look for Jan/Feb, depending when Chinese NY is, so we can avoid that also as I presume prices will be high again.

[butterfliesinmytummy]

Found out today that most serviced apartments are a 2 week minimum stay - just ask about that first, might save you some time.