Capella Singapore - Villa Living for Kids

I have lost count. This is our third, fourth, fifth stay with Capella since 2012. We had been accommodated in their Premier Rooms, Sentosa Suites, Capella Suites and Villas. The only ones we haven't had the chance to experience are the Constellation Rooms and Manors, which we hear are either too small or too large for our family of four. Unlike many other hotels with an average room size of 40 square metres, you get to enjoy 77 square metres of luxurious space at Capella's basic category [Premier Rooms]. With two very young and active children, floor area is our main priority. A plunge pool will be a bonus!

Why do we splurge on luxury staycations? It is because the total bill at Capella is probably the same or cheaper than air tickets to another country for a family of four. The amount of traveling stress is halved without having the need to pack, board a plane, get accustomed to the local culture and laundering after a trip. 

Floor Plan of One Bedroom Garden Villa
It was a very exciting Friday for the children. They woke up, totally surprised that they were going to be pirates! There was a themed party at school and I had them dress the parts. Ewan was beaming from ear to ear when he found the eye-patch and sword on his bed. Faye was pretty pleased with her pirate bandana and new outfit. We dropped them off for half a day without them knowing that they will be whisked off to Sentosa for a staycation after lunch! 

We were booked into a One-Bedroom Garden Villa and the only way to get to our weekend home [from the lobby] was via a buggy. That got the children bright-eyed and bushy-tailed! It was like a never-ending adventure! I wish I was the kid on the receiving end instead of the parent planning all these fun for them.

"We are staying in a hotel mommy? 
Yay! We are staying in a hotel 妹妹!"

We had wind blowing into our hair as the buggy brought us down mini dunes and tight bends. We sat silently [even the children] breathing in the salty air and taking in all the serenity Capella has to offer.   I had never felt so relaxed for a long while and this staycation was very much welcomed.


Villa 30. We have arrived. We walked into our 133 square metres Garden Villa with such familiarity. It is our home away from home. The main door opens to our living room with a daybed huge enough to be converted into a sleeping bed for the children. Every room boasts a floor to ceiling glass door [hurray to sun rays] which brings you out to your terrace with a pair of deck chairs and squarish plunge pool. Children are such water creatures. The first thing Faye said was, "Change!" and she attempted to remove her top to no avail. I bribed them with cupcakes and made them nap for the afternoon before a dip into our plunge pool.


Our master bedroom is a simple one but one that spells R.E.S.T. We rested our bodies on a Sealy mattress with luxurious Pratesi linens. It must be something about being away from home, away from chores, because I never felt more energised. We do not have a television in our bedroom [at home] because our stance is to keep digital entertainment in the living room. So, with a 46-inch flat screen LCD TV in this bedroom, the husband got to enjoy hours of cable after the children went to bed.


The bathroom [indoor and outdoor] takes up the largest space in all three rooms. I don't know if it's a woman's thing but bathrooms attract me the most. Ever since I was a little girl, my parents would comment with amusement how I have this obsession with bathrooms. This bathroom wins hands-down all that I've seen. The natural daylight that hits the mirrors reflecting light into the whole room brings on a certain kind of vitality. What a view to look out to with the greens from the trees and the blues from the pool spoiling us crazy. The glass doors of the indoor toilet and shower room puts privacy at an end though. So be sure to close the sliding door between the master bedroom and bathroom for some privateness.


Open another door at the end of the room and you will find yourself at an outdoor shower room. They call it the Rainforest Shower and this is the best place to get everyone cleaned up after a swim. The indoor bathroom is obviously air-conditioned and we don't want anybody to end up sick from catching a cold. The outdoor bath sits embedded into a stone slab [totally loving the design] and this is the children's second favourite spot [apart from the pool]. Bubble baths are always top hits amongst  the little ones.


Is Capella catered for families? With all these peace and quiet, walking along footpaths lined with trees and hearing only the occasional calls of macaws? Will you be disrupting its serenity if your child let out a series of excited yelps? *haha* My husband said, "YES!" while I kept my stand on, "No."

