It rains an average of 171 days per year in Singapore. But one hotel in the Lion City is taking a gamble to ensure that rain doesn’t spoil its guests’ holidays.
The InterContinental Singapore’s “Rain Resist Bliss” package will reimburse one night of a guest’s stay if one of their planned activities ends up getting rained out.
“I was chatting with a group of friends about what’s next in luxury travel and one of them jokingly commented that being able to guarantee good weather would be the next level of ultimate luxury travel,” the hotel’s general manager, Andreas Kraemer, tells CNN. From there, the concept of a rain insurance package was born.
Still, there are caveats. The InterContinental isn’t going to hand out cash every single time it rains. According to a release from the hotel, the criteria is met when “rain duration exceeds 120 cumulative minutes within any 4-hour block of time during daylight hours.”
The package also is only applicable to people staying in suites, which begin at 850 SGD ($633) a night for junior suites and start at 4,500 SGD ($3,349) for the presidential suite.
The money comes in the form of a voucher, which must be spent at the InterContinental Singapore within six months, and the amount you get is equivalent to one night’s stay in your room category.
Kraemer’s own personal rainy day favorite things to do in Singapore include visiting the Asian Civilizations Museum, taking a tour of Tiger Brewery and shopping at the local outpost of Japanese bookstore Kinokuniya.
Special packages like these can be a way for an established hotel to stand out from the pack.
In Bali, one hotel banned smartphones and other electronics by the pool as a way to encourage guests to unplug and relax.
Meanwhile, several hotels and resorts around the world, including the Park Hyatt New York, have created special rooms designed for getting an optimal night’s sleep, complete with white noise machines, weighted blankets and special sleepytime teas.
