Trip Reports
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Review: Kempinski Residences Guangzhou
Kempinski Residences Guangzhou The Kempinski Residences Guangzhou opened in December 2020 as the first property in the city for the prolific German hotel group. Located in the historic Yuexiu District of central Guangzhou, the hotel comprises 261 suites housed within a relatively low-rise, 23-storey building. The interiors were conceived by Hirsch Bedner Associates, who were
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Review: Singapore Airlines A350 MH Business Class (CGK-SIN)
Singapore Airlines flight details Barely a week after returning from Singapore, it was time to head to Guangzhou, China – via… Singapore yet again. Naturally, this meant a string of flights on the city-state’s coveted flag carrier, Singapore Airlines. While the airline has historically scheduled only its long-haul Airbus A350s to Jakarta, we’ve seen more
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Review: Garuda Indonesia 737 Business Class (CGK-SIN)
Garuda Indonesia flight details With more than 40 active jets, the Boeing 737-800 is unquestionably the backbone of Garuda Indonesia’s fleet. They are the airline’s regional workhorse, shuttling passengers across the archipelago and to nearby international cities. Although Garuda normally operates widebody aircraft on the Singapore route, the airline’s ongoing spare-parts shortage has resulted in
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Review: TransNusa A321 Economy (CGK-SIN)
TransNusa flight details After relaunching in 2022 as a low-cost carrier, TransNusa has steadily expanded its network to include a small but growing roster of international destinations. Following a sudden shift to a medium-service model last year, the Jakarta-based airline now actively promotes its premium positioning across its various media channels. Previously relying solely on
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Review: voco Orchard Singapore
voco Orchard Singapore voco Orchard Singapore opened in January 2022 as the first property in Southeast Asia under IHG’s upmarket voco brand. The hotel occupies the former Hilton Singapore building, which was replaced by a larger Hilton hotel – confusingly also located on Orchard Road and itself a rebrand of the old Mandarin Singapore. Dating
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Review: Amara Singapore
Amara Singapore Opened in May 1986, Amara Singapore is a 389-room business hotel located in the heart of Singapore’s Tanjong Pagar business district. Flagship of the growing Amara chain, the property underwent an extensive refurbishment in 2024, as part of a broader repositioning of the brand as a whole. Amara Hotels & Resorts itself began
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Review: Philippine Airlines 777 Business Class (PVG-MNL)
Philippine Airlines flight details After some two weeks in China, I was certainly looking forward to flying home. Having flown the airline’s older Boeing 777-300ER to Shanghai, I was excited to see that this was being operated by a newer plane, featuring new and supposedly better cabins. Before making its way to Shanghai, our aircraft
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Review: Philippine Airlines A321 Business Class (MNL-CGK)
Philippine Airlines flight details After flying in from Shanghai on Philippine Airlines’ newer Boeing 777-300ER, it is finally time for the last leg of my journey. Like my outbound flight from Jakarta, this flight is operated by the airline’s fleet of regional Airbus A321ceos. The aircraft features arguably inferior cabin products and is soon due
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Review: Mandarin Oriental Pudong, Shanghai
Mandarin Oriental Pudong Opened in 2013, the 362-room Mandarin Oriental Pudong, Shanghai stands as the centrepiece of the Harbour City development in the emerging ‘East Bund’ area. Its debut marked Mandarin Oriental’s third venture into Mainland China, arriving in the same year as its sister property in Guangzhou. Conceived by Peruvian architect Bernardo Fort-Brescia, the
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Review: Grand Hyatt Shanghai
Grand Hyatt Shanghai The Grand Hyatt Shanghai stands as an undisputed icon of hospitality and a powerful symbol of the city’s rise on the global stage. Opened in 1999 within the landmark Jin Mao Tower, it debuted as the highest hotel in the world. Even though newer neighbouring skyscrapers have since surpassed it, the 548-room