Opened in 2020, Dusit Thani Laguna Singapore marks the Thai hotel group’s debut in Asia’s little red dot. Located within the Laguna National Golf Club, the Dusit is one of the few hotels to have a resort setting on Singapore island. The 198-key property, like most Dusit resorts, emphasises its wellness factor, most prominently in the form of the Devarana Wellness spa facility.

Booking Dusit Thani Laguna

Thanks to my last-minute reroute to Singapore, I found myself scrambling to find a place to stay for my single-night layover. With the Crowne Plaza Changi Airport booked out, I soon looked to the relatively new Dusit Thani near the airport. Before long, I booked a flexible Deluxe Laguna Pool View Room on Dusit.com for a nightly rate of SGD 335 (~ USD 259, GBP 195). After booking, I soon found a better rate at an online travel agency, prompting me to submit a Best Rate Guarantee claim. Thankfully, the hotel promptly accepted, thus bringing down the rate to SGD 251 (~ USD 194, GBP 146) – a very good flexible rate for a Singapore five-star hotel!

Location

As mentioned in the introduction, the Dusit Thani is located within Singapore’s sprawling Laguna National Golf Club. With its two courses, the hotel can be a haven for golfers – though not so much for other guests. The hotel lies in south Tampines, between Changi Airport and the city, requiring a roughly 20-minute taxi ride in each direction. Furthermore, despite being next to Singapore’s largest transportation depot, the closest MRT station (Tanah Merah) is a 30-minute walk away. Bear in mind, there is nothing else within the vicinity of the hotel. Although the hotel offers a shuttle service, it isn’t very flexible (more on that below).

Check-in

After arriving at Changi Airport on SriLankan Airlines, we decided it was best to take a taxi to the Dusit Thani. Unfortunately, we were assigned an independent taxi with a driver who didn’t know where the hotel was. Our ride took 20 minutes and cost us SGD 25 (close to what you’d pay on a ride downtown).

We were dropped off at the lobby for the Laguna Golf Resort, unbeknownst that the hotel reception was in a different section further down the building. As such, there was nobody to help us as we gingerly dragged our bags past the hotel’s bar and cafe to the lobby. When I did arrive at the lobby, I was surprised by how it looked! The whole set up frankly reminds me of Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport. For one, the date palm, gold accents, and combination of various stones looked severely out of place in Singapore.

At the desk, we were greeted by a friendly agent who promptly processed our check-in. Due to the occupancy of the hotel, my request for a twin bed room wasn’t possible. However, I appreciated that the agent went out of his way to find a room for us. After a couple of minutes, he offered an Executive Club Room on a higher floor (without club access, of course). Being exhausted, I didn’t think twice and accepted the apparent upgrade. Before long, we were issued keys for our room on the sixth floor and directed to the lifts on the right-hand-side of the reception.

Dusit Executive Club Room

We were assigned to a Dusit Executive Club Room overlooking the East Coast Integrated Depot. From the entryway, the space opens up into a modern and brightly lit room. While the view of the under-construction depot wasn’t quite a sight to behold, I appreciated the excellent sound proofing, at the very least.

Arranged conservatively, the square room features two oversized twin beds with a leather headboard facing a wall-hung television. Running along that wall is a long desk with a single workchair.

Additionally, a fully equipped open closet and a luggage rack can be found at the entryway, beside the bathroom. Similarly this is also where you’ll find the modestly-stocked complimentary minibar.

At 36 sqm (387 sqft), the Dusit Executive Club Room isn’t especially small; however, it is definitely poorly laid out. The lack of a sofa or an armchair makes the space difficult to relax in. For one, I’d consider the work desk to be too formal a setting, especially for a hotel that emphasises its status as an urban resort.

In spite of the bad layout, the room itself does look quite beautiful. In particular, the chinoiserie on the wall lends an elegant quality to the space – much to the contrast of the kitsch design of the lobby. Furthermore, the soft tones of the room’s colour palette are very easy on a weary traveller’s eyes.

Bathroom

Like the bedroom, the full marble bathroom looks pleasant and elegant. Featuring a large sink and many mirrors, the space is unquestionably a beautiful one. However, yet again, I am puzzled by the conscious choice to omit a bathtub, especially for an upmarket resort that emphasises wellness and relaxation. For one, it definitely isn’t an issue of space considering how spacious the bathroom is.

At the very least, I do appreciate the spacious shower stalls; these are equipped with a rain shower and a handheld shower, alongside a shower bench. Likewise, I liked the good water pressure and temperature from the showers, which makes a massive difference after a tiring day!

