SINGAPORE - Lately, life for me has been in extremes. I went from being holed up at home for months - deathly kiasi - straight to a luxury staycation at The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore on a media stay.
The five-star property comprises two former landmarks - Capitol Building and Stamford House, melded seamlessly in a colonial-meets-Art Deco design. The late Indonesian designer Jaya Ibrahim led its interior design.
It was to open as a six-star hotel called The Patina, Capitol Singapore in 2015. Disputes between the owners scuppered the deal and the refurbished building was taken over by Perennial Real Estate Holdings, with European hotelier Kempinski appointed to run the hotel.
The six-star prestige went out the window with the drama, but the impression stuck.
Over-the-top luxury is probably not what most are looking for in a time of pandemic, but I am curious to see if that translates into safety.
Checking in takes place over tables with newly erected glass windows, like at a bank teller or old-school pawnshop.
The custom-made, contactless sanitiser bottles are a nice touch. I am hoping to see the same steel canisters in the rooms, but find regular hand sanitiser nestled among the mini toiletries.
No matter, it is still thoughtful, and the hotel provides its own "branded" surgical masks.
In this time, Kempinski has implemented white glove services across its properties, ensuring all employees don the gloves for hygiene.
For added peace of mind, a "Do Not Enter My Room" option bars cleaning staff and room service from entering until requested.
As part of the new staycation package, I wind up in the cavernous Stamford Suite.
Segregated into a bathroom, living area and bedroom, the suite can be closed off at each section, thanks to weighted sliding doors reminiscent of a Balinese resort.
Design touches are minimal but intentional, felt in lacquered wooden dressers and Peranakan-style vases accenting the shelves.
The suite breathes understated elegance, and in the late afternoon, glows golden with the sun's warmth.
I am shattered to learn that the property's saltwater relaxation pool is closed for maintenance - a strike against the hotel's premium price tag. Other amenities like the gym and spa are closed for maintenance too.
The highlight of my stay ends up being a luxurious soak in the mammoth bathtub, with supermarket wine and a bath bomb conveniently purchased from Raffles City Shopping Centre across the road.
The pampering lies in the details - the "popped collar" lapels on the extra fluffy robes that make you feel like Playboy founder Hugh Hefner emerging from a bath; a Nespresso machine in the pantry; the custom-designed flower-print fabric masks all the staff wear.
At breakfast, Ziploc bags are provided to stash your mask while you pig out.
One unique perk I miss already is the Pillow Menu, which entitles guests to choose two pillows from a dizzying selection of scented, neck support and even "anti-ageing" ones. I pick the anti-stress contour pillow and Swiss pine pillow with a "fresh forest scent for relaxation".
For five minutes, my companion and I sniff the Swiss pine pillow determinedly, before realising how ridiculous we must look.
Still, the hotel's most desirable draw must be its location. Part of the Capitol Singapore lifestyle complex, it is a stone's throw from malls like Raffles City and Funan, so there is no lack of dining and shopping options.
Or you can check out the hotel's slate of restaurants at the Arcade @ The Capitol Kempinski - where you can spend the $100 dining credit included in the package.
With the Civic District at the hotel's doorstep, guests can also easily spend the day museum-hopping.
And though it faces a busy road, I am happy to report that triple glazed windows block out all outside noise - save for the occasional show-off revving his modified engine in the dead of night.
The new unspoken flexibility of early check-in and late check-out across hotels applies here too, and I manage to stretch my stay to 24 hours.
I spend the extra time working at my favourite place in the suite - the giant arched windows overlooking Stamford Road. The view of passers-by sure beats mine at home, and I find myself in an enviable work-from-hotel situation.
For a few hours, I forget about the world and its mess.
True luxury, I come to find, is less about grandiosity and more in the small, thoughtful ways you are made to feel valued and cared for.
And in a time like this, is that not what we all want?
• Hot tip: Bring a bath bomb or two to use in the tub, the star of the room. A hotel is only as good as its bathroom, and this one delivers.
THE CAPITOL KEMPINSKI HOTEL SINGAPORE
Where: 15 Stamford Road
Info: The Capital Kempinski Hotel Singapore's website
Rooms: 155
Rates: Starting at $400++ a night in the Deluxe Room. The ongoing Super Special Staycation package goes from S$520++ per in the Stamford Suite (usual price $1,040++ per night), with a minimum of two nights required.
