HOTEL NEWS
A property so famous it spawned an entire brand of hotels – 14 and counting – that is now part of Accor, Raffles Singapore
reopened last month after a two-year renovation. Its famous Arcade has also been revamped, featuring a Raffles Boutique, Ah Teng’s Café, contemporary gallery Art Matters, the Great Room co-working space, and, on level 2, the legendary Long Bar (yes, where the Singapore Sling was created). The AC Boutique showcases independent Singapore-based designers, and there are also
Leica and Rimowa stores.
Dining options include Butcher’s Block steakhouse and Burger and Lobster’s flagship Singapore restaurant. Jubilee Hall has been converted into the new 300-guest Jubilee Ballroom, with all of the other event spaces also refreshed.
Also with a historic slant, the 157-room
Capitol Kempinski opened in October last year following an extensive restoration by Pritzker Architecture Prize winner Richard Meier of the 1930 neoclassical-style Capitol Building and Venetian Renaissance-style Stamford House (1904).
Close to Raffles is the 342room Andaz, which opened in late 2017. Part of the Duo Singapore, a mixed-use complex in the Ophir-Rochor district, its rooms were designed by André Fu.
The well-known Swissotel the Stamford has completed a refurbishment of all of its guestrooms, which number a whopping 1,252, and its executive lounge, while its sister property, the Fairmont →
Singapore, has also undergone a revamp.
On Robertson Quay is Millennium Hotels and Resorts’ M Social
Singapore; the boutique Warehouse
hotel, housed in a renovated godown building; and the 225room Intercontinental Singapore Robertson Quay, which opened in late 2017 on the site of the former Gallery hotel. Meanwhile, sister property the Intercontinental
Singapore has completed a year-long renovation, with Peranakan influences emphasised, particularly in the main tower of the hotel and the Heritage Wing, inspired by the city’s shophouse architecture of the 1920s.
The Riverview hotel has been rebranded as the Four Points by Sheraton Singapore, while Sofitel Singapore City
Centre, set above Tanjong Pagar MRT station, opened in late 2017 and is the city’s third Sofitel. Also in Tanjong Pagar is a property from IHG brand Six Senses – the boutique Duxton – with sister property the Maxwell located nearby in Chinatown.
Lastly, Lyf Funan Singapore, part of the Ascott Limited’s new co-living brand (“lyf” is pronounced “life”), is opening this month in the heart of the
Civic and Cultural District. The 279-unit property is part of the Funan development, which also includes a mall offering indoor and outdoor cycling routes, rock climbing, a gym, cinema and theatre.