SINGAPORE DAY 1: PARK HOTEL ORCHARD

Park Hotel Orchard is situated right at the heart of Singapores most fashionable shopping district Orchard Road.  Its location is perfect for both the business traveler and the shopaholic as its located right at the corner of Orchard Road. 

                                                         Paragon Shopping Center

Right across the street is an upscale mall The Paragon. Its a haven for fashionistas with its diverse mix of international brand names Gucci, Valentino, Versace, A/X, Coach, and department stores such as Metro and Marks and Spencer.

                                                            Ngee Ann City

On the opposite side of Orchard Road is Ngee Ann City a massive complex of office towers and a shopping mall. Takashimaya a giant Japanese department store chain is housed here together with name brands Mango, Zara, Guess, Christian Dior, Hugo Boss and an assortment of sporting goods, clothing, and electronic retailers . 

For book lovers head to Asias largest bookstore Kinokuniya which has over 500,000 titles over a 41,000 square feet area.

For more shopping a few hundred meters walk in both directions from the Park Hotel would lead you to a myriad of shopping centers to cater to your different needs. Aside from Paragon and Ngee Ann city, you could come across The Hereen, Lucky Plaza, Tangs, Wisma Atria, Wheelock Place, DFS ( Duty Free), and Far East Plaza. 

TRAVEL TIP: No matter what other reviews say please try to stay away from Lucky Plaza's I.T/Electronics/Camera shops these are often seen as "tourist traps". Better try Sim Lim Square and Funan Digital mall for better deals and prices. 

Swensens restaurant chain is very popular in Singapore and has over 20 branches. Ambiance maybe comparable to TGI Fridays-casual dining and great food. We never had the chance to try it as there were always a long waiting queue whenever we felt checking it out. If your staying at the Park Hotel Orchard theres an access to the restaurant at the hotels lobby. Swensens is definitely a MUST on our return trip to Singapore! do check out their extensive menu www.swensens.com.sg

                      Park Hotel Elevator( Red bldg in background is Ngee Ann City)

Park Hotel is a 4 star hotel and we had a good experience with the front desk,concierge, and the business center. The rooms were good and equipped with CATV, mini bar, and coffee maker. The buffet breakfast was mostly continental with a few Chinese dishes. 

The hotel needs refurbishment as of the time of our visit last 2008. Good news I just checked Asiatravel and they have an advisory that the Hotel will be undergoing renovation coming March 2009. 

I would definitely recommend this hotel to shoppers because of its location right at the Center of Orchard Road. With newer commercial developments and hotels near the Marina/Singapore Flyer which extremely gained popularity during the Singapore F1 night race. Its a toss-up between location( Park Hotel Orchard)  and versatility( hotels near Marina/Raffles) .