One of the biggest changes to the staycation experience during Phase 2 comes at breakfast. Current government regulations (and an overwhelming sense of hypochondria) mean that buffet spreads are out of the question at the moment. But people still need to be fed the most important meal of the day, so the question then becomes- what now?
There are three main models that hotels can adopt:
- Offer an a la carte buffet in the restaurant
- Offer a set menu in the restaurant
- Close the restaurant and do in-room dining only
Obviously, a la carte buffets are the preferred way to go, because guests can get unlimited helpings. Set menus can of course be good quality too, but more often than not they’re used by hotels as a stealthy way of cost-cutting.
To try and give a clearer picture of which hotels are opting for what option, here’s a compilation of various staycation-approved 4 and 5 star hotels, their breakfast policies, prices, and menus where available. Hopefully this gives you a better picture of what’s on offer before you book.
What are hotels doing for breakfast?
A la carte buffets and set menus are now neck and neck. Of the 33 hotels in the sample, 16 offer an a la carte buffet, and 17 offer set menus.
| Hotel | ALC Buffet | Set Menu | Price (Adult) |
| Amara Sanctuary Sentosa | โ | $20 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andaz Singapore | โ | $35 | |
| Ascott Raffles Place | โ | $25 | |
| Capella Singapore | โ | $45 | |
| Capitol Kempinski | โ | $45 | |
| Fairmont Singapore | โ | ? | |
| Four Seasons | โ | Varies | |
| Fullerton Bay Hotel | โ | $45 | |
| Fullerton Hotel | โ | $45 | |
| Goodwood Park Hotel | โ | Varies | |
| Grand Hyatt Singapore | โ | $40 | |
| Hilton Singapore | โ | Varies | |
| Intercontinental Bugis | โ | Varies | |
| Le Meridien Sentosa | โ | $30 | |
| M Social Singapore | โ | $20 | |
| Mandarin Orchard | โ | $38 | |
| Mandarin Oriental | โ | ? | |
| Marina Bay Sands | โ | $45 | |
| Marriott Tang Plaza | โ | $35 | |
| Oakwood Premier AMTD | โ | $22 | |
| Oasia Hotel Downtown | โ | $30 | |
| Orchard Hotel Singapore | โ | $28 | |
| Orchard Rendezvous Hotel | โ | $20 | |
| PARKROYAL Beach Road | โ | $28 | |
| Raffles Hotel | โ | $72 | |
| Ritz Carlton Millennia | โ | Varies | |
| Shangri-La Hotel | โ | $28 | |
| Sheraton Towers Singapore | โ | Varies | |
| Sofitel City Centre | โ | $42 | |
| Sofitel Sentosa | โ | Varies | |
| St Regis Singapore | โ | $49 | |
| The Barracks Hotel Singapore | โ | $40 | |
| W Sentosa | โ | $48 |
What’s surprising to me is that some hotels which were historically known for their buffet spreads have switched to set menu style breakfasts. This is the case at the Shangri-La, for example, which only serves two starters and a single set at The Line right now.
Furthermore, not all hotels have reopened their restaurants yet. The Ritz-Carlton Millennia, Le Meridien Sentosa and PARKROYAL Beach Road, for example, still serve breakfast via the in-room dining menu (which also means no refills).
The median price of an a la carte buffet was S$43.50 per adult, with a low of S$20 (M Social and Amara Sanctuary Resort), and a high of S$72 (at the Raffles, where else?)
Are there any discounts for breakfast?
Generally no. However, if your room rate does not include breakfast, some hotels may offer a discounted price if you purchase it at check-in, as opposed to at the restaurant itself. Be sure to ask upfront.
If you’re an Accor Plus member, it may sometimes make sense to not book the breakfast-included rate. That’s because you enjoy up to 50% off dining, including breakfast. Black-out dates may apply for the discount, so it’s best practice to confirm before your stay.
As a reminder, small business owners can currently get a free Accor Plus membership with the Singapore Airlines Business Card. The card’s first year fee of S$299 is waived, and you also enjoy a free hotel night each year.
