In May 2025, I checked into the Joaquim Suite at Sofitel Singapore City Centre, a luxurious French business hotel situated in the heart of the vibrant Tanjong Pagar district. Conveniently located above Tanjong Pagar MRT Station with direct elevator access from the station to the hotel reception level, the 223-room property is a short walk away from the Chinatown heritage district, one train stop away from Raffles Place MRT Station and a twenty-minute drive away from Changi Airport. The hotel is also steps away from the bustling Tanjong Pagar Road with its array of Korean BBQ joints and numerous cafes, bars and eateries.
There are two other Sofitel properties in Singapore, with the other being Sofitel Sentosa Singapore Resort & Spa. Other notable luxury hotels in the vicinity include Maxwell Reserve Singapore, Autograph Collection and Duxton Reserve Singapore, Autograph Collection; Mondrian Singapore Duxton; QT Singapore; The Westin Singapore; Dao by Dorsett AMTD Singapore and The Clan Hotel, Singapore.
The UTW (“Under Ten Words”): Sophisticated, luxurious French sanctuary in Tanjong Pagar.
The must-dos (if any): Relax in your beautifully furnished guest room, enjoy wine and the evening food spread at the Club Millésime during cocktail hour, take a dip in the pool, take advantage of the complimentary access to Virgin Active gym.
SOFITEL SINGAPORE CITY CENTRE
The 20-storey hotel forms part of the mixed-use development Guoco Tower, the country’s tallest building which stands 290m tall and was designed by world-renowned architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (who also conceptualised the buzzy One Bangkok development which houses The Ritz-Carlton Bangkok and the upcoming Andaz Bangkok). Past the hotel’s driveway and main entrance, you will be greeted by a distinctive twirling nine-metre-long Singapour Je T’aime art installation of 700 hand-blown crystalline leaves from Lasvit suspended from the ceiling of the lobby. Apart from the main elevator lobby near the driveway, guests can access the hotel reception on the 5th floor via another set of lifts near the Guoco Tower drop-off point along Peck Seah Street. The latter provides direct access to Tanjong Pagar MRT Station as well the F&B and retail outlets located within the basement levels of Guoco Tower.
The 5th level houses the hotel’s reception, F&B concepts Racines and 1864 as well as the Club Millésime lounge. The space plays it all vibrant botanical and floral motifs with lavish floral centrepieces and soaring floral paintings. One of the lobby level’s greatest assets is its floor-to-ceiling windows across one end of the lobby which welcome generous streams of energising natural light to the space.
Wellness facilities are located on the 6th level. Guests can schedule a quick workout in the in-house Sofitel Fitness gym; take a dip in the jacuzzi pool for some good vibrations; luxuriate in the 30-metre infinity pool which is surrounded by verdant tropical vegetation; or lounge in the private cabanas spread out across the lawn. Guests in Luxury Premium Rooms and higher categories can take advantage of the hotel’s partnership with the neighbouring Virgin Active (Tanjong Pagar) gym – directly accessible from the 6th level using an access card you can get from reception – which provides guests complimentary access to the gym’s extensive spread of fitness programmes and equipment. This access gave me glimpses into the busy wonderment that is Virgin Active – you get aerial twirling on cloths, sleeping pods, Krankcycles and Skillmills, European hairy sweatiness and exotic blue-tinged ice rooms all at once in a sleek, futuristic package.
JOAQUIM SUITE
Boasting sweeping city views of the historic Tanjong Pagar enclave with its sea of terracotta roof tiles courtesy of floor-to-towering ceiling windows, the 114sqm Joaquim Suite – the hotel’s equivalent of a presidential suite – is something special. Accentuating the suite’s impressive height is the living room’s gleaming statement chandelier, looking like something you may see at Jewel Changi Airport and suspended above the 10-seater dining table which is well-suited for Dynasty-esque butler-served power lunches.
The suite offers a therapist-ready daybed, a sprawling couch with coffee table for at least seven guests, a powder room and a work desk. The full-sized kitchen, pantry and minibar features an oven, wine fridge, sink, Nespresso Creatista Plus machine and a Wells Singapore premium water purifier which dispenses both hot and ice-cold water and makes the preparation of your TWG teas that much easier. The bedroom offers the hotel’s signature Sofitel MyBed, which isn’t so much a bed as it is a soft wing which receives your body into its angelic embrace. A window-side daybed with movable side table and a copy of Singapore Hawker Classics Unveiled provides a cosy nook for home chef dreams, while the walk-in wardrobe comes with its own Virgin Active fitness kit, including a yoga mat.
The cavernous bathroom features a vanity with double sinks, a freestanding tub and a spacious rainfall shower with Balmain shower amenities. For a presidential suite, the ceiling rainfall shower was shockingly and exasperatingly tiny, with the surface area of rainfall only covering 1/8 of the floor space. (Any romantic shower rendezvous would only involve one person getting wet.) Further, the shower hose holder was shoulder-height and non-adjustable, meaning the shower hose is unable to be meaningfully used as a hands-free substitute for the rainfall shower.
DINING
Breakfast is served at Racines, the all-day restaurant on the 5th floor which marries authentic French and local Chinese flavours. Dishes on offer include Chicken Mee Goreng, Fried Vegetable Spring Roll, Tofu with Minced Pork & Black Bean, Crispy Samosa, Mushroom Ragout, Kueh Putri Ayu and Ang Ku Kueh. An egg station prepares eggs however you like, while Soup Bee Tai Mak was available at the do-it-yourself noodle station.
