The Hotel Life: JW Marriott Singapore South Beach Club Premier Marina Bay Room Review

Looking to have some quality time with my partner during the festive holidays brought me back for another staycay. At this point, I have already stop counting the number of staycations I have been to in Singapore. These little getaways simply curbs my lust for actual travel at this point right now. Heading to a property that I have always wanted to try, JW Marriott Singapore South Beach. This is also one of the newest addition to the Marriott Bonvoy lineup in town. JW Marriott Singapore is located in the South Beach development, just off the prime Marina Bay area. It is easily accessible via MRT, directly connected to Esplanade Station on the Circle Line. You can also find direct underground links to the surrounding malls, giving you access to an abundance of eating and shopping options. This makes it perfect for both the travellers or local staycation guests.

Booking Process & Pre Arrival 

For my one night stay at JW Marriott Singapore South Beach, I book a Marriott Luminous Rate which will gives me certain extra perks given that I do not hold any Marriott status right now. I got the club deluxe room at 339++ SGD which comes up to 399 Nett. While that is more than what I would like to pay, the stay is for a special occasion and I would also like to lock in the club access. Thankfully, by booking a Marriott Luminous Rate, I will be able to enjoy the following perks; 100 USD Hotel Credit (Converted to 132 SGD for my stay), Complimentary daily breakfast for two people per room, Complimentary basic Wi-fi daily, Early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability, Complimentary room upgrade, subject to availability at check-in, Local welcome amenity and note. Based on conflicting information that I received from the hotel regarding the executive lounge situation, I believe depending on your staying dates, there are different access rules. On non peak periods like for my stay, it is on a first come first serve basis and you can stay throughout the service. But on peak periods like weekends and on festive periods, it will be on appointment basis and you are limited to one hour slots. I was pre upgraded to a Club Premier Marina Bay room on account of booking a Luminous rate and early check in was guaranteed at 11am. JW Singapore South Beach have a total of 634 rooms and suites, spread over 12 categories. It is also a fairly new addition to Singapore collection of Marriott Bonvoy properties. 

Rooms	Executive Lounge Access	Bathtub	Size	No. of Rooms
Studio	No	No	23 Sqm	51
Deluxe	No	Yes	35 Sqm	271
Premier	No	Yes	40 Sqm	56
Premier Marina Bay	No	Yes	40 Sqm	48
Club Deluxe	Yes	Yes	37 Sqm	104
Club Premier	Yes	Yes	42 Sqm	21
Premier Family	No	Yes	40 Sqm	36
Deluxe Suite	Yes	Yes	74 Sqm	24
Premier Suite	Yes	Yes	100 Sqm	11
Premier Marina Bay Suite	Yes	Yes	100 sqm	10
Chairman Suite	Yes	Yes	219 Sqm	1
Presidential Suite	Yes	Yes	250 Sqm	1

Checking In 

I arrive at 11am, given that my early check in was guaranteed. Staying on a weekday does have its perks. Service was attentive and polished. As I pull up to the driveway, a staff came out to greet me and offered to help me with my bags upon knowing that I am checking in. I was then escorted all the way to the check in counter. Full marks in this aspect. I love the sleek and grand lobby, it looks extremely chic with classy use of warm tones. Plenty of seating can be found in the lobby and those designer furniture were really gorgeous. While there are plenty of counters, only 2 of them are manned at this time. It is certainly quiet these days at the hotel and there was barely anybody around given this travel climate and it being a weekday. 

Check in was a slow game but understandable this days given the amount extra registration and forms to fill out. The receptionist was polished and went thru all the details of my bookings. I was also extended a late check out at 4pm the next day. She further assisted me with the facilities booking, given that the pool can only be reserved during check in. 

Club Premier Marina Bay Room

I was allocated a corner room on the 19th floor, room 1915. While at first I was a little disappointed not to get a deluxe suite upon inquiring despite the low occupancy. I was definitely satisfied with the room upon entering. Being a corner unit, the room is located all the way at the end of the corridor. These rooms are prime, usually corner units are slightly more spacious and the view should be better.

