The inn crowd

A wealth of exciting new design hotels have opened in Singapore in the past 12 months. The Silverkris Team checks in to find out if they live up to the hype.

SilverKris

HOTEL INDIGO 

Driving past rows of candy-coloured Peranakan (Straits Chinese) houses from the 1900s, the Katong district has me under its spell even before the cab pulls into the hotel driveway. But a short while later, when the door swings open on my 30 sq m room, a “wow” escapes my lips. 

Distilling the essence of a neighbourhood into a guest room is no easy feat. But the concept has been masterfully realised at this boutique hotel in Singapore’s first heritage area. Each of the 131 rooms, designed by local multidisciplinary firm eco.id, is laid out like a condensed Peranakan home. The open-plan space comprises a living area, followed by a bedroom and bathroom. 

Every detail has been meticulously considered. A line drawing of a scene at a coffee shop (local eatery), by Singapore artist Don Low, enlivens the wall behind the king-size bed. In the bathroom, the base of a retro Singer sewing machine – used to embroider the sarong kebaya worn by Peranakan women in days gone by – props up the basin. And White Rabbit milk candies, a much-loved childhood treat, fill a jar in the minibar. 

The theme continues in the hotel restaurant Baba Chews, which occupies the old Joo Chiat Police Station. A waiter guides me step by step through a traditional breakfast of kaya toast, dipped into a mixture of soft-boiled egg, soya sauce and white pepper. Next stop? The hotel’s 25m-long rooftop infinity pool. 

This story was originally published in the September 2016 issue of SilverKris.