Guides & Tips, Travel

The Outpost Hotel Sentosa Review

Douglas Yong
30 January 2020

A hotel hidden above one of Sentosa’s carparks? Here’s a full review of The Outpost Hotel Sentosa and its amenities, including the exclusive day club 1-V:U!

Staycations are perfect for escaping the hustle and bustle of city life, but the irony is that most hotels are located in the city, so are you really escaping though? That’s why we found The Outpost Hotel Sentosa, a chic hotel located in our island backyard that’s “hidden” above one of Sentosa’s carparks – a true escape from the city life.

Best Singapore Staycation Guides:
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#4: The Outpost Hotel Sentosa Review
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#6: Dusit Thani Laguna Singapore Staycation Review

Locating The Outpost Hotel Sentosa

To access The Outpost Hotel Sentosa, our ride had to pass through 10 Artillery Ave and into the sheltered lobby of Village Hotel Sentosa first. From there, we continued into the indoor carpark and saw a brightly lit sign ‘The Outpost Hotel Sentosa’ at a corner of the carpark.

A bellboy received us at the drop-off point and ushered us into the lift lobby behind him. That’s when we realised that the hotel wasn’t located on the first floor, because we were told to go up to level three for check-in. The carpark, drop-off point, and level one lift lobby were just a passage to the hotel!

The Outpost Hotel Sentosa: Lobby & Check-In

Upon stepping into level three, we were greeted with a beautiful urban minimalist hotel lobby. We loved the floor-to-ceiling windows that gave the chic lobby a bright natural lighting, and even a view of the blue sea!

While checking in, one of the lobby staff started preparing our welcome drinks – Palawan Dawn Mocktail – a cold, refreshing blend of Egyptian chamomile and organic honeybush rooibos tea. To top it off, they served the mocktail in a rose gold metal pineapple. Cute!

In less than a few minutes, the desk staff confirmed our check-in and presented us with a few essentials:

Hotel room keycards
Sentosa Express Ticket
Sentosa Essential Fun Guide
The Outpost Hotel Sentosa map
Free workshop brochure

We were told that The Outpost Hotel Sentosa offers free workshops and classes to hotel guests every week, so we signed up for the week’s flower arrangement workshop and morning yoga class on the spot. Fingers crossed, hope we don’t embarrass ourselves!

Just as we thought the check-in process was over, the desk staff brought us to the back of the lobby, where all the decors were. Turns out, every check-in is entitled to a basket of five premium snacks.

We were spoiled for choice with a variety of Luscombe fruit juices, Starbucks’ beverages, Mackie’s chocolates, Tyrrells potato chips, and so much more.

While picking out our snacks, we also realised that the items on the display racks were actually merchandise for sale. Bags, notebooks, earrings, pouches, passport holders, reed diffusers, and even the rose gold pineapple cup and Palawan Dawn tea that was served to us!

The Outpost Hotel Sentosa: Room

While walking to our room on level six, The Outpost Hotel Sentosa’s urban minimalist design was consistently pleasing, from its lift lobby to its corridors. Beige wood style walls, contrasted with distinct matte black details and soft, warm lighting – it made us feel like we were returning to a peaceful abode.

When we unlocked our room, we were greeted with a clean, brightly-lit room with an unblocked sea view. Amazing! The room smelled fresh, probably with a reed diffuser hidden somewhere.

The television displayed The Outpost Hotel Sentosa’s welcome message with my name, while soft, upbeat music played in the background.

The bed area was spacious, with a nightstand on each side. The nightstand on the window side had a quality JBL bluetooth speaker clock, which I appreciate in any hotel room because I always enjoy playing my favourite music while just hanging out in the room.

The other nightstand had the usual stuff: desk phone, destination guide, notepad, and pencil. I also loved the leather sofa next to the bed – it added a classy touch to the room with a purple velvet and a Houndstooth pattern cushion.

It was accompanied by a small, movable desk that’s convenient for anyone to use their laptops while resting on the leather sofa. Of course, you could use the desk to place your food when you order room service too. 😋

I also have to point out that we didn’t figure out decorative wall light until the very last day. In our defence, there were too many activities to do at The Outpost Hotel Sentosa (which I’m listing below) and we didn’t get to spend too much time in our room.

The four lamp heads on the decorative wall light were actually movable in all directions! This means if you partner was sleeping and you needed light to do some work at the leather sofa, just turn the lamp heads towards you. Likewise, if you want to do some light reading before bed, you could turn the lamp heads towards the bed. Somebody say practical decoration?

Oh, and don’t miss out on the pillow menu! There were five types of pillows to cater to all types of sleepers:

Microgel – Soft/firm down and feather alternative: Antimicrobial and hypoallergenic nature for allergy and asthma free night.
Flossflakes – Support for side sleepers: Support and alignment for the neck and spine with hypoallergenic nature for allergy and asthma free night.
Flossflakes – Comfort-U senior body support: Ultimate solution to a range of widespread muscle tension, back, spine, and joint problems.
Memory foam – Booster support: High resilient memory foam to relieve common back and neck pains.
Latex – Contour air stream: Natural latex designed for maximum airflow that prevents moisture and heat build-up.