If the property does not welcome children, they wouldn't have anything prepared for little guests on arrivals, at the pools or even at breakfast.

VILLA AMENITIES
While we received chocolates and a plate of tropical fruit platter on arrival, the children were treated to a personalised plate of chocolate chip cookies each! It is a well-thought gift for the young ones, indulgence at its peak.


We were surprised to find bathrobe and bedroom slippers to Ewan's size as well! He looked really cute in them and the quality is nothing less than the best. Unfortunately, Faye is too small to fit into them. Now that she is in-between ages [21 months old], she is not entitled to the baby toiletries that came as a welcome amenity when she was a baby.



BREAKFAST
We never had a bad meal at Capella. They've always impressed us and we look forward to going to The Knolls in the mornings. Not only for a scrumptious spread but also to a team of chefs who know how to steal a young guest's heart. They've got Yakult on the buffet table!


When we ordered a plate of pancakes for the children, I never quite expected to receive Mickey face for a pancake! It came not only as a surprise for Ewan and Faye but for us parents as well. I appreciate the love these team of chefs have for their little patrons. This is what you call attention to detail.


The tranquility of dining by the pool is immeasurable; especially when our children wakes at 7am every morning. It was such a beautiful sight watching them sip cold milk and partake fruits from their Capella Star melamine cups and plates. The only complain we had was the irritable fruit flies that kept buzzing around us and our food. We chose to dine outdoors despite of that because we wanted to dine with Capella's resident peacocks. Besides, a good view makes a breakfast even more palatable.



CAPPELLA LIBRARY
The Library is what a regular hotel would call their Club Lounge. Only thing is, every guest at Capella is entitled to use The Library and not selected "Club Guests Only". They serve High Tea from 3 to 5 pm daily but there will be biscuits and refreshments throughout the day for in-house guests. It isn't quite possible that we made it for High Tea with the children though because that's exactly when they take their afternoon naps. However, we made it outside High Tea hours and still got to indulge in some snacks and tea.

As with all libraries, there are bookshelves here filled with a variety of books from culture to fiction. Ewan and Faye found themselves a low rack filled with children's books. What a gem! We stayed for some reading, Camomile Tea and traditional gem biscuits. Until it was time for a swim!



SWIMMING POOL
There are three swimming pools at Capella. Three tiers in fact. Imagine the tiers of rice terrace plantation? That is what their swimming pools remind me of. The top tier is a relaxing pool catered to adults and propped right beside The Knolls where breakfast is served. The second tier features a wading pool with a 0.5 meter depth for children to play in. Cross over a barrier and you will find yourself in an infinity pool for adults to relax in. The bottom third tier is what I call the serious pool. It is a lap pool for serious work-outs with only a pair of deck chairs. This is the most private pool amongst the three.

Absolutely stunning.

First and Second Tier
Third Tier
Daddy and the kids were squealing at the top of their voices when a pool staff came by with a big smile on his face, "These are for the children." I was expecting him to politely shush us down but he topped the children's squeal level with two pairs of arm floats! He must have noticed how difficult it was for Meyer to handle two little ones at the the adult pool and probably overheard him telling me to get my swimwear so that I can Help him out. The arm floats were a saviour and definitely the kind of attentive service I would expect from Capella.



BEACH PLAY
There is a private access to Palawan Beach from the hotel. A little "forest walk" from the swimming pool will bring you to a long flight of wooden steps, leading you to the beach front. No, it isn't a private beach but just a private access to the public beach in Sentosa.

We did not bring any beach toys along with us this trip. Ewan had already strike up a friendly conversaion with the pool staff that morning. He [Ewan] even invited him for a swim and was a little disappointed that Uncle-In-White had to work. After our swim, we decided to head to the beach. Ewan ran after his friend [Uncle-In-White as he affectionally calls him] into the pool pantry and asked, "Do you have Beach Toys?"

What a cute little sight. They dug into their stash of toys together and Wa La! He found the children a bucket, a spade and a fork! We skipped happily to the beach and played for a while before we all turned got sunburnt.

