Ah, the Andaz Singapore. As much as I enjoyed my stay in early October, the hotel has sadly been on a steady downwards trajectory ever since then. Service standards, cleanliness and breakfast have all slipped, and at the current prices, it certainly wouldnโt be on my recommended list.
Therefore, it seems rather par for the course that the Andaz has just introduced a new rate which is so absurd, itโs almost funny.
Andaz Singaporeโs new โroom-onlyโ rate

The Andaz Singapore is now selling a room-only rate on Klook that prices at a flat S$240 nett throughout December 2020.
โRoom-only?โ you say. โFair enough. Iโll just wander around the area for breakfast, come back to the hotel and relax at the pool or workout at the gym.โ
Well no, you wonโt. Click on the โView allโ button on the right of the screen, and the following notice pops up.
In case you canโt see that, it says:
**Kindly note that this package is strictly Room ONLY and does not come with Breakfast and SGD100 F&B Dining Credits. Do note that due to the swimming pool and gym access being fully booked for the month of December, this package will not be provided (sic) both swimming pool and gym access.
Wow.
So if you book this package, you wonโt be allowed to use the swimming pool and gym in the hotel. I have no idea what enforcement will look like in practice, but since pool slots need to be booked in advance and the gym is accessed with a special keycard drawn from the front desk, itโs certainly possible.

But such a move is unprecedented for a luxury hotel, and I can already foresee the issues arising from this. The caveat is hidden away in the โView allโ section, and while itโs of course the customerโs responsibility to read all the fine print, you can bet that people will miss this. After all, when you see a โroom-onlyโ rate, most will (rightly) assume it just means you donโt get breakfast or hotel credits. Thatโs the only logical way of interpreting this, really.
So imagine their surprise (and incredulity) when they get turned away from the pool or gym, or how awkward the conversation will be at the front desk when theyโre told โoh by the way, you do know your rate doesnโt come with pool and gym access right?โ I already feel sorry for the frontline staff who will likely have to bear the brunt of customersโ frustrations.
Itโs not even true
But wait. If the pool and gym are already full, thereโs nothing that can be done right? Thatโs what the wording on Klook seems to suggest (emphasis mine):
Do note that due to the swimming pool and gym access being fully booked for the month of December, this package will not be provided (sic) both swimming pool and gym access.
Hereโs the thing though- itโs not true at all.
First of all, Andaz Singapore only allows pool bookings to be made within 72 hours of arrival, and even if they bend that rule occasionally, thereโs no way theyโre letting everyone make bookings willy-nilly up till 31 December.
Second, Andazโs own pool booking system says otherwise. A few clicks and youโll see there are indeed slots available over the next 3 days- not ideal timings for sure, but they definitely exist.
Third, the rest of Klookโs packages for December donโt mention the โno poolโ restriction (nor does Andazโs official website). Youโd think that if the pool were truly off limits to all new bookings for December, theyโd be highlighting that fact across the board. Instead, the verbiage for other packages merely mentions that guests should make bookings in advance.
Learn more about Andaz Singaporeโs Pre-Arrival Information and secure your F&B Dining and Pool Reservations in advance before your stay.
The link sends you to a PDF file, where youโll find information on how to make a pool booking. Again, nowhere does it mention the pool is full for December.
So all I can surmise is that Andaz is testing a new rate thatโs truly โroom-onlyโ, perhaps seeing whether guests will accept this. Itโs kind of like Ryanair floating that โ1 Euro to use the toiletโ idea, only that never happened, while this is very much real.
Of course itโs the hotelโs prerogative to experiment, but I wish theyโd be upfront about it and not try to hide behind a phony โthe pool is fully bookedโ excuse. Furthermore, if the Andaz is offering this rate due to concerns about overcrowding, isnโt it a sign they should perhaps stop selling additional rooms for the period in the interest of overall guest experience? I mean, I donโt even want to think of what breakfast will be like during December, much less the queues for check-in.

