HoneyKids Asia (and our mini reporters) went to get the lowdown on the Village Hotel in sunny Sentosa to see if this newly opened hotel ticked the boxes for an ultimate fam staycay in Singapore...
We love a new hotel opening. Yes, we’re spoilt when it comes to staycays in SG (so. much. choice!), but there’s nothing quite like a revamped hotel to get us excited – especially when it just so happens to be a fam-friendly gem over in Sentosa. Village Hotel is officially open, and we went along to check out their brand new Mini Hotelier Programme as part of the Village Playcation to see what it had in store for the kids…
Location
The hotel is located in the middle of Sentosa, within easy reach of Resorts World Sentosa and not too far from the monorail. It’s part of three hotels which share the same facilities: The Outpost, The Barracks and Village Hotel Sentosa. But don’t worry, there are plenty of pools to pick from (four, in fact!). The hotel is opposite The Mess Hall, which also has a few restaurants, cafes and a convenient 7-Eleven (because if you’re like us when travelling with kids, you’ll always forget something).
Check-in (where the kids take charge!)
What we loved about Village Hotel Sentosa is that family is not just a gimmick; this is a family hotel through and through. And that starts even at check-in with a dedicated counter (complete with steps) for the kids to check in on the family’s behalf. They even get their own novelty key! The lobby has more kid-friendly touches like a help-yourself popcorn and sweet cart!
And then it’s off to the rooms…
There’s a range of family-friendly rooms with connecting doors and all the kids’ amenities you could need. The additional goodies provided, complete with an activity book, were a big thumbs up for our kids, and that’s before we checked out the activities around the hotel (there are loads!). One more point on the room – we gave Village Hotel huge kudos for installing a drinking water tap in the rooms with glasses. No more endless hotel plastic bottles, yay!
While the rooms aren’t high-end plush, they’re far from basic. You can tell the hotel has had a revamp, and the rooms are practical and comfortable for all the family. There are shared facilities in each corridor area with tea and coffee available throughout your stay.
Kids activities aplenty
What sets Village Hotel Sentosa apart from the rest on fam-friendly appeal is the kids’ activities. It’s up there with the best in delivering all-out fun. If anything, there’s probably too much choice – we couldn’t get through it all. Where to begin? Let’s head to the pool!
Pool facilities
FYI – there’s a lazy river. YES! Who needs to head to the waterpark when there’s a lazy river at the hotel? Note. It’s a pretty ferocious lazy river, we took our one-year-old and almost four-year-old for a loop and didn’t repeat it, but it will 100% appeal to the older kids who you probably won’t see until lunchtime. For something a bit more sedate, there’s a dedicated children’s pool complete with sprinklers and two gentle slides. We think it’s a great option to keep the under 5’s entertained. Don’t miss out on the small playground nearby either, complete with novelty rocking horses. Not that you’ll be spending much time there because there are all the other pools to check out! Head to the main pool area, or for a more chilled vibe with sea views and in-pool loungers, head to the pool with a swim-up bar. It’s a parents’ holiday too, right?
Kids’ activities in the lobby
Alas, there’s no official kids’ club at Village Hotel Sentosa, but the good news is there are plenty of activities to keep your mini-me’s occupied. The hotel lobby has a dedicated schedule for kids’ activities. When we were there, we managed to check out everything from sand art to NERF gun activities, magic shows, acrylic painting and more! There’s something for most ages in terms of the activities on offer, and it’s all part of the room rate (no additional fee for these activities).
Don’t miss the cinema!
The fun doesn’t end when the sun goes down. Bag a seat on a bean bag by the pool on Friday and Saturday night and check out a fam-friendly movie (don’t forget to nab your popcorn downstairs before it starts!).
Mini Hotelier Experience
This is the latest addition to the kid-friendly fun – letting little ones take on the role of running a hotel in a series of sessions. Most of these activities take place in a dedicated area of the hotel, where each room has been adapted to cater for kids’ activities. Pick from art, housekeeping or engineering. We’d suggest art and engineering for the older kids, and housekeeping is a pretend play option. We didn’t think the kids would go for the latter, but actually, the mini hoovers and mini window cleaning activity was a hit! Once the kids have done the hard work, they can earn ‘money’ which they can exchange for a treat outside the shop.
Our favourite hotelier option was definitely the mini chef hosted in The Native Kitchen (the hotel’s main dining option), and kids get the lowdown on how to make their own pizza (which they get to make and eat). It comes complete with a mini apron, chef’s hat and a certificate. We thought this was the best out of all the options and was a hit with our four-year-old!
Food and drink
Breakfast is provided as part of the hotel package, and although we weren’t blown away by it, there’s still a wide range of options to keep the fussy eaters happy, and worked out at excellent value for money.
We also tried out the hotel’s dining in the evening, which was in the same location as breakfast. There’s a wide selection of local as well as international classics and a dedicated kid’s menu. Looking for more options? Hop on the complimentary shuttle bus to check out the options further afield around Sentosa or over at VivoCity.
Our verdict…
This ticks all the boxes for a fam-friendly staycay and value for money and then some. It might not be as fancy or luxurious as some of the more well-known brands, but the revamp means everything is new, comfortable and designed with families in mind. We were blown away by the pool set-up and the kids’ activities, and the hotel would be very high on our list as a recommendation for a go-to family getaway.
Here are all the deets:
We were hosted as part of the Village Playcation package where you can enjoy three days and two nights’ staycay in a family room with the following:
- Daily breakfast (up to 4 pax)
- Supersized kids’ pack for family rooms
- Option of Mini Hotelier Experience
- Up to 25% off participating F&B outlets and Sentosa attractions
Book period: 1 September – 23 December 2022 and stay period: 1 September – 23 December 2022.
Have you stayed? Let us know your verdict! Stay tuned for more checking in reviews coming soon!