Upon entering, I am delighted by how bright and spacious the room is. With the conspicuous use of mirror and white finishing, it complements the abundance of natural light flowing in. This makes the room extremely welcoming. I also love how they use tiles flooring here and a large amount of mats rather than a typical carpeted flooring. This is much nicer in comparison. Although only measuring 42 Sqm, the room certainly felt larger than it is. I love how modern the entire place is. 

With a L-shape entrance, the room have a rather long entryway, turning left to face the main space of the room after entering. Just behind the entrance, there is a large wardrobe hidden by the mirror door finishing. I love the mirror type of finishing near the door making it a makeshift mirror. You are able to check your dressing or hair right before leaving the room. Stay chic! 

You can find the washroom in between the entrance and the main room. I will share more about it later on. Being a Premier Marina Bay room, the highlight of the entire place got to be the view. As I entered, the view immediately caught my eye! Look at how marvelous the view is from the ceiling to floor window panels! The panoramic view extends from the entire Marina Bay area to City Hall. It really opens up and you have clear view of the entire Padang area. This must be really popular on National Day. Definitely the best view out of all my recent staycations in Singapore. Suffice to say, my eyes were glued here for the entire time! 

Located by the window you can also find a bay window couch that spans the entire length of the window. What a lovely spot for a glass of wine or coffee while lounging with your partner. It is really that idyllic to share this amazing view with your love ones. Capturing the change from the day to the night as the lights light up Singapore skyline. I am proud to live in such a gorgeous country. However, I do find the couch area a little sparse, it will be better if some pillows were left here. 

The room is in a regular squarish shape with the lush king size bed complemented with 4 pillows right in the middle. Feel free to request for additional ones from the hotel. I love that the bed is on the firmer side, which is my preference. However in the middle of the night, I realised that the king bed is actually made from two single bed, which isn’t that common in Singapore. I am not a fan of them! Despite how nice it is, you can still feel a faint gap in the middle which isn’t that comfortable as an actual king bed. I am happy to report that power outlets can be easily found on both side of the bed. The night stands even has USB chargers installed. This should be the standard in all 5 star hotels. 100 marks here! Wi-fi was easy to connect and fast throughout the room. Do note that due to the current pandemic, no turndown services are provided in the evening. From what I have heard from others, daily housekeeping service are not provided as well. 

Facing the bed, you can find a working desk cum TV set up. A high quality flat screen TV mounted on the wall. It is a little on the smaller side, but sufficient. Beneath the TV, you can find a proper working desk with a “rocking” armchair. Outlets are nicely designed and can be easily found on the desk. The armchair was comfortable than expected and should be alright for short periods of working. A care kit consisting of two surgical masks and a bottle of hand sanitizer can be found on the desks. A luggage rack was left on the side as well.  

Between the working desk and the couch by the window, you can find a round table. The table actually seems rather out of place. It looks weird that it was there and does not complement the overall space. Later on in the afternoon, a very lovely welcome amenity was brought over. It consists of a cake, some sweets and macarons, 3 bowls of nuts, a drink as well as a fruit platter. Those jars of macadamia nuts and walnuts are perfect for a cosy night with a bottle of wine. This is a pretty nice welcome amenity from the hotel for booking under Marriott Luminous. 

On the other side of the bed, this is where the main wardrobe and the mini bar can be found. Again, nicely built behind a panels of silver mirror finish. The wardrobe was a good size and inside you can find an ironing set, an extra pillow, bath slippers as well as 2 bathrobes. They were really comfy. I love that a generous amount of hangers can be found in the room. 

The minibar area consists of a nespresso machine with 4 capsules in addition to a kettle. Bottles of house brand water can be found here as well. The fridge is left empty, perhaps due to current health concerns. I am glad to see that TWG teas are offered. A basic standard or level of quality for any 5 star hotels. Shoo Lipton! Shoo instant coffee!

