Well well, let’s come to this. I have been wanting to check out the brand new Singapore Airlines The Private Room for quite some time. Sadly, my plans didn’t work out in July. I finally got a chance to do so this month. This is the main focus of the entire trip and the reason why I am flying. The Private Room is the cream of the crop and the flagship lounge of Singapore Airlines which reopen after a long renovation. I have always loved The Private Room and have done some ridiculous trips starting from here, check out my review of the old lounge. It is lovely to see that Singapore Airlines have decided to refresh and renovate the lounge offerings in Singapore as the previous décor was way outdated and tired. This will be the product to stay for the next decade or so until the future Terminal 5.

Access Requirements

There are two main tiers of lounges in Singapore. The KrisFlyer Gold Lounge for Krisflyer Gold and Star Alliance Gold members flying in Economy Class. Premium passengers as well as PPS Club members are invited to the SilverKris Lounge instead. You will then be able to access either the Business Class Lounge, First Class Lounge or The Private Room. PPS Solitaire members are invited to the First Class lounge. The Private Room is reserved exclusively for passengers flying in First Class / Suites on Singapore Airlines metal only. Star Alliance First Class pax are ushered to the First Class lounge instead. Arriving passengers from a Singapore Airlines First Class or Suites passengers can also access the facility.

Arrival & Location

In the past, it is known as a lounge within a lounge and a lounge. Just like a Russian Doll, you need to get thru 3 different gantries to enter the lounge. Safe to say, it is as secure as a maximum security prison. Sneaking in is close to impossible! This is no longer the case as they now share the same oval entrance of the SilverKris Lounge where you then branch out into the various lounges. This will depend on your entitlement.

Upon exiting the escalator, I was ushered in after presenting my boarding pass and the lounge invites. You do not have to give the lounge invites to the staff if you would like to keep it as a memento. I was then asked if I would like to have a seat in the lounge or have breakfast. I was handed over to the restaurant staff after choosing to have breakfast first. Excellent engagement. Very polished.

Singapore Airlines The Private Room

The lounge can fit 78 passengers and with only passengers flying in Suites / First Class on SQ metal, the lounge never gets too crowded at any time of the day given how high the bar is for entrance. It is especially quiet in the late morning and afternoon. The main space of the lounge is kept simple and mainly in a long rectangular configuration of one single room. Along the entryway into the space, you have another nice display of the SQ Batik flowers and a grand chandelier. There is a host desk where a staff is on hand to assist with any issue that you might face from rebooking to reserving day rooms.

I love the decor and the finishes, it looks so fresh and welcoming when compared to the older one which looks yellow and tired. There was extensive use of partitions in the design of the area to make it more exclusive and private. Many seats are arranged in a little enclave of itself or cubicles. It looks like a cosy classy office. Power outlets are easily found from typical sockets to wireless charging pads. Towards the end of the lounge is the dining room which I will share more about it later. Here are some pictures of the lounge.

Along the lounge, you can also find a small enclosed room which is great if you require more privacy or to take a personal call.

The lounge never gets busy or too noisy, it is a nice place for relaxing and waiting for your flight. I felt comfortable here. Some do say that it might be a tat too quiet for comfort.

Play Room

There is a Play Room in the lounge which you can find near the host desk. This room comes equipped with a TV. But the primary use is for the younger ones to play around inside. Some toys and colouring materials can be requested from the staff.

Day Rooms

This is the most obvious change from the previous lounge. The new facility comes with day rooms and this is such a great addition to the lounge. The dayrooms elevate the whole The Private Room experience. These could really come in handy since Singapore Airlines does plenty of transit flights for travellers from the northern hemisphere to the South East Asia region. There are a total of 4-day rooms. Two of the day rooms are equipped with a bed and the other two only come with a reclining chair. The ones with the bed are the ones to go for since comes equipped with both a bed and a reclining chair. These are rooms 2 and 3. Passengers can reserve them on a first come first serve basis for a period of 2 hours. Of course, if no other passengers are using it, you can continue the stay. I had no issues using them both in the afternoon and late evening.

Do take note that the rooms are not entirely private and there is a small window panel that people outside can see thru. The location of the rooms is extremely private and there should not be any foot traffic there. There are still some issues with the QR code scanner and the locking of the doors. I had an excellent nap in the room during my stay, the rooms are equipped with a Tempur Zero G bed with a Tempur Firm Supreme mattress. The mattress offers top-notch back support and do try out the Zero Gravity position. The sheets are plush and smooth. In each room, you can also find some hangers, a work desk and a luggage rack. The day rooms here in The Private Room are larger than those in the First Class Lounge.

Each dayroom comes with Lalique slippers, the same as the ones onboard. You can also request for a diffuser with COMO Shambhala essential oils and a yoga mat.

What I felt they could improve on in the rooms is by preemptively offering a bottle or two of bottled water by the side as well as installing lighting control near the desk. It doesn’t make sense for you to walk all the way to the entrance to adjust the lighting and then go back to bed. A double pillow would be welcoming too. They could also opt for a more generous supersingle-size bed or even a queen-size bed.

