[Staycation] Experiencing Deluxe Room at The Clan Hotel Plus Nearby Makan Places

The Clan Hotel

Address: 10 Cross St, Singapore 048417

Website: https://www.theclanhotel.com.sg/

Actually, it is rare for me to be back at the same hotel, twice in the same year. But then, there were a lot of firsts for everyone too, so never say never!

First experience was superb, because of the room tier. Reminisce about the Apr staycation here. So yes, was a tad apprehensive of going back to the same place so soon. The Clan Hotel has 3 room types; Deluxe (24 sqm), Premier (31 sqm) and Grand Premier (36 sqm). Room highlights between the Grand Premier and the Premier seemed similar, with the difference in bigger room size and the availability of a bathtub and The Clan Daily Special for the Grand Premier.

So, out of curiosity, I went back for a 3 days 2 nights staycation in July and this time round, for a no-frills experience of the regular Deluxe room. Went to check-in at about 12.30pm because was stuck at home doing some work for the office. Was also unsure if I could do an early check-in, so that was that.

Similarly, I was greeted by the concierge downstairs and I knew my way round, so went up to Level 2 lobby and made myself at home. Saw Alex at the tea counter, but he was super busy preparing tea. Saw Sam who happened to walk past and greeted him by name. He was pleasantly surprised but he too, was busy attending to someone else. So, waited for another few more minutes before Jovena came by.

She's friendly and cheerful, and because this was a revisit, so the process was explained fairly quickly and necessary signatures obtained before the key card was presented. This time round, I was assigned to Level 16. Previously, I had enjoyed the view from Level 21.

Deluxe Room 24 sqm - King Bed

First impression of the room? Hmm, yes it was noticeably smaller than the Premier Room. Having said that, it was still the same King sized bed. Keke, so not much difference for a solo traveller.

view from Level 16

quite nice to lounge on the day bed by the window

The bathroom has all the necessary amenities and the standing shower was still pretty spacious for me.

spacious shower stall

shower strength was good

Super liked the fast dry tiles in the shower stall. Hehe, my favourite thing to do in the hotel.. is taking nice showers. But that'll be icky if the floor or the towel never dries off in time...

channeling memories of Japan travel via the warm seats

all replenished on a daily basis

Was there any in-room snacks for the Deluxe Room? Happy to say that yes, there was!

Complimentary In-Room Snacks - Triple Choc Chunk Biscuits and Ruffles Potato Chips

complimentary drinks in the mini fridge

tea

favourite Nanyang Ritual tea

loved the Nespresso too

Liked that they gave  4 different flavours of Nespresso, and replenished daily. Nice.

Of bak kut teh cookies and Nanyang tea

For this booking, am only having breakfast at the hotel for one-day. Which was fine since I had tried almost all their items in the breakfast menu except the ever changing daily special.

Overall, it was a comfortable stay, although I did miss the Orient Brew and the nice tea set in Premier Room.

Qin Restaurant & Bar

Read more about the experience at Qin Restaurant this time round.

Guccio Restaurant

Website: https://www.guccioristorante.com/

Because I was there during Restaurant Week or rather, Chef's Signature event by DiningCity, also tried Guccio which is just a few minutes away from The Clan.

Sarnies

Website: https://sarnies.com/Singapore

For the morning without hotel breakfast, I went over to nearby Sarnies to get one of their breakfast sandwich. The people there are super friendly! Being my maiden experience with Sarnies, was totally amazed by the size of the sandwich. Like, huge man!

bacon and egg sarny @$9.50

such a huge sandwich!

loaded with crisp bacon and two fried eggs

Yes, I enjoyed the bread with hot Nespresso. So satisfying.

QIN (亲) Restaurant & Bar @ The Clan Hotel

For guests staying at The Clan Hotel, the breakfast is provided for via QIN Restaurant located at Level 4 and 5 of the Hotel.

Was there again for breakfast and dinner during the recent staycay. Made reservations for dinner prior to the staycay via Chope as am not sure how busy is the restaurant during weekends. I do know the restaurants at that area tend to get very very busy on Fridays and Saturdays.

Breakfast

For breakfast this time round, I was seated at the bar area. My breakfast slot was 730am but I only made it downstairs around 8am.

Level 5

The daily special was nasi lemak, so decided to try that since we had tried all the possible combination of breakfast during our previous stay.

interesting ceiling

default breakfast items; bread with kaya butter, fruits bowl, juice

Hmmm, spotted a new item for breakfast. There was an additional piece of kueh on the plate.

