By RamonRamon is the creator of Travelling Companion. He focuses on flight review, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further.
Hotel Overview
The beauty of The Maldives exceeded my expectations, this hotel was thoughtful in recognizing our Honeymoon and Christina's Marriott Platinum Status, and this was the best hotel room I have ever stayed in. Despite this I would never return to this resort since it had exorbitant fees, tasteless and extremely overpriced food that left us very ill during our Honeymoon stay. Pros- Beautiful Beaches, Private Plunge Pool, World-Class Snorkeling, Secluded Resort, Attentive Service, Amazing Elite Recognition, Honeymoon Recognition, Spectacular Room Design, Relaxing Massages, and On-site Doctor Cons- Overbearing Butler Service, Exorbitant Fees, Extremely Overpriced Food, Tasteless Food, and Food-borne Illness First Class Honeymoon Trip Report First Class Honeymoon Overview Delta Sky Club DCA Review Delta CRJ 900 DCA-JFK First Class Review Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse New York JFK Review Singapore Airlines A380 JFK-FRA Suites Review Singapore Airlines A380 FRA-SIN Suites Review JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach Review Singapore Surprise Singapore Airlines 737-800 SIN-MLE Business Class Review The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort Review Etihad Airways A320 MLE-AUH Business Class Review Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa Dubai Review The St. Regis Abu Dhabi Review Exploring Abu Dhabi Etihad Apartments A380 AUH-JFK Apartments Review
Location The Maldives itself is a secluded archipelago in the middle of the Indian Ocean with only about 600,000 people in 2020 and the journey to The Maldives from the United States takes more than a day. The seclusion is a selling point for visitors to the island nation which particularly attracts visitors looking for a luxurious tourist experience. The seclusion, beauty of the islands, and luxury is what attracted us to this island destination for our Honeymoon.  Location of The Maldives
The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli is located on a secluded private island of Vommuli in the Dhaalu Atoll, an island surrounded by a coral reef, in The Maldives archipelago. While The Maldives is secluded already this atoll is located about an hour seaplane ride from The Maldives capital Male and is by far the most secluded place I have ever visited. This seclusion really overwhelmed me when we first landed. I realized that we were almost as far as we could be from Washington D.C., in the middle of the Indian Ocean, and an hour seaplane ride from any city. For someone who is used to walking a few blocks to get to a pharmacy this really overwhelmed me. 
Trans-Maldivan Resort Service 2019
St. Regis Arrival Experience and Airport Lounge
Upon arrival in Male we were greeted by a very friendly hotel representative who quickly took our bags and walked us over to the Trans Maldivian counter to check us in for our seaplane ride to the resort. Because of the seclusion of the resort, the only options for guests to access the atoll is via seaplane or the resort's private yacht. I was impressed by the service from the hotel which took care of everything including our check-in and baggage. The hotel representative told us that we were the last guests to arrive that day and that our seaplane flight would last about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Once our check-in was complete we were whisked away in the St. Regis' SUV to its private airport lounge. 
St. Regis Maldive Vommuli SUV
On our way to the lounge we saw a lot of airport development and dredging. The Maldives is extremely low-lying and many of the islands are sinking in part due to climate change. Male is small and already densely populated. A lot of the expansion of the capital is fueled by dredging additional land. The hotel representative told us that The Maldives main industry is tourism followed by fishing and that the tourism started taking off about 18 years prior to our trip in 2019. The SUV was impressive with cold towels, bottled water, and even Wi-Fi. On the ride over we were played a video greeting on an IPAD from our Butler Ahmed, who goes by Tom at the resort.
Butler Video Greeting
After our video greeting the hotel representative told us that the hotel's marketing staff was based in Dubai and that it was the only resort at the time in The Maldvies that primarily catered to Americans. One thing that was impressive about the St. Regis Vommuli is that the service began from the first moment you interacted with staff. The staff asked us how we would like to be addressed and then took a picture of us in front of the St. Regis sign which I believe was used to help staff memorize our faces and our names. I was shocked that the vast majority of the staff at the resort addressed us by name. This was all a part of the five-star luxury feeling and extended to the airport lounge.
St. Regis Aiport Lounge Check-In
The lounge was well designed and private. It had air conditioning, a view of the water, and even a shower. In the bathroom there were amenities including a comb and toothpaste. We completed check-in at the lounge and were informed that because of Christina's Marriott Platinum Status and our Honeymoon we were upgraded from the base level Garden Villa to a Beach Villa (312). I was blown away by their recognition of Honeymoon and the elite recognition since at the time this Villa typically cost $1,600 per night and we were staying for five nights on points. We stayed at the resort in May which is rainy season and the staff member told us the resort was only at 50% occupancy. I am sure this made it easier to give us an upgrade. Honestly this was nice for us on our honeymoon since we wanted a relaxing environment. While we waited to be taken to our seaplane we were offered a variety of complimentary drinks and snacks. We both ordered ice tea which was quite refreshing. Everything about our welcome from the St. Regis felt luxurious.
Ice Tea
Trans Maldivan Airways Seaplane Ride
When it was time for our seaplane flight there wasn't a driver available so the St. Regis staff called a bus to take us to the sea plane terminal. The seaplane waiting area was hot and crowded. After a short wait it was a time for our seaplane flight. The St. Regis representative stayed with us until he saw that we safely boarded our sea plane. Our seaplane flight was on Trans Maldivan Airways which at the time was the largest operator of seaplanes in the world. I had never taken a seaplane before and I was super excited. As we were planning our three-week long Honeymoon the inclusion of a seaplane ride made our packing more difficult, because there was a weight limit per passenger was 30 kg (~66 pounds). Our seaplane had 15 seats and was full. They loaded luggage into the back of the plane and took weight measurements on an IPAD. 
Trans Maldvian Airways Seaplane
We taxied for about five minutes then had a surprisingly smooth take off. As we departed Male I was shocked by how densely populated the city was and there seemed no room left to develop.
Male, The Maldives
As we got further away from Male the views were breathtaking. The water was aqua blue and there were atolls surrounded by coral reefs dotting the country. I had seen many pictures of The Maldives before and beauty exceeded my expectations.
The Maldives
The seaplane at first was hot but when we got into the air it cooled down. There was a pilot and co-pilot who wore only sandals on their feet while flying. The plane was loud during takeoff and landing but quieter during flight. The in-flight magazine featured all of the Maldives resorts. The first stop was 40 minutes into the flight at a jetty. We dropped off some passengers who were then picked up by a boat. Landing on water is a weird feeling and much harder than takeoff. Then we took off again before making a second stop. On the second stop we picked up additional passengers who I assumed were headed back to Male. Finally, on the third stop it was time for us to land at The St. Regis Maldives. Unlike some other resorts the St. Regis had its own seaplane jetty allowing us to stop directly at the resort. As the resort came into focus I felt the awe of being in The Maldives and it felt surreal.
The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort
Beach Villa
Upon arrival we were greeted by multiple staff members including our butler Tom who waved hi from the seaplane pier. We were also provided complimentary cocktails in a coconut. 
Welcome Area
Our beach villa #312 was located three villas from the resort's main restaurant Alba which we found really convenient and allowed us to walk around the resort. Most guests took the buggies or bikes to get around but Christina and I saw no need and instead enjoyed walking around the atoll.
Beach Villa 312
I was quite impressed by the style of the villa it had everything you could ask for in a hotel room. The villa had an amazing design and was the nicest hotel room I had ever stayed in. There was a beautiful high ceiling a large king bed at the center of the villa. Behind the bed was a desk which included all of the information for our stay.
Beach Villa 312
In front of the bed was an ottoman for changing shoes and a large table in front of the ottoman. Near the entrance was a comfortable day bed also included in the villa.
Day Bed
On the right of the bed was a mini-bar which included expensive items for purchase including snacks, juices, wine, and champagne along with complimentary bottles of water. There were also USB plugs on both sides of the bed which allowed for easy charging of our electronics. Charging for electronics is something that is usually shortchanged in hotel rooms so I appreciated the wide availability here.
Minibar and Wine Fridge
There was a TV on the wall which was very clear and extended out of the wall for easy viewing when turned on. The TV and all of the lights in the room were controlled by an impressive electronic display built into an IPAD. One of the nice features was that the blackout and sheer curtains opened with a button. There were options to have just one curtain or all of the curtains open. When they were all open it provided a great ocean view. The IPAD also controlled the lights in the room and had several pre-set controls for every single light in the villa. The entertainment options were also extensive including live TV and Netflix. It also had the ability for you to connect your own device to stream music or movies and the sound quality was amazing. We used the sounds system to stream our music on several occasions.
Beach Villa IPAD
Behind the bed was a pair of sliding doors which opened to an amazing bathroom. I thought the sliding doors were another great design choice. On the right and left were closets with tons of space hangers, drawers, and places to store luggage.
Closet
Next to the closets were two vanities which had large mirrors and even zoom in makeup mirrors. These spaces were clearly set up for couples so each person could have a side of the bathroom and I was again very impressed by the design.
Vanity
Below the vanities were a ton of amenities including nail clippers, toothbrush with toothpaste, shavers, hairdryer, lotion, and sunscreen. The hotel thought of everything in terms of amenities and I appreciated that they did not try to nickel and dime you on amenities such as sunscreen. It was also impressive how everything was branded St. Regis Maldives which must be very expensive. The room even included flip flops though they were too small for me and uncomfortable. As we explored the room I kept discovering new amenities included a charging cable with multiple prongs to charge different devices, and even bug spray, a first for me in a hotel room. I felt I could have brought no bathroom amenities and been fine. In the middle of the bathroom was a very nice sunken bathtub on the right was a glass TV so you could watch from the tub.
Sunken Bathtub
While the villa had an indoor shower. One of my favorite features of the villa was the outdoor shower right off of the bathroom. The shower had two spouts which allowed us to shower at the same time. It was the coolest experience to be able to shower outside in complete privacy. This was due to good planning which included high walls in the back of the villa and spraying to control the bugs.
Outdoor Shower
Another great feature of the villa and the resort was that the Wi-Fi was so good that we streamed Netflix as if we were home. We were able to get a signal at the Whale Bar which was overwater. I was surprised that the Wi-Fi was so good at a remote resort. It was very humid so Christina and I drank a lot of bottles of water and I appreciated that the staff constantly refreshed these and even added more bottles when they saw how many we drank. Generally, the housekeeping staff was very friendly and refreshed the room twice a day. On the pool deck was another set of chairs where you could sit and eat and a large chair for lounging which I loved! It was maybe the coolest lounging chair ever with a ton of comfy pillows and I was so impressed by the comfort that I want to buy it for our house.
Lounge Chair
The pool itself was a 4 feet deep plunge pool. This was my first time having a room with a plunge pool and it was amazing. There is nothing like having your own private plunge pool with a view of the ocean it was so peaceful and we used it ever day that we were not sick. The pool was kept at a great temperature and really clean. The water in the pool tasted very lightly chlorinated and more like fresh water. The biggest issue I had with the pool was the lack of privacy. On a regular basis as we were in the pool we saw families walking up to it on the beach. Some of the beach villas have more covering by mangroves to make them secluded but this also blocks the ocean view so definitely a trade-off.
Plunge Pool
Another thoughtful touch was the jug full of fresh water to the beach which the resort kept to clear off your sandals and legs of beach sand. The beach itself was beautiful and full of white sand along with two beach chairs for relaxing and a beach umbrella. Because of the rainy season the umbrellas were closed for a portion of our stay to make sure they did not blow away.
Beach Villa 312
While we would have loved to try the overwater villa for a night, I thought the beach villas were the best type of room because not only do you get a plunge pool but you get direct beach access. We met a Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador elite member who was upgraded to a Sunset Overwater Villa but actually said she would have preferred a beach villa and we saw several couples with overwater villas come to play on our beach.
Amenities
The best amenity of having the direct beach access was the ability to snorkel out of our front door each day and we loved it! The snorkeling equipment was complimentary and our butler dropped it off before we even got to the resort. The St. Regis Vomulli also offered snorkeling classes but we were perfectly fine without taking the snorkeling classes. The resort's house reef was very cool as it allowed us to snorkel and see an array of sea life steps from our villa. One of the very sad things about our time snorkeling in The Maldives was seeing so many bleached reefs and the impact of pollution and climate change. 
Snorkeling
The resort also offered kayaking but we were told that the ocean was too rough during our stay for kayaking which I assumed was due to it being rainy season. Because we travelled to The Maldives during rainy season we didn't know what to expect, however, it didn't really put much of a damper on our stay. It certainly rained, sometimes very hard with strong winds, but it only lasted a few hours and was usually followed by strong sunshine. During these times it was nice to read from the comfort of our villa.
Infinity Pool
Next to Alba restaurant was an infinity pool. The resort also had Alba Beach, with beach chairs and umbrellas. However, we rarely used these since we had a private infinity plunge pool and direct beach access from our villa. During our stay we rarely saw anyone else at the pool or Alba Beach.
Alba Beach
Also, next to Alba restaurant was a library with books which could be borrowed and a desktop computer. We never used this space, but I was impressed by the selection of books. I could see it being a good place to hang out for someone who wants to be comfortable somewhere outside the villa.
Library
The resort also had a Boutique which sold a variety of items including hats, sunscreen, beach bags, and books. On the third floor was the Observatory Tower which had good views of the atoll.
Botique
The vast majority of the indoors activities at the resort were housed at Vommuli House and Socialite. Vommuli House was the bigger building and had additional books which could be borrowed along with a Children's Club, and a gym. There was also a tennis court behind the building with a resident tennis pro who we met while exploring the building. When we walked around the building was nearly empty and we never used any of these amenities during our stay.
Vommuli House
One space we did use was Socialite. This space had a table tennis on the ground floor in a covered area. Upstairs inside the AC had air hockey, pool, and video games. It was a fun space and really nice on rainy days.
Socialite
During our stay we took advantage of an offer for a discounted Maldvian massage ($125 each) which had to be used within 48 hours or arrival. The spa is located overwater next to the arrival jetty and has six separate massage rooms and a blue hole therapy pool.
Iridium Spa
This type pool is supposed be restorative. We were not impressed by the blue hole therapy pool which had nice views but was basically a shared salt water pool.
Saltwater Pool
However, our couples massage was great. We started out with a scented cold towel and cold drinks in the waiting area both of which were refreshing. There were also holes to see the wildlife below which would have been a nice touch inside the massage rooms.
