Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre

Pygirl89

Member
Not super small portion but just average portion lo ..for guys ..they feedback that they are not full ..for my female guests still find the portion average ..

Ur coordinator Ashley ? Mine also Ashley but she left and gerrayn took over .. hmmm..me and my husband find her quite ok .. she answer all our enquiry and quite str to the point too... but den still based on our point of view ..hope that your wedding will turn out smoothly . :)
 


5watch

New Member
Not super small portion but just average portion lo ..for guys ..they feedback that they are not full ..for my female guests still find the portion average ..

Ur coordinator Ashley ? Mine also Ashley but she left and gerrayn took over .. hmmm..me and my husband find her quite ok .. she answer all our enquiry and quite str to the point too... but den still based on our point of view ..hope that your wedding will turn out smoothly . :)
Are u using crystal ballroom? How many tables did u have? Thinking how will the arrangement be like?
 

MTV GAL

Member
Hi hi,

Know a lot of people are selling their wedding packages here but I feel a need to share my mum's and brother's feedback on the food when they attended a wedding at Holiday Inn on 2 separate occasions.

I won't say too much except that she only rate 3/10 for quality of food.

I kind of agreed with you, the ballroom is not bad but the food quality is kind of sad.

I still remembered I attended a wedding 2-3 years ago and I was surprised the vegetable they served at a banquet this is the first time I find this vegetable at banquet not spinach or broccoli (which are kind of common and presentable) it was lettuce being served.
 

Paul85

New Member
Our Wedding lunch was held in Crystal Ballroom on the 18th December 2016. We gotten a very good package. Our coordinator was Vasanthi and actual day floor manager was Sufian. Vasanthi is a very nice lady who is very approachable and helpful. She delivered what she promised. Sufian was our actual day floor manager, well organised and our actual day was running smoothly thanks to him. The food was okay, it was better than what we had on the food tasting day. Thank you Holiday Inn , Vasanthi and Sufian.
 

SierraCD

New Member
Our Wedding lunch was held in Crystal Ballroom on the 18th December 2016. We gotten a very good package. Our coordinator was Vasanthi and actual day floor manager was Sufian. Vasanthi is a very nice lady who is very approachable and helpful. She delivered what she promised. Sufian was our actual day floor manager, well organised and our actual day was running smoothly thanks to him. The food was okay, it was better than what we had on the food tasting day. Thank you Holiday Inn , Vasanthi and Sufian.

Hey Paul do you mind Pm-ing me the package you received from Holiday Inn Orchard?
 

Neojessica

New Member
Hi all,

Im a graduated HIOCC bride! Holiday Inn Orchard City Centre is a great choice for wedding banquet! We did not regret our decision. Everything is planned nicely and perfect.

My coordinator is Moe. She is extremely helpful and efficient. She also came down personally on sunday ( her off day ) to make sure that everything went smoothly for the entire event. My banquet Manager is Anand, Anand give his 100 percent effort in handling the whole banquet. To the extent that he prepared a cup of water with straw for me so i won't smudge my lipstick. He will asked us whenever we need help repeatedly without fail.

HIOCC is very nice! I heard good reviews from our guests. Food is not that salty and sweet, its perfect for elderly. Its not bland too, chef cooked it perfectly.
A big thumbs up to the Fried Salty Egg Prawn, Yam Paste, Fish maw soup ! Portion wise is more than sufficient.

Signage for the event is clearly indicated, guest will know where to go for the event with the clear directions on the TV screen.

Ballroom mood lighting is perfect! I chose Lavender mood lighting and its really pretty when i walked down the aisle for 1st and 2nd march in.

I will give HIOCC a rating of 4.8/5

0.2 is because of the 3 pillars in the ballroom that might block the view, but there are plasma TVs and big Screen for the guests to see clearly. And the Bridal Suite is a little small for a Bridal Suite and there is no dressing table for bride to do their make up. I used the table chair and shifted to the wide mirror at the walkway to do my make up and hairdo. Overall furnishing is not too bad.

Once again, Thank you HIOCC for the great experience for this joyous celebration.

To Bride-To-Be, If there's any questions regarding wedding banquet in HIOCC, you can email me at [email protected]

Regards,
Jessica Neo
 

peakf

New Member
We just had our wedding on August 2017, But it wasn't a pleasing experience.

1) Reservation Team:
Made many mistakes with my online booking. Was suppose to receive 2 confirmation number, but had only received one. Made a call to reservation team personally, but new mistakes was made and had to get my wedding coordinator to step in.

2) ON THE WEDDING DAY. ALL HELL BREAK LOOSE.

