You Can Now Nominate Your Favourite Experiences and Frontline Staff with the Singapore Tourism Awards

Have you ever encountered a frontline staff whose service level was so impeccable that you wished you had shown your appreciation beyond a simple thank you? Or have you ever had such a great experience at a leisure attraction that you wanted to shout out to the world? Well, now you can. The Singapore Tourism Awards are back, and this time, you get to have a say.

For the first time, the public can nominate deserving organisations for the Awards, deemed the most prestigious for the Singapore tourism industry. In the past, members of the public could only nominate frontline staff whom they felt had shown excellence in customer service.

Open for nominations from 1 May to 1 June 2016, the Awards now has five main categories – Experience Excellence, Enterprise Excellence, Customer Service, Special Recognition and Top Awards.

How to Nominate

Nomination is as simple as ABC. All you need to do is to go to the Singapore Tourism Awards website, download an entry form, fill it up and email your entry to [email protected] with the subject title “Submission of Nomination for STA 2016”.

For the Customer Service category (only), you can nominate online or fill in the nomination forms at participating attractions, hotels, nightspots, retail and dining establishments as well as the Singapore Visitors Centre from 1 May onwards.

Hot Favourites

Nominations will close on 1 June 2016. But, in the meantime, I’ve decided to weigh in with my own favourites.

Best Shopping Experience

ION Orchard

When it comes to shopping, ION Orchard is my favourite go-to destination. Home to over 300 stores, it provides a complete shopping experience that caters to almost every type of shopper. From electronics to stationery to sports and lifestyle items, I can find practically everything I want/need under one roof here. Oh, did I forget to mention that I’m usually spoilt for choice when it comes to dining at ION Orchard? Plus, it’s right at the heart of Orchard Road! I honestly can’t see what’s not to love about this mall.

The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands

The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands was last year’s winner for this category, and it’s not hard to see why. A sprawling 1 million square feet of retail space with over 300 stores and F&B outlets, you are spoilt for choice when it comes to shopping here. In fact, even locals are known to get lost in this mall and sometimes need to get directions and maps from the customer service staff.

For us, this comes a close second after ION Orchard, only because the shops here seem to cater to the mid-range to luxury shopper. However, if you are after the high-end stuff, The Shoppes would be a safe bet as you can practically find most of the designer brands here.

Best Leisure Event

Singapore Grand Prix

Nothing gets me more revved up than the Singapore Grand Prix. Hey, it’s three days of non-stop adrenaline-pumping race action, and of course dashing Formula One drivers that make me turn on my fangirl mode.

And if that’s not enough, the Singapore Grand Prix has consistently been hosting full-length concerts by headlining acts, bringing in the likes of Maroon 5, Pharrell Williams and Jennifer Lopez to glam up the event.

Fast cars, daredevil drivers and world-class artistes. ‘Nuff said.

ZoukOut 2015

It started in 2000 and is still going on strong after 15 years. I am talking about ZoukOut, one of Asia’s biggest outdoor beach parties/music festivals and quite possibly the most iconic one. My friends and I grew up with it, and some of us still rave and dance like a teenager at ZoukOut even after becoming mommies and daddies. (Ya, we can’t seem to grow out of it.)

ZoukOut is also probably the one time you can catch hip-hop kids, techno fans and trance lovers congregate at one venue and party the night away. I love ZoukOut because there’s nothing else that can get our hearts pumping more (maybe except for the Singapore Grand Prix).

Best Attraction Experience

Universal Studios Singapore

Ok, I admit – I might be a lil’ biased with my choice for this. My vote goes to Universal Studios Singapore partly because they played host to heartthrob Chris Hemsworth in April for the gala premiere of The Huntsman: Winter’s War. That aside, Universal Studios Singapore is a winner in my books because it’s an exhilarating experience each time I go there.

The movie-themed setup and the music get me into the mood the moment I reach the entrance. The thrilling rides (our favourite is the indoor roller coaster ride at the Mummy section), cinematic performances and the movie-themed zones never fail to turn me into a kid in a candy store at Universal Studios Singapore. And, it’s no surprise too that it was the 2015 winner for this category.

Gardens by the Bay

Greenery never fails to calm my senses and put me in a serene mood. This is why Gardens by the Bay gets a vote from me. The 101-hectare horticulture-themed park is a respite from the city. It’s pretty amazing that one moment I am caught in the hustle and bustle of the neighbouring Marina Bay Sands, and the next moment, I am transported to an Avatar-like setting of verdant trees and towering (albeit man-made) Supertrees.

I still get awed by the dancing lights and sounds by the Supertrees during the evening Garden Rhapsody, despite having seen them before. And when I want to escape the heat, I simply seek relief in the cool enclaves of the Cloud Forest and Flower Dome.

Top Picks for Other Categories

There are a few other categories that you can also send in your nomination, such as Best Dining Experience, Best Hotel Experience, Best Nightspot Experience and Best Tour Experience.

Here are my top picks for the other categories:

Best Dining Experience: (1) Jumbo Seafood – East Coast Seafood Centre and (2) The Satay Club at Lau Pa Sat

Best Hotel Experience: (1) Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa and (2) Capella Singapore

Best Nightspot Experience: (1) Zouk and (2) kyō

Best Tour Experience: (1) DUCK Tour and (2) Singapore GOURMETBus

There are only two weeks left to make your nominations for Experience Excellence (Leisure) and Customer Service. Hurry, “say” your Thank Yous before the nominations close on 1 June.

Note: All opinions are the editor’s own and do not represent the views of the Singapore Tourism Board.