As I mentioned at the start, the Andaz Singapore experience has lost a lot of its magic as itโs struggled to cope with staycation demand. Guests are reporting long waits at check-in, bugs in their phone (quite literally), rubbish in their drawers, toenail clippings on the floor, dust on the blinds, and just all sorts of cleanliness issues in general. I donโt see how cramming in more people is going to resolve this, when the staff and facilities are maxed out as it is.
Conclusion
While unbundling may be the direction the aviation industry is headed in, it hasnโt yet happened with hotels, and even if it did youโd think itโd be the budget ones taking the initiative and not a 5-Star property. If the Andaz Singapore canโt give every guest facilities access, it surely suggests theyโre exceeding the occupancy rate that allows them to deliver an experience commensurate with their positioning.
Iโm also none too impressed by the fake โfully bookedโ excuse. If youโre creating a lite product, just be upfront about it and make sure the disclosures are highly visible. Donโt try to mislead customers; it never ends well.
On the whole this move smacks of short-termism, given how certain I am thereโll be at least a handful of people caught out by this- hardly the way to get repeat customers.
What next, stairs-only packages?
(HT: Matthew)
Having just done a staycation at another popular luxury hotel I would say that while the โpool and gym being fully bookedโ statement is somewhat misleading, it actually makes sense that they would say this if they do the math on 1) how many other guests they have on one given day 2) how many pool and gym slots are realistically available for those other guests without these room restrictions. Basically with this rate you are paying for the room with knowledge that there essentially no more available slots for the pool and gym. This also saves other guests whoโฆ Read more ยป
thanks for sharing!
I donโt see how helping the local hotel industry bounce back and holding companies accountable for honest marketing are mutually exclusive. the fact of the matter is, (1) the exclusion is hidden away in the fine print (2) the reason given for the lack of pool access is false.
just because we want to help out the hotel industry doesnโt mean we should accept practices like this.
are people really โpaying for the room with the knowledge there are no more slotsโ?
based on how the term is hidden as the last point in the fine print (that doesnโt even appear unless you click โview moreโ, iโd say no.
and re: pool being full, itโs not somewhat misleading, itโs an outright lie.
I think the rate looks more outrageous when there is a package with room, $100 dining credits and pool and gym access for just $42 more. It looks more like a price anchor that pushes people to get higher-priced package with those benefits (and in the end possibly running into the dilemma of full pool/gym)
I respectfully disagree with your opinion, hardship should not be a cause for opportunism. The government is forking out the amount at the expense of tax payers so its not like hotels like Andaz are getting less in return, in fact revenue for December will definitely pick up with us locals staying in Singapore for what is normally a glut season for the hotels. I despise such a move and this practise should not be given a chance to take traction.
exactly! you see what is happening at grand park orchard with their crazy 5 hour queues? would โsupporting the hotel industryโ mean keeping quiet and not complaining about it?
James, why should local travel blogger play a part in helping the local hotel industry, its always about survival of the fittest. In fact the hotel industry is doing well with help from all the desperate staycation customers like you.
You must be kidding right? Hiding the non-usage of gym / swimming pool away in the fine print is ill-intentioned. Like Aaron had said, most people understand room only rates at hotels as not including breakfast.
Hahaha whatโs next? Healthy rate โ cannot use lift? Adventure rate โ no bed provided? Early bird rate โ must check out by 6am?
Supporting the hotel industry does not mean blind acceptance of everything they do
Andez Fragrance/ 81!
Aaron, thanks for calling them out.
Thanks for calling Andaz out Aaron. They have since removed the package.
Yes, i just realised that! allโs well that ends well then. I canโt help but think that unbundling is going to be a slippery slope for hotels even more so than airlines, since thereโs a lot more ways you could slice up a hotel stay compared to a flight.
edit: actually I see itโs back again.
plot twist, this is a sponsored post meant to get viral.
double plot twist, it was sponsored by a competitor.
Have always been a silent reader here. But this time, this article and the subsequent comments propelled me to get my fingers to type something. 1st thanks for calling them out in this. Itโs definitely been helpful I would say. Highlighted this to friends who were looking to book and they were surprised at it. After all, a room only rate in the hospitality industry has always typically meant zero breakfast. Ya know what I mean? Itโs like would you expect to book a room only rate, only to find out there arenโt any toiletries, toilet rolls, rissue papers andโฆ Read more ยป
Agree with you! Room-only always means no breakfast. But this brings room-only to a whole new level. Itโs really good that this is pointed out!
Well done Aaron, for flagging the issue!
Itโs absolutely amazing what wonders โshoddy writingโ and a โhuge conclusionโ (as per that priceless initial post) can do LOL
Letโs see what other โinnovative workaroundsโ are in the pipeline besides Room Only..after all, SL Valley Wing, in the spirit of Xmas, has already outdone Scrooge with the glorious Two Main Dishes at Breakfast Only (per pax) ๐ ;-D
i canโt for the life of me figure out why valley wing did that. itโs just so offbrand with their luxury marketing