On my WEDDING DAY, front desk make a mess! When I checked in personally for my bridal suite, I mentioned that I have a helper room. Front Desk arranged for a room and told me that I can check out the next day at 12pm. I highlighted that in my contract, the helper room should be check out by 8pm on the same day. Your front desk doesn’t seems to understand but I insisted for her to recheck. That was when the manager stood in to verify and found that it was an error made by the front desk staff.

Subsequently, front desk handed me the room key (Room A) as the helper room. Before my bridesmaid went in, my husband found out by chance that Room *** was one of the room I booked online for my relative. Room A was checked in on the 4th August. We called front desk and they rectified. Front desk gave the 2nd room (Room B). Shortly after, my bridesmaid went INTO THE ROOM AND SAW A PERSON WITH A BRIEF HANGING! My bridesmaids were traumatised. Eventually we found out it was the 2nd room (Room B) I reserved online for my relatives.

HOW CAN SUCH MISTAKES HAPPENED! We called front desk for this absurd mistake for the 2nd time and our coordinator, Gerrayn, to sort this out. Can you imagine the stress the wedding couple has? We could not even rest! Without a helper room, running out of time and left hanging, my bridesmaids had to prepare in our room. Gerrayn (hotel coordinator), got Erra (front desk manager) to change the bridal suite at our request because we simply could not rest in the mess and no space to start bridal make up. I had to delay my bridal make up which caused me to arrive the reception LATE!

3) Sunday 6th Aug. My credit card bank called the front desk to verify if I had my banquet held at Holiday Inn on 5th Aug. FRONTDESK STAFF informed the bank that as they did not serve us (the couple) hence they cannot verify. Bank spoke to the Banquet manager on duty that day, the same answer was given. Does the Hotel NOT even have our outstanding payment record? Even the bank finds it absurd! Eventually we got hold of Mr.Baharom (our banquet manager) to speak to the bank ON HIS OFF DAY!? We appreciate him going the extra miles for us.

4) We checked out on 7th Aug as early as 8am. We received a call from the hotel at 4pm and asked if we have checked out?

Compliment: Gerrayn has kindly upgraded our 2nd night stay, and Front desk staff, Attibet (Served us on 6th Aug night), had also kindly arrange for a complimentary room service breakfast and airport transfer for free after hearing us out.
The banquet department (Mr. Baharom & team) did a great job, we and our guests were very pleased. It feels like at the end of the day, he and his team had salvage the whole horrific experience.

Conclusion: . The booking & front desk department, everything is hopelessly a mess. We are utterly disappointed by the standard and quality of service we received from a 4 star hotel. It seems to me that everyone of your staff work in silo, none of them knows what is happening. We hope that there more cohesiveness between inter-departments coordination.

It will still be a great hotel to consider for wedding banquet but I hope you do not meet the same front desk service + reservation service like mine.

Cheers.
The couple signing off.
 

Eva Ng

New Member
Hi all,

Im a graduated HIOCC bride! Holiday Inn Orchard City Centre is a great choice for wedding banquet! We did not regret our decision. Everything is planned nicely and perfect.

My coordinator is Moe. She is extremely helpful and efficient. She also came down personally on sunday ( her off day ) to make sure that everything went smoothly for the entire event. My banquet Manager is Anand, Anand give his 100 percent effort in handling the whole banquet. To the extent that he prepared a cup of water with straw for me so i won't smudge my lipstick. He will asked us whenever we need help repeatedly without fail.

HIOCC is very nice! I heard good reviews from our guests. Food is not that salty and sweet, its perfect for elderly. Its not bland too, chef cooked it perfectly.
A big thumbs up to the Fried Salty Egg Prawn, Yam Paste, Fish maw soup ! Portion wise is more than sufficient.

Signage for the event is clearly indicated, guest will know where to go for the event with the clear directions on the TV screen.

Ballroom mood lighting is perfect! I chose Lavender mood lighting and its really pretty when i walked down the aisle for 1st and 2nd march in.

I will give HIOCC a rating of 4.8/5

0.2 is because of the 3 pillars in the ballroom that might block the view, but there are plasma TVs and big Screen for the guests to see clearly. And the Bridal Suite is a little small for a Bridal Suite and there is no dressing table for bride to do their make up. I used the table chair and shifted to the wide mirror at the walkway to do my make up and hairdo. Overall furnishing is not too bad.

Once again, Thank you HIOCC for the great experience for this joyous celebration.

