The verdict on edgy Australian hotel brand’s first Asian property

The hotel

QT Singapore

Check-in

QT Singapore’s pool, on the rooftop of the nearly century-old building.Credit:

As QT Hotels’ first foray outside Australasia, QT Singapore aims to bring the brand’s distinctive take on playful luxury to an Asian audience. Occupying the former Eastern Extension Telegraph building, an elegant neoclassical pile in the heart of the financial district, the property opened in September with 134 rooms, a stunning 30-metre rooftop pool and a food and beverage offering by respected Aussie chef Sean Connolly.

The look

With its imposing ionic stone columns, graceful archways and ornate detailing, the building is a handsome reminder of the extraordinary craftsmanship that was lavished on corporate offices in the 1920s. Inside, the hotel’s narrow, four-storey atrium is an arresting medley of black-and-white geometric patterning, colourful furnishings and lush greenery. There are nods to Singapore’s heritage in everything from the distinctive wrought iron arches to the city-themed artworks in the lifts. QT is known for its flamboyant staff uniforms, and they don’t disappoint – flat caps and baggy patterned trousers give the men a vintage golfer look while female staff sport hot-pink floral jumpsuits.

The room

Luxe option… balcony suite.Credit:

Repurposing a heritage building as a hotel is a double-edged sword; what you gain in ornate facades and high ceilings, you lose in an inflexible footprint. As a result, the property’s entry-level QT King rooms are “cosy” at only 23 square metres, but higher up the scale they balloon out to capacious 80-square-metre suites with private balconies and lavish standalone bathtubs. All feature a tasteful palette of olive-green or blood-red panelling offset by black-and-white geometric lighting, marble tabletops and colourful contemporary furnishings. There’s gorgeous parquetry flooring in the bedrooms and chequered stone tiling in the rain shower-equipped bathrooms. Room amenities are appropriately high-end: refillable Kevin Murphy toiletries, Nespresso coffee machines and Dyson Supersonic hair dryers.

Food + drink

Shape-shifter… Cygnet by Sean Connolly.Credit:

Curated by executive chef Sean Connolly (who also oversees Gowings at QT Sydney and Esther at QT Auckland), the hotel’s three food venues are impressively versatile. Cygnet Bar morphs from a buzzy lobby cafe by day (with excellent coffee by Margaret River Roasting Co.) to an intimate New York-themed speakeasy at night. Cygnet by Sean Connolly manages a similar feat, starting out as an upbeat a la carte breakfast brasserie and then shape-shifting into a sultry Manhattan-style steakhouse. There are Aussie favourites across the board, from smashed avo on toast at brekky to dry-aged King Island steak for dinner. In culinary terms, the rooftop bar is the weakest offering, with a lacklustre selection of Mexican-themed snacks, but as a venue it’s dazzling, particularly at night when surrounded by glittering high-rises.

Out + about

In many cities, being in the heart of the financial district would be a downside, but not so in Singapore. It’s less than a 20-minute stroll to Chinatown, Marina Bay Sands and Raffles Place, plus there are four MRT stations nearby for venturing further afield. For cheap eats, one of the city’s oldest hawker centres, Lau Pa Sat, is next door, just across the popular “Satay Street”, named because every night it transforms into a lively alfresco food court serviced by a row of sizzling satay stalls.

THE VERDICT

An impressive refurbishment of a heritage icon that’s stayed true to QT’s playful, design-driven roots.

Heritage hero… QT Singapore.Credit:

ESSENTIALS

Rooms from $S395 ($451) a night. One accessible room. 35 Robinson Road, Singapore. See qtsingapore.com

OUR RATING OUT OF FIVE

★★★★½

HIGHLIGHT
There is a $S10 ($11.40) food and beverage credit for each day you skip housekeeping – an admirable initiative.

LOWLIGHT
A bedside table double-whammy: no USB charging points and a complicated control tablet that fails to extinguish every light.

The writer was a guest of QT Singapore and the Singapore Tourism Board (visitsingapore.com).