Equarius Hotel RWS Review

Equarius Hotel

It's back to RWS for a short staycation over this March Holidays. 

This time around, we decided to take the 3D2N All Attractions package, which consists of

• 2 nights stay in a deluxe room in Equarius Hotel
• Daily Breakfast for 2
• USS entrance tickets for 2
• SEA Aquarium tickets for 2
• Adventure Cover ticket for 2

We chose the Equarius Hotel over the Festive Hotel as we had stayed in the latter for our last 2 staycations in RWS. Clearly, it is time to explore the rest of the hotels in RWS. Read about our review of Festive HotelOn first glance, the hotel exterior provides little inspiration. The clothes are in brown; they look similar to Festive and Hard Rock Hotel. However, what is inside will differentiate the hotel from what is seen on the first impression.

Hotel Lobby

We were greeted by a lobby about the same size as the festive hotel. The good thing about the lobby is that there are quite a number of seats for guests to relax in a while waiting for check-in. In addition, the ceilings are high, and the lobby is painted in a light hue, giving the impression that it is airy and bright.

Bright and airy

Check-in time is at 3pm. Since RWS is notorious for queues around 3pm, we decided to arrive early, leave our luggage, collect our tickets for the SEA aquarium and re-check in at about 4 pm plus to beat the crowd. We needed to immediately and were given the keys to the room of our choice within 5 minutes.

Seating area

Do note the reception area is smallish, consisting of 4 people manning 2 desks. With a set-up like this, prepare to wait if you intend to check in during the peak period.

Reception area

Our room was at the end of a long walkway. Do note that rooms can be far from the main lift. This is especially so for rooms with a Garden, which is located on the other end of the building (Approximately >50m away from the main lift)

Exhausted from a long walkway

Hotel Room

The room we selected is the deluxe room facing Adventure Cove. The number of rooms in the hotel is as follows
172 rooms in total
136 Deluxe rooms at 51 sqm
30 Garden Rooms at 139 sqm
6 Suites at 102 sqm

Equarius hotel Room

The room we had is a large 51 sqm room. As a comparison, a typical 4-room hdb flat is about 90sqm, so this room is more than half its size of it.

Another Room view

The room has a King size bed which can sleep a family of 4 with 2 very young kids ( If both your kids are above 1 m, we do not advise to squeeze!). More sleeping space can be made on the sofa with a side chaise lounge that can double up as a bed should you need more space.

Coffee and Tea

The room comes with amenities like coffee and tea ( from TWG). It even has an iPad/ iPhone dock for your mobile equipment ( Note supports iPhone 4Gs and iPad 3 or lower)

iPhone dock from iHome

The website stated that wireless broadband is available. However, they omitted the fact that it is chargeable. Phone reception is, at best mediocre in the room, as my 3G phone seems to be slow within the room.

Huge Balcony

All rooms come with a huge balcony or even a garden! The balcony space is nice, but there should be more than 1 outdoor chair to complete the look. Equarius Hotel is marketed as a couple hotel ( as opposed to a family hotel like Festive Hotel), and it seems odd that the balcony provides only 1 seat.
Nevertheless, the view is refreshing, even from the 3rd floor where we were situated.

The Bathroom

The clearest sign that this room is designed with couples in mind is the see-through window between the bathroom and bed. For those who like to keep things in suspense, an electronic wallpaper covers the see-through glass to help keep modesty in check.

Double sink

The bathroom itself takes up almost half the room. Clad in marble settings with double vanity sinks, a bathtub, separate shower and toilet rooms and a hidden TV, the bathroom screams luxury. Too bad the body wash used shampoos are of a generic house-brand rather than branded names, and this is a little miss for a hotel touted to be on a more luxurious level with RWS.

For your daily needs

Forest 森 @ Equarius Hotel

The only restaurant located on the premises of Equarius Hotel is Forest. Forest is meant for Chinese Fine Dining in the afternoon or evening. It is jointly opened by Local celebrity chef Sam Leong and RWS.

