Swissotel The Stamford: Check-in
From the previous story you already know why and how I chose to be in this hotel - to end the old year, and welcome the new one! It will happen in about 6 hours from now. But I will probably only be able to post this between 8 and 9PM since I will have to pause writing in favor of a thing called dinner. Okay?!
This is a 5 star hotel yes. But OMG, you are like queuing up at the check-in counters of a budget airline at the airports. Gino-o ko! Makangaralas! Too many people checking-in, that it's even already very hard to see what is happening up front, whether the line is for check-in or check-out or just inquiries. I'll say again, this is a 5 star hotel, the check-in area is spacious. But it was near pandemonium when I came!
I summoned all the patience I can muster. I kept telling myself I am here for the best of the best views of the fireworks later tonight. Yes, I had to keep telling myself, chillax lang..,, matatapos din ito.., soon!
Of course, I entertained myself with a little analysis "why this supposedly luxe hotel was so crowded". The most obvious was: this hotel has more than a thousand rooms - but my irritated side of the brain was screaming "bakit, lahat ba ng 1,000++ guests nandito, as in sabay-sabay kami nag-che-check-in"?
The calmer side (yes, meron pa) of my lowly head was saying "it is probable, therefore possible"! And my irritated side was still screaming to say "im-po-sib-le, wala man lang ba nagcheck-in kahapon? or noong 29th? or wala ba mamayang gabi dadating"? I ended that with "wala talaga, kahit isa" hahaha!
Makabuang ang aking self-debate! But knowing the industry, this is what happens to accommodation facilities with so many rooms. AND, this is what happens when a hotel rigidly imposes their 3PM start of check-in. Storm surge! Hah, there are solutions to this, and come to think of it, I helped many hotels how to avoid this chaos! Kaso binabayaran ako for implementing those. Yes, isa akong bayaran haha!
Anyway, after the excruciating wait, I finally was in front of an agent at the end of their counters. Kaso lang, ang punyitera, walang anu-ano and without even looking at me to say whetever, she moved away towards the insides of their offices. I just mused natata-e na yata ang buruha hahaha! Wait nanaman!
So, I just stood there with (unbelievably for a 5-Star Hotel) no one attending to me. I did notice, there was a man with a handheld walkie-talkie (that is crude for a 5-Star Hotel) who seemed to be directing the flow of, not the guests, but of their staff, as to where they should be at their many check-in desks.
Nag parang immigration line na ang bwaka ng... hahaha! He was standing amidst the queue of guests and I could hear him howling in Chinese. I seem to have understood he was shouting that nobody was attending to me at the end of the counter. Buti naman at sobrang nagtitimpi na ako, tanginang yan oh!
I think they heard that man howling, and I guess he is a supervisor or manager. Dahil, walang anu-ano, a staff came from somewhere and said "yes sir?" to me. I saw her name plate, and I heard her accent, yun matinong English, so sure ako Pinay. I said 'check-in ano pa nga ba, alangan bibili ako ng tinapay'!
Good she did not say anything to guff back because, like all other guests lined up, the irritated me was all too ready for world war three (or maybe word-war three)! She instead asked for reservation number and my passport that had all been ready in my hand from almost an hour ago in this line. Yes, oras na!
After checking her computer, she seemed to have mustered a genuine smile. Maybe she noticed I am an Accor Member whatever, or she was happy to bring good news to me, or she could've been smiling all along that I didn't notice, dahil sa inis ko sa pila. 'Sir Pinoy, you reserved an overnight stay with us'?
I just looked at her (pretending to be still inis) and didn't reply to what she said which was already the obvious! She continued, "..since the hotel is full today, and you're a member of our loyalty program, we upgraded your room to bla blah, it has two big beds bla bla blah" - I cut her there with "as long as it has a good full view of Marina Bay, where the fireworks will be tonight, dahil yan lang ang ipinunta ko dito"!
She seemed slightly taken aback and said "just a moment sir", then went to their inner office. She was back after about a minute, still smiling, and said "yes sir it has a good view, a little bit to the side but a very good view". To which I replied with "sure ka ha? saan ba nakaharap ang room na 'to, sa Padang o sa Promenade"? She paused seeming unsure. So I prodded "sabi mo a little bit to the side, so saang side, Clarke Quay or sa Singapore Flyer"? That made her make a quick reply "sa Clarke Quay sir". So I said "ok ok" and she proceeded with issuing my key and the receipts. Nagsimula na rin ako ngumiti!
Check-in Done! Whew! A zigzagging mass of humanity (hell actually). Parang immigration sa Taipei or Manila, or anywhere at Don Meuang Airport haha! Only in this hotel, na pinag-pawisan ako at check-in!
After I got out of that mess of a line, a staff (bellhop) offered to assist me saying "let me help you with your bag sir?". Pinoy din! So I said "hindi na, I will find my way" sabay tanong "ah eh where are the lifts" hehehe! Magyayabang magtataray pa sana, eh di naman mahanap ang bwakang "escavator" hahaha!
Ayun, I was escorted to my Room 4858, by no less a kababayan! Syempre kwentuhan along the way!
Final notes on the check-in:
This was my longest hotel check-in. Ever (5-star hotel pa ha?)!
Hindi daw ganito pag hindi peak season (sabi ng Pinoy staff)!
'Di na ako uulit.., ang mahal din kaya (sabi ng bulsa ko)!
Walang pictures during check-in. Ang gulo (baka mapaaway ako)!
