In the crowded hospitality scene, guests are spoilt for choice and services that were once ground-breaking — like pillow menus, personal shopping services and in-room check-ins — are now a given. What then sets the new five-star Dusit Thani Laguna Singapore apart? Having just stayed there, I’d bank on its expansive footprint and unique setting in the green fairways of a golf club, both of which combine to make you feel like you’ve truly escaped Singapore’s urban jungle. Go now before the rest of the country cottons on.
Where exactly is the resort?
It’s set on the grounds of the Laguna National Golf & Country Club, about 10 minutes’ drive from Changi Airport — as evidenced by the jetliners that periodically fly over the resort.
While the road to the Dusit wends along the massive construction site of the East Coast Integrated Depot, it fortunately concludes in orderly calm when you’re greeted with a gracious “sawadee kap” by a Thai costume-clad doorman at the main entrance.
What are the rooms like?
There are 198 keys in total in the lowrise resort, of which nine are suites. Rooms are sized from 387 sq ft and suites from 861 sq ft, with the soon-to-open Champion (Presidential) suite topping out at 1,238 + 1,895 sq ft. The tastefully luxurious guest rooms feature earth-toned hues, dark wood and Asian-inspired decor accents, while double-glazed windows reduce the sound of passing jets to a dull hum.
The Pool Patio rooms have a petite terrace and easy pool access (but are not currently available due to Covid-19 regulations). Two accessible rooms are available upon request, with thoughtful features such as wheelchair-friendly layouts, sensor-activated main doors and pull-down clothing racks.
Amenity-wise, if sumptuously soft duck-down pillows aren’t your speed, check out the pillow menu. It offers eight options to satisfy even the most persnickety sleepers, from NASA-approved orthopedic memory foam pillows to “anti-snore pillows” and Japanese-style soba buckwheat numbers.
Also available: complimentary Wi-Fi (which can be spotty), a Lavazza espresso machine and a complimentary mini-bar and Ronnefeldt teas. Deluxe and Club bathrooms come with fragrant Nature Touch products from Thailand.
What precautions ensure enhanced hygiene?
Automated floor scrubbers and temperature sensors are par for the course but the Dusit just debuted new services that make the guest experience safer yet more enjoyable. For example, guests can now make payments through their mobile devices or use a personal shopping service to obtain local foods and souvenirs without leaving the resort.
Guests also receive a complimentary Dusit Care Kit, comprising a face mask, hand sanitiser and antibacterial wipes.
An in-room Stayplease app lets you contact staff, order in-room dining or book a massage off your room’s big-screen smart TV. Using the app to order a quick snack proved glitchy for me (orders wouldn’t go through), but I imagine it’s a teething issue that will be sorted out.
What kinds of activities are available?
Laguna National was the first local golf club to host Tiger Woods, so keen golfers (with a valid handicap) should definitely head to the two 18-hole championship golf courses. Hotel guests who book the Stay and Play package will enjoy course access. And the on-course golf shop — the island’s largest — provides every golfing accessory you need.
DFiT Fitness Centre, one of Singapore’s largest hotel gyms, is also available but if relaxation is what you’re after, book a treatment at Devarana Spa. Its 90-minute Devarana Signature Massage features a blend of Thai, Swedish and shiatsu-influenced long strokes that prove surprisingly energising.
The Dusit’s 53m-long main pool is a real showstopper too. It has multiple lounging areas and is flanked by a putting-green-inspired kiddie pool and a 32m-long relaxation pool. I recommend booking one of the chic poolside cabanas, which are ideal for post-swim drowsing and Instagram #bestlife shoots alike.
Laguna National also organises workshops (such as festive crafts or soap making) that hotel guests can join for a fee. These are held in one of the eight double-storey pavilions lining the pool, each of which have their own plunge pool.
What about dining options?
Don’t miss the foliage-bedecked Greenhouse, with its towering curved glass wall affording sunny views of the Masters course beyond. The all-day dining restaurant offers Thai, Japanese, Indian, Chinese and Mediterranean fare.
The poolside Tee Deck offers Thai-inspired barbecue dishes and Western-style grills and a wine and cocktail bar, and a soon-to-open gourmet takeaway counter.
dusit.com/dusitthani-laguna-singapore
This story first appeared in the March 2021 issue of A Magazine.