Train-themed hotel offers luxurious Singapore stopover

The hotel

Pullman Singapore Hill Street

Check-in

After a gruelling flight, The Pullman Singapore Hill Street hotel is a welcome resting place.

Opened in October 2023, the 350-room Pullman Singapore Hill Street is the latest five-star property to debut in the Lion City. We arrive dishevelled after a 12-hour flight from Europe to be greeted by the hotel’s warm, professional welcome. The off-street entrance leans heavily into the vintage train aesthetic of the luxury Pullman brand: a small faux train carriage in gold and blue sits outside; and on either side of the marble entryway, a floor-to-ceiling stack of old leather suitcases and trunks stand guard. Check-in on the third floor is seamless, and we’re in our room within 90 minutes of leaving the plane.

The look

Many hotels claim to have a personality but the Pullman actually succeeds, echoing the golden era of train travel in both its public areas and private rooms. Throughout the hotel are vintage curios including binoculars and globes, old cameras and hardback books placed in custom-made, oversized luggage trunks; square fluted glass windows in the elevator, and historic maps of Singapore subtly embedded in hallway carpets. In contrast, the hotel’s exterior has sleek, modern bones. Designed by Dp Architects and built in a U-shape around the hotel’s third-floor pool, it features a vertical green wall, while on the roof there is an infinity pool and bar with views to the Singapore Strait.

The room

The stylish and comfortable Studio Suite.

We stay in a Studio Suite with pool view. Upon entry, the blackout curtains whoosh back with a theatrical flourish, while sheer white curtains pull together for privacy. Along with a couch, Smart TV, coffee machine, and snazzy digital water filter, it features an open-concept wardrobe with vintage accents including polished brass and leather. The bed is deep and comfortable, and as a nice touch, stuffed toy trains are left for my kids. Thankfully, it doesn’t take a PhD to work the light switches in the room, although the shower’s ignition switch catches me off-guard with an icy blast from above. Our room includes entry to the Executive Lounge, which hosts happy hour every day at 5pm.

Food + drink

The Executive Lounge hosts a daily happy hour from 5pm.

Don’t miss dinner and drinks at a MOGA, a modern Japanese Izakaya through an unmarked door on the ground floor. Expect plates of sushi and craft cocktails like the Haru no Shinju; a mix of gin, genmaicha-infused sake and citrus topped with a raspberry sea salt foam. Located on the ground floor, Madison’s offers New York-style comfort food, and also has a grab-and-go section featuring sandwiches by local chain Sarnies. Up on the roof, El chido offers Mexican food and drinks by the pool. As part of its sustainability efforts, the hotel also partners with food rescue group Divert for 2nd Life.

Out + about

Pullman Singapore Hill Street is inspired by the brand’s luxury trains.

The hotel is located between Fort Canning Park and St Andrew’s Cathedral, within a block of the metro and a short stroll to the National Gallery. With the whole family jet-lagged and awake at midnight, we stroll past Theatres on the Bay to see Singapore’s iconic Merlion, while Chinatown is an easy 25-minute walk across the historic Elgin Bridge.

The verdict

Singapore’s luxury hotel market is one of the most competitive in the world, and the Pullman Hill Street has created a unique, fresh product. Ambitious in its conception and meticulous in design, the Pullman Hill Street is worth checking out.

The essentials

From $S420 ($476) a night. Studio Suites from $S590 ($668) a night. 1 Hill Street, Singapore. Phone: [phone]. See pullmansingaporehillstreet.com

Our rating out of five

★★★★★

Highlight

The Grand Voyage Afternoon Tea at Madison’s. Guests open a monogrammed locked leather trunk with a key to find each drawer inside filled with petit fours, scones and savouries. A showstopper.

Lowlight

I whack my head on the low fixtures while reaching for the juice at the buffet.

The writer stayed as a guest of Pullman Hill Street