The private access gate can only be opened with a working keycard. There is also a telecom button you can buzz for a buggy to wait at the end of the footpath, bringing you back to your villa.



GREEN PASTURES
Green Pastures - it sounds so much like The Sound of Music. There is vast patch of hilly greens right in front of Capella's facade. One that is full of potential for running and tumbling. I had to bring the children out there for some jumping work-outs. That is quite an excuse if you know me. My real motive was to take some really awesome pictures of them. Nevertheless, they had fun with the amount of space before them. We observed a peacock too and finally heard her calls! So that is how a peacock sounds like!



SLEEP
Turning down the Queen-Sized day bed in the living room was the way to go for our coming two and four year olds. We used to let Ewan sleep on the daybed and Faye in a cot in our previous stay. With her growing longer [although she's still rather tiny], we thought it'll be a better idea for her to share a bed with her brother. They received two pillows on both ends and we kept them from falling off the bed with three arm chairs on the front.


While there weren't any Kids Club, playgrounds or kiddy themed rooms, this luxury hotel reaches out to their young guests in other subtle ways like the aforementioned. The husband and I needed a quiet repose and themed hotels catered to families weren't the right crowd for us this staycation. Although it is hard to relax with the children dancing around us all the time, at least the environment and ambience counted for it.

We will always receive an email before our arrivals from our Personal Assistants, asking if Ewan and Faye will be joining us. They will check with us if there's anything we might need during our stay that they can help us arrange. Our Capella experience starts even before we check in, making us feel special in every single way.

As much as we've been pampered by several staff during our stay, we also experienced a few service lapse with the late arrival of a buggy, the missing link in housekeeping and finally addressing our package as Mr Wong [when we are a M/M Yang].

Buggy - We had to call three times for a buggy to arrive 30 minutes later on our first day which was unacceptable in my opinion. It isn't that I am an impatient guest but half an hour can make a whole lot difference if we were in a rush to a dinner appointment.

Housekeeping - I expect a leading hotel to have turndown service [the practice of straightening up the room in the evening in preparation for sleep] processed at the highest level. It probably is occupational hazard but I notice things like a missing cup next to the mineral water by our bedside at night. A bottle of water should be accompanied by a glass - by luxury hotel standards at least. These are probably easily overlooked by unseasoned guests but pose such importance to us who take every bit of detail to heart. The biggest setback on the second night's turndown was the failure of turning down the children's bed. We came back from dinner at 9pm, hoping to put the children to bed immediately but to find the daybed still a daybed.

Concierge - Lastly, a simple luggage tag on a birthday cake we requested to be delivered to our villa had Mr Wong written on it. Unfortunate.

As an ex-hotelier, we strived to create the most memorable experience for all guests. Yet, not every stay can be flawless. A guest in Room 501 can send in the most beautiful compliment letter over the same stay period while another guest in Room 316, can demand to meet the General Manager for a very bad service glitch. True to my own experiences, there were absolutely nothing to complain about during my previous stays and yet this trip garnered a few hiccups. Service is provided by humans and to err is human. The truth is, service lapse do happen. Some things have to go wrong somewhere. Sometimes in your face and sometimes recovered even before it reaches you. How tolerant are we as guests to such mistakes?

The total experience of one person is created by many staff put together - the front office, the personal assistants, the housekeepers, the chefs, the pool staff and every other person he meets during his stay. It is not about the hard work of an individual staff that pays off but a team. With great communication and teamwork, you yield success in your business. As much as we have expectations, they have to be weighed carefully on whether they demand the response from higher management. To me, these are unfortunate setbacks that I do not expect from a luxury hotel like Capella but they didn't sickened me too much to spoil my staycation. Yet, a little feedback to the respective departments can get them back on track again [which we did provide] and they stepped up their game the very next day.

We still had an amazing time at Capella. The property sells itself with what it has - serenity, the perfect address, the state-of-the-art rooms and the vast amount of space. It is an oasis, home away from home and I have this crazy weak spot for colonial buildings.