The nasi lemak's portion was a tad too much for breakfast. Unfortunately, the entire dish was cold except the rice. The best tasting items were the sambal onion chili and the chicken rendang. The sambal chili was strongly flavoured, so might want to go easy with it. Liked that the chicken rendang served, was thigh meat. The otah was unexpectedly chewy/dense and the egg block was too compact for liking. Fluffier version would be better.

Daily Special - Nasi Lemak

To conclude for breakfast, I think I'd just stick to QIN breakfast with omelette the next time.

Dinner

This was my first time, the restaurant replied to confirm my reservation with pdf menu attached. I was having some minor issue updating the room number (couldn't edit it via Chope) so whatsapp'ed the restaurant and the staff kindly updated on behalf. Pretty efficient service, I must say. There are some discounts offered for hotel guests when they dine at the restaurant.

menu

My dining companions were late, so I got myself a drink to sip while waiting. According to the friendly staff, the #1 cocktail in terms of its popularity with female diners is 'The Five Kings' and #2 would be 'The Roar'. Hmm, Pineapple Pisco (The Five Kings) sounded pretty sweet so opted for the #2. Turned out to be a good choice because the drink is in my favourite hue. Coincidental and not on purpose.

The Roar - Brass Lion Butterfly Pea Gin @$25++

I liked The Roar. Sweet but not overly and the curry leaves bits in there gave it an Asian twist. Lovely.

MT ordered the Kurobuta as one of our mains and Wendy ordered the Sang Mein. I got ourselves an appetiser; The Chili Crab Crostini. And then, we gonna do dessert after that.

Chili Crab Crostini @$25++

Oooh, one thing I didn't realise, was that the chili crab was in jellied form. Pretty interesting.

Chilled Chili Crab

Crispy Crostini

let's take a peek

fully loaded crostini

On closer view, there were pomelo bits, avocado bits mixed in with the flavoured crab meat and it should be eaten together with the jellied top for that's where the chili crab full flavours are. Quite enjoyable!

Sang Mein @$38++

The Sang Mein smelled awesome but was a tad disappointed with the amount of prawn in the dish.

red leg prawn, crustacean oil and truffle scent

Nevertheless, we enjoyed the flavours of the noodles.

For the same price as Sang Mein, the Kurobuta Pork Rack with its massive 400g looked ready to satisfy any meatatarian cravings!

Kurobuta @$38++

The Asian salsa with its bright orange colour. looked like chicken rice chili sauce but it was not. Tasted of fish sauce, non-spicy and a tad tangy. Wouldn't mind if the sauce had a spicy kick to it.

The outer parts of the meat was slightly dryer than those nearing the bone. Overall, we were happy with this. Loved the grilled vegetables too.

We were surprised when staff sent over complimentary love letters for us to try. Wow, that's a super nice gesture. Thank you!

Rose Love Letter (complimentary)

The kuih kapit (love letter) was crispy yet does not crumble that easily and managed to hold the cream pretty well. Lovely flavours and enjoyable.

We also ordered their popular dessert of Hot & Cold Orh Nee and the Childhood Memories.

Hot & Cold 'Orh Nee' @$12++

so pretty

Am inclined to think that the "Orh Nee" while it looked very instagramable and of a visual treat, the taste was rather mild. I made a mistake and probably subsconciously had the expectation that it'll taste like what was familiar but it doesn't. But still pretty lah.

Childhood Memories @$15++

The staff who served our last dessert, "Childhood Memories" said "There's a surprise in this." Then, she left. So mysterious ah? What's the surprise? Is it the popping candies or the milo dinosaurs? We never knew, 'coz she never say. Hahaaa!

But indeed, there was some popping candies in the concoction and am inclined to think, is popping candy the childhood food for friends in SG? In my hometown or my era, popping candy 'aint my childhood stuff. My favourite item in there was the wafer-like thingy that melts in your mouth. Was it made of Horlick's? I hope it was! This dessert was cute.

All in all, dinner service was good and we were there for almost 3.5 hours. Wow. 

QIN Restaurant & Bar

Address: 10 Cross St, Level 5, Singapore 048417

Website: https://www.qin.com.sg/

Contact: 6980 3535

Business Hours: Daily 

Exploring Telok Ayer with Enjoyable Stay at The Clan Hotel in Premier Room

Made a reservation direct with the hotel to enjoy The Clan Opening Special for the Premier Room King Bed at $588 nett for 2 nights.