Waiting Area Viewing Holes
The massage room bathrooms were very nice with all the amenities you could want including a shower. What we appreciated was how they were tailored for couples with the ability for us to change together and wait together unlike the separate rooms in the JW Marriott Singapore Spa. The massage itself was great and unique. It started off with the masseuses singing in the Maldvian language and ended with them pouring hot coconut oil on our heads. I would recommend this massage to other couples.
Massage Room Bathroom
Butler Service
One unique experience of staying at a St. Regis, among the Marriott brands, is the butler service. This was the first time I stayed at a St. Regis and the first time I experienced butler service at any hotel. As we arrived at the resort we were greeted by our butler Tom who took us to our room in a golf cart. He said that at the time he was the butler for four rooms. The butler service was a very strange for me and made even weirder by the fact that we were at a secluded resort. We were required to rely on the butler for everything including dinner reservations, spa appointments, and the butler seemed to always be present which I didn’t like. For example, he showed up at breakfast every morning. Prior to our arrival Tom had already made dinner reservations for us at Oriéntale twice, Cargo, and Alba for a buffet dinner. I really like having more control over making reservations and appointments so was annoyed that we had to go through the butler and that he made reservations in advance without consulting us. 
St. Regis Butler Greeting
One thing I did appreciate about the service was they ability to get two free items pressed a day along with a free shoe shine. We also used the laundry serviced during our stay and they did an excellent job at a decent price, for a luxury hotel, and pressed the clothes for free. Christina also liked the coffee /tea service which we took advantage of twice. The butlers also offered to bring us around in a golf cart which I thought was silly given how small the island was.
Coffee/Tea Service
One interesting thing I learned from our butler was because of the 24/7 nature of the job the staff lives on the island in staff residences without their family and in high season can sometimes go as much as 3 months without a break. During our time in The Maldives it was Ramadan and The Maldives is a majority Muslim county. During our stay our butler was fasting for Ramadan though we didn't notice any difference in service. Tom told us that the resort hired five new butlers which will provide staff more time off and our butler Tom took his vacation a day before our departure and very nicely transitioned us to another butler who handled our check-out. Another interesting thing about the resort was that the staff wore different shirt colors depending on their roles. For example, the head of the Butler Service and Rooms wore Blue shirts while butlers wore white shirts with cool beach hats it was clear that there was a ranking in place.
Unlike the JW Singapore South Beach, which did not even acknowledge that it was our honeymoon the St Regis really did a great job acknowledging us. The biggest acknowledgement was the upgrade which we may have nonetheless received due to Christina's Marriott Platinum status. However, I am sure our upgrade was made more likely because of our honeymoon and we really appreciated. Upon arrival we also had several Marriott Platinum welcome amenities in our room including the candy/snack display with amazing chocolates and a fruit plate. 
Marriott Platinum Welcome Amenity
We also had a bottle of champagne which was exclusive to the St. Regis Maldives and was fantastic!
Champagne
Also, during our stay our butler sent over a honeymoon cake which was a very nice touch and set up a rose petal bath. I thought the rose petal bath was another strange part of the butler service and made me uncomfortable. Finally, the resort threw in a complimentary blue hole therapy treatment which we used.
Honeymoon Cake
We passed on the unpacking service but took the butlers up on the packing service when it was time to leave because I was sick. Christina loved the packing service. Two butlers took about 45 minutes to pack and wrapped all of our items individually before putting them into our suitcases. I was not that impressed with the packing service and would probably skip it next time since I found it too invasive. The butler also checked us out in the room and allowed us to wait in the villa until the seaplane arrival. Christina really liked our butler and loved the butler service. While I thought our butler did a good job I did not like the idea of the butler service. Despite the elite recognition the butler service would make me think twice about staying at a St. Regis resort.
Dining
Alba The main restaurant at the resort which was Alba open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Guests mostly ate only breakfast and dinner because of the ridiculous prices at the resort. We never tried lunch at Alba and only had one dinner. We ate here on the first night at the Soqu buffet which cost $175 per person and was a complete waste of money. 
Alba
It was supposed to be a buffet of Italian food but all of the food was completely tasteless and some of the worse Italian food I have ever had. The setting on the beach with a roasting pig was nice but generally the food was really bad and the best thing I had was the ice cream.
Soqu Buffet
Breakfast at Alba was better and gave options to order off of the menu in addition to the buffet which was complimentary because of Christina's Platinum Status. I tried several of the Buffett options including Dim Sum and Indian food and was left unimpressed especially compared to Singapore. Ordering off the of menu was better and included a wider selection. In particular I thought they did a better job with the seafood which makes sense in an island nation.
Crust
The only other restaurant open for lunch was Crust which was located under the huts at the beach to the right of Alba. This restaurant offered the most reasonable pricing and decent tasting pizzas though later the pizza got us sick. 
Crust Food
Cargo
Cargo offered a pre-fix menu at a price of $250 for two people. When we first looked at the menu we thought it was a choice between mains and appetizers etc. but it turned out we were served all of the items on the menu. This was absurd, wasteful, and wayyy too much food. Despite being one of only two tables the service was really slow and multiple times I refilled my own water glass. The food here was okay though I did like the lamb. Once again, the meal got us both sick. 
Cargo Food
Orientale
The one good meal we had was at Orientale. This made some sense since we were in Asia and it is their Asian Fusion restaurant. I liked that we started off by washing our hands and offering cold towels at dinner. Then they offered lemon grass water which was nice and refreshing. The food at this restaurant was a la carte and decent. 
Orientale
Whale Bar
This bar was located on a jetty off of Alba Beach. The bar prices were very high with the cheapest cocktail $20 and most $25+. We came here to eat dinner one night and most of the snacks were small and unimpressive. This was a spectacular setting with amazing sunset views. They had the same comfy chairs we had in the room at the end of the pier and it was very relaxing. I think this was my favorite restaurant and bar in the whole resort not because of the food or drink but instead because of the view and relaxing atmosphere. The bar was also the location of the champagne sabering. This is St. Regis tradition and done at St. Regis locations around the world. During this event the staff at Whale Bar explained to us the history and sabering and the technique and it was a really cool display. I would recommend doing this if you stay here. 
Whale Bar
In-Room Dining
The St. Regis offered In-Room Dining which we took full advantage of during our stay since we did not really like most of the food in the restaurants and were ill during a substantial portion of our stay. The in-room dining was available through the IPAD and contained pictures and absurd food prices. One example, of the ridiculous pricing was a $15 toast during breakfast which is even more ridiculous since we could get it free at the breakfast buffet. 
In-Room Dining Pricing
We ordered pizza from the app which tasted decent but ended up making me sick again. Another area where they could improve is the drink selection which was very limited on the in-room dining and the one thing we ordered was very watered down.
Pizza
One weird part of the experience is that the service calls to confirm each order but I guess they want to make sure you are not making an order by mistake. The selection mostly deferred from the restaurants with the exceptions of the pizzas. The one good thing was that items which overlapped between the restaurant and in-room dining had the same price though the resort added the local tax (12%) and gratuity (10%).
Food-borne Illness The worse part about our entire stay was the constant food-borne illness. This illness started on the second day of our stay and I know it was from the resort since we only ate at the resort. We received medicine from the resort doctor who was very friendly and skilled but I got sick again after eating more of the food. It seemed every time we felt better we ate something and felt sicker. The illness was so bad on our next to last day the doctor prescribed antibiotics. I got sicker than Christina and spent the majority of the last two days in bed. I appreciate that the resort has an on-site doctor, however, I didn’t like that the resort did not take responsibility. No one apologized to us for getting us sick nor did they comp any of our meals once they realized they were getting us sick.
Dining Takeaway
We were also shocked by the pricing for water at the restaurants which was $14 a bottle. I considered this pricing absurd and sometimes we brought our own free bottles from the villa to the restaurant to not pay the ridiculous prices . Another annoying thing about dining at the resort is that the IPAD in the room listed all of the restaurants but it did not list the times for the restaurants and did not include the menus despite the fact that all of the drink menus are on IPADs. Even if the restaurants opening times changed, which they did one time during our stay, then the resort could update the times on the IPAD. 
Dining IPAD Display
Another problem with the resort dining was that the portion sizes were ridiculously sized which meant that we were constantly unable to finish the meal at dinner and left food on the table. The restaurants could easily reduce the portion sizes and lower the prices. This seemed like a real waste and the prices seemed to be a way for the resort to make a major profit margin. This pricing also extended to the alcohol. For example, a bottle of Vevue Cliquot cost $150 dollars for a bottle that would normally cost around $50 in the United States. Another problem with the drinks was that there were few options for blended drinks that would normally be widely available at tropical resorts. The only thing that did impress me about the dining was that we were always addressed by name at every meal. It seemed that the staff studied our pictures and really remembered us. When you are paying five star dining prices you would expect better food and food handling. However, this resort failed on both accounts.
Take Away
Our beach villa at the St. Regis Maldives Volummi was by far the best room I ever stayed in. We got to stay in this villa thanks to the resort's fantastic elite and honeymoon recognition. The resort also had world-class snorkeling out our front door. However, this was not enough to make up for the negatives. The resort had exorbitant fees especially for the seaplane and the dining was by far the worst part of the resort. Not only was it absurdly priced but the food at best tasted above average and at worse was horrible. Even worse we got food-borne illness and every time we ate a meal it made us sicker. When you are stuck on the island you realize that food is key part of the secluded resort experience since you have no alternatives. The dining experience was so horrible that I could never envision returning.
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By RamonRamon is the creator of Travelling Companion. He focuses on flight review, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further.
Flight Overview
The lounge experience for business class passengers at Changi Terminal 3 was disappointing, the plane was old and in need of a refresh but the selection of amenities and onboard food blew U.S. domestic First Class out of the water. Pros- Delicious Onboard Food, Wide Array of Amenities, Business Class Privacy, Attentive Service Cons- Strict Enforcement of Rules, Disappointing Business Class Airport Lounge, Old Plane, Weak In-Flight Entertainment , Mediocre Drink Selection
First Class Honeymoon Trip Report
First Class Honeymoon Overview Delta Sky Club DCA Review Delta CRJ 900 DCA-JFK First Class Review Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse New York JFK Review Singapore Airlines A380 JFK-FRA Suites Review Singapore Airlines A380 FRA-SIN Suites Review JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach Review Singapore Surprise Singapore Airlines 737-800 SIN-MLE Business Class Review The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort Review Etihad Airways A320 MLE-AUH Business Class Review Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa Dubai Review The St. Regis Abu Dhabi Review Exploring Abu Dhabi Etihad Apartments A380 AUH-JFK Apartments Review
Check-In
Changi Terminal 2
Our flight to Male, Maldives on Singapore Airline's regional affiliate Silk Air took off from Changi Terminal 2 which prior to the COVID-19 pandemic was the home for the vast majority of Singapore Airline's regional flights. During the pandemic all Singapore Airlines flights have been consolidated in Changi Terminal 3 which allowed for the closure of Terminal 2 for 18 months. This move was done in response to very-low passenger volume and allowed Changi to shave approximately one year off of the time for the renovation of Terminal 2. I found this work was sorely needed. Since our flight in May 2019, Silk Air has ceased operations and had its planes completely folded into Singapore Airlines. Singapore Airlines is still operating these 737-800 planes on regional flights I am going to share our experience since I think it could be helpful for those looking to fly on Singapore Airlines.
Changi Self-Check Baggage
Our check-in experience for Singapore Airlines (Silk Air) was awkward since it was completely automated including the baggage check. In the United States typically passengers with bags to check have to see the gate agent, however, at Changi the entire process was automated including weighing and scanning baggage. While I found this to be impressive it was also somewhat frustrating since it took us a while to figure out how to work the machine.
Changi Terminal 2
As we headed to the SilverKris lounge, which was used for business class and first class Singapore Airlines passengers leaving out of Terminal 2, we noticed that this terminal was much more dated than Terminal 3, where we arrived on our flight from Frankfurt. However, we really appreciated the lovely flower displays throughout the terminal and it showed us that Singapore takes seriously its nickname the Garden City.
Signs to Terminal 2 Lounges
It took us a while to find the SilverKris lounge since the signage in the terminal was not clear.
SilverKris Lounge Entrance
However, we finally realized that the lounge was on the second level and we headed left to the business class portion of the lounge. The lounge had an array of seating with a small business area, an array of black seats around the television, and seating in the dining room. The lounge was large but nearly completely empty. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, conversations happened only at a whisper, and it felt more like a library than an airport lounge.
The food was set up near the entrance to the lounge and included a special station for Laska which is a spicy Singaporean soup. During our time in the lounge I tried the majority of the hot food and it was a huge disappointment. The Dim Sum lacked in both presentation and taste, the Laska was average, while the apple juice was cheap and not good. The food in the lounge paled in comparison to the culinary adventure we had during the rest of our stay in Singapore.
To add to the disappointing experience at this lounge the business class bathrooms were out of order so I needed to go to the first class lounge to use the bathroom. I found the first class bathrooms to be in good shape, the service in first class lounge to be more attentive, and the first class lounge overall to be much nicer. For example, the bathroom had two bathroom attendants along with complimentary toothbrushes and shaving kits. It is clear that Singapore Airlines needs to renovate the business class lounge and that that they put significantly more resources into the first class ground experience.
Gate Area
Boarding
We headed to the gate about five minutes before boarding. As we approached the gate area I remembered that security checks are performed at the gate area and I got nervous that we would miss the initial boarding call. The gate area was packed and it was clear this was a full flight. We got through the gate quickly and boarding started five minutes late so we ended up being the first people on board. 
Singapore Airlines (Silk Air) 737-800
Plane and Seats
As we entered the plane I was impressed by the color palette of pale yellow and brown along with the light blues and reds on the flight attendants' uniforms. The business class had 12 seats arraigned in a 2-2 configuration with 38 inches of pitch and 22 inches of width. The seats had substantial recline which meant that when the passengers in front of us reclined it was difficult getting in and out of our seats. The seat also had a foot rest which is very rare in US domestic first class. 
737-800 Business Class Seats
Another positive feature of this plane is that it had a hard bulkhead and a thick curtain which really made the business class cabin feel private. One big downside of the plane was its age which showed in the seats. The seats were very difficult to recline because the levers to recline the seat were old and manual. At one point Christina's seat was completely stuck in recline and she had to yank at the lever to move it up or down.