To Bride-To-Be, If there's any questions regarding wedding banquet in HIOCC, you can email me at [email protected]

Regards,
Jessica Neo

I am also a graduated bride from HIOCC. Our experience has been nothing short of amazing. Everything was above & beyond our expectation. Firstly, I must share with the experience I had work with my coordinator, Moe. I am not even sure how she manages her clientele so well. She replied to our need & desires promptly & patiently. Our first point of contact was in late 2016 & she worked consistantly with us, along with her other clients. Moe was a huge factor for us to decide on where to hold our Wedding. As the saying goes, "first impression counts". We are always given assurance when we have doubts. Whatever cannot be done, she gave us an honest reply that we respected & accepted. She tired her best to help us with whatever she could. We hope to work with Moe in future if we have any other events. So great to have her as our coordinator. :)

My bqt manager was Sufian. Even though meeting him for the first time we really feel comfortable working with him immediately.
He assured & guides us step by step. BQT food & service was tip top! Great job, sufian & team!

We really appreciate both Moe & Sufian for their efforts and even seeing us off when we check out during their lunch time!
Thumbs up to HIOCC team!
 

Aleesure

Member
Hi all,

Im a graduated HIOCC bride! Holiday Inn Orchard City Centre is a great choice for wedding banquet! We did not regret our decision. Everything is planned nicely and perfect.

My coordinator is Moe. She is extremely helpful and efficient. She also came down personally on sunday ( her off day ) to make sure that everything went smoothly for the entire event. My banquet Manager is Anand, Anand give his 100 percent effort in handling the whole banquet. To the extent that he prepared a cup of water with straw for me so i won't smudge my lipstick. He will asked us whenever we need help repeatedly without fail.

HIOCC is very nice! I heard good reviews from our guests. Food is not that salty and sweet, its perfect for elderly. Its not bland too, chef cooked it perfectly.
A big thumbs up to the Fried Salty Egg Prawn, Yam Paste, Fish maw soup ! Portion wise is more than sufficient.

Signage for the event is clearly indicated, guest will know where to go for the event with the clear directions on the TV screen.

Ballroom mood lighting is perfect! I chose Lavender mood lighting and its really pretty when i walked down the aisle for 1st and 2nd march in.

I will give HIOCC a rating of 4.8/5

0.2 is because of the 3 pillars in the ballroom that might block the view, but there are plasma TVs and big Screen for the guests to see clearly. And the Bridal Suite is a little small for a Bridal Suite and there is no dressing table for bride to do their make up. I used the table chair and shifted to the wide mirror at the walkway to do my make up and hairdo. Overall furnishing is not too bad.

Once again, Thank you HIOCC for the great experience for this joyous celebration.

To Bride-To-Be, If there's any questions regarding wedding banquet in HIOCC, you can email me at [email protected]

Regards,
Jessica Neo


Hi Jessica,

I will be holding my wedding this december at HIOCC, i am taking orchid ballroom. Can i know which ballroom u took? I have concerns on orchid ballroom because the kitchen is in the ballroom itself and the ceiling is quite low.
 

Emma Ei Mon Kyaw

New Member
Hi all,

Im a graduated HIOCC bride! Holiday Inn Orchard City Centre is a great choice for wedding banquet! We did not regret our decision. Everything is planned nicely and perfect.

My coordinator is Moe. She is extremely helpful and efficient. She also came down personally on sunday ( her off day ) to make sure that everything went smoothly for the entire event. My banquet Manager is Anand, Anand give his 100 percent effort in handling the whole banquet. To the extent that he prepared a cup of water with straw for me so i won't smudge my lipstick. He will asked us whenever we need help repeatedly without fail.

HIOCC is very nice! I heard good reviews from our guests. Food is not that salty and sweet, its perfect for elderly. Its not bland too, chef cooked it perfectly.
A big thumbs up to the Fried Salty Egg Prawn, Yam Paste, Fish maw soup ! Portion wise is more than sufficient.

Signage for the event is clearly indicated, guest will know where to go for the event with the clear directions on the TV screen.

Ballroom mood lighting is perfect! I chose Lavender mood lighting and its really pretty when i walked down the aisle for 1st and 2nd march in.

I will give HIOCC a rating of 4.8/5

0.2 is because of the 3 pillars in the ballroom that might block the view, but there are plasma TVs and big Screen for the guests to see clearly. And the Bridal Suite is a little small for a Bridal Suite and there is no dressing table for bride to do their make up. I used the table chair and shifted to the wide mirror at the walkway to do my make up and hairdo. Overall furnishing is not too bad.

Once again, Thank you HIOCC for the great experience for this joyous celebration.

To Bride-To-Be, If there's any questions regarding wedding banquet in HIOCC, you can email me at [email protected]

Regards,
Jessica Neo
Hi Jessica , your coorinator Moe , is she the coordinator dealing with you througout the whole event. I am planning to go down and meet with Gladys Goh who is the assistant catering manager. I checked with him whether he is the one liaise with us throughout the whole evemt. He mentioned to me that he id the venue coordinatior. Can I know Moe is the venue coordinator or event coordinator? Can we request her to attend to us ? Thank you .
 