The perks included breakfast for 2 at Qin Restaurant, customisable in-room refreshments,  1 way Limo transfer, and $100 voucher for next stay at Oasia Hotel Downtown, Orchard Rendezvous Hotel, The Barracks Hotel Sentosa (Valid for redemption from 1 May 2021 to 23 Dec 2021). There's also a Local precinct tour experience led by The Clan Keeper but I totally forgotten about that, and hence, did not utilise.

Reservation was easy via the hotel website, and requires a credit card to guarantee the reservation. However, no charges will be made to the credit card and one actually need to click on a link that'll be sent via email during the stay but more on that later.

Guest will receive an email confirmation once the reservation is guaranteed. This will be followed-up by another email a few days prior to arrival, and guest could select their preferred snacks (5 choices from the selection) as well as arrange for the airport transfer.

Two days prior to hotel stay, I received a phone call from the hotel who assisted in arranging for the 1-way Limo transfer from my home to the hotel. One day prior to the stay, I received another call that informed of my request for early check-in can be accommodated. But uh oh, because the transfer was first arranged for 1pm. The staff who called said he will check for me. During evening time, I received another call to inform that the transport has been rescheduled to 11am. Great!

On the day of check-in, I was happily awaiting for the transport but it wasn't there at the appointed time. Uh oh, and I realized that I had forgotten to ask for the vehicle number but there was a black Toyota Vellfire parked nearby. Hmm, is that the vehicle? I moved to the front of the vehicle but no reaction. Alas, after waiting for 5 minutes, I called the hotel but no pickup. Then waited for another 5 more minutes before the driver decided to roll down the window and asked "Are you going to The Clan Hotel?" Faints.

After I got onto the vehicle, he said that he had informed the hotel of his arrival and drivers will not be informed of the guests contact number. Hmm, but there wasn't any call from the hotel and neither was there any sms nor email on the confirmed transport pickup nor the vehicle number. For all I know, the driver could have driven off without me as well... This are definitely can be further improved by sending Whatsapp or SMS of the confirmed vehicle number as well as location and date time.

Another thing... for a limo transfer, I wasn't expecting a Vellfire to be honest. Hahaa!

entrance to the hotel

The staff at the ground floor that screens guests for Safe-Entry and temperature upon arrival, apologized as he did not assist to open the car door earlier. So sweet of him, but that's alright.

super cool

There was another staff on hand to usher the guests to the second floor lobby for check-in.

nice lobby at Level 2

Level 2 lobby

welcome tea is prepared here by tea master, Alex

enjoying the view while waiting for check-in

There is no need to queue for check-in and guests could remain seated and enjoy the welcome tea and snack, while staff explains about booking the slots for breakfast, swimming pool and gym, and bringing over the necessary forms to sign.

(left to right) wet towel, Nanyang ritual tea and tao sar piah (mungbean pastry)

tea master Alex, preparing the welcome drink

Staff are welcoming, courteous and check-in process was a breeze. Alex was also on-hand to explain more about the tea blend should one would like to learn more.

Once our check-in was done, we were ushered to the lift and to my surprise, one of the hotel staff, Sam actually walked us up to our room and helped to carry my overnight bag. So sweet of him.

no, Mahjong Room is not what you think it is

My room is at the 21st floor and I was happy with the room amenities, decor and all. Sam did a small tour of the room and explained the highlights of the room such as the bluetooth audio device, the UV sanitizer, the 55-inch smart TV, the coffee/tea in the room, the tea set near the window and the pre-selected snacks.

view from the room entrance

door (left), bathroom (right)

bathroom

shower area

Vuudh Lotus Osmanthus collection

bathroom amenities

And, for guests who booked Premier room, could choose one bar of handmade soap for their use. There were 3 scents to choose from, I think.