Business Class Curtain
Amenities and In-Flight Entertainment
Waiting at each business class seat was a pillow and a blanket. I found the pillow to be comfortable and much more substantial than the pillows offered on U.S. domestic first class. Shortly after takeoff the flight attendant came by with slippers, various newspapers and magazines, and an iPad pre-loaded with in-flight entertainment (IFE) since there were no seat back screens. I selected the local newspaper and a Time magazine to read. I really appreciated having a pillow, slippers, and footrest on this four-and half-hour flight.
The IFE on the iPad was weak. While the iPads had a ton of content most of it was very old. Initially, the iPad was very annoying to watch because I had to hold it up to see any of the movies. However, I noticed that another passenger had an iPad stand so I asked and received one from the flight attendant. It was frustrating that these were not proactively offered the iPad stand since it would be very annoying to watch the iPad on this long of a flight without one. Another problem about receiving this array of amenities is that the seats did not have sufficient storage space to hold them all when they weren't in use. For example, when we were eating we had to find somewhere to put away the iPad and this is another downside to not having seat back IFE. There were also several additional amenities offered on the flight in the bathroom but these were not at all impressive. The amenities included lotion, mouthwash, toothbrushes, and toothpaste. However, these were not at all at the caliber of our Singapore Airlines Suites experience. I utilized the toothpaste and it looked like whiteout and tasted disgusting.
IPAD Inflight Entertainment
Dining
The in-flight dining experience began before takeoff when the flight attendant came by to confirm our food orders, take our in-flight drink order, and offer us pre-departure drinks. The pre-departure drink choices were apple juice or orange juice. I took the apple juice while Christina took the orange juice. The apple juice was bad so I sent it back and instead asked for orange juice which was good. 
Pre-Departure Drinks
Once we were in air the flight attendant brought our drink order of champagne which was really bad. I don't know if the champagne was really that bad or we were spoiled from drinking so much Krug on our Singapore Airlines Suites flight. We were also given hot towel service which included a steaming towel. I wish that airlines would adjust from a hot to a cold towel in climates that are already warm. It was strange that the towel was steaming hot because the cabin was already warm. After this I was served mixed nuts as a starter while Christina had the snack mix both of which were good. Next, we were served a salad with tomatoes, lettuce, and chicken which also good. After we were served the salad we were offered bread and I chose the garlic bread and Christina chose a cracker. My garlic bread was good and Christina liked her cracker and said it had Indian flavors.
For our main courses we pre-ordered from the expanded All Time Favorites Menu which offered meals beyond those listed in the onboard menu. The All Time Favorites Menu offered a massive selection for relatively short flight. I choose the beef brisket noodles and Christina chose the Nasi Goreng. My meal came out piping hot and was delicious. The beef was very tender and the noodles were cooked excellently. The broth was also flavored very well but was really messy so I ended up having to use napkins as a bib. Christina's meal had a chicken satay (kabob) with rice, pickles, and zucchini. While Christina thought the chicken was on the sweet side and the rice was somewhat spicy overall she thought the meal was great though still not at the Singapore Airlines Suites level.
Once the main course was done we were offered a choice between Merlot or Chardonnay wine. I chose the Merlo while Christina selected the Chardonnay. I liked the Merlot while Christina thought the Chardonnay was too sweet.
Maldives Airports Fast Track Passes
At the end of the meal service the flight attendant came by with Maldives Airports Fast Track passes for the business class passengers to clear immigration on an expedited basis. However, they ended up not being necessary as there was no line when we landed in Male.
Pre-Arrival Dessert
As we got closer to the end of the flight the flight attendants brought by a pre-arrival dessert of Double Chocolate ice cream which was really good. Christina had hers with coffee which she said was surprisingly very good for airline coffee. Overall, I found the onboard drink selection, with the exception fo the coffee, to be mediocre on par with American Airlines. This was surprising for a Singapore Airlines affiliate. Finally, as we entered our final decent we got our first glimpse of the beautiful Maldivan water which we had traveled half way around the world to experience.
View of The Maldives
Service
I would say that the service on this flight was a mixed bag. The flight attendants were clearly well trained by Singapore Airlines. They executed on the service very well and they were very attentive constantly looking to see if we needed refills and quickly clearing plates. For example, they were able to complete extensive multi-course meal service in about one hour. However, they were far too strict at enforcing rules. Our flight had a long taxi of about 30 minutes and while we were taxing several people tried to get up to get something from the overhead bins or to use the bathroom and the flight attendants on several occasions got up to reprimand tell these passengers off. While I thought their tone may have been too harsh I didn't think too much of this since this is something that is usually enforced in the U.S. as well. Once we took off and were climbing I tried to use the bathroom and the flight attendant gave me a nasty look and shook her head no. Once again I had an incident relating to flight attendants enforcing the rules about using the bathroom and I felt like this was now a trend after the incidents on our CLT-LHR and LGW-BCN flights. This wasn't the only rule which the flight attendants vigorously enforced. While we were landing the flight attendants came around and asked Christina and I to remove our headphones for landing which is the first time I had ever heard of this rule on any airline. 
Singapore Airlines (Silk Air) 737-800
Take Away
Our experience flying on Singapore Airlines' 737-800 with its regional affiliate Silk Air was a mixed bag. We really enjoyed the privacy of the business class cabin, the wide-array of amenities, and attentive service. Moreover, the onboard food was significantly better than U.S. domestic airlines. However, the plane and seats were old, the flight attendants vigorously enforced the rules, the IFE was weak, and the KrisFlyer business class lounge was very disappointing. I hope that the full integration into Singapore Airlines and renovations at Changi Terminal 2 improves on these weakness and leads to a more consistently positive experience. By ChristinaChristina writes and edits Travelling Companion. Her writing covers expeditions, food, and culture for the blog. First Class Honeymoon Trip Report First Class Honeymoon Overview Delta Sky Club DCA Review Delta CRJ 900 DCA-JFK First Class Review Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse New York JFK Review Singapore Airlines A380 JFK-FRA Suites Review Singapore Airlines A380 FRA-SIN Suites Review JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach Review Singapore Surprise Singapore Airlines 737-800 SIN-MLE Business Class Review The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort Review Etihad Airways A320 MLE-AUH Business Class Review Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa Dubai Review The St. Regis Abu Dhabi Review Exploring Abu Dhabi Etihad Apartments A380 AUH-JFK Apartments Review  Singapore Singapore Surprise Overview Prior to booking our tickets, I never really thought about Singapore. After we finalized our honeymoon itinerary, Ramon and I did some light research. We asked for advice from friends who traveled to Singapore, looked for suggestions from the internet, and went to the theater to watch Crazy Rich Asians. We learned that Singapore is a very safe city-state, with some interesting rules, and a foodie's dream destination. We made a list of places we would like to see, but mostly wanted to wander the streets and see where the city took us. What I didn't realize at that time was that I was going to fall in love with Singapore. I left with a promise to myself that I would return. Here are some of the highlights to our first adventure in Asia. Attractions  National Museum of Singapore Our first stop was to visit the National Museum of Singapore. Google Maps told us the walk from our hotel to the museum was about 15 minutes, so we decided to walk. Along the way, we stumbled into Fort Canning Park and some really beautiful murals.  Armenian Street Murals The National Museum was extremely impressive. The Republic of Singapore is a very young country, only 55 years old. The free museum did a beautiful job explaining the pre-independence history of Singapore and bringing the visitor to modern day. I highly recommend this museum as a first stop if you visit Singapore, especially if you are not as well versed in the history and sociology of this region of the world. The museum gave us context to the country and set us up for success for the rest of the trip. Some things that we learned:
Singapore Flyer and Gardens by the Bay Nighttime It is really hot in Singapore. I mean, really, really hot. The walk to the National Museum, while not a far distance, completely zapped our energy. When we came back to the hotel, Ramon and I switched our plans to try to capitalize our experiences by exploring the nightlife. We found out Singapore comes alive at night.  View from Singapore Flyer I highly recommend carving time to visit the Singapore Flyer at the start one's vacation in Singapore. While it may be a bit of tourist trap, it provides a nice overview of the landscape and gives an opportunity to learn landmarks as points of reference. We took the "flight" at night. The journey was slow and steady around the ferris wheel and offered beautiful views of a twinkling city. The trip around was about 30 minutes, and about $25 USD a person.  Gardens by the Bay Gardens by the Bay is another popular attraction in Singapore. The park has two free nightly shows where their gardens dance with popular music through lights. When we arrived to watch the show, we were overwhelmed with the size of the park, and decided to circle back another day to visit additional attractions. There were a large number of people attending the show, so I recommend coming a bit early if you would like good seats. The show lasts only 15 minutes, which was about as much as we could handle being outside in the high temperatures. Gardens by the Bay Daytime Gardens by the Bay is essentially the ride Living with the Land at Epcot, but IRL and not Disneyfied. With a futuristic mindset, Gardens by the Bay tackles how the city-state could self-sustain their growth in population, protect biodiversity from climate change, and continually promote Singapore as a City in the Garden. Since the attraction is a large national park, and we would need to spend most of the time in a climate-controlled space, we limited our experience to the Cloud Forest and the Flower Dome.  The Cloud Forest The Cloud Forest is a conservatory that replicates cooler mountainous climates. As you climb the mountain inside, you experience the temperature dropping while learning about threatened biodiversity.  The Cloud Forest The Flower Dome is the largest greenhouse in the world, displaying the variety of plants and flowers from arid and Mediterranean regions. I was especially tuned to the section the California Garden. For a brief minute or two, I was transported to a very familiar landscape.  The Flower Dome Cultural Diversity Whenever Ramon and I travel, we get a small exposure of how a society views race and interracial marriage. It can be uncomfortable at times, but it is an experience that I am continually grateful to have. This being our first trip to a whole new continent, I didn’t have preconceived ideas. What I found was an extremely kind and welcoming city who did not show any interest in us other than wanting to show us hospitality. This is not by accident, rather than by design from the city. Four languages are recognized as the official language, English, Mandarin, Malay, and Tamil. Three quarters of the population are ethnically Chinese, followed Malay, then Indian. Within the ethnic groups, there are further subgroups that continuously split but not necessarily within ethnic lines. Buddhist is the largest religious group followed by Christian, then people who do not identify by religion, followed by Taoist and Muslim. In addition, because of the geographic and economic position of Singapore, there are multiple nationalities from around the world calling Singapore home. It is not out of the ordinary to see different people from all corners of the earth. This cultural creates a unique identity all on to Singapore. The music, art, and food all unapologetically point to their origin, but at times the culture blends with each other at a graceful pace. Singapore gives space for their citizens to honor their history with the new nation. Malay Heritage Center  Sultan Mosque The Malay Heritage Center explores the cultural and historical experience of Malay Singaporeans. The building was once the palace of a sultan in the early 1800s. The expeditions display the experience of the Malay people prior to the 1800s through present day.  Arab Street The community surrounding the Malay Heritage is a vibrant section of the city with wonderful unique shops, small cafes, murals and specialty stores. There are multiple shops that cater to Muslims, but the community is not exclusively Islamic. The neighborhood is a fun place to walk around and enjoy the sites. Chinatown  Buddha Tooth Relic Temple Chinatown is another neighborhood with winding streets that invite you to wander in and out. Multiple shops and restaurants with their own specialties dot the area, but the two main structures of architecture are the Sri Mariamman Temple and the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum. We were not able to visit the Sri Mariamman Temple as we were not dressed appropriately, and they did not have coverings available to visitors. We did see the building from the outside and we were awe of the intricate designs. I wished we had a docent who would have been able to talk us through and explain what we were seeing. Regardless, it was still super enjoyable.  Buddha Tooth Relic Temple We were able to see the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple. Again, I found myself wishing I had someone to explain to me what I was seeing. I tried my hardest to learn but found it difficult to take in all of the details while trying to be respectful of the people who were in their place of worship. Still, I enjoyed the experience taking my time to be a wallflower and observe.  Sri Mariamman Temple Little India Little India Store Walking through Little India was an awaking for all our senses. There was so much color, sounds, and smells coming from each direction. The shops carry items from all parts of India. The food also represented the culinary diversity within India. We originally planned to visit the Indian Heritage Center, but we had our days wrong (yay jetlag!) and they were closed when we arrived.  Indian Heritage Centre We decided to explore a little and see what we could find. The food smelled so wonderful, it made me wish we didn’t have such a big breakfast. There were wonderful keepsakes at Little India Arcade, but we were nervous about buying anything as we had to keep our luggage empty for our next flight. With 20/20 vision, I would end my trips in Singapore so I could stock up with trinkets to my heart’s content.  Little India Jewelry Store Singapore Zoo We took a Grab from our hotel for a 30-minute ride to the Singapore Zoo. Grab is Singapore’s common ride share app. The drive to the Zoo was really fascinating. We were able to get a glimpse of life outside of downtown Singapore, and really appreciated the large size of the island.  Singapore Zoo Giraffes We spent a whole day at Singapore’s Zoo. I am intrigued how other countries set up and run their museums and Zoos. In comparison to what I experienced stateside, the Singapore Zoo is a hybrid between the San Diego Zoo and their Safari Park. The Singapore Zoo is an open concept zoo, meaning the animals are given large amounts of space, separated by natural barriers like boulders and rivers.  Singapore Zoo At night, the zoo turns into a separate excursion where visitors pile into a vehicle and are driven around the park in the dark. The tour guides point out nocturnal animals throughout the drive, and visitors observe how the park comes alive in a whole new way.  Singapore Zoo Elephants A highlight was being able to feed an elephant banana during their snack time. The second big takeaway from our visit to the zoo was their delicious food. We ordered a variety of food during our stay and everything was surprising exquisitely delicious. We are used to eating park food to be passable at best, but the food in Singapore never disappointed. Food is the Universal Language I can’t say it enough, but if you consider yourself a foodie, Singapore should be on your wish list of countries to visit. Their food is out of this world. Ramon and I were never hungry during this trip because the second we had even a bit of room in our stomachs, we made a pit stop to try something new. The surprising part of experiencing food in Singapore is that all of their food is super high quality. From street food, to cafes, to five course dinners are all served with a strong sense of pride in their work. And because Singapore takes food safety super seriously, we were not nervous to try out street vendor’s food. We did not experience one tummy aches from the variety of things we ate, and oh boy, did we try everything and anything. Hawkers  Singapore Hawker Sign Hawkers are a foundational part of Singapore culture. Hawkers are essentially street food vendors from Singapore, and their history dates back to the early 1800s. In an effort to maintain a high level of food safety, Singapore moved the hawkers from the streets and rivers and placed them in Hawker centers, a version of an open-air food court. With strict regulations and essentials like running water and shelter provided, the hawker culture thrived. Generations of Singaporeans and immigrants to Singapore passed down their recipes, perfecting cheap food. Adding the concentration of diverse people, you could essentially eat around Asia in a very small space.  Hawker Stalls Hawker food is high-quality and low-cost. For example, in 2019 there were 7 recognized hawker stalls with a Michelin star, and multiple more with the distinction of a Bib Gourmand. You can have a Michelin star meal of chicken and rice for under $3.00 USD. If the hawker stall is well known, you would need to plan to arrive early. Multiple times we tried to eat at a famous hawker stall, but they would run out of food by noon.  Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle Hawker Stall Some of the hawkers responded to this new level of popularity by capitalizing on their name and recipes by franchising out. We ate at Hawker Chan’s franchise in Chinatown and was not impressed. It wasn’t bad, but it didn’t hold a light to all of the other food we had in Singapore, especially considering the name was associated with a Michelin star.  Hawker Chan If you are in Singapore and want to experience the hype, by all means plan out your day to guarantee you can have the experience of a $3.00 Michelin star meal. But I wouldn’t be too worried about it. We had plenty of mind-boggling meals at the hawker stalls by walking around and doing eeny-meeny-miny-moe. Singapore Sling  Singapore Slings While food in Singapore is relatively inexpensive, alcohol come’s with a hefty price tag. Because of this, we didn’t really seek out too much to drink, but wanted to try the Singapore Sling, Singapore’s Long Island Iced Tea, but classy.  Singapore Sling Sign Singapore Sling is a gin-based drink, created first in the Long Bar at the famous Raffles Hotel in 1915. Raffles Hotel was still under renovation when we were visiting, but the Long Bar was still up and running. After a long day of playing tourist, we walked across the street from our hotel to the bar for a night cap.  Raffles Hotel Old-World colonial England is alive and well at the Long Bar. Rich mahogany wood, colonial ceiling fans, colonial décor, and peanut shells on the floor all harken back to when England occupied modern day Singapore. The drink itself is a refreshing cool drink to break the Singapore heat and is roughly $27 dollars per drink. While the drink was pretty tasty, we didn’t think it was $27 dollars’ worth of tasty. We heard there were other, better, options to try the Singapore Sling, but didn’t seek it out since the cost was pretty much the same throughout all of Singapore. Chimjes  Lei Garden Chimjes was originally a Catholic convent in the 1800s. Currently the space is multi use, including event space, restaurants, bars, cafes, fitness centers, spas, and open gardens. We visited Chimjes a few times as it was just a few blocks from the hotel.  Lei Garden Menu One of our memorable meals at Chijmes was at Lei Garden. Lei Garden is a Chinese (Cantonese) restaurant with one Michelin star. We decided to eat the chef’s lunch, which was a eight-course meal. Ramon and I are not well versed in Chinese food, nor did we know what we ate as we could not read the menu. But it was really wonderful!
