Skip to main content

Advertisement

Advertisement

Put ’em at the ritz

SINGAPORE — Trust me, when you have a toddler, a family vacation is no holiday. There’s plenty to pack, for one. There are itineraries to consider and subsequently toss aside (the husband shot down a trip to Yogyakarta with a “Do we really want to carry her up Borobudur to see the sunrise?” retort); there are times simply when you lack the time and energy to squeeze in a two-night trip nearby.

SINGAPORE — Trust me, when you have a toddler, a family vacation is no holiday. There’s plenty to pack, for one. There are itineraries to consider and subsequently toss aside (the husband shot down a trip to Yogyakarta with a “Do we really want to carry her up Borobudur to see the sunrise?” retort); there are times simply when you lack the time and energy to squeeze in a two-night trip nearby.

That is why a family staycation is perfect. Less hassle, more time together and any emergency item needed from home is really just a cab ride away. You know it; the hotels know it. And the Ritz Carlton Millenia Singapore has upped the ante with its new Ritz Kids Night Safari Adventures, launched this month just in time for the coming school holidays.

The adventure starts at the check in counter where kids get presented with a personalised welcome letter as well as a passport and discovery map where they can go to different spots in the hotel to collect their stamps. “This has my name!” shrieked the three-year old. And while the Ritz Carlton Millenia Singapore has always been a popular choice for staycations due to the sheer plushness of the rooms and the awesome views of the skyline, these factors are lost on anyone aged below 10. They do not care to stay in the hotel room even after soaking in the enormous bath tub and jumping on the bed.

The hotel pool is unfortunately out of bounds as it is currently undergoing renovations until the middle of December, and guests can use the pools at nearby Conrad Centennial Singapore or W Singapore Sentosa Cove. Thank goodness then for the new Ritz Kids club. It is spread over four hotel rooms and one suite on the fourth level of the hotel and designed for kids aged four to 12. This is as close as it gets to a mini amusement park in a hotel for kids. There is a movie room, a reading corner, an arts and crafts room, a games room, and “masak masak” area with inflatables and a ball pit.

My three-year-old ran excitedly from room to room, undecided where she should start. A good bet is the arts and crafts room, where easel stands, drawing paper, stationery, crayons and markers have been thoughtfully set up for kids to channel their inner Picasso while overlooking the city. Smocks are available and there is also a refreshment corner with a helpful Ritz Carlton staffer where children can make their own fruit cones. The books in the reading corner are a good selection of English, Mandarin and Japanese titles with authors such as Eric Carle, Roald Dahl as well as those featuring popular characters such as Disney princesses and Peppa Pig.

Obviously kids just want to play. My daughter spent a good hour or so in the room with the toys (complete with a toy kitchen, no less) and jumped around in the ball pit a countless number of times. While parental supervision is required in the rooms, it is safe enough to park yourself on the sofa and watch the kids with a magazine, book or your device of choice. These Ritz Kids rooms are popular for sure — my daughter ended up making a couple of new friends while she was there while I bonded with a fellow mum.

Ritz Carlton Millenia saved the best for last. “There is a surprise waiting in our hotel room after dinner,” I told my daughter. “Is it a bouncy castle?” she replied. Well, it was better than that for all creature-comfort-seeking urbanites. We entered a darkened room, greeted by a light show of stars beamed across the walls. And there before us was a tent all pitched, with a super comfy mattresses inside it that fits two comfortably. She shrieked in delight. Even as jaded adults, we were impressed by the set-up, from the limited edition safari lion plush toy to a specially created kids dessert platter. Eating cupcakes and camping under the stars, in air-conditioned comfort? Yes, please.

There is only one problem. My daughter was too thrilled to sleep even though it was way past her bedtime.I can understand. Hotel stays will never be the same again for her.

 

The Ritz Kids Night Safari is priced from S$780++ a night and includes one night’s stay in a premier suite, daily buffet breakfast for two adults and two children, the Ritz Kids Night Safari sleeping tent with specially prepared edible turndown amenity, children activities on weekends, daily ice cream pass and a Ritz Kids birthday surprise (for birthdays within stay duration).

Read more of the latest in

Advertisement

Advertisement

Stay in the know. Anytime. Anywhere.

Subscribe to get daily news updates, insights and must reads delivered straight to your inbox.

By clicking subscribe, I agree for my personal data to be used to send me TODAY newsletters, promotional offers and for research and analysis.