In November 2023, I checked into the Garden King at The Singapore EDITION. Accessible via Cuscaden Road just slightly off the west end of the Orchard Road shopping belt, the 204-room hotel is just steps away from Orchard MRT Station as well as shopping and dining destinations such as Forum The Shopping Mall, Wheelock Place and ION Orchard. Marina Bay Sands and the Central Business District are about ten minutes away by taxi, while travelling to Changi Airport by car will take less than 30 minutes.
Other notable hotels within the same vicinity include the upcoming Conrad Singapore Orchard, The St. Regis Singapore, voco Orchard Singapore, Four Seasons Hotel Singapore, Shangri-La Hotel Singapore as well as the new Artyzen Singapore across the road. Other EDITION hotels in Asia include The Sanya EDITION, The Shanghai EDITION, The Tokyo EDITION, Toranomon as well as the upcoming The Tokyo EDITION, Ginza.
My stay was a Standard Room redemption for 40,000 Marriott Bonvoy loyalty points. At time of writing, I am a Gold Elite member.
The UTW (“Under Ten Words”): Ritzy and showstoppingly glamorous social destination along Cuscaden Road.
The must-dos (if any): Take a nice long bath in your beautiful bathroom, take plenty of photos of the hotel’s gorgeous public spaces, have breakfast at FYSH at EDITION.
THE SINGAPORE EDITION
With an arresting bronze and glass facade designed by Safdie Architects (behind Jewel Changi Airport and Marina Bay Sands) as well as DP Architects (who designed The Fullerton Bay Hotel as well as Hotel Fort Canning), and interior design courtesy of EDITION brand mastermind Ian Schrager along with Cap Atelier (who are behind various Mott 32 restaurants in Asia as well as the beautiful Lai Ching Heen at Regent Hong Kong), the hotel is a thing of visually sumptuousness. As your vehicle pulls up into the cobbled stone driveway and you pass the tall windows of the lobby level, you notice white curtains conceal the hotel’s interiors from the outside, thus lending a sense of exclusivity, mystery and anticipation. As the heavy front doors are pulled open and you take your first steps into the hotel lobby, you are greeted by austere white marble walls, a soaring dome ceiling clad in gleaming gold as well as an abundance of greenery. Floor-to-ceiling windows are sheathed with plantation louvres, evoking feels of a luxurious tropical setting.
The lobby area seamlessly segues into the hotel’s Lobby Bar, where an eyecatching oversized pink backlit bar display sets the visual note for the space, as well as FYSH by EDITION, the hotel’s signature seafood-focused steakhouse which boasts a soaring biophilic green wall on the far end as well as a curved glass roof which allows sunlight to stream into the space, giving part of the restaurant a certain glasshouse dining feel. A dramatic white Venetian plaster staircase (an EDITION trademark) spirals down to the lower level where the hotel’s timber-decked garden courtyard, event spaces as well as the hotel’s signature bar Punch Room are located.
In terms of wellness, The Spa at The Singapore EDITION on the second level offers seven treatment rooms, sunken vitality thermal pools, a relaxation lounge, sauna and steam rooms as well as a fully equipped gym. Flanked by the residential towers of the Boulevard 88 apartment complex on both sides, the rooftop swimming pool is 43m long and offers both day beds for your sun worship pleasure as well as a naughty secret – a transparent acrylic oculus above the garden courtyard below which adds a dash of heart acceleration to your aquatic frolic.
Given the remarkable interiors, the EDITION brand’s luxury lifestyle leanings as well as the property’s positioning of the hotel as the destination for ritzy and buzzy events (Mercedes and Vogue have already organised big scale events within the hotel’s first two weeks of operations), the hotel has already attracted (and invited) an extensive portion of the high fashion, high society and celebrity set. During my check-in, actors from Crazy Rich Asians as well as local artistes and comediennes were enjoying cocktails at The Lobby Bar like they were mere mortals, while many of the guests who traversed the hallways of the lobby level were decked in either couture or, shall we say, fashion-forward ensembles. The implication is that the entirety of the lobby level acts like a showcase where you will be and feel seen, and I imagine crocs, army singlets and cups of Fruce pandan coconut juice purchased at Wisma Atria – common features of casual local staycations – are likely to attract unwanted attention and disapproval.
The hotel currently ranks as the most expensive hotel along the Orchard Road stretch, with entry rooms going for around S$800 per night.
GARDEN KING
Overlooking the garden courtyard below, the minimalist 38sqm Garden King is decked in creamy, soothing shades of white and brown. A white rug partially covers the white oak-planked floors, while a white embroidered throw is placed on the bed (in lieu of the faux fur throw I have come to associate intimately with EDITION bedrooms, not in small part due to my stay at The Tokyo EDITION, Toranomon). A window-side sofa seat and round table with two accompanying chairs allow you to lounge or dine whilst taking in the lush greenery all around. A Nespresso machine and Jing tea sachets cater to your warm beverage needs, while the minibar is impressively stocked – think Grey Goose vodka, The Botanist gin, bottled cocktails from Punch Room and Ruinart Blanc de Blancs champagne.
A brilliant touch of technology – beyond controlling the curtain sheers and black-out shades, bedside buttons also allow you to adjust the movement of exterior louvres outside the window to filter the sunlight and offer greater privacy. Another thoughtful design feature – a power point lies within the closet next to the mirror for you to be able to use the hair dryer meaningfully.
The creamy marble bathroom offers double vanities, backlit mirrors, controls which enable you to adjust the exact lighting of the space to achieve your desired atmosphere, a spacious rainshower with a deep, beautiful bathtub as well as smart buttons which turn on the respective water sources on automatic full blast. Bathroom amenities are courtesy of Le Labo, and smell posh and distinctive. Also, the toilet is fitted with a Japanese-style bidet for that extra touch of luxury.
