Singapore Staycation Spotlight: Courtyard by Marriott Singapore Novena
PUBLISHED March 25th, 2019 06:00 am | UPDATED March 28th, 2019 11:18 am
Those who vie for skyline views and rooms perched on high floors will love a stay at the Courtyard by Marriott Singapore Novena. With their lobby located on the 22nd storey, a stay here means a room on one of the following ten floors, each promising an unobstructed view of the vast greenery that is Singapore’s nature reserves or Singapore’s aesthetic skyline.
Space & Location
Locals may be surprised to hear that there’s a hotel in the quiet residential neighbourhood of Novena. Tucked behind Velocity@Novena Square, Courtyard by Marriott is conveniently located right next to Novena MRT station. Guests will not only have a breeze of a time finding the hotel but travelling to nearby hot spots will also be just as easy; from a shopping spree at Orchard road to fueling up on local food at Newton Food Centre, an array of activities can be found less than ten minutes away. In fact, right bellow Courtyard is Royal Square Mall, which also boasts of several eateries and other shops, not to mention the various activities found in nearby malls like Velocity, which means you don’t even need to travel out of Novena to fill your day’s itinerary.
Rooms
With over 250 rooms, there’s no compromising on quality as each room is the amalgamation of comfort and function, presenting a minimalistic, thoughtful design in every detail right down to the dust bin (which is split down the middle for guests to separate recyclables from non-recyclables.) Extra fluffy beds have bedside lights and tables on each side with built-in USB outlets and multi-plug sockets, which also conveniently adorn other parts of the room, like the window-side bench – bye-bye to bulky adapters and hello to more late night Instagram scrolling.
The room’s minimalistic design deceives just how well-stocked it is, with amenities including hair conditioner (always a plus in my books), mouthwash, and even a personal coffee machine. The only downside may be that each room comes in a more compact size, though measures are taken to give the impression of space: floor to ceiling glass windows, en-suite toilet walls that double as sliding doors to open the room up even more, and the ingenious design of incorporating the pantry and mini-fridge as drawers within the benches and desks.
Facilities
Their facilities seem to be fashioned more for guests who travel for business rather than leisure, with several seminar rooms and lounges perfect for post-meeting cocktails and networking sessions. The rooftop infinity pool offers a great view but don’t expect to do laps inside. If you want a good exercise, their well-equipped gym is the better bet to invest time in. For the lazy, their poolside is a great place to lounge with a book, a drink, and some light bites from Urbana with plenty of cushy seats to choose from and a skyline view that eases the mind.
Food & Drink
Courtyard by Marriott is currently home to Sky22 and Urbana Rooftop Bar. As their names imply, both establishments offer breathtaking sceneries, with Sky22 alongside the hotel’s lobby, and Urbana Rooftop Bar can be found on the 33rd floor next to the pool. For some poolside cocktails, head over to Urbana Rooftop Bar where members can also enjoy an exclusive wholesome selection of “snacks”, which in fact turns out to be a rather hefty buffet spread on its own, filled with the finest comfort food.
Breakfast is served over at Sky22, a humble yet eclectic buffet of local food, Western dishes, and breakfast staples including your live eggs station, a cereal bar, fresh juices and fruits, and baked goods such as waffles (that comes with a choice of honey, chocolate or maple syrup and other toppings on the side) and various kinds of bread. The hotel’s hospitality truly shines in the accommodating varieties offered, down to the different kinds of milk; from sweet and unsweetened soy milk to everyone’s favourite chocolate milk.
Overall, Courtyard by Marriott Singapore Novena provides a luxurious yet simple stay, providing the essentials of the highest quality that makes their prices very much worth it. It may not be the grandest hotel, but you’re sure to feel pampered nonetheless.
Courtyard by Marriott Singapore Novena is located at 99 Irrawaddy Road Novena, Singapore, 329568, p.+65 6250 0303. Rates per night start at SGD $273++.