How have my breakfast experiences been so far?
I’ve reviewed the following hotels during Phase 2 so far:
- Hotel 81 Tristar (no breakfast)
- Hotel Soloha (no breakfast)
- Mandarin Orchard
- Marina Bay Sands
- Raffles Hotel Singapore
- The Capitol Kempinski
- The Fullerton Hotel
- W Hotel Sentosa Cove
- YOTELAIR Changi Airport (no breakfast)
Of the 6 hotels which served breakfast, my ranking (from absolute best to absolute worst) would be:
- The Capitol Kempinski
- Raffles Hotel Singapore
- W Hotel Sentosa Cove
- Mandarin Orchard
- The Fullerton Hotel (they were serving a set menu when I stayed, which has since been switched to a la carte buffet)
- Marina Bay Sands
The highs have been very high, the lows, very low. The single best breakfast experience so far has been at The Capitol Kempinski, where 15 Stamford delivers the same high standards you’ve come to expect at lunch and dinner. Nothing is too much to ask, and the kitchen will happily do special orders too.
The worst has been Spago’s at Marina Bay Sands, a great insult to the restaurant which does such amazing food during lunch and dinner. You pay the same price for breakfast as at any other 5-star hotel, and the food is low quality, bland, and borderline inedible. Oh, and if you want fresh orange juice, they’ll charge you an additional S$7++.
My next stay will be in a few weeks at the Andaz Singapore, which just reopened for stayation guests. Fortunately, the early reviews on breakfast have been very positive, so this should hopefully strike another high note.
Conclusion
When Phase 2 staycations restarted, I mentioned it’d soon become clear which hotels would use the restrictions as an opportunity to innovate and improve their service experience, and which would use it as an excuse to cut costs.
I think that’s nowhere more evident than at breakfast. At some point it’d be interesting to do a crowdsourced report card, but until then, do share any stories you might have.
How’s your hotel breakfast experience been like during Phase 2?
Chose dim sum set @ Fairmont Prego… came with miserable 3 siumai, 3 hargaw and 3 small soon kueh… thats all… in the end go out to toastbox and eat again. lol…
Shangri-La Valley Wing Summit Room – Phenominal. Caviar and champagne for breakfast, all hot dishes made to order. Service could do with some polishing though. Will likely beat the Kempinski’s.
ok i need to add that to the must-try list.
Very helpful, thank you. Just cancelled InterContinental booking after finding out their club lounge is closed which they will put you to Ash & Elm restaurant.
glad to hear it’s helpful. FYI hilton, mandarin oriental are also not operating club lounge right now
Just returned from a staycay at Intercontinental Bugis. Club experience at Ash & Elm is certainly worth it. The pastries are certainly high-quality, and offer a good variety everyday (menu changes everyday). Breakfast, however, was a nightmare. Waited 1 hour for the food today… That’s the only negative experience. I was upgraded from Twin Club Heritage Room to the Royal Suite as the upgraded room for being Spire Ambassador (to Junior Suite Twin) was being taken out for maintenance. Excellent deal for my stay.
I had a staycation earlier this week at Grand Hyatt. The a la minute breakfast buffet was not too shabby, though some dishes like the char kway teow and pancakes could be improved. They did not tone down on the spiciness level of some dishes, like the mee goreng and the chili egg in the nasi lemak (I wonder if that is usually the case or simply because most, if not all, people staying now are locals).
Why is it called a la minute and not a la carte?
Breakfast at St Regis was a very underwhelming selection, reservations werenโt honored due to โhigh volumeโ of diners and the promise of in-room dining in lieu was not followed through. The butler hotline was unanswered and after the stay, I requested for a manager callback to provide feedback but the call never came. Very disappointing.
Iโve just been to Hilton Singapore last weekend. It is in room dining with set menus.
i believe they are changing it going forward. just got a few reports (Dated 11 sept) that cafe is now open.