Emma Ei Mon Kyaw

New Member
I am also a graduated bride from HIOCC. Our experience has been nothing short of amazing. Everything was above & beyond our expectation. Firstly, I must share with the experience I had work with my coordinator, Moe. I am not even sure how she manages her clientele so well. She replied to our need & desires promptly & patiently. Our first point of contact was in late 2016 & she worked consistantly with us, along with her other clients. Moe was a huge factor for us to decide on where to hold our Wedding. As the saying goes, "first impression counts". We are always given assurance when we have doubts. Whatever cannot be done, she gave us an honest reply that we respected & accepted. She tired her best to help us with whatever she could. We hope to work with Moe in future if we have any other events. So great to have her as our coordinator. :)

My bqt manager was Sufian. Even though meeting him for the first time we really feel comfortable working with him immediately.
He assured & guides us step by step. BQT food & service was tip top! Great job, sufian & team!

We really appreciate both Moe & Sufian for their efforts and even seeing us off when we check out during their lunch time!
Thumbs up to HIOCC team!
Hi Eva, can I know your coordinator Moe is the one who showed you around the wedding venue and sign the contract?
 

YL Tay

New Member
My husband and I secured a good wedding package at Holiday Inn Orchard ! We held our wedding banquet on at Orchid Ballroom for 17 tables. We also did our tea ceremony before the banquet, which lessen our day activities.

Moe (Business Development Executive) was our coordinator and she was very helpful and prompt in her responses! She also ensured that we keep to the overall schedule so that we dun miss a step, especially crucial considering we started preparation quite late (as we sign up in mid 2017). She was the youngest coordinator we have met so far and yet she is very very detailed in whatever she does. She had full of ideas & recommendations during our planning process. :)

Mr Anand was our banquet manager that time. His professionalism and willingness to go the extra mile smoothened our nerves and facilitated the whole process. Really happy to have Mr Anand to run our Wedding.

Overall, I will recommend to, at least consider, Holiday Inn Orchard as a choice to hold your wedding banquet.
 

Emma Ei Mon Kyaw

New Member
Dear YL Tay, Thank you for sharing your experience at Holliday Inn Orchard. How is the food taste and portion like ? Don’t mind to share your chosen food menu.
 

fatapple

New Member
Hi Gals

Anyone has held their wedding at Maharja ballroom? Mine will be a small wedding with 7 tables.

Any new updates on the quality of the food and service?
 

fatapple

New Member
Thanks Emma

They can offer the Orchid ballroom however lunch is not available on the day, still hestitating if i should go for the wedding lunch.

Seem like review on their food quality and portion wise is not so good here.
 

Kok Leong

New Member
First of all, I would like to thanks Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard for offering us a good package for my wedding dinner held at their Crystal ballroom.

I Would like to thanks Moe which is our Co-ordinator for helping us to plan and advise us throughout the whole wedding process. She even go for the extra mile to bring forward our wedding date as per our requests.

I would also like to thanks Baharom which is the banquet manager & his team for their service and ensuring the whole process go smoothly.

Lastly, the foods was nice and we enjoyed our stay at Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard.
 

Jabz

New Member
Hi, any recent experience to share? We are looking at orchid room. Appreciate any advice thanks! (Food wise, service etc)
 

Meihao

New Member
Hi all.. I just had my wedding at this hotel at Orchid Ballroom. I'm here basically to share my experience so far with my coordinator as well as food, service, ballroom, etc.

My wedding was being handover many times about three times. From Gladys to Jason to Moe. My husband and I were really worried that there might be many miscommunications due to multiple handover as this is once in our lifetime.

There were times that she couldn't response immediately to us and info missing here and there. However we were really amazed by how she can handle from the other 2 coordinators had left and she is very efficient nearer to our wedding date. We came to understand that she is not only handling many weddings before us (which she had to priorities), she is also all rounder doing all the meeting and social event too. Hence, we can really understand that she is very overwhelmed, what she going through and we really thank her for clarifying all that questions that we threw tl her, accommodating to all our requests till the very last minute. We were really impressed that she made a trip down on her off day , going around check all the details, setup, menu, signage, reception, table cloth, etc... before the wedding commence. She even stayed throughout the wedding. Thumb up for the young lady

Ballroom is small yet grand with all the wedding decorations. Moe also shared with us the latest wedding theme and giving us all the ideas to go well with our preferred wedding setup. Just nice for a setup of 16 to 18tables.

FOOD is great. Chef is also very accommodating and gave us many suggestions to suit our likings during food tasting. The actual day food was even better than food tasting. Warm and big portion

All in all, I will recommend holiday inn and moe You will be in her good hands.
 

Evachanzh

New Member
Just to share my experience with all the bride to be.

My wedding was held in Crystal Ballroom at Holiday Inn Orchard City Centre on 30 June 2019.

