After an extensive six months makeover, the luxury hotel has finally reopened its doors
While travel and tourism is finally resuming, it’s not that easy to hop on a plane for a getaway—especially when life gets in the way. Fortunately for us, our island is filled with a plethora of luxurious hotels for us to choose from, whenever we’re seeking a quick escape from reality. Not only are new hotels constantly popping up, our favourite ones are constantly improving themselves, with renovations and upgrades—the latest being Mandarin Oriental Singapore.
After six months of closure, the grand hotel has finally reopened with an extensive transformation led by principal designer Jeffrey Wilkes of Designwilkes, the same creative who dreamed up the interiors of Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong and The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai.
So, when we were offered the opportunity to stay at the newly reopened hotel for a night, we jumped at the chance.
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First Impressions
Wilkes wanted the experience of staying in Mandarin Oriental Singapore to be homely and comforting—something he accomplished as soon as we walked into the hotel. Upon arrival, we were greeted by friendly staff who swiftly checked us in.
Standing in the reception, our eyes wandered over the newly minted interiors. We were told Wilkes took inspiration from various Singaporean elements, including Peranakan-style architecture, Angsana trees and black and white houses. Around the lobby, we admired the various paintings and sculptures by local and Asian artists, all of them handpicked by Wilkes himself.
As we were guided to our rooms, we noticed Singaporean motifs stretching past the lobby, with every corner reflecting a piece of the island—local elements featured in the details everywhere from the hotel’s restaurants to its rooms.