You know already that we’re all about staycations. We go for staycations all year round, especially during the June and December holidays. We started going for staycations because it became just too difficult to travel overseas once we had children. That’s of course a story for another day altogether.

Now I want to tell you about a different type of staycation we had this time round.

First of all, it wasn’t at Sentosa.

Two, because it wasn’t at Sentosa, there were no cute yellow minions or Optimus Prime involved.

Three, we had super good food in the vicinity of the hotel.

Four, the room was awesome. How awesome? You have to check it out for yourself.

Five, have you ever been to a hotel room and your kid’s artwork adorns the room? Now, that’s definitely a new experience for us.

So yup, unless you haven’t read the title of this post, you’d have already realised that this astounding beauty of a hotel is nestled in the heart of Katong food haven.

And in case you’re wondering from the first picture if there’s a toilet or a separate shower area (with a rain shower), yes, there is. In fact, this is the view you get (from the room door) when the glass doors of the toilet are all open.

Village Hotel Katong, the flagship Village hotel, reflects the strong Peranakan heritage of the surrounding Joo Chiat and Katong district in Singapore. The Peranakan theme in the room is impossible to miss, from wall tiles and wall paper to carpet – they’ve got it all covered.

Why is my daughter’s artwork in Room 515 of Village Hotel Katong? Well, she was one of the children (aged 5 to 12) from HeART Studio who contributed to the Peranakan-inspired artwork in the hotel’s 55 Premier Peranakan and Club Rooms; paintings by the studio’s teachers are displayed at the hotel’s lift lobbies from levels 5 to 12. [For more of her artwork, you can view them here, here and here; here’s the review of their children’s classes and adult’s canvas class, if you’re interested.]

Thanks to the generosity of Far East Hospitality, we were given the opportunity to review the Family Room but the hotel staff gave us a wonderful surprise when we checked in by upgrading us to the room with my girl’s painting to make it the most meaningful staycation ever for us!

Village Hotel Katong is a 5-minute walk to Parkway Parade Shopping Mall, 112 Katong and a 10-minute walk to East Coast Park.

We swim at every staycation and this has got to be the only time we didn’t because my girl came down with a fever the night before the staycation. 🙁 So yes, we could only look at the pool longingly while we sweated buckets in the sweltering heat.

Nevertheless, we headed out to East Coast Park on the complimentary hourly shuttle bus from the hotel lobby to try out the activities in the Family Weekend Savers package (for up to 4 people).

FAMILY* WEEKEND SAVERS PACKAGE (from S$295++)

Since mid-June 2014, Village Hotel Katong has launched a new weekend family package that includes ONE night’s accommodation in a Family Room with queen twin beds, breakfast for 2 adults and 2 children, complimentary Wi-Fi and 1 out of 3 activities at Big Splash.

Big Splash is no longer the waterpark of yesteryear. After it reopened in 2008 after undergoing major redevelopment, the unforgettable rainbow-coloured slides of the 1980s have given way to eateries and vendors offering family-friendly recreational activities. It has since been renamed as Playground @ Big Splash.

Under the Family Weekend Savers Package, you can choose to enjoy 1 out of the 3 activities described below free of charge. Just present the voucher** (see Terms and Conditions at the end of the post) to enjoy the activity. If you do not wish to utilise the voucher during your staycation or it’s a rainy day, you can choose to go back to Big Splash within 1 month from the issue date of the voucher to enjoy the activity.

1. Lilliputt miniature golf Family Package for 4 pax

Lilliputt is an indoor mini-golf adventure where you putt your way through 18 sensational mini golf holes – all modelled after familiar Singapore landmarks like Changi Airport, the Esplanade, Boat Quay, Turf Club, Bird Park, the almost-forgotten Haw Par Villa and the once-upon-a-time Big Splash. No special skills, training or fitness level is required. Fashionable hat, optional. 🙂

Not your usual putting green, Lilliputt impresses with its creativity and ingenuity of combining golf with not just a splendid display of sights, colours and even sound effects but also with specially designed MRT carriages, trishaws, lifts to ferry the golf ball to its next position. A fine place to beat the heat since it’s air-conditioned.

 2. 2 hours in-line skating

Yup, 2 hours for those skates and the necessary gear. But that doesn’t mean you have to skate for 2 hours. For us? I think we spent like 15 minutes figuring out how to put on the gear and maybe less than 2 minutes skating (trying to skate would be more accurate) complete with a whole lot of screaming. LOL. It’s her first time on skates – and me too! I looked much less glamorous than her, even with her running a temperature and all. If you’ve seen an elephant on skates or something, I think I come close to that.

By all means, if you’re already skaters, this would be really worth it.

3. 1 hour Quad Cycle rental (4-seater)

No. The Quad Cycle does NOT come with those pretty balloons. My boy had gone to a birthday party that was ending to beg for ONE balloon. And no, we weren’t actually invited to the birthday party. With this cute little face, he scored ALL the balloons at the doorway.

We took the 4-seater since there were only 2 adults but there’s actually a 6-seater. It’s our second time on the Quad Cycle. The Quad Cycle is quite heavy so you’ll need some stamina to last the whole hour. A really good workout for those thighs. And who knew our skies could be this pretty?