Our hotel coordinator was changed three times. From Gladys to Jason to Moe.
We were worried initially on what we had discussed previously with the other 2 coordinators will be miscommunicated during the passing down.

Moe is very accommodating & nice to go out of her way to get things done for us.

2 days before our actual wedding date, my husband, Jovan contacted the photo booth vendor to come in as a surprise for me & Moe can accommodate this last minute surprise which is seriously gave me a good thumbs up for her service.

On our wedding day, she even come down on her off day to make sure everything went smoothly.

We are pleased with our chosen wedding theme (Lavender Bliss) which Moe is very nice to allow us to choose it despite the launch date was just 1 week before our wedding day. We were still contemplating between two wedding theme (Lavender Bliss & Summer love) before the wedding date & Moe is still there with us to ensure what we choose is prepared on the venue.

The only setback was the sound system where we believe that the sound system maybe old where we have not issue with that as we have amazing live band.

We had compliments for the food served on our wedding. Head Chef was very nice to add in few more ingredients to beautify the dish.

Our overall experience in Holiday Inn Orchard was a pleasant one & the operation manager Baharom took great care of us during the dinner & even went to great length to get us extra complimentary tickets for our guest even though we issued out all the tickets.

Bridal suites was really beautiful but it’s a pity that we choose to check out without experiencing the full hotel service.
Breakfast buffet was really delicious & we chatted happily with the waitress who service us during the food tasting about how smooth everything goes during the wedding.

We will definitely recommend Holiday inn and Moe to those who are planning to get married in future :)
 

Sherryx

New Member
Hi all.. I just had my wedding at this hotel at Orchid Ballroom. I'm here basically to share my experience so far with my coordinator as well as food, service, ballroom, etc.

My wedding was being handover many times about three times. From Gladys to Jason to Moe. My husband and I were really worried that there might be many miscommunications due to multiple handover as this is once in our lifetime.

There were times that she couldn't response immediately to us and info missing here and there. However we were really amazed by how she can handle from the other 2 coordinators had left and she is very efficient nearer to our wedding date. We came to understand that she is not only handling many weddings before us (which she had to priorities), she is also all rounder doing all the meeting and social event too. Hence, we can really understand that she is very overwhelmed, what she going through and we really thank her for clarifying all that questions that we threw tl her, accommodating to all our requests till the very last minute. We were really impressed that she made a trip down on her off day , going around check all the details, setup, menu, signage, reception, table cloth, etc... before the wedding commence. She even stayed throughout the wedding. Thumb up for the young lady

Ballroom is small yet grand with all the wedding decorations. Moe also shared with us the latest wedding theme and giving us all the ideas to go well with our preferred wedding setup. Just nice for a setup of 16 to 18tables.

FOOD is great. Chef is also very accommodating and gave us many suggestions to suit our likings during food tasting. The actual day food was even better than food tasting. Warm and big portion

All in all, I will recommend holiday inn and moe You will be in her good hands.

Hi, able to share your menu? Thanks
 

aloy1293

New Member
Saturday Wedding Banquet Dinner on December 2020:

My summarised review:
Service (pre-commitment): 5/5 (post-commitment): 1/5
Food (food tasting): 4/5 Food (actual day): 2/5
Carpark: 3/5 (narrow entrance)
Resources provided: 5/5
Location: 5/5
Ballroom size and design: 5/5

Our queries and requests were extremely accommodating and prompt before we signed the contract to host our banquet 1.5 years before our event. Probably because it was handled by the banquet director (Geraldine). After we signed our contract and went ahead to pay for about 16 tables in instalments, we were referred to the "Senior Business Development Manager" (Vasanthi) who did not seem to be able to respond coherently to our emails.

During the Circuit Breaker from 7 April 2020, we did not receive any updates from the hotel whether there were any changes to our present arrangement until we asked on 19 May 2020. We considered cancelling the banquet without any penalty 90< days before our wedding however, we decided to place our trust in this hotel and go ahead with our original plan.

When the government's regulations relaxed 2 months before our wedding and allowed wedding ceremonies to accommodate 100 pax, we received news from our private solemnisation venue on the updates of our arrangements and not from the hotel. They only updated us when I asked, citing that they did not receive any news before. And only then we learnt that the suite is unavailable for the bride to rest/change/do make up/use the toilet and we cannot choose 5 of the perks that were offered to us, citing that it was due to "government's guidelines". She told us that the suite was unavailable because they were accommodating SHN guests until end of October and will only be able to update us then if we can use the suite. But at the very least, they provided a function room for the bride to change and do her make up. In November, I had to ask her again whether there were any updates about the suite and only then, she told us that they were extending their SHN services. So we had to book a room from another hotel nearby during our banquet date.

