Singapore is experiencing a relentless wave of openings: from Pullman Singapore Hill Street, COMO Metropolitan Singapore and Pan Pacific Orchard, Singapore to the upcoming Standard Singapore, Raffles Sentosa Resort.
But Mondrian Singapore Duxton, which debuted last July in a location within walking distance of the city’s central business district as well as attractions like Marina Bay Sands and Gardens Through the Bay, is revolutionizing the scene. It is also very walkable to many restaurants and bars.
But you don’t have to leave this 302-room (though still boutique) hotel to treat yourself: it has everything from a dining venue signed by a world-renowned butcher to a cocktail bar serving tropical libations mixed with ingredients from the Southeast Asian. Rooftop pool to start.
Here is everything you should know about Mondrian Singapore Duxton.
When it opens in July 2023, Mondrian Singapore Duxton will become Accor’s first sumptuous and artfully irreverent hotel in Southeast Asia. Designed by Los Angeles-based Studio Carter, it retains some of the attitude and playfulness of the original Sunset Boulevard outpost, while also fitting perfectly into the context of a trendy, bustling Singapore neighborhood.
There’s nothing stiff, stiff, or too decent about these assets, and that’s precisely what makes them fun. As visitors get closer, they may notice the 20-foot-tall KAWS copper sculpture that protects the state in front of the new part of the Assets tower. This component also houses a variety of generously sized suites in a construction where a pointed roof and windows play with the neighborhood’s historic commercial houses (a type of construction in Southeast Asia that houses a business and a residence).
Inside the front doors, the arrival experience is filled with gilded glamour, with heavy green velvet curtains, a round, bright installation that plays on the silver ceiling, and elevators capable of taking you into the third-floor lobby. From the hidden check-in desk, visitors can catch glimpses of two of the hotel’s four attractive restaurants and bars, as well as some major works of art.
Business and leisure travelers have considered the hotel as their stopover in the city. What’s not unusual is that they like to be in the middle of the action.
You can take a taxi from Singapore’s Changi Airport (SIN) and reach the hotel’s car park and gleaming golden façade in just 20 minutes. The fee is expected to be between S$20 and S$30 ($15 to $22). . It’s also a short walk from Outram Park MRT station. While most hotels in Singapore are located in tree-lined residential spaces or busy streets to buy groceries, this newcomer is located in a cool central area: Duxton Hill.
On the edge of the city’s Chinatown, the Mondrian is surrounded by terra-cotta tile roofs built between the 1840s and 1960s, many of which have been renovated and are now home to giant restaurants and bars, cafes, art galleries, and design studios, not to mention a few other hotels. Just a few blocks away are restaurants serving everything from Swiss and Korean food to Italian-Japanese food, as well as speakeasies, bookstores, and even an ice cream parlor that promotes plant-based ice cream.
Potential visitors can book electronically at Mondrian Singapore Duxton directly on the hotel’s website, but as an Accor member, it will be your duty to go through the Accor platform, where you can take advantage of members-only rates: 5% off the best. Publicly available fares, in addition to earning ALL prestige and broadcasts, Accor Live Limitless.
For Accor members, the short- and long-term starting rates are around SG$335 ($250) per night, which is very just the point of luxury and amenities presented in a city full of high-end hotels. It starts at around SG$380 ($283) per night.
Studio Carter has gone to great lengths to make magic happen in a small area. The vast majority (292, to be exact) of Mondrian’s hotels are about 236 square feet, regardless of bed configuration and views, and they make the most of that area. While it feels much larger, thanks in part to the expansive panoramas revealed through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
The décor palette features ambitious pops of color: purple curtains, emerald shower glasses, and green marble sinks, to mention a generous dose of high-gloss reflective surfaces (think: hammered steel minibars containing Lavazza coffee machines and a satisfying selection of snacks and drinks). However, hotels still manage to feel serene and overwhelming. This diversity of materials, decidedly glamorous without much effort, links the rooms to the public spaces that share them.
A 55-inch high-definition TV (from which you can order room service directly) and a Bluetooth speaker are standard in each room. Guests are also provided with unlimited complimentary water packaged in sustainable cardboard cartons designed to look like mini shophouses.
There are a handful of Shophouse Suites, in an adjacent building. They range in size from 538 to 1,377 square feet; If you need to impress someone, book the largest, with beautiful arched windows and a slender roof; a dining room and a kitchenette; a long, well-shaped bar for entertaining; a living room with marble accents; and a bathroom-closet configuration that can serve as inspiration for the design of the house.
