Review: Singapore Airlines The Private Room

The lounge can be accessed in terminal 3 near the A gates.  This the location of Singapore Airlines’ best lounges, and the entrance is shared with the First Class and Business Class lounges. Just look for the beautiful Singapore Airlines motif spanning the escalator going upstairs from the central shopping area.

The lounge can be accessed by passengers who are flying First/Suite Class with Singapore Airlines. What makes this exclusive is that you cannot have access due to any status or while flying in First Class on partner airlines. It is dedicated just for the airline’s own First/Suite class passengers with no guests allowed.

It is open almost all day, with a brief closure between 2:30AM and 5:30AM.  It can be used as a departure or arrival lounge for First/Suite guests.

The dining is the real star of the show here. There is counter space with a huge wine display, however the vast majority of the food and drink on offer is à la carte. There is also a small buffet featuring quick snacks and deserts.

The food and drink selection and quality were certainly not of your everyday airport lounge, but rather a high end restaurant featuring both Western and Asian cuisine. I tried a green salad with house vinaigrette, the airline’s famous chicken satay, some jasmine tea, a couple of small deserts, and a couple nice glasses of champagne including the 2012 Taittinger Comtes. I would have loved to have indulged in more, however by default you are either coming from or going to a first class flight with the airline.  As someone you loves to dine in the air, I try to save most of my appetite for that.

The service is excellent as well. The staff were friendly and all addressed me by name (so were made aware of it after my entrance) and were very attentive to anything I might need. The dining is the main experience here which has a very upscale, exclusive feel.

Since the service is all at your own table, you can pop over to the First Class lounge if you’re looking to kill some time with potentially more social activity at their beautiful bar.

There are 4 nap rooms available which are on a first-come, first-serve basis. You can reserve them for 2 hours, but that can be extended if there isn’t demand for it. You can also use it when the lounge is closed between 2:30-5:30 AM.  They feature a very comfortable twin bed, work desk with chair, and a full recliner chair.

The room is quite cozy and I was able to take a short nap here. But I wouldn’t count on these to get a very serious amount of deep sleep like you would in a hotel room. Firstly, you can’t reserve them for that long, so you’d have to get up to see if you can stay longer in the room. Also, there is a small window in the door leading to them, so they aren’t 100% private.

The nap rooms aren’t ensuite, but there are elegant washrooms a short walk away. These have heavy accents of marble and granite, with the airline’s signature premium Lalique amenities.

There are also some truly opulent marble and granite shower suites which are equally available on a first-come, first-serve basis. They also have the same Lalique amenities, and Como Shambhala body soap and shampoo/conditioner. They are spacious with great water pressure and include standard and rainfall shower heads.

In Canada, the fastest way to earn KrisFlyer miles redeemable for award flights on Singapore Airlines is through the Marriott Bonvoy program. It’s possible to transfer your Marriott Bonvoy points into KrisFlyer Miles at a 3:1 ratio. If your goal is to fly First Class or on the Suites on Singapore Airlines with Miles, the welcome bonuses from Marriott Bonvoy^® American Express^®* Card and Marriott Bonvoy^® Business American Express^®* Card can help you get there. 

Read our guide to find out how to transfer your Marriott Bonvoy points to KrisFlyer.

I had been quite keen to visit this lounge for some time and it did not disappoint. The staff are friendly and very attentive, true to the Singapore Airlines level of usual hospitality. The à la carte dining and drinks are top notch, and the  available amenities of bathrooms, showers, and nap rooms will give most of what any traveler would want in a departure or arrival lounge.

One thing that could have been improved upon with the design is to have some natural light which is sadly missing.

And being the best lounge for one of the world’s best airlines, it is a bit disappointing that the ground experience doesn’t include anything else. This could be a chauffeur service, escort within the terminal or to the plane, or some spa services. Or even a unique feature to make it stand out such as a special terrace, small gym, jacuzzi, etc. like some other airlines provide as a way to go above and beyond the traditional airport lounge.

By this measure there isn’t much in the lounge that will truly give you an amazing experience that you can’t get with other airlines. But having said that, what is done, is done very well. And I think the main value here is a true feeling of exclusivity and personalized treatment, seeing how it is in fact one of the world’s most exclusive airport spaces.