2 of these perks included vouchers for boutiques and to purchase wedding bands. I am unsure why the government will not allow them to give us these vouchers. One of these perks included "butler passed canapés during cocktail reception". While I understand that this was clearly not allowed during the pandemic, I do not understand why they cannot serve them individually as they do with the drinks. I was quoted $100++ to have the servers serve canapés to the guests at their tables. But at the very least, they provided a function room for the bride to change and do her make up.
Thereafter, many of our emails were not responded or were only addressed between 3-7 days. When I asked her about my queries, she said that she "did not receive my emails" or was "on off" or because she received my emails over the weekend (but did not reply during mid week). She also only just updated us that they will be extending their accommodation for SHN guests after I asked on 11 November.

Prior to the food tasting, she was supposed to meet us and bring us to the food tasting venue. However, she said that she fell sick and gave me the contact of another person who will bring us there. The food was great, and there were no complains from our family members. However, we decided to change our fish from Soon Hock to Red Garoupa.

Only 1.5 weeks before the wedding, we were informed to arrange an appointment to test the AV and go through the programme. Fortunately, we were able to squeeze in time to do it.

During the banquet, we realised that the chef had added curry leaves to the fried rice, which ruined the taste and the rice was hard.
Before the banquet concluded, the staff told me that they served Soon Hock instead of Red Garoupa citing that the fishes had "fishy smell", which I found difficult to believe. It seemed to me like they just mistakenly ordered Soon Hock instead. It was disappointing that they did not inform me earlier, neither did they update the virtual menu and it reflected as "Red Garoupa", which led my guests to argue with one another whether it was Soon Hock or Red Garoupa.

After the banquet, we thought our stress and worries have concluded. But we had an earful from friends and family members on how horrible the Chinese and vegetarian food were. Guests who ate the vegetarian food said that coffee shop food tastes much better.

It's been 4 months since the wedding and they have not given us everything they owed which were part of the package. I had to keep sending emails to ask Vasanthi if there are any updates on the refund and vouchers they owed us. We received the room vouchers via mail after 2 months, cheque refund for the money we have paid but not used after almost 3 months, and till date we have not received any closure on this phenomenon as they still owe us the buffet dinner vouchers and IHG points.

So in summary, for those who are considering holding your banquet with this hotel, you may try your luck and hope that you don't kena a coordinator that has little initiative and require many follow ups that lead up to your big day. In my opinion, don't count on them to watch your back. Find out from your friends what needs to be done for wedding banquets, because from my experience they (or at least she) don't really tell you what to expect unless you ask. I did not even know what to ask because I have never organised a banquet before. I was only be able to identify the gaps after I have experienced them. So I had to count on my experienced friends to coordinate with the coordinator instead. You may also consider this hotel also if don't mind the possibility of them changing the menu spontaneously on the actual day without notifying you in advance.

For those who have further questions about my experience, I will be happy to address them to the best of my abilities through email at [email protected]. I will also be happy to communicate through Whatsapp, just drop me an email and I can give you my number. :)
 

Hufflepuff

New Member
Saturday Wedding Banquet Dinner on December 2020:

My summarised review:
Service (pre-commitment): 5/5 (post-commitment): 1/5
Food (food tasting): 4/5 Food (actual day): 2/5
Carpark: 3/5 (narrow entrance)
Resources provided: 5/5
Location: 5/5
Ballroom size and design: 5/5

Our queries and requests were extremely accommodating and prompt before we signed the contract to host our banquet 1.5 years before our event. Probably because it was handled by the banquet director (Geraldine). After we signed our contract and went ahead to pay for about 16 tables in instalments, we were referred to the "Senior Business Development Manager" (Vasanthi) who did not seem to be able to respond coherently to our emails.

During the Circuit Breaker from 7 April 2020, we did not receive any updates from the hotel whether there were any changes to our present arrangement until we asked on 19 May 2020. We considered cancelling the banquet without any penalty 90< days before our wedding however, we decided to place our trust in this hotel and go ahead with our original plan.

When the government's regulations relaxed 2 months before our wedding and allowed wedding ceremonies to accommodate 100 pax, we received news from our private solemnisation venue on the updates of our arrangements and not from the hotel. They only updated us when I asked, citing that they did not receive any news before. And only then we learnt that the suite is unavailable for the bride to rest/change/do make up/use the toilet and we cannot choose 5 of the perks that were offered to us, citing that it was due to "government's guidelines". She told us that the suite was unavailable because they were accommodating SHN guests until end of October and will only be able to update us then if we can use the suite. But at the very least, they provided a function room for the bride to change and do her make up. In November, I had to ask her again whether there were any updates about the suite and only then, she told us that they were extending their SHN services. So we had to book a room from another hotel nearby during our banquet date.

