In February 2024, I checked into the King Deluxe Suite at Conrad Singapore Orchard. Conveniently located in the quiet Tanglin residential area at the fringe of Orchard Road, Singapore’s famous retail and entertainment strip, the 445-room hotel – formerly Regent Singapore until its reopening as a Conrad property in December 2023 – is forty minutes away from Changi Airport, fifteen minutes from the Central Business District and a short walk away from Singapore Botanic Gardens, Orchard Boulevard MRT Station as well as famous shopping centres such as ION Orchard, Ngee Ann City and Isetan Scotts.
Other notable hotels situated in the same vicinity include The St. Regis Singapore, voco Orchard Singapore, Four Seasons Hotel Singapore, Hilton Singapore Orchard, Shangri-La Hotel Singapore as well as the new The Singapore EDITION and Artyzen Singapore. The Conrad Singapore Orchard joins the popular Conrad Centennial Singapore as the city’s second Conrad hotel.
The UTW (“Under Ten Words”): Decidedly more lifestyle luxurious than its Centennial sibling.
The must-dos (if any): Enjoy evening wines and soups at the Executive Lounge; take a bath with a shower steamer in your room; go for a drink at Manhattan Bar.
CONRAD SINGAPORE ORCHARD
Opened in 1982, the hotel (which previously served as the The Pavilion Inter-Continental Singapore before converting to a Regent Hotel in 1992 and finally a Conrad in December 2023) has since become known as one of the city’s most glamorous destinations, in part because of its confident and award-winning F&B programme. The property’s architectural design bears all the hallmarks of the distinctive style of its neo-futuristic architect John Portman, known for the dramatic skylights, glass elevators and soaring atria featured across his projects. (He also designed Mandarin Oriental, Singapore and PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay, Singapore with which this hotel shares substantial design DNA.) Past the property’s front doors, guests are greeted by a lushly-landscaped lobby with elegant swirling staircases, water features and four Art Deco-style bubble elevators in the middle of the atrium which ferry guests to the restaurants and guest rooms on the upper floors. The terraced guest floors are vertically stacked in manner of a pyramid, with open corridors oriented towards the towering, skylit atrium. A shimmering sculpture “Singapore Shower” by Japanese sculptor Michio Ihara suspends from the 9th level, adding a dash of glamour to the open, airy proceedings.
Prior to its relaunch as a Hilton hotel, the 445-key hotel underwent extensive renovations led by multiple teams – DP Design (behind One Farrer Hotel & Spa as well as Oasia Resort Sentosa) conceptualised the redesign of the public areas with MSDO (who imagined Revolver, Atlas Bar as well as the hotel’s own Manhattan Bar), while MSDO led the design projects for the hotel’s Summer Palace and Basilico. Elsewhere, Unscripted (who had inputs for Aman Tokyo, InterContinental Geneva and Patina Maldives, Fari Islands) was actively involved in the reimagining of the guest rooms.
The hotel’s dining concepts from its Regent Singapore days – the award-winning Manhattan Bar; the Michelin-star restaurant Summer Palace; lobby lounge concept Tea Lounge which transforms into wine bar Park90 after hours; the Italian restaurant Basilico and artisanal pasticceria and mercatino Dolcetto – all survived the hotel’s rebrand.
In terms of wellness, the hotel has a swimming pool which goes as deep as 2.1m and a snazzy fitness centre located on the 2nd level which underwent significant renovations and is now being more spacious and brightly-lit than before. The hotel is currently partnering with Singapore wellness brand Trapeze Rec Club to offer various wellness activities for hotel guests, from HIIT classes and guided cold plunges to poolside yoga, with the activities rotating daily. During my stay, I attempted the Poolside Morning Intention Session, and my hamstrings were impossibly tight, my core strength and psychomotor skills were put to the test, and even simple movements felt like a game of complex twister (“right butt out towards the pool, left heel 90 degrees touching your right knee” etc).