森 @ Equarius Hotel Lobby

It is on the lobby level and in one corner of the main lobby seating area.

Eating under trees

The tree-like decor is what defines Forest. You would feel like you are eating under trees when you dine there.

Our package includes a daily buffet breakfast at Forest. We did not try out the Chinese Fine Dining as it was rather pricey ( the cheapest set was about $118 +++ per person)

Buffet Breakfast

Buffet breakfast starts at 7am and ends at about 11 am. The crowds are usually in after 845 am as most will be planning to visit the theme parks within RWS that open at 10am.

The 2 days breakfast spread was similar. You have Western dishes like a hash brown, potato chips, bacon, eggs, salad, and some Eastern fare like wanton noodles, fried noodles and Tim sum. Juices and milk are available as well. 

Do you note eggs are already prepared? Compared to the spread we had at Festive Hotel, the Festive Hotel has more variety for breakfast.

For kids, there are selections of fruits, cereals and the usual suspect like hash brown and bread that they can nibble on.

Indoor Seating

You can choose between indoor and outdoor settings. We prefer the outdoor environment as it faces a lush garden. Al fresco dining in a delightful setting.

Outdoor Dining

The Pool @ Equarius Hotel

Equarius Hotel does not have a swimming pool. The nearest pool would be a pool shared with the beach villas. Compared to the Hard Rock Hotel or Festive Hotel pool, this pool is most suitable for adults or older kids.

Relaxing pool

Located in the central area of RWS, the pool is relatively deserted compared to the other hotels' pools. So if you want peace and quiet, this pool is perfect. In fact, if you want more breathing space in the pool area, we recommend this pool even with kids.

Splash

For the boys, the lack of kids' facilities does not faze them. They enjoy jumping and swimming in the pools with their floats on. They simply love water, and it's time to introduce them to formal swimming lessons. We are open to sponsors from the swimming school to coach the boys!

Other Facilities

Map of RWS - Source RWS

As you can see from the map, Equarius Hotel is located at one corner of RWS. Nested away from the hustle and bustle of RWS, it is the perfect hotel for a getaway. However, due to its location, facilities and shops are some distance away. This may be an issue for families with young kids.

ESPA

Other than Forest 森, the only main attraction on site is ESPA. It is the resident spa within RWS. For a list of treatments available, you can refer here. We did not try it due to the lack of time. Also, the price is comparatively higher than other places where we would most likely get a couple treatment packages for the same price as a basic package at ESPA.

Complimentary shuttle

The hotel provides a complimentary shuttle service to travel around the resort. The shuttle arrives every 15 minutes on a first-come, first-serve basis. On peak days, you may need to wait more than 30 minutes should the shuttle reach its total capacity.

West Car Park Shuttle

Alternatively, you can take the carpark shuttle that brings you as far as Hard Rock Hotel. From Hardrock Hotel, you can access the restaurants and shops area of RWS within a 5 to 10 minutes walk. You could even take a short stroll via the carpark from Equaris Hotel to Hard Rock. It definitely beats walking under the hot sun.

Hard Rock Hotel

If you are there and drive, we suggest you drive the car from the carpark to Hard Rock Hotel. There will not be additional charges as long as you do not leave the carpark. This is our preferred mode of transport as it cuts down the waiting and travelling time via shuttle bus. If you are driving, please know the hotel provides complimentary car park coupons for those staying there.

Adventure Cove

Lastly, for those heading out to Adventure Cove, there is a secret passage within a less than 5 minutes walk from the hotel. Just walk to the end of the hotel via level 2, walk on the main road and turn left on the first turn. Voila, you are at the doorstep of Adventure Cove. Do note that no signs indicate Adventure Cove, so you need to trust your instinct.

Verdict

Although Equarius Hotel targets couples, we enjoyed our time there. We love the spacious room that allows the children some space to roam. Accessibility can be an issue, but once you know your way around, it is easy to get to the heart of the action without too much hard work.

We love the secluded location; it feels more like a getaway, especially from the craziness of mainland Singapore.