Ten Art Hotels To Stay At In Singapore

Singapore is a city often overlooked when it comes to the many cultural and artistic landmarks that it offers. Read Culture Trip’s guide to ten hotels which reveal the cultural side of Singapore.

© Forest by WANGZ

The Forest by WANGZ

The Forest by WANGZ is a new urban oasis aimed at the sophisticated traveller. Centrally located in the heart of Singapore, the hotel offers a moment of calm within the chaos of the city. The property’s external cladding is inspired by the sculptural forms of the natural landscape, echoing images of the rainforest and its kaleidoscopic shadows. The Forest by WANGZ showcases a collection of specifically commissioned artworks which pay attention to blending the elements together. The animated platforms in the common areas along with the bold designer furniture and vibrant sculptures in every apartment mean that art is in the air everywhere you turn.

© Raffles Hotel

Raffles Hotel

For a true taste of historical Singapore, a stay at the Raffles Hotel is a necessity. Named after Stamford Raffles – the founder of modern Singapore – The Raffles Hotel has proved to be a literary inspiration. The hotel in Singapore has been a home-from-home for a number of literary luminaries, including Rudyard Kipling, Joseph Conrad, and Somerset Maugham, as well as comic actor Charlie Chaplin. Raffles is also the setting for Murakami Ryu’s novel Raffles Hotel and its film adaptation, which was shot on location in the hotel. It is a colonial-style hotel established by two Armenian brothers in 1887. For over 125 years, the Raffles Hotel has provided top-class service for travellers who arrive in Singapore. Beginning as a ten bedroom colonial bungalow, the hotel now comprises 103 suites, as well as a ballroom, veranda, multiple restaurants, a shopping arcade and a spa.

© The Scarlet Hotel

The Scarlet Hotel

The Scarlet Hotel is located in the culturally rich Erskine Road in Chinatown, Singapore. Idiosyncratic restoration projects have proved popular in Singapore and The Scarlet is a true example of this transformation. Once a row of Chinese merchants’ houses dating from the 1860s and a 1920s Art Deco building, its multi-million dollar conversion has turned it into one of the hippest places to stay in Singapore. Its location provides easy access to the city’s most popular attractions, the Central Business District and the best dining venues that multicultural Singapore has to offer. A truly boutique experience, special highlights include the rooftop bar and the hotel’s private outdoor jacuzzi.

© Capella Singapore

Capella Singapore

The fantastic artwork present within The Capella is indicative as soon as you arrive at the sweeping private driveway. A masterpiece sculpture by Bernar Venet was specifically commissioned for the hotel to form the Chinese character for ‘heart’. Once you have entered The Capella itself, an outstanding collection of paintings wait for you in the reception area. Another impressive commission is the Nikolas Weinstein hand-made glass chandelier that hangs in the grand ballroom and is made out of 10,614 borosilicate glass tubes. Aside from the permanent hangings, the hotel holds pop-up exhibitions of pieces on loan from collectors and galleries, which have previously included works by Salvador Dali and Auguste Rodin. If the interiors don’t astound you then the exteriors definitely will. Curved, modern buildings intermingle with colonial architecture along the vibrant rainforest, finishing off with the South China Sea as the backdrop.

© Mandarin Oriental Singapore

Mandarin Oriental, Singapore

This spacious luxury hotel contains 527 rooms, all of which have floor-to ceiling windows featuring views of the Marina Bay, the Pacific Ocean or the Singapore skyline. The Marina Bay Floating Stadium is located directly in front of the Mandarin Oriental, Singapore on Marina Bay. The floating venue hosts concerts, theatre performances, athletic events and cultural festivals on a regular basis. The design of the hotel is based on a theatre concept and the exterior of the building is supposed to resemble a fan, a nod to the Mandarin Oriental logo. On the inside, almost one hundred pieces of fine regional art adorn the property’s walls, giving a true taste of Singaporean culture.

© Shangri-La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort & Spa

Shangri-La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort & Spa

Shangri-La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort & Spa is Singapore’s only beachfront hotel located at Sentosa Island. If you’re a leisure traveller, the hotel is regularly recognized for its superb hospitality on the stunning Siloso beach. The resort commissioned an array of international artists to create an urban graffiti mural to decorate their Mini Toots Club. A collective of six artists from Singapore, France and the United States devised an impressive eighteen square meter piece of graphic art. All of the artists were unpaid for the endeavor, donating their time in the spirit of mentoring students from Delta Senior School, the hotel’s adopted charity. The deluxe resort offers a diverse range of dining options and sea, island or balcony views come with every room booked.

© Pan Pacific Singapore

The Pan Pacific Singapore

Recently renovated in 2012, this hotel is located in Marina Centre and is operated by the Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts. At a remarkable thirty-eight stories high, this building provides exceptional views of the Singapore skyline, especially in the exterior elevators which take you up to the higher floors. The artist Lin Emery’s sculpture Deva turns like a windmill and greets guests as they enter the Pan Pacific Singapore. The second floor of the hotel is host to a public art space in which contemporary art works are selected for display. In conjunction with gallery Ode To Art Contemporary, the space is refreshed with new pieces every one to three months, ensuring that every stay provides you with a new visual feast. The artists cover a range of genres and are both established and emerging names. Best of all, the pieces on display are all for sale.

Resorts World Sentosa Singapore © Schristia/Flickr

Resorts World Sentosa Singapore

Resorts World Sentosa Singapore is the first integrated resort on Sentosa Island, Singapore. Bringing with it highly anticipated new attractions such as Universal Studios Singapore, FestiveWalk and Marine Life Park. FestiveWalk contains extraordinary culinary experiences and a pulsating strip which sets the stage for some of the world’s most spectacular shows and entertainment. If this isn’t enough to excite, then exceptional artworks are also on display, including a bronze and marble version of The Thinker by Auguste Rodin, a bronze sculpture entitled Adam and Eve by Fernando Botero and Space Elephant by Salvador Dali. Located in the Crockfords Tower lobby is Dale Chihuly’s Armonia Chandeliers, an outstanding glass-blown piece of art.

Marina Bay Sands Singapore © Jimmy Mcintyre/WikiCommons

Marina Bay Sands

The Marina Bay Sands motto is ‘where world-class art and architecture meet’. Curated by architect Moshe Safdie, a series of 11 sculptures make up the Art Path. Blurring the boundaries between science, architecture art and nature, the pieces were specifically commissioned for the walking routes in between the public spaces of the hotel. Artists represented within the path include Zheng Chongbin, Sol LeWitt, Zhan Wang, James Carpenter and Antony Gormley. Perhaps most notorious is the instantly recognisable Wind Arbor by Ned Kahn. The artwork covers a staggering 6,800 meters, and stands at 55 meters at its highest point. Covering the exterior western façade of the hotel lobby, plus the northern air-conditioning towers, the 260,000 aluminum ‘flappers’ make it a work that cannot be ignored.

© The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore

The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore