48 Hours at Andaz Singapore

Architecturally speaking, Andaz Singapore and Six Senses Duxton are chalk and cheese. Opened late last year, Andaz is located in one of the two curved, gleaming towers that make up the DUO development on the edge of Bugis and the Arab Quarter.

There’s a bit of a buzz about this place, and I’m not referring to the distinctive honeycomb pattern on the building’s glass-and-metal façade. This is the first Southeast Asian instalment of Hyatt’s luxury boutique brand, which launched in London in 2007. Designer André Fu is no slouch: past projects include the Upper House Hotel in Hong Kong and a pop-up apartment for Louis Vuitton. He also designed Cassia restaurant in Capella on Sentosa, where Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un stared each other down at lunch recently.

Innovations

If those two had met at Andaz instead, it would have made for interesting television. Everything feels a little different here. The lobby, for starters, is far from traditional; it’s on a high floor (the 25th) and consists of open tables with laptops – a bit like an Apple store. On the tables are bowls of retro-style snacks, including Pop Pop-brand corn puffs and sachets of Ovaltine. The staff dress in semi-casual gear – a collaboration with local brand In Good Company; there are 15 different uniform components, and staffmembers can mix and match as they like.

The trendy touches continue in the room. To enter mine, I waved a key-card across what looked like an antique post-box. A pair of flip-flops supplied in my closet was stamped with the words “Stolen from Andaz Singapore”. (They must have read my mind!) And the room service menu – offering everything

from mee goreng to a Black Angus beef burger – comes disguised as a daily newspaper, The Andaz Times. It includes a neighbourhood map of nearby attractions and a list of recommended restaurants for local cuisine: chicken rice at Chin Chin Eating House, murtabak at Singapore Zam Zam, and so on. (I like when a hotel with a strong food focus like Andaz isn’t scared to suggest outside dining to guests.) The Andaz Times also has an MRT map and a series of QR codes connecting you with apps and online experiences to enhance the stay. It’s very nicely done.

Eats

Also nicely done was my grass-fed rib-eye at 665°F, Andaz’s 38th-floor steakhouse – the name comes from the temperature of the charcoal-fired Pira oven in the kitchen. I went there after enjoying “Andaz Lounge Hour”, which is a daily session of complimentary local beers, and red and white wines available to all hotel guests from 5 to 7pm in the lobby level’s Sunroom bar. Who doesn’t love a free tipple in a place like Singapore?

If you’re not in the mood for a steak, there are loads more eating options at Alley on 25, also on the lobby level. This eclectic collection of adjoining shophouse-style restaurants is the focal point of the whole hotel; it weaves its way across an entire

floor, with each outlet focussing on a particular cooking style: for example, barbecue at Smoke & Pepper, seafood, charcuterie and other cold dishes at Icehaus, and baked and braised items at The Green Oven. This is also where you come for daily breakfast, and the variety of eateries meant I could skip the usual eggs, toast, yoghurt and juice (they’re all available, of course) and instead opt for some spicy curries and noodle dishes. Never too early for chili padi, in my book.

Eye candy

The other F&B outlet of note is Mr Stork, on the hotel’s highest floor (level 39) – the name comes from the belief that storks bring good luck when they build nests on the top of buildings. This is one of those special spots – like 1-Altitude and CÉ LA VI – where you’ll want to come for a drink with friends or family who are visiting Singapore; the views are a knockout. It’s surprisingly lush for a hotel roof, with small teepees dotted amongst the foliage where couples can sit and enjoy a cocktail; try the Ruby – it comes in an elephant-shaped mug and features lemon, ginger, mint, vermouth and traditional Sri Lankan arrack distilled from the sap of coconut flowers.

If the views from Mr Stork are breathtaking, they’re no worse from the gym on level 28, the pool on level 25 (in which I spent the bulk of my stay), or, frankly, the hotel’s 342 guestrooms. My room’s vista took in the Singapore Flyer, Suntec, Marina Bay, Sentosa and, beyond, the sea. I liked how the super-comfy bed faced straight out to the floor-to-ceiling windows, too, so I could lie there drinking it all in. Speaking of drinks, there are plenty to be had in the complimentary mini-bar, and the room has every other amenity you might need.

Outside

What’s in the surrounding neighbourhood? In short, a great mix of old and new. Just across the road is Blue Jaz bar, open for more than a decade now, from where you can access the interesting back alleys of Kampong Glam. Even closer (below the hotel entrance) is DUO Galleria, a just-opened retail complex of boutiques, an art gallery, a florist, a fitness centre and loads of restaurants covering a range of cuisine, from poke bowls to pizza. There’s also a direct connection to Bugis MRT by a covered underpass, and all the shopping and transport options there.

I’m told that “andaz” is a Hindi word meaning “personal style”. It’s an appropriate name, as this hotel has plenty. 5 Fraser Street 6408 1234 | andazsingapore.com