The bath amenities came in large bottles and were Green Potion-branded. Based on my research, Green Potion appears to be a brand invented by a mass production hotel amenity provider in Thailand. While it wasn’t terrible, I also didn’t care for the smell – although it still is a shame that the hotel would cheapen itself this way.

Like the shower stall, the toilet stall was spacious, or almost excessively so. Interestingly, unlike many hotels in the region, the hotel has not installed a bidet for the toilet. Instead, installed is a telephone, which seems like a puzzling decision in a new hotel!

Amenities

Devarana Wellness DFit

Located on Level 1, the Devarana Wellness fitness centre is a signature facility of the hotel. The fitness centre is massive relative to the size of the hotel, and features windows viewing the golf courses. Considering its popularity with guests, it was difficult to get good pictures without intruding into the privacy of other guests. As such, please excuse the photo quality in this section.

The fitness centre is fully equipped, featuring all kinds of cardio and weight equipment you’d expect from an upmarket hotel. Owing to the hotel’s recency, I’ll also note that the fitness centre’s LifeFitness equipment felt very modern and new. Additionally, there is also a steam room located in the changing room of the fitness centre.

Swimming Pool

The Dusit Thani’s three swimming pools are likely the single most sought after facility of the hotel. Stretching the length of the hotel building, the pools boast excellent views of greenery, the adjacent golf courses, and the Laguna National Golf Club villas. In particular, there is a large swimming pool and a shallow relaxation pool located adjacent to each other, in addition to a small paddling pool for children.

The pool deck features a variety of seating options surrounded by lots of greenery and gardens. In addition to your regular sun loungers by the lap pool, there are a handful of sun cabanas and deck chairs arranged parallel to the relaxation pool. What I thought were most inviting, however, were there sunken loungers in the shallow relaxation pool. Surrounded by golf-inspired decor, these loungers looked like an peaceful surface to relax on in a hot Singapore afternoon. Truly a vibe!

I was very impressed with the size and design of the pool, which was very nice and inviting. Between the lap pool and the relaxation pool, I could definitely imagine myself spending a lot of time here, were I to stay longer. Furthermore, if you’re an aviation geek like me, you’ll appreciate being able to see planes flying relatively low overhead on their final approach to Changi Airport. At the same time, I also recognise that this can be a point of nuisance for non-aviation hobbyists trying to relax by the pool.

Tennis Court

In addition to the swimming pools, the hotel also has several pairs of tennis courts located across the lobby. However, I’m not sure if I came on a bad day, but the courts didn’t exactly look that well-maintained.

Currency Exchange

Located by the winding staircase near the Greenhouse all-day dining restaurant is a money exchange machine. While I cannot attest to the favourability of the exchange rate provided, it is certainly useful if you need Singapore Dollars – especially if you’ll be using the city state’s cash-oriented taxis.

Shuttle Bus

The Dusit Thani Laguna operates a daily shuttle service to various points in Singapore, including Jewel Changi Airport, Singapore EXPO, and Marina Bay Sands. Sadly, the scope of the service is limited; for instance, shuttles to Changi Airport only run between 09.30 and 18.30, and aren’t even hourly. Furthermore, the usefulness of the service is further restricted due to the need of prebooking a seat in advance. For this reason, I’d suggest the Crowne Plaza Changi Airport (connected to Terminal 3) as a more convenient hotel for layovers.

Service

As I stayed for a short overnight layover, I’ll point out that I have had limited interactions with the hotel staff outside check in and check out. However, in general, I found the service to be fine, if not average. While the staff were polite and friendly enough, I didn’t feel that sense of warmth or welcome – which is a shame for a hotel that bears the Dusit name.

Regardless, I’ll note that I appreciate their sense of surroundings. For one, I accidentally misplaced my bag at the lobby after checking out. While it was difficult to reach the hotel over the phone, I found that it had been safety stored by the reception when I frantically made my way back to the hotel. So, I do thank them for that!

Overall

Overpromise and underdeliver – those are two words that I think sum up the Dusit Thani Laguna Singapore. Between the mediocre rooms, the poor location, the limited shuttle service, and the fair service, there’s not much to love about the hotel. To be frank, I don’t consider the Dusit to be a bad hotel; in fact, it might be perfect if you’re visiting for a convention or are a golfer. But on a layover – especially for the prices the hotel charges – I’d very much rather stay at Changi Airport or even make the trek to the city.

Read more from this trip here!