Marriott has announced the opening of The Singapore EDITION, marking the brand’s debut in Southeast Asia.
The hotel captures the essence of Singapore but is presented in a new and modern way, adding a unique twist. Exuding a fresh, sophisticated mood, it effortlessly captures the island-state’s incredible energy with a head-turning silhouette. Firmly rooted in the EDITION brand’s strong sense of refined, timeless design and style, the hotel seamlessly blends the dynamism energy of a major metropolitan city with a warm-weather resort sensibility.
Location and Design
Masterminded and conceived by Ian Schrager, in collaboration with interior design firm Cap Atelier, the property is located just off the west end of Singapore’s iconic upper Orchard Road. This once bucolic country lane lined with fruit orchards and pepper and nutmeg plantations is, today, transformed into a heaving stretch of restaurants, tree-shaded boulevards and marbled emporia bustling with bold-faced named fashion and lifestyle brands. Accessed from Cuscaden Road, the hotel’s main entrance with its cobbled stone driveway opens into a private, white-hued oasis that stands singularly apart from the bustle of upper Orchard Road.
At the core of the architecture and interior design of The Singapore EDITION is seamless access to nature with sweeping vistas and greenery integrated throughout, including a skypark and lushly planted, sunken garden that offers a tranquil escape from Singapore’s bustling Orchard Road shopping district.
This explains the delight that guests experience when they step through the hotel’s bronze and glass facade into the white marbled Lobby whose simple purity is contrasted by a stunning domed ceiling covered with gold leaf. Here, floor-to-ceiling windows are sheathed with the broad planes of plantation louvres, their broad slats gently evocative of the tropics.
The eye is immediately drawn towards the towering windows in the far wall which features a long, light-filled conservatory, complete with a soaring biophilic green wall. A long curvaceous glass roof brings in views of the sky and outdoor greenery – a subtle nod to the commitment of the hotel’s designers and architect to blur the line between interior and exterior spaces.
Accommodations
The 204 spacious guest rooms are spread across six floors. In every guest room, warm white rugs clad the customized white oak-planked floors while decorative pots of orchids and thick drapes frame the broad bay windows. The rooms also feature deep-seated sofas, and hand-sewn damask throws that swathe the beds.
Temperatures are kept cool, literally, with layers of curtain sheers, black-out shades, and white exterior louvres that can be electronically adjusted to filter the sun while providing both views and privacy.
Dining
Unfolding like a theatrical play, every level of The Singapore EDITION takes on a different personality, offering unique guest experiences. Each individual element stands on its own but when combined, the sum of these individual parts exceeds its sum, creating an alchemy where magic happens. The Lobby Bar, for instance, is an eye-popping space sheathed in sharp pink velvet where a rose-colored pool table of Calacutta marble and oversized pink backlit bar display hold center-stage. Christian Liaigre doe leather chairs and lamps accent the space, while the bar itself is styled with Lalique-inspired crystal decanters and sculptures.
Flanking the soaring white aerie of the lobby and reception is a high vaulted-ceilinged, timber-lined restaurant spearheaded by Josh Niland. Aptly named FYSH at EDITION, this lofty space is the acclaimed Australian restaurateur and multi-award-winning chef and author’s first restaurant outside of Australia, and it features an impressive sustainable seafood-focused steakhouse menu alongside responsibly sourced vegetables and meats. Anchored by a custom-made marble bar in green scalloped Antico Verde marble, the main dining room seats 80 across intimate jade-colored velvet banquettes and booths with Calacutta white marble tables. Art works frame the space; with 14-carat gold leaf etching greeting diners at the entrance, while a custom piece titled “Arrival” by the artist Christian Furr sits over the bar. A leafy conservatory has capacity for 22; this indoor garden is home to over 300 plants and 162 suspended preserved fern spheres, all born in Southeast Asia. A Luna Alabaster sculpture by Jan Vanderlaan finishes the room. An outdoor pergola provides a perch for a further 44 diners when the cooler tropical evening arrives.
From the lobby, a sculpted, white Venetian plaster staircase spirals elegantly down to the garden courtyard level to a dramatic bar lounge, ideal for a pre-dinner aperitif or a late evening cocktail.
For those wishing to extend the evening’s libations, an inconspicuous side-door leads to the adjoining Punch Room – EDITION’s signature bar concept that is a global brand in itself – where punch is championed as both a cocktail and a lifestyle necessity. Swathed in a shade of Yves Klein blue, the intimate bar is an indulgent cocoon. Lined with oak panels on the walls and ceilings, a sculptural blue ceiling pendant designed by the Parisian artist Eric Schmitt, and a stone fan-shaped floor mosaic, the space channels the intimate mood of a classic London gentleman’s club serving brandy with a modern and deviant approach. The cosmopolitan vibe is enhanced by a handsome bronze bar behind which the mixologist shakes up a unique punch cocktail menu inspired by Southeast Asian spices and imaginative bar snacks.
Facilities
The second-floor spa has a mood-lit reception that leads to seven treatment rooms, his-and-her changing suites that feature sunken vitality thermal pools, an ice fountain, relaxation lounge, sauna and steam room, alongside a gym furnished with high-performance weights and exercise equipment.
At the heart of the hotel’s elongated rectangular shape is an expansive timber-decked garden courtyard that is reminiscent of an ancient Chinese temple or Roman Villa. Framed by a perimeter of shallow, black-tiled pools and a lush green garden that brims with tropical foliage, this courtyard leads into the event spaces, making it an ideal venue for cocktails, product launches, and receptions.
Remarkably, the building wraps around the garden courtyard on all four of its internal sides which allows not just light to flood into the corridors and public spaces, but also provides Eden-esque vantage points from inside the lobby, restaurant and bars on the first floor; guest rooms on the upper levels; and events spaces and bar lounge on the courtyard’s level.
Also on this level is an 81 square meters boardroom which is adjacent to a stunning 340-guest events space whose sprawling 600 square meters pillar-less gallery can be divided into three smaller areas. Lit with diffused natural light, the spaces are equipped with state-of-the-art multi-media technology and floor-to-ceiling glass.
The Singapore EDITION saves its bravura moment for the swimming pool and rooftop terrace. Accessible via The Roof bar, the pool is framed with languid day beds and stretches a full 43-m from tip-to-tip, seemingly floating like an all-white space vessel over the garden courtyard nine floors below. Here, vast swathes of stone and landscaping create a relaxed, one-of-a-kind outdoor oasis in the sky; though a further surprise awaits swimmers as they dive in and discover that the pool’s white-tiled base is embedded with a transparent acrylic oculus that provides them with surreal views into the garden courtyard far below.
Dressed in terracotta and shades of blue, The Roof, with its semi-al fresco setting, is the ideal venue to chill and catch the tropical breeze, whilst being enveloped on all sides by luxuriant greenery. All while snacking on Southeast Asian favorites in the comfort of either sunbed or shaded dining area, and as the balmy tropical evenings descend, the mood shifts to classic cocktails infused with tropical notes.
Featured image of The Roof by EDITION Hotels
All the other images by EDITION Hotels
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