Singapore in Hindsight
Singapore has so much to offer. Food, art, shopping, museums, gardens, public transportation, and much more. While we were there for a week, there was still so much we didn’t get to do or see. I couldn’t bring myself to say goodbye, so instead I said, see you soon. Now, I am off to convince Ramon to have another long layover in Singapore for our next trip. By RamonRamon is the creator of Travelling Companion. He focuses on flight review, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further.
Hotel Overview
My first stay at a JW Marriott left me with a positive impression of the brand. JW Marriott South Beach was a nice city hotel with a great location, good elite recognition, stellar views, and spectacular food including my favorite buffet ever. Pros- Spectacular Food, Cool Decor, Nice Art Work, Stellar Views, Large Basic Room, Huge Suites, Great Location, Great Executive Lounge and Spectacular Restaurant Breakfast Buffet, Fantastic Spa, and Solid Gym Cons- Bad Staff Communication, Poor Property Maintenance , Ice Cold 18th Floor Pool, and Weak Bathroom Amenities First Class Honeymoon Trip Report First Class Honeymoon Overview Delta Sky Club DCA Review Delta CRJ 900 DCA-JFK First Class Review Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse New York JFK Review Singapore Airlines A380 JFK-FRA Suites Review Singapore Airlines A380 FRA-SIN Suites Review JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach Review Singapore Surprise Singapore Airlines 737-800 SIN-MLE Business Class Review The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort Review Etihad Airways A320 MLE-AUH Business Class Review Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa Dubai Review The St. Regis Abu Dhabi Review Exploring Abu Dhabi Etihad Apartments A380 AUH-JFK Apartments Review Location The JW Marriott South Beach is located in downtown Singapore, about a 15 minute drive from Changi Airport, which is an unbeatable location especially for first-time visitors to Singapore. The hotel is located in the South Beach development, which has a mix of commercial and residential buildings. The hotel is also located right above the Esplande subway station which allowed easy access via subway to the majority of Singapore. The hotel is also walking distance away from many tourist and cultural attractions including the National Museum of Singapore, the Singapore Flyer, Fort Canning Park, Little India, Kampong Glam, and about a ten-minute car ride from Gardens by the Bay. This made it easy to navigate the city and made us happy with our hotel selection.
Check-In
As we pulled up to the hotel we were immediately impressed by the size and design of the hotel. The hotel took up 24 floors of the east tower in the South Beach development while the hotel's spa, nail salon, and Sky Deck Pool occupied two floors in the west tower. 
JW Marriott Singapore South Beach
As we got out of the taxi a porter grabbed our bags and whisked them away without us asking. We would eventually see our bags reappear after check-in. The lobby had a large digital art display, art all around the lobby, and had a cool modern vibe. The hotel offered an art, tour though we never had a chance to go on the tour during our stay.
Hotel Lobby Art
Christina checked us in and the check-in agent asked us for our passports, something I am now used to happening when we travel internationally. Once the agent saw that Christina was a Marriott Bonvoy Platinum elite he handed us off to a VIP Check-in agent who handles Marriott elites. The VIP agent was very friendly, thanked Christina for her loyalty, and apologized that she could not upgrade us because there was a large business group at the hotel. She also asked us if we wanted 1000 points or the welcome amenity and we chose the points. She said that was a good choice since all of the amenities are available in the room anyways. I liked the fact that the hotel did not make elites choose between points and breakfast. I heard that not forcing elites to choose is more common in high-end Marriott Asian hotels. I also asked the agent about the additional 5000 points which were part of reservation. She said she would look into it and get back to us later.
One thing that was strange about the hotel was that throughout our stay there were items that we found not well maintained. For example, the second day during our stay the second lobby door was broken and remained unusable throughout duration of our stay. I was surprised about the condition of the property given the hotel only opened in 2016. 
Check-In Desks
Deluxe King
As we entered the elevator to our room on the seventh floor we continued to be impressed by the cool vibe of the hotel. In the elevator there was a video playing which made it seem like the walls of the elevator were an underwater glass display. The elevator itself was a smooth and very fast ride. As we excited the elevator hotel the artistic touch continued with the impressive grey pattern on the walls. 
Hotel Elevator Digital Art
Our room was a Deluxe King room the smallest category of rooms in the hotel with king beds. I was impressed by the size of the room given that it is one of the most basic rooms at the hotel. The room had curtains which we raised to see the nice city view including a view of the adjacent historic Raffles hotel. Unfortunately, the curtains were partially broken when we first entered the room, while they were fixed after we notified the hotel, it was strange that no one noticed this when cleaning the room. Another annoying part about the curtains was that they had to be either fully open or fully closed. The room also had numerous mirrors and white drawers all around. These drawers were not only for clothes but also contained the mini-bar and safe. One of the downfalls of the room was that it did not have enough drawer space for us put way all of our clothes. This would have been nice since we were spending nearly a week at the hotel. The closet had hangers, two sets of slippers, two robes, a shoe horn, shoe polish, and a shoe brush along with a light. Christina and I found the robes and slippers to be very comfortable.
Deluxe King Closet
The room also had a white desk next to the window which had a lamp, the spa menu, and a remote for the television, along with a paper outlining the great Marriott Bonvoy Platinum benefits at the JW Marriott Singapore South Beach.
JW Marriott Singapore South Beach Platinum Elite Benefits
Later on, we found a welcome amenity of fruit sitting on the desk with no note. We were unsure why we got the welcome amenity since it could have been because of Christina's Platinum elite status, the lack of an upgrade, or because of our honeymoon. The welcome amenity was a nice touch but poorly executed. Next to the desk was the King bed which we really liked.
Welcome Amenity
The television was built into a panel behind the desk and had several features. It included not just television channels but also music channels.
Desk and Television
The bathroom was large for a non-suite room and also was covered in mirrors. The bathroom had a sink with a drawer, various amenities, and a shelf below for towels. The amenities were provided by Aromatherapy and Associates and I really didn't like them. In particular I found that the body wash had a horrible scent. This was my first time staying at a JW Marriott and first time trying these amenities and I hope they are not the brand standard for JW Marriott. The bathroom had a separate door for the shower and the toilet room. I loved that the shower had strong water pressure and both a rainforest and handheld shower head.
Shower
The most interesting aspect of the bathroom was the Japanese Toto toilet. The toilet came with a remote and had a self-clean and bidet function. This was the first time I had ever seen one and I was very impressed. The biggest issue we had with the toilet was when we first entered the room it did not function. It turned out that the hotel turns off all of the toilets to save energy which is fine but when a guest checks in it would make sense to turn them back on automatically.
Japanese Toto Toilet
Deluxe Suite
On the second day after we hadn't heard back about the availability of a suite upgrade we went downstairs to talk to the check-in agent. The agent checked in and said that a suite was now available. We went back to our room to pack up all of our stuff which was annoying but turned about to be very worthwhile! We ended up getting upgraded to Deluxe Suite on the 14th floor. As we exited the elevator there was a very strange smell in the hallway which thankfully didn't reach the room. As we walked into the room I was blown away by the size! It was the largest room Christina or I had ever stayed in. The funny thing was that the hotel considered this a junior suite and it was the smallest suite in the hotel. It was crazy to think that the junior suite was bigger than our first joint apartment. I can only imagine the size of the other suites in the hotel! One awkward feature of the room is that it had no manual lock and only contained a digital lock. I think that the hotel room must have sensors to show when a guest was in the room because whenever we were in the room the hotel employees would ring twice. On the left side of the hallway as we walked in was a half bathroom which was also equipped with a Japanese Toto toilet. 
1/2 Bathroom
Next was the living room area of the suite which had a desk with several lamps, a couch, table, television, and artwork. I found several of the design choices to be questionable. For example, the artwork in the living room was creepy and the television obstructed the view of the city out of the living room window. However, I appreciated the large number of plugs on the desk including two USB plugs and two international plugs.
Living Room
The room also had a small kitchenette which had a coffee machine, sink, cabinets, and a mini-fridge. The mini-fridge and the cabinets contained very expensive items for sale. Also, Christina could not get the coffee machine to work and it was another example of something broken in the hotel.
Kitchenette
The suite also had two closets with one in the entrance hallway and the other in the hallway heading to the bedroom. I really appreciated that the closets had ample space for us to store all of our clothing and that the entire room contained soft close drawers. Also, inside the bathroom hallway closet were laundry bags which included absurdly high laundry prices. A few things I did appreciate about the closets were that they included a steamer and an umbrella which are both uncommon items in a hotel room.
Closet
The bathroom was amazing! It was very spacious and contained a shower, toilet room, and two sinks on opposite sides of the bathroom. However, the show stopper in the bathroom was the free-standing soaking tub with stunning views of Singapore. The bathroom also had both larger sizes and a wider variety of amenities than those in the Deluxe King Room. The additional amenities included a shaving kit and a nail filer.
Soaking Tub with Spectacular Singapore Views
The bedroom had a chaise lounge, a king bed, and a desk. The desk was positioned awkwardly on a carpet cutout which made it difficult to use. The room also had similar creepy artwork as the living room. The best part of the bedroom was the view. Since the room was a corner room on the 14th floor it had great views of downtown Singapore in both directions.
Deluxe Suite Bedroom
Dining
The JW Singapore South Beach had a plethora of dining options which was unsurprising in an amazing foodie city as Singapore. The hotel had eight dining and drinking options across the South Beach complex. This including Akira Back, run by a Michelin Star chef, Beach Road Kitchen, Court Martial Bar, and Tonic which were all accessible directly from the hotel. Additionally, Cool Cats, Fish Pool, Madame Fan, and Stag's Room were located inside the NCO Club in the South Beach complex. Also, specifically for those with Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite Status or above and a room with executive lounge access had access to dining in the executive lounge. 
Map of JW Singapore South Beach Dining, Amenities, and Meeting Rooms
While we were at the hotel we had the opportunity to try only two of the dining options, Beach Road Kitchen and the executive lounge. We attempted to try Akira Back, however, it was completely full for Mother's Day dinner. We didn't attempt to try the other dining options because Singapore had such amazing dining that we wanted to explore the city. However, I can tell you that the breakfast buffet at Beach Road Kitchen along with the food and drinks in the executive lounge were spectacular!
Aikra Back
Beach Road Kitchen is located in the South Beach complex across from the main tower (east tower) of the hotel. The restaurant served breakfast, lunch, and dinner, however, we only tried the breakfast buffet during our stay. Breakfast was served from 6:30am-10:30 am during the week and 6:30 am-11:00 am on the weekends. The breakfast buffet included an extensive selection of food reflecting the diversity of Singapore. It was by far the best buffet I have ever tried. We had access to the buffet every day as an amazing Marriott Bonvoy Platinum elite benefit, normally a cost of $45 Singapore dollars per adult and $23 per child, and it allowed us to skip lunch every day resulting in a substantial savings on dining.
Beach Road Kitchen
The breakfast buffet took up multiple rooms of the restaurant and included Indian food (e.g. curry and roti) Chinese food (e.g. dim sum and mode to order noodles), Western food (e.g. pancakes, eggs, and waffles).