Since we’re already in our 20s with all sorts of back pain, we definitely qualify for the Comfort-U senior body support. It said “Widespread muscle tension, back, spine, and joint problems“… You know we had to get it, that’s right up our alley.

We requested for two ‘senior pillows’ right away but boy we DID NOT expect them to look like that. 😂

It’s a pillow, bolster, and everything in one. It was hilarious when we saw it, but was it comfortable? Hell yes. You gotta try it yourself!

When evening came, the housekeeping department also provided turndown service by arranging our bed linen, pulling down blackout blinds, switching to softer lights, and even placing a lavender pillow mist on our bed! Needless to say, we had a peaceful rest that night.

The Outpost Hotel Sentosa: Vanity & Dry Bathroom

We loved the vanity and dry bathroom area – marble wall, tall black mirror, and lots of warm light – perfect for a skincare routine (in a bathrobe, of course!) after a long, hot shower, while music plays across the room.

The bathrobes were extra comfy because it seemed to be lined with faux fur; it felt extra soft on our skin. The hanging area also had an ironing board and storage space for a safe, laundry bag, a pair of slippers, an iron, and even a rose gold hairdryer.

The dry bathroom essentials were thoughtfully packed in eco-friendly paper boxes: dental kit, shaving kit, vanity kit, shower cap, sanitary bag, and a skin lotion.

The Sea Buckthorn skin lotion from APPELLES Apothecary & Lab is full of essential oils of cedarwood, juniper berry, and patchouli to soothe dull skin.

The basin also had two taps: one for the usual washing and the other a Hyflux filter tap for premium drinking water. No more calling front desk to send bottled water!

Aside the neccessary boiling kettle and glasses, The Outpost Hotel Sentosa also provided a Nespresso machine and capsules for the daily caffeine fix. For tea lovers (it me), they didn’t forget about us!

There were bespoke tea bags British Breakfast and Palawan Dawn to pamper our mornings too. These tea bags and Nespresso capsules were replenished daily during housekeeping.

The Outpost Hotel Sentosa: Wet Bathroom

A high-tech toilet seat with built-in warmer, bidet, and dryer? We’re sold. Before seating down, there’s a button on the wall remote to open the toilet cover.

The royal throne had two types of water sprays (rear and front) and we could also choose the level of intensity for oscillating and pulsating options, before wrapping it up with the dryer function.

The best part? It was HEATED. No more getting a frost shock on your bum when you take your morning poop.

The shower area was quite spacious and we love that the shower heads were operated with two push buttons – one for rain shower and the other for regular shower head. If you’re feeling a little extra, you could push both buttons to enjoy a dual water source. But hey, we should always aim to be eco-conscious travellers, so no water wastage please!

The water temperature knob also had a safety mechanism – you could only adjust it by pressing a little button on its bottom. Hotel staff said it was to prevent guests from accidentally burning themselves. Thoughtful design!

Like the body lotion, the shower essentials were also from APPELLES Apothecary & Lab. The Sydney-based beauty brand is known for its body care’s premium ingredients and used by luxury hotels worldwide.

Willow Bark Body Wash: White willow bark contains flavonoids and salicylic acid that provide astringent and anti-inflammatory properties to help soothe dry skin.
Tamanu Conditioner: Tamanu oil is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids that provide nourishing and regenerating effects to fortify hair and restore shine.
Blackseed Shampoo: Blackseed oil contains essential fatty acids and minerals that may help to nourish hair follicles and promote natural shine.

The Outpost Hotel Sentosa: Restaurant

We were surprised to find out that The Outpost Hotel Sentosa’s breakfast runs for an impressive 4-hour period from 6.30am to 10.30am. To seize the day, we arrived at 7.30am at the restaurant on level seven.

Before we helped ourselves to the semi-buffet spread, we could each pick a main breakfast dish from the menu.

There were 13 made-to-order main breakfast dishes, ranging from the savoury breakfast platter to sweet Belgian waffles. On selected days, there were also specials like frittata and vermicelli.

We ordered Breakfast with a V:U (sausages, bacon, roasted tomatoes, miso shiitake, sourdough, and scrambled eggs) and Bagel Eggs Benny (lime leaf hollandaise, baby spinach, onsen egg, and smoked salmon).

The semi-buffet spread was equally wholesome: scallop congee with various toppings, all sorts of warm patisserie, yoghurt, tropical fruits, seasonal tarts, cereals, granola, seeds, nuts, and a selection of coffee, tea, and juices.

The 60-seater restaurant’s warm and relaxed dining atmosphere was perfect start to our lazy morning, and we could enjoy the quality breakfast as long as we liked.

Note: Don’t expect a huge buffet spread here, because this open kitchen restaurant prides itself in progressive Asian cuisine and focuses on quality, not quantity!

The Outpost Hotel Sentosa: Five Swimming Pools

After a hearty breakfast, it’s time to hit the pool! There were five pools for us to choose from and truth be told we were lost for quite a bit. Fortunately, the hotel staff was kind enough to bring us on a mini swimming pool tour!

