Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree

My children loved the family room. We had our late lunch in the balcony when we first checked in. Checked in was smooth and fast. Location is great if you want to get away from the buzzing city.

Mandai is in an unusual location for Singapore, being surrounded by forest and a lake. It makes for a peaceful stay but of course the main point of difference is the various wildlife attractions, including the zoo and the bird sanctuary. The zoo is an easy walk and Bird Paradise is a bit longer but there is a regular shuttle bus if you don’t fancy walking in the heat and humidity. Our room was excellent with plenty of space, a comfortable bed and nice views. The restaurant serves a great breakfast and we also had a very tasty dinner there. On our second night we walked over to the hawker centre near the zoo and samples some cheap food there. My only gripe would be that the pillows were t firm enough for my taste but other than that I would recommend staying here and I would go again.

Singapore's Mandai Wildlife Reserve and its parks is a wonderful experience already. Staying in luxury in the midst of it makes it oh so much more special. Our family of four had an unforgettable two-night stay at the Mandai Rainforest Resort. First of all, the location is really ideal, an approximately 30m ride from Changi airport, 30/40m from more central parts of town, and of course right by the zoo, night safari and other Mandai parks, as well as quite a few dining options. Can't beat the convenience while visiting Mandai. The resort's modern structure, set amidst lush greenery, and its open-air lobby are stunning. It feels like a design masterpiece in the middle of the jungle. We absolutely loved our family room. It had a strong sense of place, featured beautiful materials, was gorgeous and just really pleasant to be in. The kid's' nook was lovely and really comfy. The kids' bed, a queen size, was large enough for both our children. The adults' king size bed was heavenly. We appreciated the roll-down divider that separates the room a bit. The AC worked really well and was quiet, which was oh so appreciated after spending days sweating in the reserve. The balcony was such a nice place to hang, in our case early in the morning jetlagged. It's completely screened so mosquitoes are not even a concern. The room was totally quiet, but we could hear birds and animals from the balcony, which was lovely. Lots of nice little details in the room, too, from slippers and robes for everyone including the kids, to nice amenities in the bathroom and useful gifts during turndown. The rooftop infinity pool is impressive as well, in a unique setting. It's got nice amenities as well, from sunscreen to kid towels to adult towels. We really enjoyed breakfast. There was an extensive buffet as well as live cooking stations for eggs, noodles and pancakes. The one thing I will say is that service was, well, mostly self-service in our experience. We checked-in through an automated kiosk (staff did take care of our luggage). Breakfast, though like I said delicious and varied, was self-service including for drinks. Come to think of it we never really interacted with any staff, except for the one time we requested a second pillow for the kids' bed, which seemed to confuse the reception staff we asked. Anyway, none of that really bothered us, or made our stay any less special. Just don't expect Mandarin Oriental or St Regis-style high touch service here. Possibly my only regret is not to have spent a third night here! Upon booking I figured we'd be "bored" with Mandai after a couple of days. But there is so much to do, and the setting is so lovely, I kinda wish we had had one more night to enjoy Mandai, the resort and its pool and unwind! That should tell you how much I recommend this place :)

Fun little staycation at the Mandai resort. Great location and close to the parks. Check in and check out was smooth, thanks Toby! My one negative is that for a resort with so many kids, there should be better sound proofing or dinner floor plan design. Too many kids running around unsupervised during dinner, screaming and running into other people carrying hot food or soup. Probably won't come back in the near future but a decent experience overall.

I stayed at MRR for 3D2N to celebrate my husband’s birthday and we had a really memorable stay. During check-in, we were served by Ariffin, who was very friendly and helpful. Our room was nicely decorated and well organised by Toby. We were also surprised with a whole cake prepared by Toby, together with a handwritten birthday card. Such a thoughtful gesture! During breakfast, there was one moment that really impressed me. I asked for pineapple juice, but it was not available. Instead of simply saying it was unavailable, Ashraff took some fresh pineapple from the cut fruits and blended it for me. I really appreciated his effort. He could have simply said “not available”, but he went the extra mile to make sure we were well taken care of as guests. Overall, I’m very happy with all the associates. Everyone was friendly and helpful, and we had a wonderful and memorable birthday staycation. Till next time MRR 😉