A notable feature of the new Conrad hotel which sets it apart from its sister Conrad Centennial Singapore – which is decidedly more business hotel-esque in comparison – is their selection of various curated guest experiences. For instance, Manhattan Bar currently offers a Rickhouse Experience comprising an introduction to the bar’s rickhouse filled with over 100 American oak barrels used for ageing spirits and bitters, followed by a tasting session where you get to sample various cocktails, including the bar’s Manhattan’s signature Solera-Aged Negroni. Elsewhere, Basilico conducts workshops dedicated to the craft of infusing artisanal cheeses with different innovative flavours.
During my stay, I participated in the Edible Garden Walk, during which we were escorted by permaculture educator and practitioner Alexius Yeo on a stroll to and around the UNESCO-listed Singapore Botanic Gardens. We stopped along the way to look at, learn about and taste several edible plants along the way (we are talking pedestrian pathways, roadside, along fences etc) including, inter alia, emblica urinaria or shatterstone, so named because of its reported ability to shatter kidney stones; curry leaves, which made me yearn for salted egg prawns; wild pepper, which reaps leaves and fruits that evoke the mala numb of peppercorn; pennywort, which is widely used in beauty products; red button ginger, whose flower hides a drop of nectar that delivers a shock of appetizing sour, and Cupid’s Shaving Brush, which my late grandmother used to ask me to forage along the roadsides of my neighbour estate for use in the preparation of a medicinal tea that I now know treats ailments such as body aches and inflammation.
“I hope this experience helps you see the world now in a different way”, Alexis said at the end of the Edible Garden Walk. He was right.
KING DELUXE SUITE
Overlooking the peaceful Tanglin residential neighbourhood, the airy and spacious 81sqm King Deluxe Suite features double balconies (a rarity for Singapore hotels) with dining tables, daybeds and potted plants; a filtered water tap; technological flourishes including smart lighting controls, wireless charging and a USB-C charging port; a snazzy Fellow Stagg EKG electric kettle which can heat your water to specific temperatures; and a Dyson hair dryer conveniently located to a full length mirror with power outlet. (The Dyson equipment is a suite room exclusive.)
The suite is decked in calming and neutral colours, with artworks by local artists adorning its walls. The bedroom is fitted with a work desk and a walk-in closet, while the living room has sizeable couch seating able to accommodate a small group of family members or friends should the need arise. The pantry offers Nespresso and TWG tea-making facilities, while the minibar is stocked with chocolates from Singapore-based chocolate lifestyle brand Mr. Bucket Chocolaterie as well as beers from Archipelago Brewery, small bottles of wine as well as sparkling and still water.
The bathroom is spacious, with different buttons for activating the rainfall shower and shower head instead of the usual dial system as well as Byredo bathroom amenities. I was impressed by the wellness inclusions within the suite itself, which included a sound bath playable on your television set; the Singapore Sleep calming tea served during turndown service – packed specially for the hotel – which is made using hibiscus, pandan, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and longan; and the shower steamers from aromatherapy concept Savan Baths which fizz and dissolve in the shower, filling the space with an essential oil-thick mist in the air.
DINING
Breakfast is a buffet affair served at Basilico, the Italian all-day dining restaurant located on the 2nd level which is famed for their Signature Cheese Room with over 50 artisanal cheeses. You can expect the obligatory cold cuts and cheeses, pastries (try the Kaya Bread and Banana Cake), American breakfast sides, Asian and Western dishes (think Teriyaki Salmon, Medu Vadai and Ginger Chicken Congee) as well as an egg station. The noodle station offers both Beef Noodle Soup as well as a vegetarian option.
Parts of Basilico have been revamped as part of the hotel reopening, including the introduction of the new Basilico Bar area which serves a wicked Claypot Negroni as well as various other cocktails.