Lastly, let me share about the washroom. Which I find rather impressive. I love the light grey matt finishing in the washroom. It was a nice space as well. Immediately, the free standing spacious bathtub caught my eye. I love that the taps are located in the middle which makes it easier for soaking with your partner. It is definitely good enough for 2 person. 

The washroom comes with a single rectangular sink. I love that the design allows the mirror section to be movable making it possible to open up to the lovely Marina Bay views outside. Ain’t it alluring to brush your teeth with Singapore saying good morning to you? All sorts of amenities are provided here and they are from Aromatherapy Associates, one of my favourite brands ever. I love the rosemary and lavender scent of them. The shower and toilet are located in separate rooms. You can find a fancy, high tech japanese bidet toilet installed. Don’t be a country bumpkin like me and get startled when the lid opens up automatically. The standing shower comprise of both a rainforest shower as well as a handheld one. The showering space is very spacious and definitely good for two pax. Sadly the water pressure is not excellent and temperature control is bad as well. 

Executive Lounge

JW Marriott Singapore South Beach is known for their 4 hours evening cocktails. It’s certainly been one of my to-do list in Singapore. I had access to the Executive Lounge which is currently open from 12pm to 9pm daily. Breakfast is offered at Beach Road Kitchen for all club guests now. Let me first point out the main negative point of the lounge. It is located on the 2nd floor of the hotel! In a stark contrast to most hotel lounges, they do not benefit from having any of that spectacular view that this hotel commands. With that being said, the lounge is still a rather comfortable place to chill and relax. It is spacious and really opens up. The space is separately into various seating areas making it a little more private. I will let the pictures do more of the talking. 

Afternoon tea is served from 2.30pm to 4.30pm. Hors d’oeuvre from 5.30pm to 7.30pm. Evening cocktails starts together with Hors d’oeuvre but last all the way till 9pm, making JW Marriott Singapore South Beach one of the most generous lounge in town. The menu changes daily and you can find them on the link here. https://mailchi.mp/marriott/executive-lounge

I managed to check out the afternoon tea selection during my stay and it was nicely presented in a 3 tier stand. You are also offered drinks ranging from coffee, juices and teas. Sadly alcoholic drinks are not provided during this service. I had bits and bites of a couple of items and they were alright. You are allowed refills of the items and they were proactively offered. I felt that the food I had at Conrad Singapore and Shangri-La Singapore is much better though. 

In my opinion, the evening service is a lot better in comparison to the afternoon offerings. Similarly served in a tier stand, the refreshments are brought over by the staff. I really love the brie cheese, smoked salmon as well as the savoury hot items. The hot snacks were brought out separately in individual plates. The meatballs and fish fingers were delicious! They were served hot and you are offered refills as well. They are certainly not stingy with them. 

With the drinks stretching all the way till 9pm, this place is perfect for a liquid buffet! While I will not say that the choices are huge, there is a good selection of drinks. I would also like to point out the attentive and polished service of the staff here. They remember our drink preference and customization. Upon pointing out that we love a stronger pour and more limes, we were never left disappointed from then. 

Over the course of our stay, we tried their Gin Tonic, Prosecco, Pink Rose and Negroni. 

While their prosecco isn’t my favourite. I love their housepour red, they are serving a respectable Michel Lynch Merlot from Bordeaux. A very delicious one for chill drinking. One that Conrad also serves it in its lounge right now.  

Pool

JW Marriott Singapore South Beach actually have 2 pools. One on the 18th floor known as Flow 18, the other on the 6th floor known as Ebb 6. Currently, only Flow 18 is open. Flow 18 is a sheltered swimming pool boosting spectacular panoramic views of the Singapore skyline. As such, it is more of a pool for lazing around. You definitely can’t do any tanning over here. Thankfully the regular shape does allows getting some laps in.  