Rooftop Pool: Located on level seven as part of the 1-V:U day club.
Children’s Play Pool: Shallow kids pool with water fountains.
Lazy River Pool: Roundabout river pool for kids to laze in circles on a float.
Adventure Pool: Main swimming pool for adults and older children to swim.
Pamukkale Pool: Strictly adults-only infinity pool with a sun deck, pool bar, jacuzzi, and sun loungers.

Children’s Play Pool: Shallow pool for kids

We also spotted a blue camper van, called Happy Camper, at the swimming pool grounds selling a variety of snacks – hot dogs, chips, ice cream, drinks, and pretty much everything you need for a poolside snack. 😋 Oh, there’s a sauna right next to the adults-only Pamukkale Pool too!

I’m not usually the biggest fan of hotel swimming pools, but the Pamukkale Pool was easily one of my favourite areas at The Outpost Hotel Sentosa.

There were many sun loungers to go around and we weren’t disturbed by any screaming children at all. Plus, the view of the blue sea was simply remarkable. Calm, peaceful, relaxing – that’s how much we loved lazing right here. Naturally, we spent the rest of our morning under the warm sun at the Pamukkale Pool!

The Outpost Hotel Sentosa: Gym

The semi-buffet breakfast had us knocked out at the swimming pool, so we were determined to shed some of those calories at the gym.

The high-tech treadmills, ellipticals, and stationary bike even had built-in Netflix, Angry Birds, and Chrome browser apps. The cardio machines also had a bluetooth function to connect your wireless earphones. Sweet! Cardio folks would probably never leave this gym. 🤣

Though small (like most hotels), this gym got the job done. The weight training area had dumbbells up to 20 kilograms and incline benches, good enough for us complete a strength training session.

There’s also a cable machine at the back that we used to put in a few more isolation exercises. We also used the yoga balls and mats to stretch our muscles after the workout!

The Outpost Hotel Sentosa: Rooftop Pool & Day Club @ 1-V:U

Just as we thought that The Outpost Hotel Sentosa couldn’t get any better, we were introduced to 1-V:U (pronounced as ‘one view’), a day club on the level seven7. Remember our breakfast in the morning?

Apparently the restaurant was also part of the whole 1-V:U concept – day club, rooftop pool, and restaurant all in one. Turns out, 1-V:U is Sentosa’s first and only rooftop dining destination!

Infinity pool? Check. Sun beds? Check. Private cabanas? Check. To top everything off, the panoramic view of the sea was unbeatable. 1-V:U’s food menu, though limited, was still impressive with a premium range of bar bites, loaded chips, seafood, and pizzas.

In addition to a wide selection of alcohol, the drinks menu also boasted summer-inspired signature cocktails like Summer Fling – a concoction of fresh kumquat, Roku Gin, Giffard Elderflower, and Giffard Vanilla Syrup – perfect for a sunset.

The Outpost Hotel Sentosa Exclusive Day Club 1:V-U Bar Bites

When night came, we could even enjoy multiple fireworks from the Wings of Time show because we were so high up. And even though it’s a day club, DJ Kaylova’s (one of the resident DJs) deep house beats continued till 2am into the night!

The Outpost Hotel Sentosa: Workshops, Classes & Private Jeep Tour

In addition to the great hotel amenities, The Outpost Hotel Sentosa offers activities for hotel guests to participate too. If you still remember, we signed up for a free flower arrangement workshop and free morning yoga class during our check-in!

Flower Arrangement Workshop
The florist conducting the flower arrangement workshop was extremely generous and provided everyone with baby breaths, lavenders, roses, and flowers we couldn’t recognise.

There were also many types of wrapping paper and strings we could choose to create our dream bouquet. Fortunately, we didn’t embarrass ourselves with our clumsy hands and our bouquet turned out really nice after 1.5 hours!

Morning Yoga Class
We almost didn’t make it to the 7.45am yoga class, because of the party at 1-V:U the previous night… Lucky for us, we just needed to drag ourselves out of bed for a quick wash up and change because yoga mats were thoughtfully provided by the staff.

It was our first time doing yoga outdoors – under the warm morning sun and overlooking the sea. 10/10 would wake up early for this again!

Private Jeep Tour
What’s it like riding in an open top jeep? For S$110++ per hour (minimum 2-hour booking), hotel guests could enjoy being chauffeured around Singapore on a private jeep tour, complete with refreshments like coconut water, chips, nuts, chocolate, etc.

The Outpost Hotel Sentosa Private Jeep Tour Snacks

The Outpost Hotel Sentosa Private Jeep Tour Refreshments Coconut Water

If you’re looking to post Instagram stories throughout the private jeep tour, there’s wifi available onboard and you could even do a live stream with no lag. How’s that for an experience!

Will we return to The Outpost Hotel Sentosa?

Without a doubt, yes! The Outpost Hotel Sentosa isn’t very big, but the amenities are great. Plus, the rooms and services are top notch, and we feel right at home here. For couples or friends who are looking for an intimate staycation, don’t miss The Outpost Hotel Sentosa!