Siloso Beach Resort is a unique eco-resort that's great for a family staycation in Singapore.
Alright, I wasn't planning on writing about our staycation at Siloso Beach Resort at Sentosa - I had thought a social media post would suffice. But as I browsed our staycation pictures and videos, I couldn't help but feel it's worth a mention/review in my blog as we had a really nice time at the resort.
This is the second time my husband and I have been to Siloso Beach Resort. The first time was years ago before we had children and the resort was still relatively new (it was completed in 2006). I remembered it had a really huge and nice pool but the room we stayed at was quite small, so it didn't leave a strong impression on me.
Fast forward to more than a decade later, we visited Siloso Beach Resort for a second time and this time with our kids who are 10 and 12 years old! Well, our staycation at Siloso Beach Resort turned out wonderful and this time round, I appreciated the resort a lot more. Here are five reasons why!
1) Reasonably-priced family room that can take up to 4 pax
When you have older kids or at least those who are already 11 or 12 years old, it's really hard to find a hotel for staycation in Singapore, well, at least one that meets the hotel room's maximum capacity and doesn't cost you an arm and leg! Most hotels either have a maximum capacity of three in a room or they could only take 2 adults and 2 children in a room (and most hotels here define children 12 and above as adults).
So, our choices were really limited and that's why I was glad that Siloso Beach Resort turned up in my search - the resort has a family room that could take 4 adults! I thought its rate of around S$400 per night after taxes (I did a quick check recently and rates are even lower outside of school holidays) was quite reasonable after taking into consideration that this was a room that could sleep four, it was the school holidays in Singapore (we were there late November) and this was in Sentosa. Our next choice would have been the family room at Village Hotel in Sentosa which costs at least S$500 per night after taxes during the school holiday.
I didn't take many pics of the room as I wasn't planning on posting about it. Overall, the room was quite basic but it was big enough for four and had four single beds which meant we all could sleep comfortably.
If your children are 11 years or younger, you can opt for the smaller superior or deluxe room which would cost less than the family room.
Also, we booked directly with the resort from its website. During my search, the prices of other booking platforms were more expensive than those listed on the resort's website. By booking directly with the resort, you are also allowed to cancel your booking about a week ahead of your check-in date without penalty. We also did not include breakfast in our booking as there are many dining options in Sentosa.
2) The huge, beautiful pool & rustic surroundings
The pool is still as lovely as I remembered it. It's huge and has a very resort feel with the surrounding trees.
The waterfall feature and slides made the kids very happy too.
There is also a nice and warm jacuzzi at the pool area. It's a pity the little beach bar next to the jacuzzi is no longer in use and looked rather rundown. I supposed the resort has been through tough times during the pandemic but it's already great that they have managed the upkeep of the rest of the pool area rather well.
The resort's surroundings is pretty rustic with all the trees and greeneries. We took a walk around and it gave us a very Ubud, Bali feel.
Despite all the trees nearby, we didn't encounter many mosquitoes. I had to mention this because the last time we stayed at another hotel at Sentosa which was surrounded by trees, we were attacked by mozzies the moment any uncovered parts of our bodies were out of the pool - we never dared to swim in that hotel's pool again. So I'm glad that there is no such problem at Siloso Beach Resort.
Still, my younger one did get bitten once when we went for a stroll but that was about it. So, do slap on the insect repellant still if you're going for a walk around the resort.
3) Interesting, educational and free eco tour
Siloso Beach Resort is an eco-resort. It is designed for sustainability and to minimise environmental footprint and maximise energy efficiency. Okay, all these I didn't know till I went on the resort's free eco-tour, which is only available for resort guests.
The tour was suspended during the pandemic and we actually weren't sure if it had resumed (we saw a poster about the tour at the resort but its website said it was unavailable). Anyway, we decided to try our luck and lucky us - the resort staff said they could book us for a tour the next morning at 10am! Our guide later told us that the tour is subject to availability and I think it means it depends on whether the guide happens to be there and is available. (Actually I have a feeling we were the first to request for a tour since the pandemic!) So I would suggest you enquire asap on when you could book the eco-tour once you've checked in.
If you've seen my other blog posts like those at Little Farm Explorers and EcoTrail, you'd know that I love taking my kids to eco-tours, so I kinda feel like I have struck gold with this free eco-tour at the resort. Haha! Anyway, the tour was really educational and interesting, and I think it's great for the children to see first-hand some of the things they learn in science lessons.
During the tour, we learnt about how the resort was designed around existing trees at the site.
We got to see one of its villas and hear how the resort minimised its impact on nature during construction.
We learned that about 70% of the resort is open air - its walkways and corridors are outdoors but with shelter - and the resort's rooftop garden grows some of its own produce which it uses at its restaurant.
The resort's pool uses spring water and it has a complex treatment system free of chemicals. It also has a waste management program which includes a wormery where earthworms help to consume food waste and provide fertiliser to the resort's farms.
This eco-tour actually gave me a newfound appreciation of the resort. I have to confess that when we arrived on the first day, I wasn't very impressed by the resort and/or our room. It was raining then and given that the walkways/corridors were outdoors, it was pretty wet everywhere. And being someone who is iffy about insects, I didn't like returning to our room at night to see lizards outside.
The tour, however, really changed my mind about the resort. Yes, age has definitely caught up with it but the tour allowed me see the resort with a fresh pair of eyes. I reminded myself that the resort is designed to be one with nature, so the outdoor corridors, lizards and rustic surroundings are really meant to be as such. I think if you're planning to stay at Siloso Beach Resort, you ought to know that you're going to stay at an eco-resort. It's not just another hotel or resort in the city - so much actually goes on behind the scene in making this an environmentally-friendly resort. You definitely have to take its eco-tour which I think will really give you a newfound appreciation of the resort.
4) Great location
Siloso Beach Resort is located before the Siloso Beach front, so the resort is just a very short walk from the beach.
There are a number of restaurants and bars along the stretch which makes dining convenient and interesting.
Most of the establishments by the beach are not cheap of course given their prime location but we still gave one of them a try. We went to Coastes which was open for breakfast at 9am. We quite enjoy the food and ambience, and hopefully we'll get to return for dinner during sunset the next time.
It's also great that the resort is only about a five-minute walk from the Sentosa Express's Beach Station. It's convenient to take the monorail to Resort World Sentosa for the wider option of eateries and attractions there. We had visited Universal Studios Singapore (USS) and A Minion's Perspective exhibition during our staycation.
The Beach Station itself also has a food street with cool food trucks, and a few other dining options. Attractions like iFly and the Skyline Luge Sentosa are there as well.
5) Free parking
The resort offers free parking for guests but its sheltered carpark is quite small and probably can only take about ten cars. That said, they have parking lots available outside the sheltered carpark, and worse come to worse, there is also free parking at Imbiah Walk outside the resort. When we were there on Monday-Thursday during the November school holiday, the sheltered carpark still had a few lots free.
Siloso Beach Resort is located at 51 Imbiah Walk Sentosa, Singapore 099538. Are there any hotels or resorts in Singapore that you'd recommend for staycations? Do share we us in the comment box below!
Disclaimer: We paid for our stay, and my opinions and reviews here are strictly my and my family’s own.
©Vivian Teo. All content and photos are copyrighted to Vivian Teo unless otherwise specified.
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