Hotel Jen, Tanglin : An IndulJent Staycation

This hotel right next to Tanglin Mall used to be the old Trader’s Hotel. On the exterior, it looks somewhat similar but in the interior, it is truly amazing beyond words, living up to the expectations of what I call a business-friendly hotel, just for you traders out there. I wish I was on a business trip here too but I am just a regular Singaporean on staycation at Hotel Jen. But if I am a foreigner sent to Singapore for a business trip, I would choose Jen.

Jen is all about the details. It is chic, stylish and well-ornamented but yet it didn’t lose its essence of its local roots with hints of the historical past. I am not too sure about Jen’s obsession with bicycles but one thing for sure, Jen keeps you active all the time. There’s never a dull moment here when there’s so many things you can do in this vicinity. Let me take you through my unforgettable staycation at Jen. My bae and I love it so much here that we want to come back for me. As for me, I would love to visit Jen’s other half, at Orchard Gateway.

You will get to spot a lot of interesting furniture pieces that are so intriguing that even kids want to play with them too.

Here at Jen, they kept me well-fed especially if you get a club room where you can get access to the club lounge 24/7. That’s the highlight for me because I can grab a cuppa or some fruits any time of the day.

So here it is – J65. I am pretty sure it has some links with the year Singapore became independent.

Jen’s obsession with bicycles starts right at their lobby. Too bad I can’t ride a bike!

I couldn’t be any happier when we got a room at Level 7 where the club lounge is. What’s best? Our room is just 3 doors away from the Club Lounge. I just got to say that the Club Lounge is my extended room.

This is Jen’s way of greeting – saying ‘Hello’ the moment you open your hotel room door.

The bright and hippy layout is keeping me happy in the swing of things. A floor-to-ceiling window with a cosy couch beside it makes a good place to read while loading up on some Vitamin D. The tall window allows a good amount of sunshine to flood through, and it really brightens up the whole area and giving it a more spacious outlook. I got to really jot down all these ideas for my future home.

It’s small here but I got what I need here to entertain myself. YOUTUBE!

Guess what? It turns out that I don’t even need to bring my iPad when I have a fast internet connection here in my room (and throughout the hotel) and a TV that allows me to stream whatever’s on my phone to the TV screen. Yup, I could turn my iPhone into a big screen just in a few seconds. Crazy or what?

See what I mean?

There’s just plenty of things to do right here.

Hi, Jen!

And right here we have this sleek wooden table for you to get some work done. I mean, I guess I could live here with you, Jen. Great office space, I must say. Love the denim chair, babe!

Wardrobe way to small? No, wait. Here’s an open-spaced wardrobe right about your luggage area.

Definitely going to give them a thumbs-up for providing so many hangers in the wardrobe!

As club guests, you get a complimentary pressing service for one suit upon arrival.

Turn around…

Hey, look! A WIDE top-to-bottom mirror for OOTD.

Good news.This mirror has a slimming effect too. My legs are lengthened instantly.

A tad disappointed when I can’t any bath tub in there but it doesn’t matter because there’s a huge hidden tub near the hotel swimming pool area which I am about to show you guys later.

Yay to the Loofah and hair band! Love it when the hotel provides all these little essentials which we really need.

Feeling in the doldrums? Come to Jen for a staycation. Even their pillow covers make you smile.

There’s another Jen’s favourite transportation eco-friendly. Thank goodness I wasn’t cycling in my dreams.

Yes, Jen. You heard me. I need an alarm clock with huge digits to let me know that it’s time to get my bum off the bed. It’s really so thoughtful of you to place a bottle of water on the bedside marble table so that I could take a huge gulp of water the moment I wake up.

Jen’s furry bedroom slippers kept my feet so comfy that I wouldn’t mind sleeping with my bedroom slippers on. Do you think it is okay to walk around the hotel with my bedroom slippers?

Basic amenities like mini fridge, coffee, and tea is provided but once I had my cafe latte at the club lounge, I don’t really need these.

And here’s my safe haven – The Club Lounge.

Help yourself to coffee, tea, salads, fruits, juices, cookies, and cakes.

You’re too sweet, Jen!

My brain cells are tingling in delight when I see salads sitting in the corner.