Manhattan Bar is one of the country’s most popular drinking destinations, having topped the Asia’s 50 Best Bars list and graced the upper echelons of the World’s 50 Best Bars list for many years. Paying tribute to one of the world’s greatest cities, the sexy and sophisticated space plays it all old New York glamour with leather Chesterfield sofas, velvet armchairs, black marble and mahogany textures as well as gel-slick coiffed hair and pearl necklaces against bartender vests and black cocktail dresses respectively. Their latest menu is inspired by Broadway, with sections dedicated to their latest cocktail line-up such as the genever-based The Majestic, the whiskey-based Hamilton and bourbon-based Cosette (“The Play”), highlights from the bar’s Friends of Manhattan guest bartender programme such as Smoky Nero, Paradiso Martinez and The SG (“The Orchestra”), selections from their rickhouse of barrel-aged cocktails such as their signature Manhattan and Solera Aged Negroni (“The Backstage”), and evergreen icons from the bar’s back catalogue such as their Aviation and New York Sour (“The Curtain Call”).
Located on the ground level, the colonial garden-styled Tea Lounge serves afternoon tea on weekdays as well as supersized sessions upgraded with a full buffet with more premium offerings during the weekends. During my stay, I had the Weekend High Tea and was astounded by the quality of the addictive Oyster Omelette and, more impressively, their Ocean King Prawn Congee with Baby Abalone which played it all Yan Ji Seafood Soup-esque meaty smoky. (I had three helpings of both). Other notable stars include their savoury Laksa and the Pineapple Tamarind Meringue Tart, which evokes sweet memories of Chinese New Year with a twist. In addition, during service, each table was presented with a one-off special Caramelised Kurobuta Pork Char Siew platter, and its caramelised goodness reminded me of good ol’ Mitzo at the former Grand Park Orchard. Certainly not your average afternoon tea, and all the better for it.
After afternoon tea service, the Tea Lounge transforms into Park90, a wine bar by night which offers up to 1000 labels of wine paired with sharing plates from both Basilico and Summer Palace.
Situated on the 3rd floor, Michelin–starred Chinese concept Summer Palace serves exquisite Cantonese cuisine and dim sum delicacies in an Oriental-inspired setting which overlooks the swimming pool. Since their reopening in February 2024, the restaurant has revamped its dining programme to include cocktail and wine pairings. Elsewhere, ground level gourmet pasticceria Dolcetto by Basilico serves Italian pastries, cakes, gelati and paninis, with separate takeaway/retail and dine-in areas. They also have a great selection of gelatos – think Puglia Black Figs, Amarena Cherry and Amalfi Lemon & Basil.
Rounding up the dining concepts are tenants Tenshin and Seoul, which specialise in Japanese tempura and Korean BBQ respectively, as well as innovative kaiseki concept Shoukouwa Shinjidai and Japanese bar The House Bar.
EXECUTIVE LOUNGE
An essential experience at Conrad Singapore Orchard is the Executive Lounge on the 11th floor which offers daily breakfast, afternoon tea as well as evening cocktails and canapes. The Executive Lounge showcases fare from the hotel’s Michelin-starred Summer Palace as well as Italian concepts Basilico and Dolcetto, and their daily Chinese soups in particular are sensational – at point of writing, I have spent seven evenings at the Executive Lounge and their Braised Abalone Soup with Eight Treasures, Double-boiled Fish Maw with Bamboo Pith and Fish Cartilage and Double-boiled Aweto Flowers and Organic Chicken Soup are delicious creations you can imagine costing top dollar at a fancy Chinese restaurant. In terms of canapes, you can expect pizza dishes such as Margherita and Mixed Meat; snacks such as Chicken Karaage and Truffle Potato Croquettes; and a variety of chilled dainty sweets.
Bubbly currently on offer is prosecco, and they do serve Aperol Spritzes upon request.
CONCLUSION
With its stellar dining concepts, wellness angle and curated guest experiences, the Conrad Singapore Orchard is a distinctly different product from its Centennial sibling. Their Executive Lounge has possibly the best soups out of all the luxury hotel club lounges in Singapore, and you can easily curate an entire day of dining programming within the property without ever having to step out. Quite the destination, indeed.
Conrad Singapore Orchard
1 Cuscaden Road
Singapore 249715
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