Laundry Self Service In Singapore

Laundry – Self-serve in Singapore.

Laundry is the dreaded word while travelling.  Pretty easy to get the jocks and socks done by hand as required, but in the tropics where getting sweaty, and clothes quite grubby from your sweaty body, not to mention a bit smelly too, usually requires a more serious effort to get the clothes of everyday use washed.

While the traditional adage of one set on, one set being washed and one set in the bag is still a sound approach, it is when you are staying somewhere for a while and you need to wash a load or two that it can be tricky.

Commonly hotels charge really high prices for laundry.  Yes, they come back nice and clean and pressed [and on a hanger or folded and wrapped too], but you sure pay for the service.  Prices for washing shirts and trousers in many decent level hotels in Asia can be $15 – 30 each [or Ringgit, Won, Baht whatever].  That seems VERY expensive.

In Singapore one of the few hotels with their own laundry has been the Holiday Inn group.  They have a self-service laundry in the premises and that is a convenient and great cost saver.  Almost all of the Holiday Inn branded places will have one throughout Asia, but not always at other parts of the IHG group, eg Crown Plaza brand.  Pity……..they could follow the example of their more consumer friendly counterpart brand!

Singapore has been a bit of a problem with a paucity of self-serve laundry services around.  Yes, there are outside places that do laundry at more reasonable prices, but most were not self-serve.

Now there are a few decently organised and operated places starting to appear, many are open 24 hours too.  A S$5 wash and a 5min drying for $1 Singapore [allow $5 to get a load fully dry] is a reasonable price.  Clean, airy and pleasant and with liquid washing detergent added automatically it is a fairly painless 40 minute experience for a wash.  Read a book or the paper – easy as can be.

We used the new Easywash facility in Chinatown at 4 Sago Lane between S Bridge Road and Eu Tong Sen Street opposite the Chinatown Complex.  Other ones are around the main tourist areas of the city.  The Chinatown set up is a few minutes walk from the Chinatown MRT, and can be easily combined with a visit to Chinatown.  I would use it again.

Chinatown EasyWash

Chinatown Complex opposite

Wonder Wash is here http://wonderwash.com.sg/locations/ with 36 locations around Singapore from 2010, but most are outside the main tourist areas although easy enough to get to for many. Not all are close to MRT locations.

We used http://www.easywash.sg/ at their Chinatown site, and they have other sites at Beach Road near Kampong Glam, Braddell near the MRT and another about 5mins walk from Commonwealth MRT.

You do need to get the washing done.  Now definitely a bit easier in Singapore.

ParkRoyal on Pickering - A Great Hotel in Singapore

Park Royal on Pickering – Singapore

The hotel has now been open about a year.  We visited early in 2013, and again now at Christmas 2013. Both were high quality experiences, but the current visit has been better as staff now are more settled and experienced in the nuances of the hotel and its quirks, and new experienced ones have been added.

The staff of the hotel really DO make the place – no doubt about it.  Effective, pleasant and with a “can do” attitude they are a pleasure to deal with, right down to the bellboy.  The hotel recently won the 2013 Hotel Concierge award in Singapore, among many awards in 2013.  Check in and out was quick ad pleasant.

Rooms are airy and with light colours, plus a lot of wood – with both daytime and night time powered blinds, and nearly full length windows.  Some think it a bit disconcerting, but you get used to the need to use the blinds for privacy when required!  Most rooms look out with excellent views across to the Suntec City area across the Treasury Building, so leaving them up offers excellent views both day and night.

undercroft area near main entrance

Christmas lights outside Lime Retaurant

Rooms are well equipped with plenty of multi pin type [for  different countries] power points as well as audiovisual connections and a 5V DC USB outlet for direct phone charging. The beds are all king size and with a soft top so very good for sleeping.

Some rooms have a bath, most just a shower, which is quite large with both an overhead rain shower and a hand moveable wall fixture.  Toiletries provided are of good quality and some are organically based [they say they are moving that way].

It claims to be a green focussed hotel, and many parts of the hotel infrastructure revolve around that theme.  There is a lot available online if further detail is needed.  I think the attitude of the hotel and staff is to try to meet the expectations for a low energy and green theme.  Certainly one major feature in your face is the external green walls.  They do add to the ambience.

The pool is excellent but end walls are not well suited to lap swimming as can be rounded and with no markings on the bottom swimming a straight line can be tricky if a bit crowded.  The pool can be a bit cool sometimes as it is partially shaded during the day - if the weather is cloudy, be aware of this.  There is a well-equipped gym near the pool.

The undercroft and main entrance area offer good weather protection and a stark visual appearance.  Especially a standout at night with lights on the curved roof.

The hotel functions very well, offering a great visitation experience.  It is well positioned on Upper Pickering Street for both business and holiday visitors, with easily reached public transport options very close by [100m to Chinatown MRT, or buses], and in close walking distance for many business offices.

Breakfast is served on the ground floor, in Lime Restaurant and a good array of western and eastern food is available, including all standard items.  Food quality and the live cooking are very good.  But beware – if staying over the weekend be there early for Sunday breakfast, before 0900hrs, or expect a delay.  Quite common in Singapore as the Sunday breakfast can be very leisurely and cause slow movement through breakfast restaurants in many hotels, including upmarket ones.

The hotel has a very well thought through Club Lounge on the 16^th floor which can be good value for business guests.  I would recommend it.

Plenty more images online under the hotel name - many quite spectacular!
 

Lime Restaurant at Park Royal on Pickering - Festive Season Food

Lime Restaurant

Visited the restaurant for the Buffet that was available for the weekend before Christmas in a party of four, of different ethnic backgrounds.  The festive buffet [weekends and festive days in the pre-Christmas to New Year period] was essentially similar to the Christmas Buffet for Christmas Eve dinner with a wide variety of Christmas fare. 

Lime Restaurant

Plenty of seafood – prawns, oysters, smoked salmon and relevant extras.  The cold seafood was excellent with the products fresh and well presented, with attentive staff such as they provided a lime-water finger bowl for “clean up” after peeling the king prawns.  Prawns were superb, presented on ice – and I am a bit of an afficionado of prawns!  Oysters were fat and tasty too. Main meat dishes included the traditional turkey, baked glazed ham and a wonderful “melt in your mouth” rare to medium rare, sliced baked lamb loin - that was a standout.  Plus a wide range of cold entrees – tabouli, hummus, other leaf salads and more.  Baked vegetables were the accompanying hot side dishes.  This was the western food choices. 

Similar wide choices were available for Indian and Chinese, although not eaten by me some others in the party commented favourable on both Indian and Chinese choices and their quality.  Definitely able to please almost any taste!

Desserts included bread and butter pudding made with an Italian pannetone base, several mousse and cake logs [dressed for Christmas], ice cream in several flavours.  Fresh fruit and marshmallow skewers were available for dipping in the [obviously very green] green tea chocolate fountain.  After all – it is Lime Restaurant!

The meal was a great Christmas festive repast.  And reasonably priced for what was on offer.  Free flow of drinks, both soft and hard, including French champagne, available for an extra charge [normal in Singapore].  Highly recommended for the Festive season – and still a few days left!

The buffet would also be something to consider for other festivities coming, with Chinese New Year soon.  Even consider for Christmas 2014.