My favorites were the Chinese and Indian dishes including the multiple types of dim sum, and the Beef Curry. The restaurant rotated several of the hot dishes every day which meant we were able to try different dishes every day we ate at Beach Road Kitchen.
Breakfast
I also really enjoyed eating the fresh honey and various jams with bread. If all of the food offered at the buffet was not enough the restaurant also came around with additional food samplers during breakfast.
Fresh Honey
I also tried several unique tropical fruits I had never heard of before including snake fruit. I was not a big fan of snake fruit.
Breakfast Buffet Fruit
The buffet also included a large variety of fresh fruit juice. In particular I loved the fresh orange juice. The only compliant at all about the buffet was that the desserts were mediocre. Overall, the buffet was spectacular and I would strongly recommend purchasing access at least one day even if you can't access it on a complimentary basis as a Marriott Bonvoy elite.
Breakfast Buffett Drinks and Fruit
As a Marriott Bonvoy Platinum elite Christina also had access to breakfast (6:30-10:30 am), afternoon tea (2:30-5:00 pm), Hor d'overes (5:30-7:30 pm), and evening cocktails (5:30-9:30 pm) in the executive lounge.
Bridge Access to Executive Lounge
One morning we had breakfast in the executive lounge. The offerings were very similar to the Beach Road Kitchen breakfast buffet. Some differences included that the lounge offered different types of dim sum, fresh cooked eggs, and the lounge did not have table tea and coffee service like the restaurant. The best part of the lounge breakfast was how quiet it was in comparison to the restaurant.
Executive Lounge Breakfast
The evening hor d'oevers were also a great benefit. The options included a variety of cold cuts and a few hot snacks which all together were enough to make a meal. The lounge offered several types of wine and beer along with water in the evening. However, the stand out were the variety of complimentary evening cocktails which included a tequila sunrise, mimosa, and old fashion. This was another great benefit of Marriott Bonvoy Platinum elite status given the high alcohol prices in Singapore.
Amenities
One of the nice features of the hotel was that Wi-Fi was complimentary and available throughout the hotel without a need to login. This made it easy to access the internet throughout the hotel. The JW Marriott South Beach also featured two pools one on the 18th floor of the main East Tower and another called the SkyDeck located on the 6th floor of the West Tower. We checked out the 18th floor on our first day. The 18th floor had a wraparound balcony with amazing views of Singapore. On one side was comfortable lounging furniture facing the Marina including the Marina Bay Sands hotel. We really enjoyed relaxing on these chairs to have a bite to eat or read. 
Lounge Chairs
On the second side was a view of other South Beach Development buildings and games including pool and foosball. We had a lot of fun playing a few rounds of pool and foosball in this area.
Foosball Table
On the third side was the pool bar Flow 18 along with tables and chairs to eat, and the gym.
Flow 18
On the fourth side was the pool which had stunning views of downtown Singapore. When we walked towards the pool we were greeted by friendly staff who gave us towels and room temperature water, though we would have appreciated cold water given the hot temperature. The upper level the pool was shallow with three semi-submerged chairs and another chair with a table overlooking the Singapore's World War 2 Memorial. The upper level of the pool seemed to be set up to be photographed and looked more like a piece of art than a pool. The lower-level pool was much deeper and afforded the opportunity to swim. However, the water was ice cold! In the super humid tropical climate of Singapore a cold pool may sound good but this pool was freezing so cold in fact that we only lasted 10 minutes swimming. I was very surprised that the hotel did not do a better job to regulate the temperature of the pool and it seemed like they were pumping in ice cold water. If the pool had a more comfortable temperature I am sure it would be a social scene, however, almost every time we went up to the 18th floor the pool was empty which I assumed was due to the ice cold water.
18th Floor Pool
After the ice cold 18th floor pool we checked out the second pool on the 6th floor Sky Deck. This pool was located on the 6th floor of the west tower. In order to access the pool we needed to go down to the 2nd floor, across to the spa entrance then take an elevator up to the sixth floor. The set-up of this pool was awkward since it seemed to be set up for a bar and lounge atmosphere but there was no bar. There was a menu for Flow 18 at the pool but I never saw anyone taking orders. In fact, after multiple visits we only interacted with staff at the pool once when a staff member handed us a towel and asked for our room number.
Sky Garden Pool
We really enjoyed the Sky Garden pool since the water was room temperature, there was usually no one around and it also had stunning views of downtown Singapore.
View from Sky Garden Pool
Later in our stay we also checked out the gym on the 18th floor which we used once during our stay and it wasn't busy. The gym had a good mix of cardio machines and weights.
Gym
The gym provided cold towels, which were refreshing, cold bottles of water, wipes, and copies of the NYTimes and the Straits Times. Overall, it was a solid gym.
Water, Towels, Newspaper, Wipes
On our first day were really jet lagged so made a reservation at the onsite Spa by JW. We decided to have the jet lag couples massage which cost $150 Singaporean Dollars (SD) for 50 minutes. Before the massage we spent time in the separate men's and women's spa facilities. These included a jacuzzi and steam rooms. I found the steam room to be too hot but I loved the jacuzzi. The jacuzzi ended up being exactly what I needed after a long flight and after using it I realized just how sore my muscles were. After using the jacuzzi I went to relax in the spa lounge which was quiet and had cold water, magazines, and great massage chairs. I was very relaxed in this room until another client started working on his computer and fully opened the blinds. While in the spa lounge we were called into the massage room. I thought that the massage was really well done. My biggest complaint was that the masseuse was too hard on my sore muscles. Overall, I thought the couples massage was very good and worth the $150 SD.
Spa by JW
Service
Service at the JW Marriott South Beach could best be described as inconsistent. Prior to our arrival we reached out to the concierge about transportation options from the airport. The concierge offered us several options including the hotel's limo or private car options which were prohibitively expensive. When we let him know those options were too expensive he let us know about the less expensive airport shuttle. However, once we were on-site the concierge service was much less impressive. We tried to get a reservation to a Michelin star restaurant Lei Garden for lunch and after going to their website there were no openings. So we asked the concierge for help and he assured us that he would call us by 11:30 am to let us know if he secured any reservations. However, at 1 pm we hadn't received a call back so we called the hotel and left a message for the concierge. The concierge let us know that he made us a reservation for 1:45 pm. This meant we had to scramble to get back change and make it to the restaurant and this could have been avoided if the concierge had actually called us back earlier. The same dichotomy existed when dealing with the reservation agents. Christina received a welcome email for being a Platinum elite and when we checked in we were sent to the VIP check-in agent. However, we never received any communications about our upgrade or the extra points despite the agent's promise to follow. Moreover, our reservation was showing up in the Marriott app with a $750 extra person fee which we were not quoted in advance. When we went downstairs to speak with a check-in agent about these three questions his response ranged from uninterested to dismissive. He indicated that the app was just a glitch and refused to even look and let us know that the extra points would post after we insisted he look up the reservation. While he ultimately upgraded us he made it feel like he was doing us a big favor despite the promise at check-in. Christina suggested that the poor communications and disinterest we saw some of the time may be driven by the fact that the hotel seems to cater to business travelers and big groups which may make them lazy sometimes with other guests. Take Away We ended up enjoying our stay at the JW Marriott South Beach. It was a nice property with a great location in the heart of Singapore. The drawbacks of the property including poor communication, freezing cold 18th floor pool, and weak bathroom amenities were overcome by the positives. These positives included the cool decor, nice art work, stunning views, fantastic spa, and great rooms even at both the basic and suite levels. Ultimately the standouts of the property were the amazing location and the spectacular breakfast buffet. I would recommend staying at the JW Marriott South Beach in particular if it is your first stay in Singapore or if you are an elite with access to the executive lounge and breakfast buffet. Introduction During our First Class Honeymoon in 2019 we found that Christina's Marriott Bonvoy Platinum elite status gave us access to amazing benefits including upgrades, free breakfast, and additional Marriott points. Her Platinum status ended up giving us access to experiences we could not have afforded without it. In this post I will discuss how to earn Marriott Platinum elite status, discuss the benefits, and provide tips on ways to maximize the status. How do you earn Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Status? Normally, Marriott Bonvoy Platinum elite status is earned by staying at least 50 nights in one calendar year. However, due to COVID-19 Marriott both extended 2019 elites status through February 1, 2022 and provided 50% elite night credits, 25 nights for current Platinum elites, allowing current elites to fast track to the next status level. Also, Platinum status can be earned by spending $75,000 in a calendar year on your Marriott Bonvoy Brillant American Express Card.  Marriott Bonvoy Member Sign Al Maha Dubai UAE What counts toward the elite night credits requirement? One great part of hotel elite programs in general and Marriott's program in particular is that a wide variety of activities help meet the elite nights requirement. Generally, there are four ways to earn elite nights credits. First, any individually billed nights at a participating hotel count towards status, this excludes nights paid for through central billing such as for a convention. Second, unlike airline awards all award nights paid for with Marriott Bonvoy points count toward elite status. Third, holding a Marriott Bonvoy credit card provides an automatic 15 nights towards elite status regardless of spending on the credit card. This can reduce the 50 night requirement by 30 percent. Fourth, having an event at a Marriott brand hotel can earn 1 elite night for every 20 rooms booked. This was significantly devalued at the start of 2020 but may still be helpful if you are having a large group event.  Marriott Bonvoy Elite Room Key What are the Benefits of Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite Status? Complimentary Enhanced In-Room Internet Access- All Marriott Bonvoy members that book directly with Marriott receive access to complimentary in-room internet. However, Platinum members receive access to enhanced in-room internet which provides faster speeds. Member Rates- All Marriott Bonvoy members that book directly with Marriott receive access to discounted member rates. Mobile Check-In/Services- All Marriott Bonvoy members that book directly with Marriott can utilize mobile check in where available. Dedicated Elite Support Line- When Platinum members call Marriott Bonvoy customer service members receive access to dedicated elite support. Unlimited Reservation Guarantee- If the hotel is unable to honor the reservation then it will provide the Platinum member with compensation ranging from $100 and 90,000 points to $200 and 140,000 points depending on the brand. You can find the complete details here. Points Bonus- Platinum members receive a 50 % bonus on hotel stays and money spent during stays. This means that Platinum members receive 15 points per dollar spent at the vast majority of brands. Late Check-Out- Platinum members receive a guaranteed 4 pm late check-out at non-convention and non-resort hotels. Guaranteed Room Type- If a Platinum elite member room type request is not met then the member receives compensation ranging from $25 to $100. In-Hotel Welcome Gift- At check-in Platinum members receive a welcome gift ranging from a choice of 500 points per stay and a Food & Beverage item to 1,000 per stay or breakfast in the restaurant. These benefits vary based upon the brand and you can find the full list here. Enhanced Room Upgrade- At participating brands Platinum elites receive an upgrade to the best available room including select suites subject to availability. Lounge Access- At JW Marriott, Marriott Hotels, Delta Hotels, Autograph Collection Hotels, and Renaissance Hotels Platinum members have lounge access. Annual Choice Benefits- After 50 elite qualifying nights Platinum members receive annual choice benefit with the choice between 5 Suite Night Awards, 5 elite night credits, a gift of silver elite status to another member, 40% off a mattress, or a $100 charity donation.  Marriott Elite Benefits Marriott Platinum Status Tips
1. Book Direct- Elite benefits only apply to stays booked directly with Marriott. In order to utilize platinum elite benefits it is essential to book direct. 2. Benefits Vary by Brand- To maximize Platinum elite status it is critical to be selective about the brand you book since benefits vary significantly between brands. For example, the In-Hotel Welcome Gift for the Element brand is 500 points or an amenity compared to the option for the The Luxury Collection of 1,000 points, and amenity, or breakfast in the restaurant. The differences are also not limited to value vs. luxury brands. For example, Platinum members don't receive upgrades to suites at Ritz Carltons while they do at St. Regis brand hotels. 3. Promotions- Periodically, Marriott offers promotions which can provide a shortcut to Platinum elite status. This is how Christina achieved Platinum elite status in 2018 with less than half the required elite night credits. Periodically, review your Marriott elite account for promotions. 4. Elite Benefits Guarantee- Marriott is unique among the major hotel brands in offering cash guarantees if elite members are not provided guaranteed elite benefits. We have had success getting a hotel to provide $100 in cash for not honoring one of the guarantees. Make sure to ask the hotel to honor the guarantee before check-out if the benefits are not honored. 5. Lounge Access- One of the most undervalued benefits of Platinum elite status is lounge access and is something which I would recommend maximizing. While the benefit is only available at a limited number of brands depending on the hotel it can be very valuable. For example, in the past we have been able to substitute a pasta dish for dinner and have been offered complimentary happy hours in Marriott hotel lounges. Take Away If you have the ability to earn Marriott Platinum elite status is can be very valuable and make a substantial difference during your Marriott stay. If you follow the tips above you can get access to benefits including complementary restaurant breakfast, lounge access, and suite upgrades. By RamonRamon is the creator of Travelling Companion. He focuses on flight review, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further.
Flight Overview
The culinary journey and great service continued on this second leg. The Singapore Suites provided plenty of comfortable sleeping amenities and space but I was left wanting a softer bed for the overnight journey. Pros- Very Good Ground Experience in Frankfurt, Speedy Boarding, Great Service, High-End Sleeping Amenities, Wide Selection of Five Star Cuisine, First Class Meal Service, Krug and Caviar, Connected Suites , and a Bed in the Sky Cons- Dated Hard Product, Weak In-Flight Entertainment System, Hard Bed First Class Honeymoon Trip Report First Class Honeymoon Overview Delta Sky Club DCA Review Delta CRJ 900 DCA-JFK First Class Review Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse New York JFK Review Singapore Airlines A380 JFK-FRA Suites Review Singapore Airlines A380 FRA-SIN Suites Review JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach Review Singapore Surprise Singapore Airlines 737-800 SIN-MLE Business Class Review The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort Review Etihad Airways A320 MLE-AUH Business Class Review Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa Dubai Review The St. Regis Abu Dhabi Review Exploring Abu Dhabi Etihad Apartments A380 AUH-JFK Apartments Review 
Lufthansa Senator Lounge Entrance
Lufthansa Senator Lounge Frankfurt
Our Singapore Airlines flight from New York John F Kennedy Airport (JFK) landed around 10 am Frankfurt time. Upon deplaning we were greeted by a gate agent who escorted us on the very short walk from our gate to the Lufthansa Senator Lounge where we would spend our approximately two hour layover before continuing to Singapore in the Singapore Suites. Lufthansa has multiple lounges at their Frankfurt hub which can be very confusing. Passengers traveling in First Class on Lufthansa have access to the First Class Lounges while passengers traveling in Star Alliance First Class have access to the Senator Lounges. Initially, there were some issues entering the Senator Lounge since our boarding passes would not properly scan. It turned the out the issue was that our journey started the day before so the computer thought we were not eligible. However, the agent was able to clear up the issue and we were on our way. Once we walked through the door the actual lounge was located one level up and we went up to the lounge level using an escalator. My first impression of the lounge was very positive. I was very impressed by the amount of light flowing into the lounge and found the design to be very modern. 