On our last ride on the buggy, I told Ewan, "Say goodbye to the uncle."

Ewan went, "Bye Bye Uncle!"

I added, "See you Villa. We are going home now."

Ewan parroted, "See you Villa. We are... Huh? Why are we going home?"

Oh poor thing. The weekend adventure is over.

Will there be a sixth stay? Why of course.

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We want to echo the sound of love through our lives to inspire other mothers alike.


Comments

  1. Such a luxurious villa... Ewan and Faye are very blessed to be able to have such wonderful staycations. I love Ewan's response, "Say what... we are going home??" :P

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    1. They are very fortunate and I hope they know it. I'm getting a tad worried that they might take things for granted!

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  2. Capella is my absolute favourite hotel in Singapore. We stayed there twice before Mei was born and the serenity you feel on the property is amazing. Noey was just about 2 years old the last time we were there and we never felt unwelcome with a child! he loved it too. The villa looks really lovely. If only it wasn't so expensive! :P

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    1. Awww How lucky of kor kor that he got to experience Capella! Choose a special occasion and bring mei mei along the next time! It's been too long a while since you returned right? Their Sunday brunch is really really good. Find time to experience that some day too!

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  3. What a luxurious staycation! Look like it is not in Singapore!

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    1. I agree. For a moment I thought I was in Bali.

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  4. The Capella is one of the hotels we've always wanted to stay in but never had a chance! I enjoyed reading your post, always very detailed and from an objective point of view. Your experience as an ex-hotelier definitely raised your expectations of any hotel stays but the fact that you chose to return 5 times spoke volumes of this hotel.

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    1. Thank you for enjoying the read. We loved it for the privacy and stillness of the property. It does feels like we are in another country.

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  5. This look like a gorgeous place for staycation and how beautifully you have captured every single details about the place. Ewan and Faye seems to have a gala time.

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    1. They sure did. I can't help but to agree they are a pair of lucky siblings. Thanks to daddy.

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  6. I have to say this is 1 of THE best hotels i have stayed at...the service is non intrusive but ever present and oh the rooms! haha n breakfast..we still rave about the breakfast and compare it to every other hotel breakfast since..Capella has spoilt us for life hahah..ur making me want to go back again :)

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    1. Oh and you have got to try their Sunday Brunch one day! It's out of this world!!! Make a date for a Sunday getaway or a staycation with the kids!

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  7. If I recall correctly, hubby and I passed by while we were going on Egg Hunting last year. I didn't realise the rooms is so luxurious! Love the outdoor tub and everything within!! The pool is awesome too! Wish we could pamper ourselves someday at Capella too. :)

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    1. They are categorised as The Leading Hotels of the World. We are lucky we got a chance to experience its legacy.

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  8. Atas or humble staycation, most important is family enjoy themselves.
    And your photos show so much Fun and Love :)

    cheers, Andy
    (SengkangBabies)

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    1. That's very true Andy. Actually the children don't need much to be happy. Mommy, Daddy and a special holiday out of the home. It doesn't really matter where. Right?

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  9. I will be TOTALLY sad to go home from this staycation! Ewan, I FEEL YOU!

    WHAT was Ewan doing to Faye in the room.. That black and white with a little bit reddish photo??

    And the kids' sleeping space is super cute lah. Good improvisation, those arm chairs.

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    1. hahah You are so observant! He was playing Doctor, injecting her with a syringe. hahahahaha

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  10. The villa is so gorgeous omg!! I haven't been to Capella but the whole place really spells serenity.. not to say, they are perfect for photoshoots too!

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    1. I'm glad I portrayed it well enough to make you go wow!

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  11. Thank you so much for sharing with us. I am glad to see your article here. Your explanation about Capella Singapore Villa Living For Kids is very interesting for me. Good job. en.balijetaime.com

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  12. Hi - which would you recommend with a 2 year old - the Sentosa Suite or the One Bedroom Villa? Now that there is a 2 hour limit at the pool due to covid restrictions not sure if a sea view or a plunge pool is better.

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