Toilets & Showers

I am pleased with this aspect of the lounge, they are a step above the old facilities. The Private Room now comes with individual shower rooms. The Private Room comes with toilets and showers. They are located near the entrance and gorgeously designed with marble and warm tones. There are a total of 3 shower rooms which is more than sufficient for TPR. Shower room 3 is the more spacious one.

Inside the shower rooms, you can find amenities from Lalique Neroli as well as Penhaligon. Toiletries are from COMO Shambhala’s signature Invigorate range. They have a lovely scent.

The shower rooms come with Grohe fittings and there is both a handheld shower head and a rainforest shower head. Water pressure and temperature control are excellent. The place also comes equipped with a bidet toilet.

Here are some pictures of the toilets as well. Bidet toilets are installed and similarly, amenities from Lalique Neroli.

Both the toilets as well as the showers are always kept in tip-top condition with constant upkeep by the attendants.

Food & Drinks

The Dining Room is located at the end of the lounge and here you can find dining tables both in the middle as well as on both sides of the wall. They are decked out with glassware and dining ware, just like what you would expect in a fine dining restaurant. Close to everything is served by the waiter and waitress and ordered off the menu.

There is only a small counter where you can find some cakes, chocolates and snacks. Even for the cakes, you order them with the staff if you want as well.

I was handed over to the waiter when I first entered the lounge who then welcome us in and presented us with the menu which is in a classy leather holder. Drink orders were taken and we were asked for our preference for still or sparkling water. The TPR served San Benedetto Mineral Water. You can find the menu below. Do take note that breakfast is served till 11am and lunch till 6pm.

I made it for breakfast and tried the Lobster Laksa

Congee with Cod

Dim Sum. My favourite was the congee with cod fish. It was smooth and flavourful, the cod fish was well-fried and savoury. It was so good that we ordered a second portion.

We had a late lunch and got the assorted satays. We customized it and opt for just chicken and beef satays. You have to try this! The satays were perfectly grilled with a nice char and the marinade was tasty. I prefer this over the wagyu satays which I tried later in the evening. Champagne and Satays anyone?

We also got the Angus Beef Horfun. This was hearty and flavourful. It was a nice portion and the beef was tender. It is just a tat on the salty side.

Penne in Shellfish sauce with King Prawns was another lovely dish. I love the sauce and the pasta was cooked al dente. It comes with a pan-fried king prawn. Do get some extra prawns if you order this. They only give one.

We ended the meal with a cheese platter and some wine.

We had a super late dinner after a tour of the airport and started with the Wagyu Satay. This is only available during dinner. It was slightly overcooked and I prefer the regular beef satay. Disappointing.

Poached Lobster with Caviar. This was a disappointment and pathetic. The way they use the word “Boston” and “Whole” makes it even more……

The Seared Cod with Seafood Beurre Blanc Sauce was amazing and the best dish I had for dinner. I love the cod. The portion is on the smaller side. The presentation could be improved though.

We also ordered another horfun given how tasty and comforting it is. This time around we had it with lobster.

Pan Seared Chicken Breast with Charred Asparagus and Red Wind Jus. This was quite good, the chicken was juicy and the skin was crispy. I love the asparagus too. But, similarly, the sauce is on the salty side.

Saffron Rice

Chocolate Parfait

The TPR have an extensive and impressive drinks menu including the tasty 2008 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs.

Non-alcoholic option range from TWG teas to fresh juices.

I love the wine fridge! Look how gorgeous this is!

I also appreciated that the lounge has proper coffees made from an actual espresso machine rather than those machine-made ones.

In the evening, you can also order cocktails from the First Class Lounge bar. I had a lovely SilverKris Sling. I do wish that they can create a couple more signature cocktails. Perhaps something with some Singapore roots? Pandan? Sour Plum? Perhaps even some tea-infused cocktails since SQ tie up with TWG.

I tried the Chablis and the Albert Bichot too which were excellent.

One of my main concerns about The Private Room previously was their desserts which was significantly lacking. While they have been slightly improved, they are still underwhelming. Ice Cream and Cheng Teng? Surely they can come up with something better? Even the cakes were meh! Come on. Simply getting takeaway from Rich & Good or Lady M would be better!

Conclusion

I’m so excited to be able to finally check out this lounge. It is certainly a step above the previous facility in terms of decor, I can also see refinements to the food and beverage offerings. There are still room for improvement. It is by no means a bad place for an extended stay. You will be well taken care of and well-fed. However, it sort of lack a wow factor. The dayrooms are a good amenity. It would be nice to see some spa treatments or perhaps even jacuzzi tubs in the showers. It did fall off the scales when we compare it to some other renowned first-class lounges in the world like Qatar Al Safwa, Swiss Zurich First Class Lounge or Cathay The Pier. I am keen to see what is in line for the Terminal 5 lounge in the next decade or so. I just wish that they could open the lounge 24 hours as well. Now, if someone could invite me to the Qantas First Class Lounge for a side-by-side review!