Senator Lounge Bar
The lounge was very quiet at this time of the morning and had great views of the tarmac. I walked around the lounge to get a sense of the food and drinks available and was impressed by the wide selection. Also, while the lounge did not have champagne available, it had a large selection of sparkling wines on display even in the early morning. Despite the wide selection Christina and I did not eat or try out the sparkling wine in the lounge since we were still stuffed from the culinary adventure on our flight over to Frankfurt from JFK. Christina and I did not sleep at all on the transatlantic flight, since we were trying to adjust to Singapore time, and at this point we were exhausted and struggling to stay awake. Since we had just gotten off of an overnight flight and were falling asleep Christina decided to take a shower. The lounge had multiple shower rooms available and when the shower suite was available the buzzer went off. Christina loved the ability to shower after an overnight flight.
Senator Lounge Breakfast
Boarding
We left the lounge and headed to the gate for boarding in time to be the first people onboard the flight. When we got to the boarding area it was a zoo. Not only was Singapore Airlines boarding our A380 for the final leg of the journey to Singapore but, All Nippon Airways (ANA) was boarding a flight at the next gate over. On this second leg of the journey Singapore Airlines has pickup rights in Frankfurt and the flight was a mix of people who continued on from JFK and other passengers who started the journey in Frankfurt. In Suites Class only one other passenger, who seemed to be a businessman, continued the journey with us from JFK. Once again we ran into discrimination while boarding. We stood in the Suites line ready to board and the gate agent stared at us. We felt uncomfortable again and assumed he was thinking, why is this young minority couple standing in the Suites line? After a short while staring at us he asked us are you traveling in economy, premium economy, or business? We said no and let him know we were in Suites. He looked at our boarding passes, let us board and we ended up being the first people on board. Once again, Singapore Airlines impressed me with there boarding process they were able to board the entire A380 in 19 minutes. I think this process is driven by the fact that there were multiple sections to board each class, multiple boarding doors, and the staff did a good job directing passengers to their seats. 
Singapore Airlines Boarding Sign
Plane and Seats
Once we boarded we headed to 3C and 3D the same rear centre seats in Suites we occupied on the previous leg of the flight. The center Suites can be connected and turned into a double suite which is ideal for traveling companions and we were excited to use the beds and get some sleep on this second overnight flight. Even though we were in the same seats on the same plane I noticed some additional wear and tear at our seats and thought again how this version of the Suites is showing its age. On this flight there were only three other seats occupied. The gentleman who had joined us on our flight from JFK occupied one while the other two were occupied by another couple seated in the second set of center Suites (2C and 2D). 
Singapore Suites Seat 3C
Food and Drinks
Once we settled in our flight attendant came by and let us know that the honeymoon cake which our previous flight attendant had generously offered to keep in the fridge for our second leg of the flight had to be thrown away because of hygiene standards. While we were disappointed to not be able to have more cake, we were really appreciative of how serious Singapore Airlines takes hygiene. Knowing how seriously they take hygiene standard makes us even more likely to fly them in the COVID-19 era. We were offered a drink during boarding and we chose water to make sure we stayed hydrated during the flight. Once we were in the air we tried out the cocktails. Christina ordered the famous Singapore Sling while I ordered a modified version the Kris Flyer Sling. Christina really enjoyed her Singapore Sling and found it to be fruity while my modified version was not as good. We decided that when we got to Singapore we would order the real thing at the Raffles Hotel Long Bar and compare the difference in taste. One thing that really impressed me was the glassware which also was from Lalique and had the Singapore Airlines logo.
When the flight attendant came around to confirm our order we asked for Krug, of course, and for an abbreviated meal service since we were still full after our flight from JFK. We skipped the bread, cheese, soup, and salad courses. However, what we didn't skip was the caviar course. The caviar paired with Krug was still amazing. Then for the appetizer we devoured the fantastic satay. The satay came with two types of meat and a dipping sauce that was sweet and yummy.
Satay
For this leg of our flight we chose from the Book the Cook lunch menu. Book the Cook allowed us to choose from an expanded menu in advance of the flight. There were an impressive, and almost overwhelming, number of choices with 16 items to choose from. It was like choosing from an expansive menu at a five-star restaurant. I ordered the 7oz beef fillet. It was served with roasted vegetables and grilled tomatoes. I found the beef fillet was cooked perfectly and quite tender. While I really liked this meal, I preferred the roasted rack of lamb on the first leg of the flight from JFK.
7oz Beef Fliet
Christina ordered the crab cakes which came with a side of roasted vegetables. Christina really liked the crab cakes and preferred the crab cakes to the lobster Thermidor she had on the flight from JFK.
Crab Cakes
For dessert we decided to share the apple tart with ice cream and the flight attendant brought over two plates and two spoons. Christina really liked the dessert while I thought it wasn't very good.
Apple Tart with Ice Cream
The next morning, for breakfast Christina and I both started off with fresh fruit and fruit juice. I ordered the apple juice while Christina ordered the orange juice. The fresh fruit was good while apple juice was okay, and the orange juice was freshly squeezed and very good. For the main course I ordered the fresh toast along with a hot chocolate and a chocolate croissant. The french toast and the hot chocolate were okay while the croissant like all the bread I had on Singapore Airlines, was great.
French Toast
Christina ordered the Prawn Wanton Noodle Soup through Book the Book, which was the only Asian choice on the breakfast menu, along with a vanilla latte. Christina really liked this dish and would highly recommend it. Overall, I thought Christina definitely beat me on the breakfast selection but I was left with the impression after two flights that breakfast is Singapore Airlines weakest meal.
Prawn Wanton Noodle Soup
Amenities and In-Flight Entertainment
On this flight I again found the circa 2000's Kris Flyer in-flight entertainment (IFE) system very underwhelming and the weakest part of the legacy Suites experience. Both the television, which was very low resolution, and remote needed an upgrade. The Kris Flyer system aboard the legacy Suites also had very limited options. We ended up watching reruns of the Big Bang Theory. To help keep me entertained on this flight I ended up using the WiFi. A great feature of Suites Class was that each passenger received 100 MB of free WiFi. On the first leg of the flight I was able to stay connected the whole time, however, on the second leg I ran out of data about 4 hours from arrival in Singapore. 
Kris Flyer IFE
On this second leg of the flight we were given a second set of pajamas, socks, and slippers but not a second amenity kit. Once our lunch was done we asked for the flight attendants to turn our seats into connected beds. The flight attendants pulled the beds out of the wall which revealed reading lights. I found it so amazing that are seats were able to so quickly be turned in to a bed in the sky!
Singapore Airlines Suite Double Beds
All of the amenities we received including the pajamas were from Lalique. We found the pajamas to be soft and super comfortable. The biggest issue I had with the pajamas were that they did not have pants pockets. This was annoying and meant that if I carried my phone around I had to hold it in my hand or in the shallow shirt pocket. The sheets, which were also from Lalique, were okay though I expected a higher thread count in Suites. However, the blanket was very comfortable and better than most blankets I have at home. While it is hard to complain about a bed in the sky I must say the bed was very hard and really could have used a mattress pad. I have always had issues falling asleep on a plane and I wondered going into this flight if the combination of having a bed in the sky and being exhausted from a long flight would allow me to sleep longer. During the flight I feel asleep for the first time for one hour and then went to sleep a second time for three hours. I was surprised that even in Suites I couldn't get a full nights sleep. I believe this was driven by the significant noise in the cabin along with a very hard bed and I would be curious to see if I would have been able to sleep with a softer bed and quieter cabin.
Lalique Pajamas
Service
After the spectacular service we received on the first leg of the flight from JFK we had high expectations for the service on this flight. While this flight didn't top the first leg from JFK the service was great and it is clear that Singapore Airlines understands the value of service. One example of the things that impressed me about the service was the attention to detail of the flight attendants. Whenever we walked away from our respective suites the flight attendants refreshed our areas with more water and folded our blankets. Furthermore, the flight attendants were very attentive and I was always amazed that as soon as Christina opened her suite door a flight attendant was there to serve her. On one occasion after we woke up and asked for water the flight attendants brought us over snacks including mini-snickers and German cookies I had never tried before. 
Singapore Airlines In-Flight Snack
The flight attendants were able to strike the balance of being helpful and attentive without being overbearing. Another feature of the service I really appreciated were the towel services and on multiple occasions during the flight we were offered refreshing hot towels.
Arrival As we arrived into Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) I sat in one of the window Suites to get a view of our arrival and I was treated to a spectacular early morning view. 
View from Singapore Airlines A380
We landed at SIN Terminal 3 and were off the plane quickly and ended having no wait at all immigration. We did end up having a short wait at baggage claim but our bags were among the first out because of our Suites tags. While we waited I was blown away by the SIN arrivals area which was bright, modern, airy, and made it feel like we were in the middle of a jungle.
Singapore Changi Terminal 3 Baggage Claim
Take Away
On the second leg of our Singapore Airlines Suites journey Singapore Airlines continued to impress. We continued our culinary journey with a wide selection of restaurant quality dishes and attentive service. The Singapore Suites sleeping amenities were high-end and despite finding the bed to be too hard we really appreciated having a double bed in the sky. Singapore Airlines impressed me and I wouldn't hesitate to take the airline again especially in Suites. Hopefully next time we fly them we can try out the new Suites product. By RamonRamon is the creator of Travelling Companion. He focuses on flight review, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further.
Flight Overview
I was blown away by the Singapore Airlines Suites experience and this was the best flight I have ever taken. This was the ultimate experience for any traveling companions and the culinary adventure along with the kindness of Singapore Airlines flight attendants got our honeymoon off to an amazing start. Pros- Speedy Boarding, Spectacular Service, High-End Amenities, High-Quality Noise-Cancelling Headphones, Wide Selection of Five Star Cuisine, First Class Meal Service, Krug and Caviar, Honeymoon Cake, Connected Suites Cons- Dated Hard Product, Damaged Bathroom Interiors, Weak In-Flight Entertainment System First Class Honeymoon Trip Report First Class Honeymoon Overview Delta Sky Club DCA Review Delta CRJ 900 DCA-JFK First Class Review Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse New York JFK Review Singapore Airlines A380 JFK-FRA Suites Review Singapore Airlines A380 FRA-SIN Suites Review JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach Review Singapore Surprise Singapore Airlines 737-800 SIN-MLE Business Class Review The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort Review Etihad Airways A320 MLE-AUH Business Class Review Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa Dubai Review The St. Regis Abu Dhabi Review Exploring Abu Dhabi Etihad Apartments A380 AUH-JFK Apartments Review 
Singapore Airlines JFK Check-In
Location and Check-In
As I wrote in my last post our Delta CRJ900 flight from Washington Regan National (DCA) arrived at New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) Terminal 4. While our flight on Singapore Airlines to Frankfurt (FRA) also departed from JFK Terminal 4. JFK Terminal 4 is known as JFK's international terminal and also houses Delta Airlines JFK long haul flights. Shortly after arriving we collected our bags and headed to the Singapore Airlines check-in desk. We arrived about four and a half hours before our fight to make sure we could soak up the entire Suites experience and enjoy the airport lounge. Singapore Airlines begins online check-in 48 hours in advance unlike the standard 24 hours in advance for U.S. airlines, however, because we were flying from the United States we could not access our boarding passes until 24 hours in advance. Because we were early the Suites specific check-in was closed and there was no one else in line for the general check-in. The woman who served us seemed to be German and was training another check-in agent. The trainer was very matter of fact and not very friendly. The check-in experience was fast but didn't really feel very welcoming. The best part of the check-in was when we received our white and gold colored boarding passes which had Suites written on them. It felt like we just received a golden ticket. 
JFK Terminal 4
Since we were flying in the Singapore Airlines Suites we were invited to the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse JFK which serves as the lounge for Singapore Airlines Suites passengers departing JFK. The lounge is located on the upper level of Terminal 4 between gates A4 and A5 next to the Air India Maharaja and Emirates lounges. The food and drink I had at the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse JFK were the best I ever had at an airport lounge. You can read about the full experience in my previous post by clicking here. On our way to the lounge we spotted the A380 which was going to be our ride to Frankfurt, Germany then on to Singapore. We were in awe by the size and design of the aircraft which had a hump like a whale and we were ready to ride the largest passenger aircraft ever built.
Singapore Airlines A380
Boarding
We left the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse JFK and headed to gate A7 for our departure. When we arrived at the gate area it was packed and there was not a single seat in sight. We assumed that the A380 was mostly full and in fact there ended up only being two empty seats in Suites Class. We lined up in the boarding area to ensure we would be the first to board the plane. When we got into line the gate agent gave us a strange look as if something was wrong with us since the first to board were Suites Class passengers. She asked us why we standing in line and if someone had called us up to the desk. We told her no and showed her our Suites class boarding passes and she looked back at us shocked that a young American minority couple were traveling in Suites Class. This prejudice really annoyed me and sadly is a normal experience being a minority in the United States. Christina and I reflected upon this later and recognized our privilege to be flying in First Class but how it was even more of a privilege as young minorities. Once boarding started we were the first passengers on board. There were two separate boarding bridges one for the lower deck and one for the upper deck. We took the lower deck boarding bridge since the legacy version of the Suites are located at the front of the lower deck of the A380. Something that was very impressive about Singapore Airlines is the speed of the A380 boarding process. Singapore Airlines was able to complete the boarding of this A380, which can hold up to 293 passengers, in 20 minutes and our flight departed five minutes early. This boarding time is faster than the vast majority of domestic U.S. flights with a fraction of the passengers. 