After breakfast hours, the restaurant’s ala carte menu (recently refreshed in April 2025) offers a combination of French and Asian flavours – think Magret Duck Leg Confit (charred cabbage, madeira jus), Steak Frites (chargrilled black angus striploin, shoestring fries, beef jus), Beef Bourguignon (shiraz braised angus beef cheek, root vegetables, sourdough bread), Chicken Rice (locally sourced pineapple-fed chicken, fragrant rice, house-made chilli sauce, ginger paste), Singapore Hokkien Mee (yellow noodles, rice noodles, roast pork, tiger prawns, squid, sambal chilli), Wok-Fried Beef Hor Fun (flat rice noodles, angus beef fillets, crispy garlic), Cempedak Crème Brûlée (salted gula melaka gelato) and Cointreau Souffle (vanilla ice cream).
During my stay, I tried The Ultimate Racines Buffet Brunch: SG60 Edition menu, available until 30 August 2025. Highlights included the Steamed Local Seabass with Chai Po Sauce which evokes memories of family dinners with the Grandma you’re so fond of; the earthy Ayam Buah Keluak and even more earthily-scented Fried Chicken with Shrimp Paste; the fantastic Roasted Duck with Plum Sauce; the comforting Wok-Fried Radish Cake with Prawns and Eggs that begged for some XO chilli to hit a home run; the sweet and spicy Singapore Chili Seafood with Fried Mantou; and the myriad of Asian-style desserts, from nyonya kuehs and tropical fruit desserts (e.g. Mango Passion Curd Meringue, Jackfruit Orange Cheesecake) to the Lao Ban soya beancurd-soft Cendol and Soya Panna Cotta Shooter and the Teh Halia Macarons that curiously made me think of Sarsi instead.
1864 is the hotel’s stylish lobby bar and lounge which serves tipples, afternoon tea and tapas. The current Maritime Silk Road-inspired cocktail menu draw’s inspiration from places such as Italy (e.g. Inoculation: Bulleit Rye bourbon, Mancino Rosso, cherry syrup, chocolate bitters) Italy), Kenya (e.g. Caffè Noir: mezcal tequila, kahlúa, amarula, agave sugar, espresso), India (e.g. Tipsy Curry: Bacardi Carta Blanca, Malibu, curry powder, lime juice, pineapple juice), Singapore (e.g. Singapore Unsling: Monkey 47, raspberry liqueur, cherry blossom syrup, apple juice, lemon juice) and China (e.g. 万里长 WÀN LǏ CHÁNG: Jiang Xiao Bai, chrysanthemum vodka, cherry blossom syrup, lemon juice, mint bitters). 1864 also offers a revolving afternoon tea menu, with the current menu presented in collaboration with Korean beauty brand Sulwhasoo.
CLUB MILLÉSIME
Located on the 5th floor and separated from the corridor of the ballroom area with the help of plants and tall partitions, the Club Millésime is a decidedly functional affair, with both “indoor” and “outdoor” seating for its breakfast (until 11am), afternoon tea (3-5pm) and evening cocktail (5.30-7.30pm) presentations. The “outdoor” seats closer to the buffet spread are more privy to the aural hustle and bustle of ball room events – I overheard Muslim wedding cheer and Christian singalongs during my various visits – while the more corporate-esque “indoor” seating is visually but not aurally private. (Prior to the pandemic, the Club Millésime was set within a dedicated space on the 6th level which provided club guest registrations as well as an overall more exclusive and private experience.)
The Club Millésime offers an a la carte menu on weekdays, with offerings such as Sofitel Singapore Local Breakfast (63°C eggs, house-made Nonya kaya toast, French butter), Club Millésime Big Breakfast (sundried tomato, chicken sausage, pork bacon, choice of free range eggs, mushrooms, hash brown, asparagus), Club Millésime Eggs Benedict (poached eggs, baby spinach, smoked salmon, hollandise sauce, brioche bread) and Noodle Soup of the Day. On weekends, the aforementioned menu is not available – a small curation of Racines’ morning spread and eggs without any accompanying frills are offered in its place. (I was advised by two lovely ladies from the club team, Myra and Irene, that there is some flexibility on weekends for club guests to order from the a la carte menu, but unfortunately they weren’t on shift during my actual breakfast visit.)
The Apéro Chic evening cocktail hour features a buffet spread with a selection of cheeses such as Scarmoza and Emmental Cheese; Assorted Sushi; sweets such as Ondeh Ondeh Cake; and hot dishes such as Ratatouille with Seasonal Greens, Preserved Vegetable Rice, Fried Vegetable Spring Roll, Sambal Fried Rice and Fried Sesame Red Bean Balls. My favourites were the spicy and very hawker-standard Stir Fry Curry Vegetables as well as the fragrant Stir Fried Seafood with Garlic Chilli Oil which conveyed slick gambas al ajillo charms. Both appeared in the same evening spread – there was no need for a “proper” dinner after.
On the beverage front, the menu offers a selection of Pierre Ferraud & Fils wines, Bolla Prosecco Superior Brut and Prestige des Sacres Brut Champagne alongside a small curation of cocktails such as Sofitel Spritz (prosecco, ginger ale, aperol) and Joaquim’s Gin (Bombay Sapphire gin, house-made blueberry syrup, lime juice, sparkling lemon and lime cordial).
CONCLUSION
Save for the disappointing aspects of the Joaquim Suite’s shower, the suite was undeniably luxe and beautiful; the food offerings at Racines have considerably improved since my last visit; the Club Millésime experience showcased sparks of greatness despite its shift to a considerably less ideal location; and the Virgin Active partnership remains an attractive draw.
I’d be back to try the Sofitel Singapore Local Breakfast someday.
Sofitel Singapore City Centre
9 Wallich Street
Singapore 078885
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