Final verdict, mamaya pa, after the fireworks (sana maganda)!
Maybe we should talk a bit more about this hotel... next!
This is a 5 star hotel yes. But OMG, you are like queuing up at the check-in counters of a budget airline at the airports. Gino-o ko! Makangaralas! Too many people checking-in, that it's even already very hard to see what is happening up front, whether the line is for check-in or check-out or just inquiries. I'll say again, this is a 5 star hotel, the check-in area is spacious. But it was near pandemonium when I came!
I summoned all the patience I can muster. I kept telling myself I am here for the best of the best views of the fireworks later tonight. Yes, I had to keep telling myself, chillax lang..,, matatapos din ito.., soon!
Of course, I entertained myself with a little analysis "why this supposedly luxe hotel was so crowded". The most obvious was: this hotel has more than a thousand rooms - but my irritated side of the brain was screaming "bakit, lahat ba ng 1,000++ guests nandito, as in sabay-sabay kami nag-che-check-in"?
The calmer side (yes, meron pa) of my lowly head was saying "it is probable, therefore possible"! And my irritated side was still screaming to say "im-po-sib-le, wala man lang ba nagcheck-in kahapon? or noong 29th? or wala ba mamayang gabi dadating"? I ended that with "wala talaga, kahit isa" hahaha!
Makabuang ang aking self-debate! But knowing the industry, this is what happens to accommodation facilities with so many rooms. AND, this is what happens when a hotel rigidly imposes their 3PM start of check-in. Storm surge! Hah, there are solutions to this, and come to think of it, I helped many hotels how to avoid this chaos! Kaso binabayaran ako for implementing those. Yes, isa akong bayaran haha!
Anyway, after the excruciating wait, I finally was in front of an agent at the end of their counters. Kaso lang, ang punyitera, walang anu-ano and without even looking at me to say whetever, she moved away towards the insides of their offices. I just mused natata-e na yata ang buruha hahaha! Wait nanaman!
So, I just stood there with (unbelievably for a 5-Star Hotel) no one attending to me. I did notice, there was a man with a handheld walkie-talkie (that is crude for a 5-Star Hotel) who seemed to be directing the flow of, not the guests, but of their staff, as to where they should be at their many check-in desks.
Nag parang immigration line na ang bwaka ng... hahaha! He was standing amidst the queue of guests and I could hear him howling in Chinese. I seem to have understood he was shouting that nobody was attending to me at the end of the counter. Buti naman at sobrang nagtitimpi na ako, tanginang yan oh!
I think they heard that man howling, and I guess he is a supervisor or manager. Dahil, walang anu-ano, a staff came from somewhere and said "yes sir?" to me. I saw her name plate, and I heard her accent, yun matinong English, so sure ako Pinay. I said 'check-in ano pa nga ba, alangan bibili ako ng tinapay'!
Good she did not say anything to guff back because, like all other guests lined up, the irritated me was all too ready for world war three (or maybe word-war three)! She instead asked for reservation number and my passport that had all been ready in my hand from almost an hour ago in this line. Yes, oras na!
After checking her computer, she seemed to have mustered a genuine smile. Maybe she noticed I am an Accor Member whatever, or she was happy to bring good news to me, or she could've been smiling all along that I didn't notice, dahil sa inis ko sa pila. 'Sir Pinoy, you reserved an overnight stay with us'?
I just looked at her (pretending to be still inis) and didn't reply to what she said which was already the obvious! She continued, "..since the hotel is full today, and you're a member of our loyalty program, we upgraded your room to bla blah, it has two big beds bla bla blah" - I cut her there with "as long as it has a good full view of Marina Bay, where the fireworks will be tonight, dahil yan lang ang ipinunta ko dito"!
She seemed slightly taken aback and said "just a moment sir", then went to their inner office. She was back after about a minute, still smiling, and said "yes sir it has a good view, a little bit to the side but a very good view". To which I replied with "sure ka ha? saan ba nakaharap ang room na 'to, sa Padang o sa Promenade"? She paused seeming unsure. So I prodded "sabi mo a little bit to the side, so saang side, Clarke Quay or sa Singapore Flyer"? That made her make a quick reply "sa Clarke Quay sir". So I said "ok ok" and she proceeded with issuing my key and the receipts. Nagsimula na rin ako ngumiti!
Check-in Done! Whew! A zigzagging mass of humanity (hell actually). Parang immigration sa Taipei or Manila, or anywhere at Don Meuang Airport haha! Only in this hotel, na pinag-pawisan ako at check-in!
After I got out of that mess of a line, a staff (bellhop) offered to assist me saying "let me help you with your bag sir?". Pinoy din! So I said "hindi na, I will find my way" sabay tanong "ah eh where are the lifts" hehehe! Magyayabang magtataray pa sana, eh di naman mahanap ang bwakang "escavator" hahaha!
Ayun, I was escorted to my Room 4858, by no less a kababayan! Syempre kwentuhan along the way!
Final notes on the check-in:
This was my longest hotel check-in. Ever (5-star hotel pa ha?)!
Hindi daw ganito pag hindi peak season (sabi ng Pinoy staff)!
'Di na ako uulit.., ang mahal din kaya (sabi ng bulsa ko)!
Walang pictures during check-in. Ang gulo (baka mapaaway ako)!
Final verdict, mamaya pa, after the fireworks (sana maganda)!
Maybe we should talk a bit more about this hotel... next!
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