My 484 square foot Pinnacle Suite included 3 distinctive and visually stunning spaces and extended around a corner of the 11th floor, indeed providing stunning views. As soon as I opened the door, the silky ombré curtains parted, revealing the city beyond – a fun trick to ward off Singapore’s midday heat when no one is inside. To the right was the minimalist open closet which, small, was more than enough for a two-night stay. A giant ironing board, along with an umbrella, bathrobes and slippers, were stored in elegant compartments and hung from black bars in front of a wall decorated with a mural animated through calligraphy.
The same design was posted on a three-tiered tiffin that contained a tasty array of local kueh delicacies in each layer, making it a fun and unique welcome gift. For my toddler, there was also a miniature embroidered apron, paper hat, and cupcake to personalize dressing boxes on an artist’s palette. The bronze-colored glass desk, lit through an M neon light, was a great place for her to get artsy (and a little messy) on the light wood floors without potentially soiling the velvety dove-gray carpet in the living room with a couch. , an armchair, a coffee table, an ottoman, and a TV.
Although an incredibly luxurious king-size bed almost maximizes the bedroom area with little wiggle room around it, the feel is still spacious thanks to the two glass walls. The area felt downright cozy when all the curtains were drawn not only on the windows but also on the back wall, where an arched steel door led to the bathroom and some other segment of glass revealed the bathroom with a view. One small complaint: when the back curtain closed, it covered the air conditioning vent and things were pretty busy for a while before we figured out why.
The Sleep Magic Phone detox kits with the Mondrian Singapore Duxton logo placed on the two most comfortable pillows in bed were a great touch, and I enjoyed the challenge of “putting my iPhone in bed” at night in its own special bag. The sculptural suede headboard on either side was a full array of well-labeled switches to control day and night curtains, a reading light, ambient lighting, and more, as well as external and USB-A plugs, and USB-C ports. The. A number of other well-placed shots followed, all foreign. The lighting around the suite was very attractive but also functional and easy to navigate, unlike the overly confusing systems found in hotels.
The bathroom made good use of the space, not only with a good-sized bathroom located in its own small room, but also with a separate shower and a separate small room for the toilet. The shower, scented with Malin Goetz frame h-bergamot, shampoo and conditioner was put under a lot of pressure from the rainfall (and handheld) showerhead, but there was a catch: water was leaking out of the violet glass door. The vanity had a mirror with LED lighting and plenty of garage for our toiletries as well as a freestanding makeup mirror.
In the end, even with a husband and baby (plus a baby on board) sharing the space, we had more than enough room, thanks to some clever layout.
Mondrian knows that its audience — especially in a foodie mecca like Singapore — loves great food and drink, and its offerings reflect that. Located on the third floor, the hotel’s signature restaurant, Bottega di Carna, is also the site of its comprehensive buffet breakfast, featuring everything from bountiful fruit, salads and charcuterie to typical American favorites (pancakes, eggs, bacon and more).
There are also Asian standards, plentiful baked goods, and made-to-order pieces, such as a crab omelet and chive noodles (buffet breakfast prices are SG$45 or $33, if included in the nightly rate).
The sprawling restaurant of beautiful marble tables, leather chairs, velvet curtains and a Tracey Emin neon installation, with a sizable skylight framed by lush flora, was abuzz each morning. However, it really shone at night when chef Dario Cecchini’s specialty, beef, was in the spotlight. It was hard to walk by en route to the elevators without noticing meaty aromas wafting out of the kitchen. Early evenings were populated by families, while the vibe felt date-appropriate as the night progressed.
As I devoured a cloud-shaped focaccia topped with freshly charred rosemary, I most often followed our waiter’s lead and ordered zucchini noodles with basil pesto (SG$18 or $13), a carpaccio di culo made with chunks of rump (SG$28 or $13). $21) and Francesina’s Braised Meat Pici Pasta (GF28 or $21), although the sweet and savory artichoke pie with goat cheese and acacia honey (GF12 or $9) turned out to be my favorite.
Unable to eat undercooked meat (and unwilling to offend the chef by ordering a fine steak well done), I only had a taste of my husband’s USDA 44 Farms Prime filet mignon (SG$98, or $73), but its succulence has stayed with me. The branzino filet (SG$48, or $36) with grilled artichoke and salsa verde was substantial but refined. Four out of five desserts contained alcohol, so I sampled the Valrhona chocolate fondant and was not disappointed.
If alcohol was something I was looking for, and we didn’t have our son with us, then we would have moved to the Jungle Ballroom. The cocktail bar is open until 2 a. m. M. Y is a bit mind-blowing in the most productive way imaginable, from the artistic, ornate disco balls to the libations. Mixologist Adrian Besa features a host of well-researched (and tasty!) Southeast Asian regional ingredients, such as longan.
