HOMEGROWN HAVENS

Turn your next break into a staycation with these diverse, design-savvy boutique hotels born in Singapore.

Portrait of Tammy Strobel

Turn your next break into a staycation with these diverse, design-savvy boutique hotels born in Singapore.

Golden sculptures are featured throughout the hotel—here, an intricately detailed banyan tree dominates the bar 

THE VAGABOND CLUB

This art-centric luxury hotel is situated in the trendy district of Jalan Besar, between two heritage-rich neighbourhoods—Kampong Glam and Little India. Designed by renowned French architect and designer Jacques Garcia, it boasts ornate, glamorous interiors in bold reds and golds, as well as several show-stopping sculptures crafted by artisans hailing from Rajasthan. 

My Reading Room

The sculptures—notably six exquisitely detailed golden banyan trees, an ultra-reflective metallic rhinoceros doubling up as a reception desk, and two gleaming life-size elephants—along with an extensive collection of artwork dotting the lobby, bar and rooms, give the Vagabond Club an outsize personality and distinctive flair.

My Reading Room

Another golden baboon sculpture dominates the hotel bar, which houses a premier Whiskey Library, featuring rare and high-quality whiskeys from all over the world. The opulent guestrooms also feature photographs taken by the Singaporean owner of the hotel, depicting his family and his travels, lending each room a unique personal touch.

Visit hotelvagabondsingapore.com

My Reading Room

The beautiful bones of the original structure were retained, including the pitched roof, while a soothing palette of earthy neutrals grounds each space 

THE WAREHOUSE HOTEL

This 37-room boutique property melds local culture, rich heritage and modern luxury in a strikingly elegant way. It boasts quite a history—originally a godown used to store spices in the 19th century, it has borne witness to its fair share of illicit activity, like opium smuggling, illegal distilleries and secret societies. In the ’80s, it reinvented itself as a popular venue for tea dances—a daytime disco for trendy teens. Its current incarnation as a boutique hotel sees much of that history being celebrated architecturally—with original roof trusses from 1875 and ceiling fixtures reminiscent of gears and pulleys found in warehouses.

My Reading Room

The hotel restaurant is named Po, after “popo”, the Mandarin word for “grandmother”, and serves up elevated versions of Singaporean dishes like Iberico Satay and Carabinero Prawn Mee, while the cocktail menu is mindfully curated to highlight local flavours like kaya, roselle and barley. With rooms offering picturesque views of the Singapore River, this hotel presents an opportunity to soak in local legacies in sophisticated comfort.

Visit thewarehousehotel.com

My Reading Room

The Gaetano Pesce chair in orange and white stripes immediately draws the eye 

NAUMI HOTEL 

Situated in the heart of the city, this hotel stands out for its personalised, above-and-beyond service, and luxurious details, like fully sound-proofed rooms furnished with Apple TVs and open air tubs, as well as a minimalist, contemporary aesthetic. Pronounced “know me”, the hotel gets its name from the Sanskrit word for “ninth day”, which represents an auspicious time in the Hindu calendar. It houses 73 guestrooms, the most exceptional of which are the Andy Warhol-inspired Eden & Nirwana suites, featuring graphic patterns and bright pops of colour, and eye-catching furniture like a bulbous, round chair designed by Italian architect Gaetano Pesce. The hotel prizes modernism and strives to keep its design elements fresh and current, and has even established a partnership with design institutions in Singapore to give interior design students opportunities to create brand-new concepts for one of their hotel rooms every quarter.

Visit naumihotels.com