Elsewhere Swissotel The Stamford

We talked about my check-in, my room, my views.., yet there were other interesting sights and scenes in and around Swissotel The Stamford during my stay, and, let me likewise share them here with you!

I woke up very early morning (not by choice), so I went down to see how it is outside, at road level..,

Interesting to find that there were many high-end cars parked outside the hotel (despite them having a very wide parking area in the building)! High-end as in expensive sports cars, as in... maka-tulo-laway!

Dawn, morning has broken, joggers dotted the roads, but still a bit dark, that streetlights were still on..,

That place across is the War Memorial Park, of course another favorite of joggers. Farther out (below the streetlamp) is the Marina Bay Sands. And there is even the moon between the first-two flag poles!

This was a wonderful morning.., cool new year breeze, but I didn't know where to go hehe! I just didn't have even a mental plan on walking about Singapore CBD on a very early morning! Kuyaw masaag oi!

I instead went for an early attack of the breakfast buffet (as if I'm fond of it hahaha) just to see..,

I think everyone knows that this hotel's breakfast buffet is famous in terms of variety. I've read that in many an online story and airline magazine. I liked that steamed rice.., long grain - yung pang-Biryani!

But being a big hotel (more than a thousand rooms), I noticed, also has its little big issues like this..,

I am no food expert, I am not even a fan of breakfasts (I always say that).., but I readily knew that the pancakes must have been cooked hours ago that they've started to shrink dry. Just look at the edges!

Of course my mind jumped from one scenario to another just imagining.., how and when do you really prepare a buffet breakfast for 1,250 rooms? Each room usually has 2 occupants (except mine heheh), so that's preparing for some 2,500 mouths that will attack the buffet counters at about the same time.

Naisip ko lang, nasobrahan yata sila ng preparation or anticipation! Isn't a pancake counter beside the omelette counter enough and the more apt thing to do? Kawawang kitchen crew, baka hating-gabi pa lang nagsasalang na sila ng hotcake hahaha! Oh eh di "warm cake" lang courtesy of the chafing dish!

Hindi na rin fluffy, kasi nga mukhang matagal na silang naka-salansan, ibig sabihin nasiksik na sa tray from the time naluto, probably kagabi hehe! In fairness, masarap naman, lasang ano, lasang pancake!

Anyway.., I sat at one corner.., sipping hot chocolate.., I like the morning ambiance of this place..,

High ceiling and radiant just as the gloomy morning, but if there was sun, the rays won't shine directly as it gets filtered by that nice translucent flimsy roof material. But alas dimalas OMG, when the 2,500 hungry happy mouths descend upon this buffet, the cheerful cacophony sounded like at a palengke!

After that, I returned to my room to 'rest' - bigat ng tiyan e! This is how the bay looks in the morning!

I remembered what my photography coach taught me, city mornings without the sun is dull ugly grey.

Time to lazily whirl the wand.., that these all move by themselves into their right places in my bags!

Did you know? Ah, I made my own little informal research about this.., that part of anyone's travel that seems too uninteresting, unexciting, and just plainly nakakatamad to do, usually even with a pout.., is the 'time to pack up and go' (home)! An indicator that you want more of the fun at ayaw mo pa umuwi!

But home we must go, at one sure time or another... and this is that time. Ang hirap gumalaw 'no?!

Anyway, when all was packed and it was not yet check-out time, I went back down for more pictures!

I know I should've taken a photo of the crowd at its peak, kaso nahiya ako. But this will do, I guess:

That signboard tried to encourage guests to go to two other breakfast venues (restaurants) they have also prepared to lessen the maddening crowd here hehe. I saw that the receiving staff here (dalawang Pinay) really had it to their peak of peaks, as if they were managing an entrance to the Oscar Awards!

Oh, aside from the front desk girl and the bellhop, there were also many kababayans in this restaurant, not just the reception, meron dun sa fruit bar, meron kitchen crew, me chef pa nga yata! Palakpak hoy!

Here.., from the upper level, I took one last peek at the buffet area that earlier sizzled and bustled!

There are still more seats to the left - dun sa staff na naka-blue at dito sa foreground and lower-left.

I think this time (mid-morning) they were already prepping the whole place for their lunch service..,

Medyo kanan pa of upper-right corner, dun ako umupo at breakfast. There are more seats to the right.

I also went down to the street level, sa entrance façade (first picture above). At andun pa ang mga ito:

I'm not very fond of cars, but I know how to appreciate, and even droool at such 'damnedest' little cute toys! In fact, I asked one guard to take my photo beside two of them! Yes Redeleen, nahipo ko rin yang pulang iyan! A Pinoy staff told me they're always parked there. So hindi guest? Me-ari ng hotel? Whoa!

Haay naku, umandar nanaman ang pagka-social-climber ko, gusto ko sila makilala hahaha!

Anyway, I went back up to my room to grab my things and drag myself out to reality... Uwian na!

Ah, this is an Accor member hotel.., I just click on an app, and go away. Check-out is that fast!

Syempre pa... I walked to the City Hall Station and took the green (MRT East-West) line to the airport!

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