Peninsula Excelsior Hotel - Singapore, Singapore     

We can't understand the previous comments made about this hotel !!! When we stayed in June, 2008, on our way home from Europe we found the hotel (including the room, room service, staff and booking procedures) to be of an excellent standard. After reading some of the reviews before we left, we were a little hesitant, but our travel agent had assured us that she had stayed there with no problems and when we got there we were pleasantly surprised. The room was not only very clean, we had magnificent views from the 17th floor and a massive king size bed. The breakfast was definitely above average. Overall, we were very happy and would definitely stay there again.

The minute we check-in on 11th July,2008, with my wife>> The receptionist said "You must pay SGD50.00 for the Bar Counter". "If you extend your stay, wil be SGD240 per night". One hour later after we came down from our room(We need to call for our luggage to be sent to our room while waiting). The same receptionist did not said a thing, went into small room and produce a chart and said "The rate is now SGD320 per night". We argued and she said "Now you are our WALK-IN CUSTOMER". It was unbelievable and just check-in ONE HOUR ago and already residing in the hotel. The receptionist go on and said" You need to ask your agent to fax us again if you want the same rate.' And what anger us was the way the receptionist body langauge/when she turn to the small room and make some facial expressions at her colleagues ! It was like a message "I gonna give them a hard time." Of course we have a most unpleasant conversations with the Manager. We came back late after attending the funeral ceremony of my mother/ mother-in-law. We open the bar counter and alas! it was empty! We call the reception in the early morning and was told it was a deposit for telephone calls. My wife call me as she was sick on the last day of the funeral and alas! the hotel room telephone was unable to call out to local calls. My husband return wanting to make a police report for "Stolen things from the bar counter". I stop him and we check-in to Bayview hotel. We think we are just being Asian to be treated thus with all this body language/words of unprofessionalism. And why take the package customer from Thailand. And we not spend SGD200 ++ for few hours a day to gain or "steal" from the hotel bar counter. And there was nothing in the bar counter nor telephone service for local calls. Not to mentioned the internet service of SGD1.00 per minute. We just log/in out and get the emails and that cost us SGD10.00. We were worry that we call in the early morning hours to confirm it was SGD10.00 and we do not want any more law/rules biinding us by some unwelcome reception from this hotel. My husband said he will return to be the VIP and walk-in and see how it goes at all cost! Or is it Asian customers will always be treated as sub-standard class of customers.