On the roof is the Canyon Club, with Tyler Shields and the power of the ’70s to fit the spinning pool scene.
It serves iced cocktails (SG$22 or $16) like old-fashioned classics, hearty refreshing seafood, and more exquisite dishes like tiger’s milk snapper ceviche served in coconut shells ($37 or $28), the Old Bay, a crispy oyster. bread ($32 or $24) and a delicious tomato burrata with turmeric French dressing ($28 or $21).
Downstairs, right at the hotel entrance, is the colorful Christina’s, serving coffee, acai bowls (SG$14 or $10) and cereals (SG$18 or $13), an edition of kaya toast with blue cheese, a Singapore toast . (SG$16. , or $12) and a Miso-Glazed Beef Cheek Benedict (SG$22, or $16) in the morning and continue the party from there. Throughout the day, some people hold meetings there, while others bulgogi burgers (SG$28, $21) or boxes on their laptops (the benches and tables are well-equipped with power outlets). At night, the restaurant transforms into a wine bar, with a DJ.
The gastronomic offer is wide and in the coming months a handful of independent restaurants will open on the grounds of the hotel; for example, the 22-seat izakaya restaurant, Suzuki, designed by Kengo Kuma, which debuted this fall.
Although not very large, the 24-hour gym has all the Technogym equipment you need for a complete workout. Plus, its design is in keeping with the rest of the hotel, which means it’s pretty enough, with pink-hued reflective surfaces, fun lighting, and hardwood floors. It’s the opposite of the sterile gyms in many hotels.
Equipment includes treadmills and a desktop motorcycle that overlooks giant windows that overlook the neighborhood, as well as an elliptical machine, a full set of loose weights, a bench, and multifunctional weight machines. There are training balls and enough space to spread out the yoga mats for a session. There is plenty of boxed water with the hotel’s logo and fluffy towels.
While the upper-floor rooms of the 13-story tower offer excellent views of the duality of Singapore’s cityscape, the long infinity edge of its rooftop pool is where you can really appreciate the expanse and contrast — orange-roofed Chinatown shophouses, gleaming skyscrapers, sculptural temples and more.
However, the sparkling T-shaped pool is more than just a position to take in the views. It exudes a wonderful ’70s Hollywood vibe (even music is played in the pool through underwater speakers) that resembles a hotel pool scene, thank you. to the cabins with fishing cushions and abundant trees. There is no fee to reserve a cabin, but advance reservations are required starting at 11 a. m. M. (is open from 7 a. m. at 11 p. m. ), I got lucky on a Sunday afternoon and was able to capture an empty one for an impromptu break.
For what it’s worth, the pool is friendly and not just for adults — my toddler loved the shallow entry section, while the length makes swimming laps appealing for those so inclined. There are also built-in benches and contoured sections with water jets for those seeking relaxing relief from the hot, humid Singapore weather.
There are 4 rooms available at Duxton at the hotel, of which they measure 236 square feet and feature a double bed, available bathroom and a 32-inch wide door, as well as the amenities popular with the other accommodations. For the hearing impaired, there is a telephone light and a visual alarm.
Elevator buttons (with braille) and keycard scanners are placed low so wheelchair users can easily use them, and hallways are well-lit with easy-to-read (though no braille) room numbers. ). There’s no chairlift to the pool; However, rooftop restrooms (and others in public areas) are available with bars and assistive for the hearing impaired, and visitors with fewer cell phones would possibly appreciate the tall restrooms.
Maybe it was the contrasting textures (shiny, velvety, silky, marbled) or the captivating artwork — my family was especially drawn to watching Dawn Ng’s “Waterfall IV” video installation, which depicted what looked like a radically pigmented iceberg melting). Or, perhaps it was all the vivid colors in the rooms and public spaces. (It was likely also the pool!) Regardless, I found myself consistently marveling at the artistic and appealing design of the hotel over the course of our stay.
The service was excellent, whether it was the almost instant delivery of an extra-firm pillow and adapter or the cheerful high-fives of the staff for my baby and the even considered wonder of the strawberries with chocopasto sauce at breakfast for her. Everyone seemed to need to please, even though there were some very occasional missteps (like cleaning our room only in the afternoon when we were away most of the day). As someone who loves being able to walk around and explore the food of a destination. , culture and shopping, the location can’t be beat.
With its unique combination of amenities, art and flavours, the hotel convinced me and I’m already thinking about my next stay at the Mondrian Singapore Duxton.
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