Staycation at Rasa Sentosa

During the June school holidays, we made a last minute decision to take a staycation. For those familiar with me, staycations are a huge part of my family holiday plans after one trip to Hong Kong Disneyland. The convenience and ease of a staycation never fail to attract us to the various hotels on Sentosa, namely the ones in Resorts World. This year we were faced with a challenge. Resorts World was fully booked!

Rasa Sentosa Resort and Spa by Shangri-La

After scouting around on the internet, I found that Rasa Sentosa by Shangri-La may be a good alternative. So I booked a 3 days, 2 nights stay for the family. When we arrived at the hotel, we ran into some friends who also made the same booking for the same reason. So we were a bit apprehensive since the hotel didn't appear to be the first choice among friends. Well, we were proven wrong over the next couple of days.

Deluxe Pool View Room with Twin Beds

The room was fantastic for a few reasons. Please note that we selected the deluxe pool view room which is bigger than most of the other rooms. We were unable to secure a room with a King sized bed but the one with Twin beds worked equally well.

1) There was a bathtub in the bathroom. This was a hit with the boys.

2) The floor was tiled rather than carpeted. This is a lot more hygienic in my mind and the boys could sit on the floor without me worrying about germs and bugs.

3) The sofa bed was the size of a Queen size bed! A lot nicer for the helper even though she had to sleep with one of the boys.

4) There was a lovely view of the pool, needless to mention.

There was free wifi throughout the hotel, which was fantastic. We booked during a promotion period and the boys had free access to the Kids Club. They enjoyed themselves tremendously. There were activities such as a walk, scavenger hunt and indoor activities like art and Wii (which topped everything). Food was provided free as well, nice! We also had free breakfast for the family at the cafe which provided a scrumptious spread, including a section just for kids.

View of the pool from our room

The pool was fun for the children because there were 3 slides for the kids, compared to only one at the Hard Rock Hotel in Resorts World. The pool was divided into sections for kids and adults.

Mother peacock with chicks

Peacock resting at night

We could see peacocks roaming the grounds during the day and sleeping on the tree outside our room at night. Yes, the peacocks could make their way to the branches of the trees, 4 stories high, and sleep while perched on he branches. I learn something new everyday, even when on vacation. There were squirrels scooting about as well.





Peacock perching on railing

The hotel provided free shuttle to Vivocity and this was very convenient for my parents who visited on the first night. We also went out for dinner with the boys on the second night. Window shopping at Vivocity is always welcome. There are also free shuttles within Sentosa from the bus stop near the hotel so it was easy to get around the island.

Overall, the hotel was very idyllic and not as urbanised as Resorts World. If you are looking for a quiet place to stay, without being too far from the excitement, this is the place to go to. I've asked the boys if they would like to return in December. I've received a mixed response - Xavier wants to stay at home (don't ask), Keane wants to return and Ryan wants to go to the Shangri-La in Penang because that comes with a huge indoor playground with big slides. We would most likely return to Rasa Sentosa.

Idyllic surroundings

My advice is to plan early and book fast!