Thai-inspired retreat in the east: Dusit Thani Laguna Singapore staycation review

Surrounded by green manicured golf courses and vast blue skies, Dusit Thani Laguna Singapore is an oasis in the East where you can pretend, if only for a moment, that you’re not home.

For the past year and a bit, staycations have been all the rage — and for good reason. With borders still closed and Air Travel Bubbles in constant limbo, Singaporeans have found solace in resorts and hotels around the island.

If anything, staycations have helped provide some sort of semblance to our old jet-setting lifestyles.

While I haven’t always been the most enthused staycation-er, like most, travel deprivation eventually got to me and I caved.

For all you folks looking to save money , I would recommend making use of the resort’s complimentary pick up from Jewel (or any of these other pick-up points in the East) — if only for the experience of being shuttled from the airport to the resort. Even from our Grab, we were overwhelmed with travel-induced nostalgia.

Dusit Thani Laguna Singapore: Arrival, lobby & check-in experience

After going through the quick temperature taking and TraceTogether checkpoints, we were promptly ushered over to the check-in counters.

We also walked past a ton of Thai merchandise and memorabilia that you could bring home as souvenirs — quite reminiscent of what you would experience on a real holiday in Thailand.

The lobby of the resort was spacious with tons of light filtering in through the tall glass windows, with the view of the golf course and villas just right behind the counters. The process was quick and before long, we had our keycards and welcome drink coupons in hand.

Stomach first, we headed down to the pool for freshly made lemongrass tea at The Tee Deck, an alfresco bar and grill concept that’s all about incorporating homegrown produce in their food and drinks. Time to check out our rooms!

Dusit Thani Laguna Singapore: Deluxe Pool View room

We were booked into the thoughtfully furnished modern and spacious Deluxe Laguna Pool View rooms. Walking in, we were immediately faced to face with sprawling golf courses, sparkling pool(s) and the gorgeous villas that wistfully sat on the other side of the pool.

There was ample seating space, glassware, a fully decked out kitchenette with a no-frills coffee machine and minifridge, a washroom with a rainshower plus huge sink space, as well as super plush bathrobes and slippers!

We were very impressed by the ice-buckets that they sent up to our rooms so quickly when we requested for some to chill our drinks.

Dusit Thani Laguna Singapore: Greenhouse Restaurant

After a full day at the pool, you’re probably famished. Lucky for you, the resort comes prepared with four dining spots for you to pig out at.

We settled with Greenhouse — a lush, forest-themed restaurant with major Pollen-slash-flower-dome vibes.

They’ve got five show kitchens but unfortunately, due to the pandemic, we were unable to watch the chefs at work.

Instead, we ordered through their e-menu and the food was brought over by their helpful servers.

Dusit Thani Laguna Singapore: Greenhouse Restaurant food & 3-course set dinner

We were here for the resort’s Dinner Set Menu that allowed us to select up to three items from the whole menu that included appetisers, soups, mains and desserts. We tried about six items but here are the three that we would recommend.

Nam Tok Neua : A super juicy appetiser that features grilled wagyu beef soaked in a tangy-sweet tomato puree served with a side of melon.

Tom Ka Gai : A soup not to be missed! Think succulent bites of chicken bathed in a milky fragrant coconut soup base spiced with chillies and lime leaves for extra oompf.

Khao Niao Mamuang: A sweet end to the otherwise savoury feast, their mango sticky rice is the quintessential conclusion to your Thai-inspired dinner. They were extremely generous when it came to portions of Thai mango.

All it needed was a drizzle of coconut milk, a scoop of sweet-salty rice and it was a party on our tongues. Yum!

Dusit Thani Laguna Singapore: In-resort facilities (pool, spa, gym)

There are three different kinds of swimming pools at this resort. You have one that’s more for lounging around, with white lounge chairs where a ton of people were getting their photos taken. It’s also shallow enough for your kids to frolic in if you prefer a more shaded area.

For non-shaded fun, there’s a faux-grass mount, with water fountains planted all around it — fitted with a proper kiddy pool.

Last but not least, there’s a huge water body that rivers through the resort. Its length and width is great for getting your workout in without having to bump into someone else every other lap. There are also cozy seating areas all around that’s perfect for that midday cocktail.

If you’re not a fan of golf or swimming, why not treat yourself to an afternoon at Devarana Spa ? Said to be inspired by the concept of an Eden, or heavenly garden, the resort spa is all about healing treatments in a tranquil space.

There’s a selection of massages, facials and scrubs available (we recommend calling ahead to book or inquire if the covid-restrictions apply to the beauty treatments provided), but the resort recommends their Devarana Signature Massage (from $220) that sees a bunch of massage techniques incorporated with aromatherapy that’s designed to invigorate, revitalise and relax your muscles.

Alternatively, work those muscles at their surprisingly well decked-out gym. There’s everything you might need for a weekend getaway here. Including Yoga classes! Just remember to pre-book your gym slot in advance.

Dusit Thani Laguna Singapore: Breakfast buffet @ Greenhouse Restaurant

After a good nights’ sleep, we hurried down to Greenhouse for our buffet breakfast. Much like a real greenhouse, there were solar panels that lined the top of the glass dome and in the sunlight, the greenery looked even more lush than it did at night.

Instead of the usual buffet trays and omelette stations, we were told to order through their e-menu. Like dinner, the food was brought over by their helpful servers.

Hungry and expectant, we were not disappointed because we were almost immediately served with a bread basket, cute bottles of tropical juice as well as a fruit platter.

The table was already prepped with fresh bottles of jam as well as butter for our bread and the usual condiments for our coffee or tea.

Due to the pandemic, the buffet was eat-per-order. And while we went a little ham with our orders in the haze of hunger, we narrowed it down to another three dishes that we loved!

I’ve also taken the liberty of adding in their ala carte prices just in case you’re planning to pop by just for the vacation vibes and some bites.

Homemade Organic Bircher Muesli ($14) : A comforting (and uber yummy) bowl of rolled-over oats soaked in yoghurt and potentially apple juice, buried under a generous helping of blueberries, strawberries and almonds.

Sides ($8 each): Of course, no buffet is complete without it! We went for the juicy grilled pork sausages, nicely caramelised pork bacon strips, buttery sautéed potatoes and hash brown for that nice crunch to tie it all in together.

Spicy Thai Omelette ($15): A personal favourite that I could have for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This well-portioned golden brown omelette is not just fragrant with wok hei, but diligently speckled with tons of chicken, coriander, onion and of course, chilli for spice.

My only complaint is that it didn’t come with a bowl of jasmine rice.

Dusit Thani Laguna Singapore: Check out process

The checkout process was painless and quick. Like check-in, we were done in less than ten minutes. Soon, we were packed away in our grabs home relieving the luxury of the staycation we just experienced.

If you’re wondering what else you could do in this new circuit breaker 2.0, why not hideout with your bestie or your partner at this Eden in the east? It might not be Thailand, but it sure is close enough.

Dusit Thani Laguna Singapore: Is it worth a stay?

Get your money’s worth of Instagramable shots and your dose of Thailand when you treat your loved one to a weekend to remember! Room prices start from $304/night.

This article was first published in YouTrip.