This makes a nice area to just relax, chill, read or work if you needed more space and inspiration.

There’s also a Mac there just in case you need to type a 1000-words long post on Facebook 🙂

Mid-afternoon culinary treats from 2pm to 4pm.

Also, there’s an ‘After Five’ Happy hour in the evenings from 5pm to 7.30pm.

Get some Instagram post done on this stunning floral table.

I wish the day wasn’t about to end but by the time we had our tea, the sky was turning dark. We have a quick dip in the pool.

Hungry and need a proper meal? Head over to Ah Hoi’s kitchen which serves up hot local food. Yes! Local food.

Get a trim before you strut done Orchard Road for some shopping and dining.

Need a sanctuary to let out steam? Head over to this room to get your adrenaline fix.

Machines. Check.

Heavy weights. Check

Dumb bells. Check.

Mats. Check.

Time for some Kayla Itsines workout!

Jen, because you loved us too much and showered us with so much food, we had to work it out for your hearty breakfast tomorrow!

Bae and I did a 15 minutes run, 20 minutes HIIT and 10 minutes strength-training.

Need some tidbits? Vending machine right next to the pool area. Otherwise, head over to the supermarket at Tanglin Mall!

This is what I was talking about. That HUGE tube. It’s called the whirling pool aka Jacuzzi.

Take a swim, dip in the jacuzzi and steam yourself in the sauna. That’s spa for you.

As privileged club guests, you get access to concierge and business centre facilities too.

There’s also a nice cafe next to J65 for you to talk over business meetings if you prefer to talk over coffee.

Every furniture piece here is stunning.

Jen, can I bring these chairs back home?

Exploring Singapore with Jen is so convenient. Rent an eco-friendly bamboo bike from Jen, drop a visit at Singapore Tourism Board which is just right next to the hotel, mark it down on your map and off you go for a unique Singapore experience.

I wish I knew how to balance on two wheels, though. Yes, I CAN’T RIDE A BICYCLE.

BOOHOO.

Like I said, Jen is pretty active. Singapore’s Heritage garden, Botanical Garden is just 10 to 15 minutes walk from the hotel. It’s a beautiful place to take in some fresh air, have a picnic by the Swan lakes or have breakfast at the cafes and restaurants at Botanical Gardens after a run or walk. If you are a fitness junkie and nature lover, Jen is your next best friend.

For dinner, we decided to head over to Nassim Hill Bakery Bistro Bar which is a road across from Tanglin Mall. I used to love going there for weekend brunches and I am glad to be back to try out their food. It is one of the popular weekend brunch places in town.

The day has finally come to an end and just when I was about to hit the snacks….

I discovered this.

Wow, the ironing board is hidden right underneath and the sofa.

I discovered this too.

Jen sneaked in 2 cups of freshly-cut fruits into the mini fridge.

What a sweet and healthy way to end the night!

Snuggling into bed.

Snooze.

Rrrring…

Day 2.

Scrumptious breakfast overload.

I had two breakfast places to choose from. Either I hop down to J65 or settle for Jenerous Weekend brunch at the club lounge.

The selection is limited at the lounge but I reckon that the breakfast spread would be much larger at J65 but I didn’t want to fill my tummy up that fast as I need to save some space for J65 Weekend Brunch buffet which starts at 12pm!

Albeit the narrow selection of choices, they offered some breakfast favourites like egg benefits, yoghurt parfait and bacon.

Once again, I am able to sneak breakfast into my room and enjoy it in the comfort of my living space.

Lazing in bed while watching YouTube videos…

A few hours fast forward…and we are at J65. All ready to dig into the HUGE spread of buffet items!

Seriously, Jen is really generous with their food choices. She must have shopped all around town for so much seafood, bread, cheese, noodles, and desserts. She’s got 6 different types of Laksa for you to choose from!

HEAPS of salad gold…

She got the local food fare well-covered too!

Even the desserts are made local…

Jen loves everything Singaporean here.

My buffet plate.

There’s good live music to entertain you while you are tucking into some good food. I ain’t a vocal prowess but I just can’t help it when I see a microphone set-up right in front of me. So I sang ‘I’m Yours’ by Jason Mraz.