With a butterfly garden, pool, free movie theaters and much, much more, Singapore’s Changi Airport is all about the wow.
With the opening of the Jewel Changi Airport attraction, this award-winning airport is even more wow.
Located right in front of Terminal 1, on space formerly occupied by a parking lot, the Jewel is a large dome-shaped structure with a lush “Forest Valley,” a Rain Vortex that’s now the tallest indoor waterfall in the world, a 130-cabin YotelAIR hotel and 280 shops and restaurants.
I was on-site today for the opening-day preview events. Here are some snaps from the day.
For starters, it is attached to Changi Airport. That makes the hotel a convenient and very welcoming place to land after, or before, a very long flight.
Amenities such as superb service, deep soaking tubs, an outdoor pool and some rooms with bonus views overlooking the runways are truly delightful.
I’ve just checked in for my second stay at the property. The welcoming vibe after a 17-hour journey is another reason why it is easy to understand how the hotel snags the Skytrax Best Airport Hotel in the World year after year.
Even better, the hotel’s USB press kit comes in the shape of an airplane! That garners the Crowne Plaza Changi Airport another award: Stuck at the Airport’s occasional award for “USB Press Kit of the Week.”
From the self-service check-in and bag drop stations to the centralized security zone, plethora of shopping and dining options, art and other amenities, there’s plenty to love about Singapore Changi Airport’s new Terminal 4, which opened to the public on October 31, 2017.
I’m putting together a full report on what is certain to be yet another award-winning feature of Changi Airport, but right now let’s just take a photo tour of the chairs.
Comfortable and eye-catching, these are certain to be the backdrop of countless passenger selfies.
Here a few more seating snaps from my tour of the terminal on opening day.
These seats are on the landside area of the terminal.
And these post-security chicks and pups are seating strong enough to hold adults.
I travel to Los Angeles today so that I can join United Airlines for the launch of their LAX to Singapore flight tonight. At 17 hours 55 minutes, this will grab the title as longest flight from the U.S.
I’ll be one of the lucky ducks flying in the cabin of a 787 offering United’s swank Polaris service and surroundings but, still, that’s an awfully long time to spend on a plane.
So I’ve been putting together a list of activities and projects to make sure I stay occupied, entertained and productive.
Here’s what I have so far:
Watch some movies.
Learn some Italian (Next month: trip to Florence!)
Hem pants
Get to inbox zero
Have (only) one drink
Check out the menu, but don’t eat too much.
Charge Fitbit. Get my 11001 steps.
Interview at least 4 other passengers about how they are staying occupied.
Finish two or three assignements due next week
Start that will.
Outline my next book.
Finish reading that book about King Leopold.
Sleep some. Or a lot.
What else should I add?
Of course, I said yes to flying to Singapore because what many believe is the World’s Greatest Airport is there. Singapore Changi, with multiple gardens, free movie theaters, a giant slide, cool art, over-the-top floral installations, shops galore and much, much more, is a destination unto itself and while I’m in town a brand new terminal opens. Joy!
Proclaimed “World’s Best Airport” for five years in a row, Singapore’s Changi Airport is where you want to be if you’re ever going to be stuck at an airport.
There are shops, restaurants and attractions galore, but once the Jewel mixed-use complex gets built in the center of the airport, Changi will become even more of a destination all its own.
Scheduled to be completed in early 2019, Jewel will boast the world’s tallest indoor waterfall, a five-story garden filled with thousands of trees, plants, ferns and shrubs, a branch of the YOTEL hotel chain, shops, restaurants and a 164-foot-long Canopy Bridge with some glass flooring to offer great views of the waterfall and other attractions.
This week, we’ve learned that the attractions planned for Canopy Park (on level five) will include Sky Nets, Canopy Mazes, and Discovery Slides as well as well as an open play area called Foggy Bowls, where kids will get to wander through mists “as though walking among clouds.”
