Hotel Review, Ascott Orchard Singapore: A Fashionable Staycation in Singapore

Right off Orchard Road, Singapore’s fashion district, is the Ascott Orchard Singapore: close enough to the action, but tucked away into its own little corner on Cairnhill Road. With 220 suites, pool and gym facilities, and just steps away from Singapore’s best malls, medical facilities, and the Singapore Botanic Gardens, it’s a good place to step away from the noise but keep in tune with the music.

The Ascott Orchard Singapore opened in 2016, and isn’t just a hotel, but also a  serviced apartment building, hosting business and leisure travellers, expatriates, dignitaries, and other visitors. There’s a lively community here, brought together by programmes designed by the hotel like the Ascott Soiree: a series of curated, in-residence programs that focus on the fine arts.

There’s a love of high fashion present in every corner of the hotel: the lobby is decorated with Louis Vuitton trunks, Louboutin heels and Chanel magazines, and the rooms are furnished with chic grey pieces and clean lines. There are clothing mannequins scattered through the lobbies and in the hallways, which gives the hotel the look of an artwork in progress– we were told that the mannequins in the rooms often served as hat or jacket stands.

Rooms at The Ascott Orchard Singapore 

Rooms at the Ascott Orchard Singapore are well-lit and overlook the residential streets behind Orchard Road, as well as Orchard Road itself. The penthouse level on the 20th floor, where we stayed, felt like an oasis away from the busy city we’d just come from: the lobby is outfitted with plush carpet, and the walls are lined with dark wood.

On this level, themed suites with designer Fendi Casa furniture and accessories are available for stays: we toured a room which had a Fendi logo-patterned carpet, designer chairs, gold accents and elegant low lighting. Every room is different, and most of the furniture is rare and difficult to replace, as are many couture pieces– so watch out for that coffee mug. These rooms are available for solo travellers, couples, small groups and extended families, in many configurations: there are “dual suites” facing each other that can be unlocked with the same key card, if you’re travelling with a large family.

Some suites come fully equipped with kitchens, including microwaves, dishwashers, a fridge, and fully functional electric stoves, hobs and hoods, as well as full sets of dishes and cutlery. We stayed in a smaller suite, but it still came with everything we needed: a kitchen sink, cutlery, and a coffee machine with a fully stocked tea and coffee bar. There was a water dispenser in the room, as was in all the other rooms: it was there in place of the typical bottled water, to reflect the Ascott Orchard Singapore’s commitment to sustainability.

Our first impression: the rooms smelled really, really good. There was a subtle scent in the air, with a powdery cherry note, but we couldn’t figure out for the life of us where we’d picked it up first. Apparently, it’s a bespoke scent created by perfumers exclusively for the Ascott Orchard Singapore– nowhere else in the world smells like this.

Facilities at The Ascott Orchard Singapore

The pool, gym, children’s outdoor play area, and residents’ lounge are all located on the fourth floor next to each other, which makes an afternoon out in the sun a breeze– you could come in from the pool and fix yourself a cup of tea or a light lunch at the residents’ lounge’s fully-equipped kitchen.

The gym has both indoor and outdoor areas, with well-maintained equipment, floor-to-ceiling windows, full-length mirrors and an open, airy appearance. The pool, which stretches across the full length of the open-air area, has children’s wading areas, a jacuzzi, and deck chairs dotted across the water. The Ascott Orchard Singapore is surrounded by buildings, though that doesn’t take away from the view from the pool: the experience is that of relaxing on a private terrace. There’s a fun touch to the seats by the pool– the backs of the chairs are shaped like faces.

There was a tweed Chanel jacket framed on the wall of the residents’ lounge, which followed the same fashion-forward design as the rooms and lobby: a sleek grey couch curved inward for easier conversation, a full dining table and kitchen, tiled floors, and a full view of the pool.

Food at The Ascott Orchard Singapore

The Ascott Orchard Singapore has one restaurant, the Kith Cafe, which serves breakfast and cafe bites, but you’re a short walk away from Orchard Road, where some of the best places to eat in Singapore are– you’re just around the corner from the Merci Marcel cafe on 390 Orchard Road, among the most atmospheric places featured in our alfresco dining guide. You’re also not too far from the Botanic Gardens, and all the restaurants and cafes there among the greenery– Roia at the EJH Corner House is one of our favourites.

Just a short taxi ride away, or a couple of stops if you’re willing to navigate the bus system, is Dempsey Hill: an enclave of restaurants and lifestyle venues. Drop by the current Sunrise pop-up by Le Matin Patisserie at Air CCCC for breakfast, or the quirky, 60s-inspired Italian restaurant Torno Subito for dinner.

Breakfast at the hotel is served at the Kith Cafe on the ground floor, in the form of a buffet. There’s the usual continental breakfast options: assorted cheese platters, baked goods, fruit, a yoghurt bar, and a toast machine, as well as selected Asian foods like dim sum. Keep an eye out for the banana bread: it’s soft and fragrant and pretty good, but it goes fast.

Location

The Ascott Orchard Singapore is located in the Orchard district, a short distance behind Ngee Ann City, but that doesn’t mean noise: it’s on the quieter side of the road, among condominiums and luxury apartments. That doesn’t mean you miss out on access to the malls: the hotel is directly connected to luxury mall Paragon via a private walkway from the fourth floor, which allows for ease of access for different mobility levels (since the walkway has no stairs) and convenience for you after a big shopping trip.

With the hotel’s central location, it’s incredibly easy to visit other parts of the city: Orchard Road and the Botanic Gardens are right at your doorstep, but you could easily get anywhere by way of the Orchard and Somerset MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) stations, both of which are located just a short walk from the hotel entrance. 

Take a Weekend Off to Rediscover Yourself

If you’re looking to take a short getaway but don’t want to leave the action, the Ascott Orchard Singapore is for you: centrally located, in a vibrant neighbourhood but also tucked away from the crowds, is an oasis of calm. Fashionably decorated and furnished, with touches of luxury in every corner, this hotel is elegant yet feels like home. It’s a short distance away from some of the best restaurants and bars in town, in the neighbourhoods of Dempsey Hill and Duxton: why not take a weekend off to rediscover them for yourself?

Unwind in Singapore’s most fashionable neighbourhood at the Ascott Orchard Singapore. No. 11 Cairnhill Rd, Singapore 229724. To book, visit here.