Due to the current situation, the capacity is capped at 20 pax at a time and reservations are necessary. Guests will be able to make bookings thru a portal after check in. The pool was completely empty during my visit. It is open from 6am to 9pm. I really love the space and it is really gorgeous, overlooking the entire Marina Bay Area. I love the expansive view, stretching as far as MBS to Padang. An amazing spot to take lots of pictures as well. The typical depth is 1.2m, with some wading spots on both sides. Towels and bottled water are provided as well. One issue to take note is the lack of sunbeds by the pool. The water is also extremely “refreshing” to say, given that it is located this high up and sheltered. This would be perfect if it is a heated pool. 

Gym

Together with the Pool, the Gym makes up the Flow 18 facility. Perched at the top of the hotel on level 18, the gym is open from 6am to 9pm. Due to current health situation, the capacity is capped at 10 pax at one time. No reservations are needed and it is all on a first come first serve basis. The whole facility is large and spacious. There are all sorts of equipment that you might need. With the capacity cap, there shouldn’t be any difficulties or waiting needed. While I did not use the gym, it felt really comfortable with the view of the surrounding greens. 

Akira Back

Given that I had some credits to spend, we decided to have lunch at the hotel. At first, I wanted to check out Madam Fan, the chinese restaurant, however it is fully booked during the CNY period. I decided to dine at Akira Back instead, the stylish award winning Japanese restaurant. Do remember to reserve a table in advance, they are pretty  popular these days and on my visit during the weekdays, it is still pretty crowded. Service is polished and attentive, I was brought over to the table and asked for drinks orders while we ponder thru the menu. The restaurant have a comfy dining environment and is cosy with warm lightings. 

There is an extensive menu which you can find at the link below. In addition to ala carte options, they also do a 3 course set lunch from Mon to Fri. It ranges from 40 SGD to 58 SGD, which can be quite a steal given the prices here. Check it out! https://mailchi.mp/marriott/contactlessmenu-ab

Given that we really wanted to try out some of the specific dishes here, we decide to order from the a la carte menu. Prices are definitely on the high side although thankfully the credits and Marriott Bonvoy dining discount helps. To start, we got the Atlantic Black Cod with Saikyo Miso and Yuzu Sake Foam as recommended by the waitress. This cost 32 SGD. It turn out to be our favourite dish of the meal. The cod was fresh and flaky, nicely charred with the miso glaze. I do love the pairing of the yuzu sake foam on the fish as the miso glaze tends to be on the saltier side. Perfect dish to go with some rice. Highly recommended. 

We also got the 48 HRS Sanchuku Short Ribs, their speciality here at Akira Back. These ribs were slow cooked for 48 hours, making it fork-tender and melts in your mouth. We really love it. Portion wise is a little small seeing that they cost 50 SGD. While pricey, the dish is well executed. 

To go with our mains, we got the King Crab Fried Rice. This cost 22 SGD. The fried rice was alright. It is generously packed with crab meat and fried well. Although I feel that it is slightly on the drier side. 

A perfect meal can’t end without desserts. To end of the meal, we ordered the Let’s Go Nuts and Bee Hive upon recommendations from the staff. Both of them cost 18 SGD. While both desserts are pretty lovely and they were a piece of art on itself, we prefer the Let’s Go Nuts. The Pecan Miso Tart and Apricot Ice Cream is a perfect match! I also love that you get the smokiness from the charred apricot at the top. 

Conclusion

JW Marriott Singapore South Beach certainly lives up to its reputation! The rooms and decor are gorgeous and they are one of the newest addition to the Marriott community over here in Singapore. With Ritz Carlton Singapore not participating in the program, the only true luxury properties are St Regis and here, JW! I had a lovely stay with my partner! I actually miss out on breakfast the next day as we had a late night, thus I am unable to provide any thought and review on Beach Road Kitchen. My meal at Akira Back was memorable. The rate might be more than what I would love to pay for but I still enjoyed the stay alot. The executive lounge is also one of the more generous one with 4 hours of cocktails. Platinum members and above guests will certainly enjoy this place. I will definitely rank this hotel in my Top 5 staycations. It would be much higher if not of the pricey rate. At 400 SGD for a night here, it felt short on the “worth it” factor, unlike Shangri-la Valley Wing.