DINING
The hotel’s key restaurant is FYSH at EDITION, a seafood steakhouse restaurant helmed by Australian chef Josh Niland who is known for his sustainability-driven gill-to-tail concept. Besides housing generous amounts of greenery, the space is decked in timber, white marble and jade velvet textures, while a large artwork by Christian Furr sits over the bar. An outdoor pergola offers al fresco seating which overlooks the lush garden courtyard below.
Served at FYSH, breakfast is a semi-buffet, a la carte affair. The buffet spread comprises fresh pastries, cheeses and fruits, while the a la carte menu offers dishes such as FYSH Royale (poached egg, hash brown, smoked bacon seaweed hollandaise), French Omelette (shiitake mushrooms, spinach, cream cheese), Avocado Toast (FYSH sourdough, esplette pepper, lime & chives), Congee & Condiments (you tiao, ginger, shallot, chili oil, preserved mustard greens & sesame), Steel Cut Oat Porridge (Josper grilled banana & muscovado sugar) and Buttermilk Pancakes (calamansi curd, fresh ricotta & passionfruit).
It needs to be said that, while the semi-buffet was modest in quantity, the quality of the food served was exceptional, rivalling the quality of breakfast experiences I had at ultra-luxury Capella and Rosewood properties. The Chongqing Noodles (wheat noodles, pickles, peanuts, chili & sichuan, poached egg, garlic pea leaves, hot & numbing Westholme beef brisket) tasted like something one could legitimately order at a posh modern Chinese restaurant, while I liked everything in my bowl of Deep Fried Eggs – the softness and refinement of the steamed koshihikari rice; the crisp of the eggs; the trout roe for that spurt of juicy brininess; even the lashings of lao gan ma chilli for that savoury, spicy umami. The Hash Brown (which also features in the FYSH Royale) displayed a certain layered shreddedness of potato that qualifies it as a legitimate dish (ala crab cake) as opposed to an anonymous, perfunctory side, while even the sliced mango halves from the buffet were topped with zest for a surprising shiver of citrusy pleasure.
Unlike other properties within the Marriott portfolio which offer complimentary breakfast privileges as part of top tier Marriott Bonvoy privileges, EDITION hotels expressly exclude such a benefit, which is a common gripe among Marriott Bonvoy members. However, given the quality and value of the breakfast offerings here, perhaps such a policy may be well justified.
Located on the ground level, The Lobby Bar offers a suitably chichi atmosphere for your afternoon tea and tipple-led gossip sessions – think a glowing pink backlit bar, rose-coloured pool tables, Christian Liaigre doe leather chairs and Lalique-inspired crystal decanters and sculptures. The cocktails are scent-inspired, with the Bergamot Negroni (Ford’s Gin, Campari, Cocchi Vermouth Di Torino, Bergamot) and Neroli (No 3 Dry Gin, Cocchi Dry Vermouth, Neroli, Chrysanthemum) being highlights.
Swathed in shades of Yves Klein blue with a dramatic sculptural blue ceiling pendant designed by Parisian artist Eric Schmitt, the very sexy Punch Room specialises in punch cocktails inspired by Southeast Asian and Singapore stories and spices. You can expect to find cocktails such as Straits Punch (Botanist Gin, Kakubin whisky, ruby port, pomegranate, spiced lemon, ceylon tea), Urban Jungle Punch (Hendrick’s Gin, Clairin rum, lemongrass, ginger tea), Race Course Punch (Citadelle gin, Christian Dhrouin VSOP calvados, falernum, grapefruit, blue spirulina) and Bukit Merah Punch (Brass Lion Gin, Montelobos Espadin Mezcal, banana, tamarind, coconut), although you could also request for classic and customised cocktails – I had a very delicious Mezcal Negroni, which turned out to be my favourite cocktail so far from the hotel’s F&B concepts.
Rounding up the hotel’s dining concepts is The Roof, the semi-al fresco rooftop poolside space which offers Southeast Asian-inspired comfort cuisine such as The Roof Chicken Rice (garlic choy sum, chili), Teppan Nasi Goreng (crispy prawn, fried egg) and Tiger Prawns a La Plancha (crispy garlic, chili, cashew nuts, thai basil) in a tropical setting.
CONCLUSION
Initially, photos and reviews posted by guests during the hotel’s first few days of operations left me decidedly underwhelmed prior to my stay (where is my faux fur throw?), and I doubt I will ever truly feel at ease amongst the high fashion, high society and celebrity set (and those who yearn to be amongst). However, it must be said that I was genuinely surprised by the heartfelt service, warm smiles and kind hospitality displayed by the service staff at the Front Desk as well as every single F&B concept in the hotel.
During my stay, I was upgraded from a Standard King to a Garden King; the bar manager at Punch Room was very approachable and friendly, and even gave me a sneak preview of a yet unannounced (and absolutely stunning) space within the property; and a very helpful staff member at The Lobby Bar actually went above and beyond when she assisted me with a cocktail order from FYSH although I was seated within The Lobby Bar.
Given its price tag and its targeted clientele, the hotel may not be the type I necessarily want to return to after having stayed once, but let it be said that The Singapore EDITION sure leaves one heck of an indelible visual impression. Coupled with the exceptional breakfast at FYSH, the commendable service as well as the comfortable and luxurious in-room experience, this is definitely one hotel for the bucket list.
The Singapore EDITION
38 Cuscaden Road
Singapore 249731
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