Having lived in Singapore for over 9 years, it was time for us to do a little house renovation. After searching for the perfect place to move our family, we decided to stay at Great World Serviced Apartments (a few minutes from Orchard Road) in Singapore.
Now since we already live in Singapore, we had the advantage of checking out a variety of serviced apartments and hotels before we decided to make our move. The main two factors we searched for in a serviced apartment were (1) Family Friendliness and (2) Location, because when you have young kids this is what matters the most.
Let’s first go over the the “family friendly” part of GW Serviced Apartments….
An Overview of the Apartment
GW Serviced Apartments has many different types of apartments to fit every family’s needs. It is one of Singapore’s largest, tallest and most comprehensive serviced apartments. It has 304 units, ranging from 1 Bedroom Apartments (800 sqft) to 4 Bedroom Apartment (2,200sqft).
Although GW is a fairly established serviced apartment (17 years), it was recently refurbished so has an updated feel.
We stayed in the 2 bedroom, which was a bit of a squeeze, but cozy none the less. We did a bit or rearranging of the furniture to open up the room and it worked out well for our stay.
Super Note: The actual apartment is very comfy and great for kids. I checked out a few other serviced apartments in the area and they were either too corporate or had a lot of wear & tear. Even our friends that visited the apartment thought it was very homey and comfortable.
The kitchen had all the basic tools to cook some healthy (and not so healthy meals). It came equipped with a microwave, oven, rice cooker, hot water kettle, stove, pots, pans, dishes and utensils.
Super Note: We do not watch much TV at home and do not subscribe to an. At GW Serviced Apartments they had over 70+ different StarHub channels, including many premium channels, including the HBO, Kids, News and Lifestyle channels. Even I got hooked on watching the cooking shows & the Kardashians during the day (LOL).
The Family Activities & Amenities
Like most parents when choosing a play to stay the family activities and amenities, especially those for the kids are very important. As the saying goes, Happy Kids = Happy Parents!
Great World Serviced Apartments has a variety of different recreational and relaxing activities that is sure to please all ages. Here are some of the things they offer (with lots of pictures, so you can see for yourself)…
The Kidz Lounge
The “Kidz Lounge” has a mini play structure and a some toys and games to entertain the little ones. It is suited more for the younger kids, but my boys ages 4 & 7 still enjoyed themselves.
There also is a kid’s “movie/reading room” with big bean bag chairs and TV which is good for hanging out for the slightly older children.
Kid’s Outdoor Play Area
There are two kid’s outdoor play areas. One is located in the Kidz Lounge next to the indoor kid’s play facilities. It is good playground for the slightly older children and is covered (so even if it is sunny or raining you can still play outside).
The other playground is slightly smaller and located next to the children’s wading pool and is suitable for the younger kids.
Swimming Pool & Poolside Restaurant
The near Olympic-sized swimming pool at GW Serviced apartments was one of the main attractions for my kids. The pool area has a very resort like feel and is great for relaxing and getting some sun.
In addition to the massive pool, there is also a wading pool for the little kids to enjoy.
And of course no “resort” experience would be complete without some tasty snacks and poolside drinks. The poolside restaurant has a full menu and can deliver to your room (great for those nights when you can’t be bothered to cook or walk next door to the Great World City shopping mall).
Basketball & Tennis Court
An extra bonus that GW Serviced apartments offers are tennis and basketball courts. Most of the other serviced apartments are too small to offer this in Singapore. Racquets and balls are provided so no need to bring your own from home!
Jacuzzi & Sauna
There is a fairly large size, “adult” only jacuzzi and a sauna.
Gym
There is a gym with a variety of fitness equipment both for cardio and strength training.
Super Note: I used the gym while I was staying at GW Serviced Apartments. It had all the equipment that I normally use, except my rowing machine. It was not crowded and they provide you with towels.
Residents Lounge
The Residents Lounge consists of comfy chairs and a library section. It is nice big size and a good place to focus and get some work done. This is also where the Friday movie night is held and other activities for the residents.
The Residents Lounge is not only a good place to work, but also a fabulous place to host a party. We were able to rent out the lounge for a few hours and have Zayden’s 7th Birthday Movie Night Bash in the lounge! The kids had an awesome time and the space was perfect for such an event.
Business Centre
Now just in case you don’t have your own laptop or might need to print or send something out, GW Serviced Apartments has a small business centre with computer and offers printing, faxing and scanning services.
Resident’s Activities
At GW Serviced Apartments they have a weekly arts & crafts activities, movie nights and a variety of other resident meet & greets. Although we have lived in Singapore for a long time, it was nice to attend the events and meet some new people.
We attended the CNY celebration and it was awesome. The celebration was held poolside and a variety of entertainers, including lion dancers and performers. The kids went home with a variety of CNY goodies, including fortune cookies, balloons, stuffed toys and their name printed in Chinese.
Super Note: At the CNY celebration a prize was awarded for the “best dressed couple”. Guess who won? That’s right, Zayden & Xavion! 🙂
Service, Maintenance & Staff
In addition to the many family amenities, the staff and service at GW Serviced Apartments was great!
Packages are delivered straight to your door by the security guard. The apartment was serviced twice a week. I was actually very impressed by the turn round time to get things fixed in the apartment. Anytime something would break, within a few hours it would be fixed. A few times, our housekeeping lady would actually call in for service because she noticed something wasn’t working correctly (for example slow drainage in the bathroom sink).
Super Note: Overall I was quite impressed with the the service at GW Serviced Apartments, especially the speed and efficiency of the staff. I wish things could be this efficient at my own house.
Getting Around Town
There are a few different GW Serviced Apartment’s shuttle buses that will take you to Orchard Road, Chinatown & the Redhill MRT station. We didn’t get a chance to use it because we usually drive, but they seemed to quite regular in their pick-up and drop-off schedule.
Parking
Basement parking is available at Great World Serviced Apartments and included in your stay for no additional charge. The parking lot has multiple levels, lots of space and has easy access to your floor directly from the carpark.
SuperMommy’s Opinion
Our first criteria “family friendliness” was definitely met at GW Serviced Apartments. The awesome staff and the numerous activities for kids really made us feel right at home.
Now onto my second criteria..Location! Now one of my absolute favorite things about GW Serviced Apartments is the LOCATION. Let me say it again location, location, location – this is almost as important as family friendliness. Click here for Part 2 of the article (coming soon).
-xoxo-
SuperMommy