We hopped onto the 7.20pm shuttle bus back to the hotel with two sleepy kids. Love the convenience of having a free hourly shuttle service as parking is quite a hassle at certain timings at East Coast Park. The shuttle bus from the hotel to Big Splash operates hourly from 8.40am – 10.40pm; Big Splash to the Hotel from 9.20am – 10.20pm.

If not for the fact that my little boy was lulled to sleep by the wind while we were on the Quad Cycle, we would have just grabbed dinner and maybe enjoy a fish spa at Big Splash before returning to the Hotel. You see, Village Hotel Katong guests enjoy privileges when you flash the keycard at certain outlets at Big Splash. Details here:

• Seafood International – 10% off total bill + complimentary dessert of the day
• Fish @ Big Splash – 1-for-1 30-minute fish spa (Usual Price $15)
• Updog Studio – 1-for-1 yoga class or ask a friend along and pay $35 for two
• LilliPutt at Big Splash – 10% off regular-priced games and merchandise

 

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Every year during the June holidays, we’d plan a staycation that coincides with my hubby’s birthday. And this was no exception. I had informed the hotel staff prior to the stay and they’d offered to send us a small cake to celebrate his birthday that night. The staff who delivered the cake even offered to burst into song for him. Such hospitality! 😀

The kids were so excited to dig in that I think in the end we forgot about the birthday song. Should have let the guy sing after all 😛

Then it was time to bathe! The floor in the room became a little wet as the hot water vapour condensed on the cool floor and made it a tad slippery. Walking around in bedroom slippers and banning the kids from walking around for awhile helped to prevent accidents.

Breakfast @ Katong Kitchen

Katong Kitchen, a new dining concept located within the hotel, features modern Peranakan design and features an array of dishes reflective of the district, including fare from Nonya, Macanese, Asian, local Chinese to Western cuisine. It is also Halal certified.

You can help yourself to all four rows of food at the four sides of the restaurant:

The other three aisles at the sides:

There’s a whole range of food from noodle soup, nasi lemak to a selection of tim sum. I really liked the potato curry. And the fried chicken wings.

Being part of a Peranakan themed hotel, naturally, everywhere in the restaurant, you’ll find Peranakan furnishings too.

Besides having your meals at Katong Kitchen, you can easily find good food within 5-10 minutes, like 328 Katong laksa, Am Pang Niang Dou Fu, Five Stars Chicken Rice.

In fact, there are plenty of options with restaurants like Modesto’s, Tomi Sushi and an array of cafes at Katong V, a new retail attraction which adjoins the hotel. And if you forget any necessities, you can always head to the FairPrice Finest at Katong V. Or do your weekend grocery shopping at the end of your staycation. Yes, I did that. Very auntie, I know. But how not to make good use of the convenience?

Last but not least, a visit to Katong is never complete without immersing yourself in its wealth of cultural heritage.

Village Hotel Katong

25 Marine Parade

Singapore 449536

For more information about the Weekend Savers Packages, click here.

For enquiries and hotel reservations, call +65 6344 2200 or email info.vhk@fareast.com.sg.

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*Weekend Savers for Couples is available [from S$175++ (rate pegged to Superior weekend BAR rates]. Details as follow:

Room Category: Superior Room
Value Adds: ABF for 2 pax, WIFI
Activities: Choose 1 out of 3 from:
·         Lilliput miniature golf  for 2 pax
·         2 hours in-line skates rental for 2 pax
·         30 mins Kangoo jump for 2 pax

 

**Terms and Conditions for use of voucher for redemption of participation in activity:

• Each booking will be limited to one voucher
• The voucher for each activity is valid for 1 month from date of issue
• The customer must present the original voucher
• No extension, replacement or exchanged for cash will be entertained
• The management reserves the right to replace the product of a similar value, type or cost
• For enquiries, please call Village Hotel Katong @ 6344 2200
• Not valid for use in conjunction with other discounts, promotions and event packages
• Valid for use on weekday/weekend/PH except private events
• The management reserves the right to amend the terms and conditions without prior notice

More offers from Far East Hospitality: Village Hotel Changi Weekend Cycle and Stay

Village Hotel Changi is offering a weekend stay package that introduces both local and foreign guests to various recreational cycling routes around Changi Village. From S$170, our “Weekend Cycle and Stay” package offers all guests, including couples or families with children, the opportunity to participate in various activities.
·         One-night accommodation in Superior Room
·         Buffet breakfast for two at Saltwater Café
·         One-hour bicycle rental/ride
·         Changi Village cycling reference guide
·         Two 480ml foldable drinking water bottle
·         Hop-on Hop-off City Tour worth $39.80 for two
·         Koi feeding, limited to one feed per room

 

Disclosure: We were invited to experience the Weekend Family Package at Village Hotel Katong and received a complimentary one-night stay and passes to the activities. All opinions are mine.

[Note: Even though we love staycations and have stayed at many hotels in Singapore, I’ve only begun to document our stays of late so this is a growing list. You can read about our stay at Equarius Hotel, Festive Hotel @ RWS and Oasia Hotel.]

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