JFK Gate A7
Plane and Seats
The Suites are exclusively available on Singapore Airline's A380. Our A380 sported the legacy version which has 12 suites located in the front of the lower deck unlike the new version which has 6 suites located in the front of the upper deck. The center Suites can be connected and turned into a double suite which is ideal for traveling companions. We chose seats 3C and 3D so we could turn our suites into a double suite. All of the other Suites, except for the second set of double suites (2C and 2D), were occupied and all of the other passengers seemed to be business travelers. 
Singapore Airlines Legacy Suites Seat Map
The Suites had an impressive amount of space allowing us to fully stand up straight, moreover, there were no overhead bins giving the cabin an airy and open feeling. Storage was available in bins in-between the two seats and below the ottomans in front of our seats. The ottamon was affixed to the Suite with a seat belt. It served multiple functions including as a comfortable foot rest and a place where a traveling companion could sit to talk or have a shared meal. The seats were very plush and comfortable and could be turned into double beds though we ended up not using that feature on this flight since we wanted to adjust to the time in Singapore. Another great feature of the Suites was that they featured individual air vents allowing us to control the temperature if we got too hot or cold. I was impressed by how good of a condition the Suites were in since the legacy product was launched in 2007. However, the hard product clearly needed a refresh.
Singapore Airlines Suite
Shortly after we were seated we were greeted by a very friendly flight attendant who would be the primary person serving us on this flight. He offered to take our picture after he noticed we were snapping photos. This was just one of the many impressive service qualities we experienced on our flight. Another flight attendant came by prior to departure with a hot towel which was much appreciated. As we sat in our seats I was in awe and it felt surreal to be traveling in the Singapore Airlines Suites.
Singapore Airlines Suites Seat 3C and 3D (Courtesy of Flight Attendant)
Amenities and In-Flight Entertainment
This flight was chock full of amenities. Christina and I received identical amenity kits full of high-end Lalique amenities. The Singapore Airlines and Lalique branded kit came in a black zip bag and included lip balm, hand lotion, soap, and a candle (with a clear warning not to light it on the plane) from Lalique's Neroli line of products. The Neroli candle included in the amenity kit had scents inspired from Morocco and retails for $69. 
Lalique Amenity Kit
However, the amenities did not end with the kit. We were also handed Lalique branded pajamas, which we ended up not using on this flight, and slippers.
Lalique Pajamas
Also, on the A380 there were two restrooms at the back of the Suites Class cabin. Each of the restrooms were large and had full sized bottles of Lalique Neroli body mist, body lotion, eau de toilet, and non-Lalique branded mouthwash. The bathrooms also had individually sealed Singapore Airlines branded toothbrushes and combs. I was impressed by the job Singapore Airlines did branding items in the cabin and providing a wide array of amenities. However, the one down fall with the bathrooms was that they were in need of refresh. The panelling showed some wear and tear and in one of the bathrooms the garbage bin was broken and instead the flight attendants were using a plastic bag. These conditions make sense given that this A380 was about two decades old and the cabin design hadn't undergone a full refresh since then. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic Singapore Airlines took delivery of five new A380 aircraft with the new Suites, retrofitted two older A380's with the new Suites, and planned to retrofit the rest of the fleet by the end of 2020. However, it is unclear if the remaining retrofits will happen given the significant decline in demand for long-haul international travel.
A380 Bathroom
Another area where the age of the plane really showed up was the in-flight entertainment system which Singapore Airlines calls Kris World. First on the hardware front the television was very low resolution and the remote was really old.
Kris World In-Flight Entertainment System
The one bright spot was the Bang and Olusfen noise-cancelling headphones, which had a three prong jack made specifically for the airplane, and I found to be high quality. On the software front the movie and television selection was very weak. There were very few new release movies and the ones that were included I had mostly already seen. We did end up watching a funny movie called What do Men Want? which was funny but the selection dropped off dramatically after that. I was very surprised by the weak selection given the length of this flight.
Bang and Olufsen Noise Cancelling Headphones
Food and Drinks
Once we leveled off our flight attendant came by to get our drink orders. We decided to continue our champagne theme of our honeymoon and started off with a 2009 Dom Perignon (~$160 per bottle) which was served with mix nuts. The Dom was better than the Lanson I had earlier in the day in the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse JFK but left a poor after taste. 
2009 Vintage Dom Perignon
Next, we tried the 2004 Krug which I can only describe as amazing. This vintage retails for about $300 per bottle and I can say if you have the money to spend, it would be worth every penny. This was by far the best champagne I have ever had.
2004 Vintage Krug
Our First Class culinary adventure got off to a start about five months before the flight when we chose our dinner from the Book the Cook menu. Singapore Airlines allows many Suites, First, and Business Class passengers to choose from an expanded menu of options in advance called Book the Cook. The menu was extensive and was like choosing from a menu at a Michelin star restaurant. I went with the Roast Rack of Lamb while Christina chose Singapore Airlines popular Lobster Thermidor. Once we were onboard the flight attendant confirmed our Book the Cook orders and us asked to choose between two appetizers, two soups, two salads, and a selection of breads. I chose the caviar, tomato soup, and garlic bread while Christina chose the caviar and chicken soup. Before our food was served there was a second towel service and our tables were set with a table cloth just like at a restaurant.
Table Setting
The branding continued with the Singapore Airlines branded plate.
Singapore Airlines Branded Plate
First up was the caviar course which was so savory and when paired with the Krug tasted like a slice of pure luxury. I had caviar and champagne before but it couldn't approach the level of the Krug and caviar on this flight. Christina and I realized how much we really like good champagne and caviar. On the side of the caviar was a slice of garlic bread which was the best garlic bread I have ever had.
Caviar and Garlic Bread
The next course was the soup course. I am not a big fan of soup but I liked my tomato soup. It tasted fresh and had just a hint of spice which was a nice touch.
San Marzano Tomato Cream Soup
Christina did not like her Double Boiled Chicken Soup and found the style it was served in different than any chicken soup she had ever had.
Double Boiled Chicken Soup
Next was the main course which we paired with a 2016 O'rida Shiraz wine from Australia which was amazing an had a unique flavor. I was served the Roast Rack of Lamb which came with natural jus, roasted vegetables, and garlic mash. I am a huge fan of lamb and I can confidently say this is the best lamb I had ever had.
Roasted Lamb with Jus Sauce
Christina also really liked her Lobster Thermidor. It is so impressive what Singapore Airlines was able to do in the sky better than most restaurants can do on the ground. I still can't understand how Singapore Airlines keeps the food tasting so fresh and flavorful but it is extremely impressive.
Lobster Thermidor
Only a continental breakfast was offered as a part of this flight which is understandable if you had a full dinner the night before but disappointing if you slept and wanted a First Class breakfast. However, it ended not being an issue for Christina and I since we were too full and declined the offer of breakfast. Before we departed the flight we were offered mints and mini-boxes of chocolate and happily accepted the mini-boxes of chocolate.
Service The service on this flight was just as spectacular as the food. We were simply blown away by the kindness of the flight attendants. We were always addressed by name by all of the flight attendants. They were so extremely friendly and continued to joke with us throughout the flight. For example, when our primary flight attendant realized that I really loved the garlic bread he jokingly brought around some more and dropped it onto my plate without asking. Prior to the flight I let Singapore Airlines know it was our honeymoon since I heard they can recognize this with a cake. After our meal was complete the flight attendants came around with a honeymoon cake on a tray with dry ice, two glasses of Krug Champagne, and two Singapore Airlines bears. Christina was shocked since I didn't let her know about this surprise and she thought this was a really sweet moment. The kindness of this Singapore Airlines crew really cannot be overstated. One of the flight attendants spent 30 minutes talking to us about what to do in Singapore when he heard we were heading there for the first stop of our honeymoon. He wrote down a list of suggestions for activities in Singapore and even gave us his phone number! He said that we could Whats App him if we wanted more suggestions for things to do in Singapore. I was so blown away by this act of kindness. I know that the flight attendants are paid to deliver service but this felt genuine and he didn't need to go out of his way to make us feel welcomed or provide his phone number. On this flight Singapore Airlines delivered some of the best service I have ever seen on the ground or in the air. 
Singapore Airlines Honeymoon Cake
Take Away
Simply put I was blown away by our first experience on Singapore Airlines and can't wait to fly Singapore Airlines Suites again. While this legacy version of the Suites had a dated hard product and a weak in-flight entertainment it was still the best flight I have ever taken. The Singapore Airline's Suites provided an impressive amount of space and Singapore Airlines brought us on a Michelin star restaurant quality culinary adventure. I ended up having several of the best dishes I have had in the air or on the ground. Singapore Airlines topped it off with world class service and blew me away with this experience. I strongly recommend Singapore Airlines for anyone looking for a truly First Class honeymoon. By RamonWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Ramon is the creator of Travelling Companion. He focuses on flight review, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further.
Lounge Overview
The food, drink, and service at this lounge was the best I have had at any airport lounge. Pros- Tasty A La Carte Menu, Creative Cocktails, Good Champagne, and Fantastic Service Cons- Dated Decor, Funky Seating, and Dirty Bathrooms First Class Honeymoon Trip Report First Class Honeymoon Overview Delta Sky Club DCA Review Delta CRJ 900 DCA-JFK First Class Review Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse New York JFK Review Singapore Airlines A380 JFK-FRA Suites Review Singapore Airlines A380 FRA-SIN Suites Review JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach Review Singapore Surprise Singapore Airlines 737-800 SIN-MLE Business Class Review The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort Review Etihad Airways A320 MLE-AUH Business Class Review Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa Dubai Review The St. Regis Abu Dhabi Review Exploring Abu Dhabi Etihad Apartments A380 AUH-JFK Apartments Review 
Singapore Airlines JFK Check-In
Location and Check-In
Our Delta CRJ900 flight from Washington Regan National (DCA) arrived at New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) Terminal 4. While our flight on Singapore Airlines to Frankfurt (FRA) also departed from JFK Terminal 4. JFK Terminal 4 is known as JFK's international terminal and also houses Delta Airlines long JFK haul flights. Shortly after arriving we collected our bags and headed to the Singapore Airlines check-in desk. We arrived about four and a half hours before our fight to make sure we could soak up the entire Suites experience and enjoy the airport lounge. Singapore Airlines begin online check-in 48 hours in advance unlike the standard 24 hours in advance for U.S. airlines, however, because we were flying from the Untied States we could not access our boarding passes until 24 hours in advance. When we arrived at the check-in desk there was no one waiting in line and only one check-in area was open. Because we were early the Suites specific check-in was closed and there was no one else in line for the general check-in. The woman who served us seemed to be German and was training another check-in agent. The trainer was very matter of fact and not very friendly. The check-in experience was fast but didn't really feel very welcoming. The best part of the check-in was when we received our white and gold colored boarding passes which had Suites written on them. It felt like we just received a golden ticket. 
JFK Terminal 4
Since we were flying in the Singapore Airlines Suites we were invited to the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse JFK which serves as Virgin Atlantic's JFK airport lounge. The lounge is located on the upper level of Terminal 4 between gates A4 and A5 next to the Air India Maharaja and Emirates lounges.
International Airline Lounges Sign JFK Terminal 4
On our way to the lounge we spotted the A380 which was going to be our ride to Frankfurt then on to Singapore. We were in awe by the size and design of the aircraft which had a hump like a whale.
Singapore Airlines A380
Access and Hours
All Virgin Atlantic lounges worldwide including the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse JFK are temporarily closed due the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to COVID-19 this lounge was open daily 4:15-7:15 am and 2:30-10:30pm. This lounge was accessible to a number of passengers including the following passengers:
Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse JFK Entrance
Decor, Amenities, and Seating
My first impression of the JFK Clubhouse was not a positive one. I found the seating and decor to be dated. The majority of couches and seating in the lounge were worn and in need of refresh. Despite this poor first impression I did like the mood lighting and hip music playing in the lounge which felt very on brand for Virgin Atlantic. The JFK Clubhouse is much larger than the Washington Dulles Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse and at the center is a large bar flanked by funky seating and a pool table. 
Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse JFK
In addition to the funky seating near the bar the lounge also had strange wallpaper with tractors and apples on it. In general, I found the lounge's decor to be too funky for me.
 Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse JFK Wallpaper
Near the windows facing the tarmac was a dining area and additional couches. When we first entered the lounge it was fairly empty, however, as the night went on and the boarding times approached for multiple Virgin Atlantic flights the lounge filled up. Very few people were seated in the dining room and instead most people were seated on the various couches and chairs. We decided to spend our time in seated on a brown leather couch near the windows with a view of the tarmac including the Virgin Atlantic planes. Something we found really annoying was the lack of power plugs. It was hard to find plugs and they were not nearly as accessible as the Delta SkyClub DCA. This was ironic since the Delta SkyClub DCA only serves domestic passengers and this was an international business passenger lounge. This pointed to the need for a renovation. One interesting seating option was a Herman Miller chair. I had never heard of this type of chair but Christina noticed it walking around the lounge. This chair costs around $5,000 and it seemed to be occupied the vast majority of the time we were in the lounge. When I saw the chair was free for a few minutes I decided to try it out. It felt very comfortable but I still didn't think it is worth $5,000.
Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse JFK Seating
The lounge also had several amenities including a wellness spa which offered some complimentary treatments for Virgin Atlantic passengers along with paid treatments for all passengers. Since we were flying Singapore Airlines we didn't have access to the complimentary treatments and decided not to pay for any treatments. The lounge also had a small business area with several computers and printers. Additionally, about half of the bathrooms had showers that were stocked with Cowshed amenities. These bathrooms were dirty and needed repairs.
Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse JFK Bathroom
Food and Drinks
The Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse JFK serves restaurant style a la carte meals and drinks including non-alcoholic drinks, beer, wine, champagne, and spirits. When we sat down on the sofa we were immediately greeted by a very friendly server who asked us if we wanted anything to drink. Christina asked for cocktail recommendations and the server recommended we get some tequila cocktails which were a special for Cinco de Mayo. We both took her up on her offer and we loved the creative drinks including the Pink Slipper which had Codigo 1530 Tequila, Rose Wine, agave syrup, and lemon. 
Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse JFK Cinco de Mayo Cocktail Menu
The service in the lounge was fantastic and we leaned heavily on our server's recommendations with the exception of any spicy food she recommended. Next up we ordered the ribs which I must say were the best dish I have had in any airport lounge.
