Ms Skinnyfat

Hotels in Orchard Road are known to be on the pricy side with their 4-5 stars and prime location. For the young and savvy travelers who are looking to be in the midst of all the action, Hotel Jen is actually a pretty good option. I recently checked out the transformed Traders Hotel, now known as Hotel Jen Tanglin, and stayed in their Club Room with all day Club access. 

I absolutely dig the new contemporary look and feel of the hotel. It's bright and cheery, with thoughtful touches such as: free WiFi, USB charger outlets, high pressure walk-in showers, and king-sized floating beds with 300-thread count linen. My room also had the perfect view of the pool and the surrounding greenery.  
I'm always a snack away from the Club Lounge, which is conveniently located a few doors away from our room on the 17th floor. 
It has a great view to boot as well. Perfect for lounging or catching up on some work over coffee.

One could enjoy a smaller selection of breakfast items (or head to the buffet breakfast at J65); all day snacks and drinks, evening cocktails with canapés, and even supper if you wish (we had some post drinks cup noodles at 1am)!

The breakfast spread.

Evening cocktails hour with cocktails, wine, cheese, and hot canapés. It is possible to fill yourself up if you wish!   

We checked out the Sunday Champagne Brunch at J65 separately. At $128 nett, it's one of the most affordable champagne brunch serving free flow of Perrier-Jouët champagne, beers, wines, juices and drinks. Well even if not for the food, the champagne alone would be worth the tag. 

The food selection is quite small, with only 1 live station that does Asian noodles. What I enjoyed was the selection of healthy and tasty salads and greens (great for vegetarians), decent selection of cold seafood, and a variety of meats and cold cuts. Skip desserts and stick with the bubbly as the calories are better spent on the latter. 

What I also love about Hotel Jen Tanglin is its location. Botanical Gardens is the highlight for me. A run to and around the lush park, also a UNESCO World Heritage site, will clock you 6km. Can't ask for a better way to stay active on your travels! The 24h gym, though small-ish, is sufficiently equipped for your strength and conditioning training. A 30m long outdoor swimming pool, jacuzzi, sauna, steam and treatments rooms and pool bar are available on site as well.

If you are looking for some interesting spots/experiences in the city, check out the Heart Map, an interactive crowdsourced map that provides recommendations to any profile of international travelers. Otherwise, Orchard Road is a 10mins walk/ quick shuttle ride away.