Singapore 'wildlife staycation' packages launched under Marriott, WRS tie-up

GUESTS in Singapore can now book a staycation at a five-star hotel that includes a private buggy ride to explore the Singapore Zoo or a river safari to watch giant pandas.

These are among the options rolled out by Marriott International and Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS), which have joined hands to launch what they dubbed as "wildlife staycation" bundles on Monday.

Meanwhile, CapitaLand's The Ascott Limited also has a similar tie-up, with a family promotion package at two of its serviced residences.

Marriott said in a statement on Monday that the participating hotels under the luxury hotel group are the St Regis Singapore; W Singapore - Sentosa Cove; The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore; Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel; Sheraton Towers Singapore; Four Points by Sheraton Singapore, Riverview; and The Vagabond Club.

Each "immersive" staycation for adults and children will include hotel accommodation, daily breakfast and the choice of one of two new Wildlife Encounter packages, which offer admission to the parks and a customised experience with the animals and their animal care teams, Marriott said.

The two available packages are the Singapore Zoo Family Experience with Orangutans or the River Safari Panda Forest Family Experience.

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Guests can also opt for a personalised buggy tour of the zoo or Jurong Bird Park based on their preferred itinerary, along with a S$55 voucher that may be used on food and beverage or retail at the parks.

These "wildlife staycation" bookings are valid for stays until Jan 31, 2021.

Marriott International's area vice-president for Singapore, Maldives and Malaysia, Rivero Delgado, said the tie-up aims to encourage Singaporeans to explore a different side of the island.

"Our new experiential staycation packages, along with the offerings from WRS, will allow us to engage with our regular guests as well as young guests through insightful, educational yet personalised experiences," Ms Delgado added.

Meanwhile, WRS, which operates the Singapore Zoo, Jurong Bird Park, River Safari and Night Safari, is curating "special interactions" with its animal care teams which will share stories to "personalise the animal encounters".

"Through this collaboration with Marriott International, we can jointly grow the nature-quotient in the community of holiday makers right here at home," said WRS chief marketing officer Irene Lin.

Likewise, with Ascott's promotion, families can purchase a stay at Ascott Orchard Singapore and receive complimentary access to the Jurong Bird Park, or at Ascott Raffles Place Singapore and get complimentary access to the Singapore Zoo.

These packages at the luxury serviced residences are available from S$225++ per night, which is 25 per cent off its "best flexible rates", and include breakfast for two persons, the company said.

The wildlife park tickets issued under Ascott's promotion will be valid till Dec 31, 2020. The hospitality player has been offering the packages since August this year.

Hotels are jumping on the staycation bandwagon in hopes that the year-end peak season and the gradual easing of Covid-19 restrictions will allow them to better ride through the crisis. They are also reopening their doors to meet demand from Singapore residents, starved of overseas travel, for a short respite on home turf.