Most memorable upgrade was on a leisure trip to Singapore in 2013

I've stayed at some great hotels due to business travel in Europe and Asia, but the most memorable upgrade was on a leisure trip to Singapore in 2013 to attend the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix. Formula 1 is very popular, and hotel rooms can be very scarce and are booked well in advance. As it was, I had to split up my stay between two hotels, and for the actual race weekend I had booked a room at the Swissotel The Stamford, which is immediately adjacent to the street race course. All the top classes of rooms had been sold out -- at super-premium price levels -- for quite a while, and the best I could get was a "deluxe" room, one class up from the basic standard room, on the side facing away from the race course.

On the day I was to check I took a taxi from the hotel I had been at previously (the Four Seasons, which is very nice itself) to the Stamford around 1 PM. I didn't expect the room to be ready, but I went to the check-in desk anyway so I could park my luggage with the bellman. I was told to return at 2 PM, and went to eat lunch at one of the restaurants. At 2 PM I returned, and was told that the room was not yet ready, but I was invited to wait in the club lounge, which is very nice. I was not upset, had no plans, and checked in on my email and had a beverage. At 3 PM I was sort of wondering what was up, and then a manager appeared and said he had a proposition -- there were still no "deluxe" rooms available, but if I didn't mind waiting a little while longer, he would upgrade me to a Stamford Crest suite on the 64th floor, at no extra charge. Oh, and I was welcome to wait in the 65th floor Stamford Crest club lounge, which was to the regular club lounge as, say, First Class is to Business Class. Open bar, fancy hors d'oeuvres, furniture, great view, the works. Nice!

It was almost a shame when they came and got me and took me to my Stamford Crest suite. My luggage awaited me, the music system was playing classical music, the espresso machine had been stocked. The suite was huge and comfortable. My room didn't face the race course -- those suites had been booked far in advance, and cost several thousand dollars a night -- but the view toward the rest of Singapore was awesome, and the the Stamford is easily one of the nicest -- if not the nicest -- hotel I've stayed in. Better than most Ritz-Carltons, Four Seasons, and Mandarin Orientals, and the equal of the Beau Rivage in Switzerland.

My plan was to visit Malaysia and Indonesia briefly and return to Singapore the following week, and you can be sure I went back to the Stamford. Prices had returned to normal and I booked a high-floor room (no, not a suite!) that faced the Marina, and had a view even better than the previous. Here's a quick peek: