HOTEL NEWS
THE LATEST BOUTIQUE AND LUXURY HOTELS
INTERNATIONAL
Hilton Singapore Orchard has opened, and is the largest hotel by the group in the Asia-Pacific region. With eyes to reassert its position as a global business and events hub, the sprawling 1080room hotel is located within the city’s renowned shopping and hospitality district. The hotel will also offer five dining concepts, including Osteria Mozza by chef Nancy Silverton; Ginger Lily for botanical-inspired afternoon tea and artisanal pastries; and locally loved Hainanese chicken rice purveyor Chatterbox. The Orchard Road hotel will also integrate sustainable features, including motion sensors to control air-conditioning and lights in every room and suite.
AUSTRALIA
Surry Hills’ Ace Hotel Sydney has scored chef Mitch Orr to lead its rooftop restaurant Kiln. The ex-Acme chef will oversee the kitchen 18 storeys above Surry Hills. Centering his cooking around a wood-fire grill, Orr is set to take cues from Italy, Japan and Southeast Asia, creating a menu united by an undercurrent of umami flavours. Kiln will be set among a glass-walled dining room with panoramic views of the neighbourhood, plus two terraces, with Melbourne-based interior designer Fiona Lynch taking care of the space. Down on the ground floor you’ll find all-day eatery Loam, plus a coffee spot and a lobby bar, with Mike Bennie in charge of the drinks menu. Ace Hotel Sydney is poised for an autumn opening.
Meanwhile, QT Sydney has completed a reimagining of Gowings, its flagship restaurant. Veteran chef Sean Connolly – the UK expat behind the likes of Byron’s Balcony Bar and Sydney’s The Morrison – has come aboard as creative director for the new Gowings Bar and Grill. What was once a European brasserie has sailed across the Atlantic, becoming a New Yorkinspired steakhouse (by way of Little Italy). Think handmade pastas rich with fresh, local seafood and Delmonico steaks carved tableside.