Handmade Soap

coffee/tea area

I loved the Ritual tea

Nespresso

pre-selected snacks/refreshments (5 items)

Premier Room King Bed (31 m²)

view from the room

UV light sanitizer

only Master Series rooms will have this device

view from the day lounger

complimentary biscuits and tea wrapped in gray cloth as per the olden days (not the tea set, hor)

care pack

Bottled water is not provided. Instead, guests could take drinking water from the toilet via the Hyflux filtered water tap. I know I know... I still need some getting used to of getting drinking water from the toilet. I love the pre-heated toilet seat. Yass to warming my bum, hahaha!

lovely 55-inch TV that I can chromecast with

Tried the bluetooth device in the room and it works but the song will get interrupted if I use my phone for something else. It was also quite fun to cast from mobile device onto the TV. Took some figuring out initially and realised that one needs to sign-on to the chromecast network instead of the regular one.

The Clan Orient Brew was nice for our humid weather. Familiar taste, refreshingly bitter.

The Orient Brew - craft beer by 1925 Brewing Co.

Didn't realise there was turn down service till we came back from dinner.

Noticed that the bed has been refreshed, and a complimentary roll-on essential oil left on the bed.

lovely

part of turn-down service

lavender to help with sleep

They also removed the nice tea set and have it replaced with a transparent one and one pack of complimentary tea. Ooh, more tea, I like!

changed the tea set and a new pack of tea

Cocoon Ritual tea

Alas, had to work till the next morning, and hence had coffee and ate up some of the snacks.

savoury snacks

coffee and cookie at 5am

crumbly triple choc cookie

Breakfast is provided at Qin Restaurant located at Level 5. During this Covid period, guests will go to Level 4 to do Safe-Entry check-in and temperature scan. We took the 8am to 9am slot for breakfast. Coincidentally, Sam was on duty that morning and it was nice to see familiar face.

breakfast menu

Guest could choose one main from the breakfast menu. There is a Chef's Daily Special too besides the regular breakfast menu. Throughout our stay, the daily special on Day 1 was Udon set, while on Day 2, there was Dim Sum set.

ready to order

Once you are seated, staff will automatically bring over the toasted bread, kaya and butter set, and a bowl of lovely fruit cubes.

kaya, toasted brioche and butter

so yummy

pretty looking fruits bowl

Chef's Daily Special (Day 1) - Udon Set

Chef's Daily Special (Day 2) - Dim Sum Set

I tried the Homebrewed porridge, and it was comforting. Wished the temperature of the porridge to be warmer though. The porridge was light savoury and hence, all the condiments can be added in to jazz up the bowl. There's braised peanut, a slice of century egg, a strong savoury paste of olive (I think), fried anchovies and peanuts, preserved beancurd and a slice of pickle.

Home Brewed Local Porridge

closer view of the porridge

The Continental Breakfast was plentiful. Cold cuts of ham (pretty thick slices), smoked salmon, yoghurt fruits and cheese, salad and with a side of cereal.

Continental Breakfast - yoghurt, cereal, cheese, fruits, salad, cold cuts

breakfast view

The QIN Breakfast - scrambled eggs

The QIN Breakfast - sunny side up

The QIN Breakfast - omelette

closer view of the omelette

For hotel breakfast, I'd usually must have scrambled eggs or omelette, so Day 2 breakfast was a no-brainer, as most of us opted for The QIN Breakfast which is equivalent to the usual hotel breakfast of 2-eggs done your way, bacon, hashbrown, baked beans, tomato and mushrooms.

I'd recommend the omelette as visually, it just looked moreish when compared to the scrambled version. The beans had a hint of curry taste, so that was curious.

mocha

Breakfast at QIN was enjoyable but the 1-hour limit felt rushed, but it's understandable. I also didn't like the coffee from the restaurant nor the mocha. First time experienced a mocha that tasted of too much coffee.

outside the gym

I don't have much experience of making hotel bookings directly with the hotel and had assumed that the payable amount would have been deducted from the credit card automatically but alas, it was not so. The staff enquired if I had received an email with a link to pay. Actually I did, but the payment merchant was new for me, hence, didn't click on it especially if it was not from the same sender as per previous emails from the hotel.

The Clan Hotel from across the road

Staff who made the hotel stay memorable, was the sweet chap at the ground lobby whom I met on Day 1. Lovely Joy, whom was on-hand to meet and greet incoming guests and to usher to Level 2, Alex who made tea for us and of course Sam, whom we met a couple of times during our stay. Thank you and hope to see you again.

Stay tuned for subsequent posts on the eats around Telok Ayer during our staycation. See you soon!

More foodie and staycay adventures with Tracy, Hence and Ivan.

The Clan Hotel

Address: 10 Cross St, Singapore 048417

Website: https://www.theclanhotel.com.sg/