Goodwood Park is a 'has been'

Often in Singapore and use city as a stopping of point to visit friends in SE Asia. Always wanted to stay at Goodwood Park as I liked looks and exterior charm, but never got around to staying until last week. Friendly check in, in what was a very drab and very dull lobby, Escorted to room, which was hot, dirty carpet, old and outdated furniture, bed was mattress on a wood platform. It is the only hotel where I ever did a bed bug check (none) Not even one comfortable chair in room and no desk chair, just a stool. Bathroom had only one extra small bar of soap; however, very clean. After 20 minutes room still hot and ready to change hotels we discovered reason for heat as AC filter completely covered by dirt. We went to night manager and said change us or we leave. We were then moved to a small suite, much better, with two baths, but still not great, but okay for our 3 night stay. This a 'grand lady" of a hotel with a great history but needs to be closed and given a complete face lift. It seems they have not made any improvements on inside in years. Even where they have done touch up paint and otherwork it looks if applied by 10 year old. The breakfast buffet was so bad did not dare try other food. All this is so sad as it could be a great hotel considering the size of the grounds and hotel location. The grounds seemed to be in okay condition, but not the tropical stunning beauty they could and should be. This is a "has been" hotel, read it's history, take a brief look around, dream of what it might be but stay somewhere else.

The Shoppers Oasis

Great Place! We stayed for 2 nights and booked a junior suite. It wasn't the largest suite I have ever stayed in, but still very nice and comftable. we had no views. No TV to watch from bed which was a downer (especially as the kids were asleep in the longue area!). The bathrooms were FABULOUS. Actually these could have been much smaller to allow for bigger rooms.

in room safe did not work. Staff could not get it to work either.

The Mayfair(?) pool was just wonderful. Uncrowded and definately an oasis in Singapore. We only ate breakfast at the hotel, which was buffet and just great, mixture of western and asian which was great.

Really good location to Orchard Road, and the bell boys were great at handing out umbrellas to use in the rain!

Best Place in Town

I recently stayed at the Goodwood Park Hotel and it was FABOLOUS! The staff is very friendly and helpful. There was no single person that did not greet and smile at me during my stay.

Highlights:

I tried the Min Jiang Restaurant which offers a fantastic modern Asian Cuisine. The 8 course lunch menue was a firework of delicious small dishes and a culinary travel through Asia - a true MUST HAVE!!!

Also the pool is marvellous. Actually they have two swimming pools. One to show of directly in front of the terrasse and one (my favourite one) in a little palm tree garden. Absolutely romantic in the evening.

What I liked was especially the cosy athmosphere and the PERFECT location in walking distance to Orchard road (1min)

Sad state of affairs

I last stayed at this picturesque and well located hotel in the early 1990s. I liked it a lot then as it had a cozy feel to it and because of its good location. This time, I was very sad to see the state of affairs. While the lobby and some of the public areas have seen an upgrade, the room I stayed in was exactly the same as it was 15 years ago. Old furniture, musty smell, sagging mattress and dirty carpet. The blanket smelled bad so I asked housekeeping for a duvet, but was told that the hotel does not have any. I wound up asking a business associate in Singapore to bring me one from his house.

Sad to see this in a USD 150 a night hotel. One of the staff I spoke to told me that the owners of the hotel have a huge family / inheritance fight going, that nothing is done anymore in the hotel, and that most key staff have left or are changing constantly. A typical example of a hotel that has is coasting on reputation. My advice - avoid it.

My Favotite...

I really enjoyed my stay at the Good Wood Park... excellent service... nice lobby... nice restaurant and a luxurious colonial style on everything.

I reccomend you to book one of the Parklane Suite... you'll feel like in your home... with the same price of a filthy european 3 stars Hotel.

Completely rennovated Goodwood

We stayed at the Goodwood the last 3 nights of our trip in Asia with our 6yr old daughter. I was a bit nervous on how they'd treat families but they were all extremely helpful. We were given a poolside room, which is great when you have kids, the double room had a living area with a good sofabed / TV you could separate off with screens (perhaps for business travellers). As the hotel had just been rennovated (at least this part was) everything was squeaky clean and very modern and quite stark. IMHO too modern - we had trouble trying to turn off/on the lights/TV/etc using the control panel - what's wrong with light switches? Beautiful bathroom, great staff and great location, just off Orchard Road, but still very quiet. AND we got a great deal by booking early!

Below expectations

We picked the Goodwood Park hotel based on the fact that it looks great from the outside, the dim sum restaurant is top rated, and people think of it highly. We expected it to be a lovely heritage hotel, with beautiful large rooms.

We were very disappointed with the upkeep of the hotel in general and the room in particular. The room was large, but the carpet and duvet were stained and old, the fabric on the couch was worn out, the cusions were slouchy and dirty, and the bathroom was very average. Clearly not 5 star.

But the worst of it all was the breakfast. It truely was the worst we have ever eaten anywhere in the world. The restaurant itself was very run down and just looked tired.

We were booked for three nights, but checked out after the first night and moved to the Hilton, where we have stayed before and will return to. Unless the Goodwood Park completely refurbishes their rooms and restaurants (they are working on the lobby), please stay away from it and pick one of the many other great hotels in Singapore.

Mixed feelings

I booked the hotel for my last stay in Singapore and made the choice mostly because of the nice layout and location.

I cannot say much about the other rooms but I was given a room in the mayfair wing and this room looked rather run down. Stains on the carpet, scratches on the wall paper, yellowish curtain rims, holes in the bed linens. The bathroom was not really clean and the coating of the bath tube was starting to peel off.

They were just renovating the lobby so maybe they will also update the rooms in the mayfair wing in the near future.

The service was very good. Only one complaint here (if it can count as one): my flight was leaving very late in the evening and since I wanted to have a shower before embarking on a 14h-flight I asked if I could keep the room longer. I was told that I could keep the room until 2pm (wich is only 2 hours longer than normal) - otherwise I would have to pay another ca. 300 SGD. (I had asked to keep the room until 6pm). I know this is merely a matter of how far the hotel will accomodate to special wishes, and maybe it sounds spoilt - but this is just the thing that makes me judge a hotel.

I loved the pools and the gardens very much. The breakfast was not very imaginative but still better than in some other hotels.

I would stay there again if I could be sure to not be given a room in the mayfair wing again. Or if they renovate it.

A favourite - or THE favourite?

If, like, me, you enjoy quiet understatement along with hedonistic levels of comfort and service that is entirely unseen until you want attention - at which time it appears by magic, the Goodwood Park might be your favourite too.

Comfort and luxury are up with hotels like the Savoy in London and the service is of a similar style but even better executed than the London landmark. I've been back over half a dozen times since I first stumbled into the place late one night after a long flight from London and will be back again this year (2005). I've stayed alone on business and with my family on holiday (three young boys) and the hotel and its staff were equally superb whatever my 'operating mode'.

The location is also superb for the shops of Orchard Road - just a couple of minutes walk. I can't recommend the place highly enough.