Singapore: The Sanctuary Of Style With Two New Boutique Hotels To Open In 2010

From Quirky, Uber-chic Design Themes to Heritage-Style Establishments,
Singapore’s Boutique Hotels Continue to Create a Stir

Hotel Re!

Singapore -  When Hotel 1929 and The Scarlet opened respectively in 2003 and 2004, boutique hotels in Singapore were few in number. Since then five boutique properties have opened with two more to come in 2010. Boutique hotels have sprung up across the tiny island of Singapore, and yet each offers its own personality, from the chic and quirky to the sexy and avantgarde.

Boutique Hotels That Opened in 2009 / Opening in 2010:

·    Inspired by Singapore’s colonial past, The Club, located on Club Street where wealthy Chinese tycoons were known to meet for leisure back in the day, will open in the second quarter of 2010. The hotel will occupy four heritage shophouses and will feature 22 stylish rooms in the midst of an eclectic community of creative agencies, specialty shops including Singapore’s first Espressamente illy® cafe, boutique spas, trendy restaurants, cafes and wine bars. Designed by the Ministry of Design (MOD), The Club will welcome guests with a larger-than-life statue of the discoverer of Singapore, Sir Stamford Raffles. Interior design also promises to be sophisticated and cutting-edge yet retain a distinctly local feel. According to MOD, “No two rooms will be the same.”

·    Wangz Hotel, a sleek property with a modern and distinctive façade, is scheduled to open in 2010 in the Tiong Bahru district which is fast becoming the boutique hotel enclave of Singapore.  The hotel’s cylinder-like shape is intended to invoke a sense of calm while rectangular-shaped horizontal windows offer expansive views of Singapore’s cityscape and bringing in an abundance of natural daylight to this seven-storey, 41 rooms oasis where spacious guest rooms are designed in chic, contemporary styles. Floor-to-ceiling glass windows feature prominently in luxuriously-appointed bathrooms with signature Molton Brown amenities to complement the experience. Wangz will also offer pillow menus, in-room rain shower facilities, a fitness centre, complimentary high-speed wireless Internet access throughout the hotel and in-room safes – amenities often found only in large chain properties. Additionally, music lovers will find personal iPod docking stations available in each room.

·    Meanwhile, Singapore is abuzz with excitement over the recent October 2009 opening of klapsons, nestled in an office tower in the Central Business District. Probably the smallest boutique hotel in the city-state, klapsons is designed by Milan-based, contemporary design forerunner, William Sawaya & Moroni. A stainless steel sphere that is 16 feet in diameter serves as the hotel’s reception and check-in point. Guests are then guided through klapsons’ collection of celebrated furniture pieces, which include a “Glacier” bench by acclaimed architect Zaha Hadid and custom designs by William Sawaya & Moroni. Each of the 17 rooms feature a quirky open-concept shower where guests can shower right in the middle of their room, just a few feet from the bed, which comes with a customized pillow menu.  Befitting its location in the Central Business District, klapsons also offers interesting event venues such as a sky-garden that offers panoramic views of the Singapore port.

·    Nostalgia Hotel which opened in September 2009 is a boutique hotel in Tiong Bahru that offers old world charm and 50 upscale rooms housed in two refurbished shophouses and a newly-developed annex building. Inspired by the art-deco of the hotel’s location, artist Andre Tan created a series of pieces to reflect the colonial history of Singapore and Tiong Bahru, which now adorn the walls of Nostalgia. Rooms at the hotel have two main themes, “Lush” and “Colonial” – the former theme symbolizing the historical aspect of the Tiong Bahru district and the latter reflecting the colonial past of Singapore. The hotel also offers personalized stationery sets with name cards and letterheads printed with each guest’s name. Customized Tiong Bahru heartland food tours can also be arranged upon request for Nostalgia’s guests who are interested in savoring authentic local cuisine.

·    Quincy at Mount Elizabeth is an all-inclusive boutique hotel (believed to be an industry first in Singapore), which opened in early 2009 in the heart of Orchard Road, Singapore’s famed shopping belt. Rates include complimentary limousine pick-up from the airport, three meals a day, evening cocktails, minibar snacks, Wi-Fi Internet access, local calls and laundry (up to two pieces per room night). The hotel’s quirky designs includes a distinctive façade made of dark grey metal anodized steel and shimmering windows; illuminated torsos in the unisex lavatories; elevators with changing messages; and an illuminated, glass-enclosed pool cantilevered from the 12th floor with color-changing LED lights dotting the deck. Guests receive personalized hand-drawn sketches of themselves (pending photo availability) as well as photos of the Guest Services team upon arrival in order to facilitate requests. Quincy’s doors only open for hotel guests with room key cards, adhering to a no open lobby policy.

Other top boutique hotels include the following:

Hotel Re!

·    Travelers can take a trip down memory lane with the 12-storey Hotel Re!, which was converted from what used to be Singapore’s tallest school building back in 1971. Opened in 2008, Hotel Re!’s rooms and corridors are decorated in bold colors of lime green, hot pink, yellow, orange, purple, gold, silver and bronze. Retro-inspired furniture and glittery mosaic-tiled bathrooms filled with L’Occitane amenities are other hallmarks of the property, which offers complimentary Wi-Fi Internet access throughout the day. Hotel Re! is located just 25 minutes from Changi International Airport and is also within walking distance of the Central Business District and Chinatown.

·    Other boutique hotels of note include Naumi, a 40-room property ideal for business travelers that features The Naumi Signature Bed and a Ladies-Only Floor attended to by female-only staff. The property is located nearby the Singapore Exhibition Centre, SUNTEC Exhibition Centre and the Marina Bay area.

·    Hotel 1929, the first boutique hotel by lawyer turned hotelier Lik Peng Loh is another top choice that offers 32 rooms in the former red-light district of Chinatown, where neighboring buildings are now used for offices, art galleries and small eateries. Hotel 1929 also features a “historical corridor” where guests can have a peek into Singapore’s history as they walk through a display of black and white archival photos of the island nation from the early 20th century. Hotel 1929’s sister property, which is just a few minutes away is the 30-room New Majestic Hotel on Bukit Pasoh Road. New Majestic occupies three heritage shophouse units with art-deco styles. Each room is individually designed and features original works of art by acclaimed Singaporean artists such as Andre Tan, Wykidd Song, Glen Goei and Daniel Boey.

·    The boutique experience is not complete without a stay at The Scarlet, a small but dramatic 80-room hotel bathed in hues of red, black and gold featuring sensual themes and suites called “Passion”, “Splendour”, “Swank”, “Lavish” and “Opulent”. Hotel packages at The Scarlet include “Untamed Hearts” for couples, “Bonding Babes” for the ideal all-ladies night out on the town, and “Cougar, Come Prey” ladies nights at the hotel’s in-house lounge, Bold. Scarlet is situated between Erskine Road and Ann Siang Road within the Central Business District of Singapore.

About the Singapore Tourism Board

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is an economic development agency for one of Singapore’s key service sectors – tourism. The mission of the Board is to develop and champion tourism, so as to build the sector into a key driver of economic growth for Singapore. The STB aims to differentiate and market Singapore as a must-visit destination offering enriching experiences through the “Uniquely Singapore” brand.