2 of these perks included vouchers for boutiques and to purchase wedding bands. I am unsure why the government will not allow them to give us these vouchers. One of these perks included "butler passed canapés during cocktail reception". While I understand that this was clearly not allowed during the pandemic, I do not understand why they cannot serve them individually as they do with the drinks. I was quoted $100++ to have the servers serve canapés to the guests at their tables. But at the very least, they provided a function room for the bride to change and do her make up.
Thereafter, many of our emails were not responded or were only addressed between 3-7 days. When I asked her about my queries, she said that she "did not receive my emails" or was "on off" or because she received my emails over the weekend (but did not reply during mid week). She also only just updated us that they will be extending their accommodation for SHN guests after I asked on 11 November.

Prior to the food tasting, she was supposed to meet us and bring us to the food tasting venue. However, she said that she fell sick and gave me the contact of another person who will bring us there. The food was great, and there were no complains from our family members. However, we decided to change our fish from Soon Hock to Red Garoupa.

Only 1.5 weeks before the wedding, we were informed to arrange an appointment to test the AV and go through the programme. Fortunately, we were able to squeeze in time to do it.

During the banquet, we realised that the chef had added curry leaves to the fried rice, which ruined the taste and the rice was hard.
Before the banquet concluded, the staff told me that they served Soon Hock instead of Red Garoupa citing that the fishes had "fishy smell", which I found difficult to believe. It seemed to me like they just mistakenly ordered Soon Hock instead. It was disappointing that they did not inform me earlier, neither did they update the virtual menu and it reflected as "Red Garoupa", which led my guests to argue with one another whether it was Soon Hock or Red Garoupa.

After the banquet, we thought our stress and worries have concluded. But we had an earful from friends and family members on how horrible the Chinese and vegetarian food were. Guests who ate the vegetarian food said that coffee shop food tastes much better.

It's been 4 months since the wedding and they have not given us everything they owed which were part of the package. I had to keep sending emails to ask Vasanthi if there are any updates on the refund and vouchers they owed us. We received the room vouchers via mail after 2 months, cheque refund for the money we have paid but not used after almost 3 months, and till date we have not received any closure on this phenomenon as they still owe us the buffet dinner vouchers and IHG points.

So in summary, for those who are considering holding your banquet with this hotel, you may try your luck and hope that you don't kena a coordinator that has little initiative and require many follow ups that lead up to your big day. In my opinion, don't count on them to watch your back. Find out from your friends what needs to be done for wedding banquets, because from my experience they (or at least she) don't really tell you what to expect unless you ask. I did not even know what to ask because I have never organised a banquet before. I was only be able to identify the gaps after I have experienced them. So I had to count on my experienced friends to coordinate with the coordinator instead. You may also consider this hotel also if don't mind the possibility of them changing the menu spontaneously on the actual day without notifying you in advance.

For those who have further questions about my experience, I will be happy to address them to the best of my abilities through email at [email protected]. I will also be happy to communicate through Whatsapp, just drop me an email and I can give you my number. :)
Oh no
I am sorry that you have experienced this ☹️ I actually have the same coordinator as yours. And I am unsure if I could request a change in coordinators as she seemed nice but yes the replies took awhile and she said it was due to the wedding she have on hand.. thank you so much for sharing your experience! I will definitely be much more wary of things now
 

aloy1293

New Member
Oh no
I am sorry that you have experienced this ☹ I actually have the same coordinator as yours. And I am unsure if I could request a change in coordinators as she seemed nice but yes the replies took awhile and she said it was due to the wedding she have on hand.. thank you so much for sharing your experience! I will definitely be much more wary of things now

Based on my experience with her, she seemed accommodating but what frustrated me the most was that I had to keep following up with her on many things so my impression of her is that she was not very proactive. Probably because she was very busy but if that was the case, I perceived it as either poor management of her time and tasks or the management within their banquet department.
 

aloy1293

New Member
Saturday Wedding Banquet Dinner on December 2020:

My summarised review:
Service (pre-commitment): 5/5 (post-commitment): 1/5
Food (food tasting): 4/5 Food (actual day): 2/5
Carpark: 3/5 (narrow entrance)
Resources provided: 5/5
Location: 5/5
Ballroom size and design: 5/5

Our queries and requests were extremely accommodating and prompt before we signed the contract to host our banquet 1.5 years before our event. Probably because it was handled by the banquet director (Geraldine). After we signed our contract and went ahead to pay for about 16 tables in instalments, we were referred to the "Senior Business Development Manager" (Vasanthi) who did not seem to be able to respond coherently to our emails.

During the Circuit Breaker from 7 April 2020, we did not receive any updates from the hotel whether there were any changes to our present arrangement until we asked on 19 May 2020. We considered cancelling the banquet without any penalty 90< days before our wedding however, we decided to place our trust in this hotel and go ahead with our original plan.