Dried Rubbed Beef Spare Ribs
Without us asking our server sent over croquets and a salad. The croquets were great while the salad was okay. I thought the salad we had earlier in the day from the Delta SkyClub DCA was better.
Croquets and Pink Slipper Cocktail
Our server asked us if we wanted anymore food and when we said yes, she ordered us a 50/50 burger which was half beef and half chicken. This was the first time I had such a burger and I only ended up getting to try the chicken half since Christina liked the beef half so much she ate it before I could try it. The burger also came with fries on the side but the best part was the BBQ sauce which came with the fries. The sauce was sweet and we really liked it.
50/50 Burger and Fries
For dessert we ordered the pumpkin pie, Christina's favorite, and a muffin. After this we were stuffed and stopped ordering food and instead turned to champagne for the rest of our time in the lounge. The Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse JFK served Lanson Black Label champagne which was lovely. We realized that we both really appreciate good champagne and that would be our go to drink on our honeymoon.
Lanson Black Label Champagne
The food and drinks at the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse JFK were very impressive featuring a wide variety of options, amazing service, and five-star restaurant quality. Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse JFK food and drink service really impressed me and I found it to be the best offering of food and drinks I have ever had at any airport lounge.
Take Away The Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse JFK had the best food, drinks, and service of any airport lounge I have ever visited. Despite its dated decor, lack of power plugs, and unimpressive seating I would hesitate to visit the lounge again. Passengers taking off in the Singapore Airlines Suites from JFK have a reason to get to the airport early. I really hope the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse JFK access continues after COVID-19 pandemic has ended. By RamonRamon is the creator of Travelling Companion. He focuses on flight review, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further.
Flight Overview
I found my first Delta CRJ-900 First Class experience to be average. Pros-Friendly Gate Agents, Well Placed Power Plugs, Impressive Amenities, Fast Baggage Service Cons-Limited Storage, Poor Sparkling Wine, Weak Snack Selection, Subpar JFK Arrival Experience First Class Honeymoon Trip Report First Class Honeymoon Overview Delta Sky Club DCA Review Delta CRJ 900 DCA-JFK First Class Review Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse New York JFK Review Singapore Airlines A380 JFK-FRA Suites Review Singapore Airlines A380 FRA-SIN Suites Review JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach Review Singapore Surprise Singapore Airlines 737-800 SIN-MLE Business Class Review The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort Review Etihad Airways A320 MLE-AUH Business Class Review Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa Dubai Review The St. Regis Abu Dhabi Review Exploring Abu Dhabi Etihad Apartments A380 AUH-JFK Apartments Review
Boarding
We left the SkyClub DCA in high spirits and with a great impression of Delta which we hoped would continue once we were onboard. We got to the gate early and it was empty. When boarding started it was 3 minutes after the scheduled boarding time and since we were sitting in First Class we were among the first people to board. I loved being able to board first and settle into my seat. However, in the COVID-19 era I imagine I would also appreciate the option to board last and hang out in the lounge. As we boarded the plane the check-in agents were very friendly something that was not always the case on American Airlines. 
Boarding DCA Gate 18
Plane and Seats
This flight was on a CRJ-900 regional jet, operated by Delta affiliate Endeavor, with 12 First Class seats arraigned in a 1-2 configuration. We were seated together in the bulkhead seats 1 C and 1 D on the right side of the plane. These seats had approximately 37 inches of pitch and 20 inches of width. Since we were in the bulkhead there was more limited legroom than the other First Class seats but I thought the legroom on this plane was still sufficient. One of the downsides to First Class in the CRJ-900 is that the bathrooms are too small for me stand up straight. This is an annoying feature on many regional jets but wasn't as a big of a deal on this approximately 50 minute flight. Another annoying part of the First Class experience on this plane was the lack of storage space. There wasn't enough storage space to store both the bottle of water at my seat and my noise cancelling headphones. As we took off we waived goodbye to our home city Washington D.C. which we wouldn't see for three weeks. 
View of Washington D.C. Metro Area
Amenities and In-Flight Entertainment
Upon boarding we were greeted by several amenities at our seats. These included a blanket and a pillow. This was the first time I had ever seen a pillow on a domestic First Class flight. Also waiting at our seats were small plastic bottles of water. I was very impressed by the amenities provided by Delta especially considering that this was a sub-one hour flight. These amenities blew away the CRJ-900 First Class flight I had on American Airlines were there weren't even blankets in First Class on a three hour flight. 
CRJ-900 First Class Seats
Another downside to the CRJ-900 regional planes is that unlike Delta's mainline planes this plane had no seat back in-flight entertainment (IFE). Delta did offer in-seat power and streaming IFE on this flight. We were so excited about our trip that we didn't even bother watching the streaming IFE. A really good feature of the seat was two 110 volt power plugs. We ended up using these plugs to charge our devices and I loved the placement which I found to be much better than the awkward below seat placement on many planes.
In-Seat Power Plugs
Food and Drinks
The food and drink service started shortly after we sat down with a pre-departure beverage. I chose the sparkling wine so I could compare the difference in taste between the other sparkling wine and champagne offerings available later in the day. Christina passed and said she was waiting for the good stuff at our next stop. She was smart to wait as the sparkling wine was really bad. Shortly after takeoff the flight attendant came around with the snack basket. I found the snack selection to be weak with just a handful more snacks that economy. The snack selection was so weak that I ended up selecting Biscoff Cookies the same snack I would have received in economy. I can say this is one area where American Airlines did better pre-COVID-19 since they had much larger variety of snacks on short flights. One interesting thing I noticed about Delta's service is that every drink they served was handed over on a tray. I liked this tray service and think it made the experience feel more refined. 
Biscoff Cookie
Service
While I have been very impressed by Delta's in-flight service in the past there wasn't much to note about the service on this flight. I appreciated the pre-departure beverage but I had come to expect that on Delta. Generally the service on this flight wasn't bad just unremarkable. Arrival at JFK We arrived about 20 minutes ahead of the scheduled arrival and upon landing we got the first glimpse of our ride to Singapore. Out of the window we could see the Singapore A380 parked next to a Virgin Atlantic plane. Our excitement grew immensely as we saw the giant plane which was going to be our ride for almost 24 hours. 
View of Singapore A380 from JFK Runway
After deplaning we had to take a shuttle bus to the terminal. Generally, I don't like having to a take a shuttle especially if I have a tight connection and I hope this is part of the experience Delta eliminates in future JFK renovations. However, the big upside of doing so today was we got a chance to see many of the big planes at JFK up close. This included a Qatar Airways plane which was taxing during our shuttle ride. I really enjoyed this as a travel lover. We headed to the baggage claim to retrieve our bags since we were booked on separate reservation for our next flight on Singapore Airlines and impressively our bags were out in five minutes. I really love how fast bags are available after a Delta flight.
View of Qatar Airways plane from JFK Runway
Take Away
I found my first flight in Delta's CRJ-900 First Class to be average. I thought the boarding experience was smooth, the gate agents were friendly, liked the placement and availability of power plugs, the baggage service was very fast, and I was very impressed by the amenities provided by Delta on such a short flight. However, Delta could improve the CRJ-900 flight experience by adding additional storage, improving the sparkling wine, improving the weak snack selection, and improving the arrival experience by not requiring a shuttle. By RamonRamon is the creator of Travelling Companion. He focuses on flight review, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further.
Lounge Overview
This lounge featured comfortable seating, widely available power outlets, a wide selection of food, terrific decor with odes to and amazing views of Washington D.C., and was the best domestic airport lounge I had ever visited. Pros-Terrific Local Decor, Tranquil Atmosphere, Amazing City Views, Wide Variety of Food Options, Wide Selection of Complimentary Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Drinks, Comfortable Leather Seating, Widely Available Power Outlets, Private Bathrooms Cons- Bland Food First Class Honeymoon Trip Report First Class Honeymoon Overview Delta Sky Club DCA Review Delta CRJ 900 DCA-JFK First Class Review Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse New York JFK Review Singapore Airlines A380 JFK-FRA Suites Review Singapore Airlines A380 FRA-SIN Suites Review JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach Review Singapore Surprise Singapore Airlines 737-800 SIN-MLE Business Class Review The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort Review Etihad Airways A320 MLE-AUH Business Class Review Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa Dubai Review The St. Regis Abu Dhabi Review Exploring Abu Dhabi Etihad Apartments A380 AUH-JFK Apartments Review 
DCA Terminal B
Location and Check-In
Christina and I arrived at Washington Reagan National Airport (DCA) Terminal B in a jubilant mood as we were very excited to start our First Class Honeymoon. This was our first time flying Delta Airlines First Class and our first-time visiting a Delta Sky Club. Because we were flying in Delta First Class we used the Sky Priority check in which was very fast. The one hiccup we had was confusion over how to tag our bags. The Delta agents placed the bag tags on our bags themselves instead of letting the machine do it as we were used at American Airlines. It will be interesting to see if this process continues as Delta takes precautions in the post-COVID-19 era. We breezed through security using TSA pre-check and as we exited security for gates 10-22 we saw the sign for the Delta Sky Club. The Delta Sky Club DCA is located on Level 3 of Terminal B (Gates 10-22). To enter the lounge, we took the elevator up one level and the lounge is right in front of the elevator. 
Elevator to Delta SkyClub DCA
Access and Hours
Delta Sky Clubs are accessible on a unlimited complimentary basis to a number of passengers including:
Delta SkyClub DCA Entrance Sign
Sky Club Decor and Seating
The Delta Sky Club DCA reopened in 2018 after a significant renovation and takes up 9000 square feet. Upon walking into the Delta Sky Club DCA Christina and I were immediately blown away by the decor which featured odes to Washington D.C. To the right of the entrance is a stunning Cherry Blossom chandelier the most impressive piece of decor in the lounge. All over the lounge there were touches of Washington D.C. including pictures of the Lincoln Memorial and the U.S. Capitol. 
Cherry Blossom Chandelier
The lounge also featured amazing views of Washington D.C. through floor to ceiling windows to the right of the entrance. Through the windows we could see the airplanes on the tarmac, the Washington Monument, and the U.S. Capitol. This lounge gave a clear sense of place which is often lacking in airport lounges.
Washington D.C. View
Another thing which really impressed me about the lounge was just how tranquil the atmosphere was compared to the hectic airport terminal below. As I have said previously one important part of an airport lounge is the respite from the chaos of the terminal which it provides. On this point the Delta Sky Club DCA shines.
Delta Sky Club DCA
This lounge was much emptier and substantially quieter than the two American Airlines Admirals Clubs I had experienced at DCA. I think this was driven by the fact that Delta has fewer flights out of DCA, we were traveling on a Wednesday, and that the lounge seemed to be primarily full of business travelers. Another reason the lounge was quieter is that the televisions in the lounge could only be accessed through the Tunity app which I thought was a great feature. One of the few noises made in the lounge were boarding announcements which I don't remember American Airlines making in Admirals Clubs.
Delta SkyClub DCA
The lounge also had a wide variety of modern and comfortable leather seating. One of my pet peeves with airport lounges is the lack of sufficient functioning power plugs. Here the Delta Sky Club DCA shined again. Power plugs were available at almost every seat in the lounge and every plug I tried was working. My favorite seats were the ones next to the windows. These seats had high leather backs which made them more private and they featured amazing views of the tarmac and Washington D.C.
Christina in Lounge Seating
One last feature of the lounge which I appreciated was a large private bathroom which I found to be well lite and clean, something I can't say for all airport lounge bathrooms I have visited. The bathroom also offered Malin+Goetz soap and hand lotion, which are also offered onboard Delta, and is a brand I really like.
Sky Club DCA Bathroom Amenities
Food and Drinks
There were a wide variety of food and drinks available when we checked out the Delta Sky Club DCA. The lounge rotated their offerings seasonally and I never have had same dish offered as a part of the menu during multiple subsequent visits. We arrived around 11 am during the transition between breakfast and the all-day menu. I will start by saying that the Delta Sky Club DCA blew American Airline's Admirals Club food options away both in terms of selection and quality. With that said I found the Delta offerings to be a mixed bag with some being really good and others bland. With some of the dishes I felt that Delta tried too hard to make complex dishes instead of nailing the basics. For breakfast I had eggs, which were really bad, with bacon bits, which were okay. 
Delta SkyClub DCA Breakfast
The all day menu was a very healthy affair with the choice of a smoked turkey sandwich with mustard cream, cucumbers, and arugula along with a mushroom sandwich with spinach, and mozzarella baguette. The menu also offered fresh vegetables, including carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, and celery. To accompany these items there were a variety of offerings including seasonal green salad, roasted cauliflower, kale caesar salad, and a quinoa salad. Finally, as a special offering the lounge had Pho, which was another nice local touch because of the Washington D.C. area's large Vietnamese population. I tried the quinoa salad which was great and the smoked turkey sandwich which was boring. The sandwich really needed more mayo and higher quality sandwich meat. Christina choose the Pho and found it to be bland. She felt it lacked sufficient seasoning. For desert we tried one of the mini-cupcakes and I have only one word to describe it, amazing!
Delta Sky Club DCA All-Day Menu
The lounge also offered a wide variety of complimentary alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks along with premium wine and spirits available for sale. The non-alcoholic drinks included water, unsweetened ice tea, orange juice, cranberry juice, Starbucks coffee, and a wide variety of sodas available from a soda machine. I really liked that Delta had the option to select from a machine which made it easy to refill, unlike the Admirals Clubs at DCA where typically I had to ask a bartender.
Delta SkyClub DCA Non-Alcoholic Drinks
In terms of alcoholic drinks, the lounge offered two different beers, four wines, and six spirits. The lounge also offered premium wine and spirits for sale using cash or SkyMiles. I tried the unsweetened ice tea and thought it was disgusting while Christina tried the Starbucks coffee which she thought was okay. Even though I didn't like the unsweetened ice tea I was able to try a variety of other drinks which I did like and made me really appreciate the lounge's wide drink selection.
Delta Sky Club DCA Bar
Take Away
The Delta Sky Club DCA left an amazing positive impression on me. This was the best domestic lounge I had ever visited. The lounge delivered stunning views of Washington. D.C., terrific local decor, and a tranquil atmosphere which left me with the feeling that I was at a nice cocktail lounge instead of an airport lounge. It is clear with the Sky Club DCA that Delta is targeting premium business and leisure customers at DCA and this lounge alone is a strong reason to choose Delta over DCA's dominant airline American Airlines. |
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