When the government's regulations relaxed 2 months before our wedding and allowed wedding ceremonies to accommodate 100 pax, we received news from our private solemnisation venue on the updates of our arrangements and not from the hotel. They only updated us when I asked, citing that they did not receive any news before. And only then we learnt that the suite is unavailable for the bride to rest/change/do make up/use the toilet and we cannot choose 5 of the perks that were offered to us, citing that it was due to "government's guidelines". She told us that the suite was unavailable because they were accommodating SHN guests until end of October and will only be able to update us then if we can use the suite. But at the very least, they provided a function room for the bride to change and do her make up. In November, I had to ask her again whether there were any updates about the suite and only then, she told us that they were extending their SHN services. So we had to book a room from another hotel nearby during our banquet date.

2 of these perks included vouchers for boutiques and to purchase wedding bands. I am unsure why the government will not allow them to give us these vouchers. One of these perks included "butler passed canapés during cocktail reception". While I understand that this was clearly not allowed during the pandemic, I do not understand why they cannot serve them individually as they do with the drinks. I was quoted $100++ to have the servers serve canapés to the guests at their tables. But at the very least, they provided a function room for the bride to change and do her make up.
Thereafter, many of our emails were not responded or were only addressed between 3-7 days. When I asked her about my queries, she said that she "did not receive my emails" or was "on off" or because she received my emails over the weekend (but did not reply during mid week). She also only just updated us that they will be extending their accommodation for SHN guests after I asked on 11 November.

Prior to the food tasting, she was supposed to meet us and bring us to the food tasting venue. However, she said that she fell sick and gave me the contact of another person who will bring us there. The food was great, and there were no complains from our family members. However, we decided to change our fish from Soon Hock to Red Garoupa.

Only 1.5 weeks before the wedding, we were informed to arrange an appointment to test the AV and go through the programme. Fortunately, we were able to squeeze in time to do it.

During the banquet, we realised that the chef had added curry leaves to the fried rice, which ruined the taste and the rice was hard.
Before the banquet concluded, the staff told me that they served Soon Hock instead of Red Garoupa citing that the fishes had "fishy smell", which I found difficult to believe. It seemed to me like they just mistakenly ordered Soon Hock instead. It was disappointing that they did not inform me earlier, neither did they update the virtual menu and it reflected as "Red Garoupa", which led my guests to argue with one another whether it was Soon Hock or Red Garoupa.

After the banquet, we thought our stress and worries have concluded. But we had an earful from friends and family members on how horrible the Chinese and vegetarian food were. Guests who ate the vegetarian food said that coffee shop food tastes much better.

It's been 4 months since the wedding and they have not given us everything they owed which were part of the package. I had to keep sending emails to ask Vasanthi if there are any updates on the refund and vouchers they owed us. We received the room vouchers via mail after 2 months, cheque refund for the money we have paid but not used after almost 3 months, and till date we have not received any closure on this phenomenon as they still owe us the buffet dinner vouchers and IHG points.

So in summary, for those who are considering holding your banquet with this hotel, you may try your luck and hope that you don't kena a coordinator that has little initiative and require many follow ups that lead up to your big day. In my opinion, don't count on them to watch your back. Find out from your friends what needs to be done for wedding banquets, because from my experience they (or at least she) don't really tell you what to expect unless you ask. I did not even know what to ask because I have never organised a banquet before. I was only be able to identify the gaps after I have experienced them. So I had to count on my experienced friends to coordinate with the coordinator instead. You may also consider this hotel also if don't mind the possibility of them changing the menu spontaneously on the actual day without notifying you in advance.

For those who have further questions about my experience, I will be happy to address them to the best of my abilities through email at [email protected]. I will also be happy to communicate through Whatsapp, just drop me an email and I can give you my number. :)
Update: We finally received all our perks, and the Buffet Dinner vouchers on 22 May 2021, with the date of issue indicated as 5 December 2020 and expiry on 5 October 2021. With the ongoing "Phase 2 Heighten Alert", I guess we'll just left with 4 months after to use the vouchers. LOL
 

aloy1293

New Member
Update: We finally received all our perks, and the Buffet Dinner vouchers on 22 May 2021, with the date of issue indicated as 5 December 2020 and expiry on 5 October 2021. With the ongoing "Phase 2 Heighten Alert", I guess we'll just left with 4 months after to use the vouchers. LOL
Update: In spite of my multiple email requests, I still haven't received any confirmation on the extension of dining vouchers to this date. I also attempted to use the hotel room vouchers and was informed by the hotel representative, Jen, that my vouchers were discount vouchers and not room vouchers. So I had to PAY to use the vouchers.

Good luck to those who have signed with Holiday Inn...
 

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