Waterfalls, rainforests and lagoons in a 23 storey hotel
A new building in Singapore takes the concept of nature-inspired architecture and an urban oasis to the next level.
As we glide along Singapore’s evening streets from the airport, the driver says of my destination, “When I first saw that hotel I was shocked.” Shocked? “In the best possible way.”
On arrival at the foliage-dense, open-air reception of the new Pan Pacific Orchard, I am checked in speedily and whisked sky-high to a suite.
After a flight from Helsinki, I’m longing for a comfy bed and a good sleep, but not before I have my own “shocking (or let’s say surprising) in the best possible way” moment.
The ceiling must be 6m high, an entrance hall leads to a kitchenette, which opens to a living area and on to a bedroom and bathroom to complete the circuit.
The walls are timber and mirror-lined and the drapes are dramatic in their drop.
At the flick of a switch they part, revealing a private terrace and a brilliant view over Orchard Rd. But I am tired and in a jiff curled up in airconditioned comfort on Cloud Nine.
That sky-high sensation, reinforced by the silver-white palette of the decor, is exactly what WOHA Architects, environmentally minded designers of this 23-storey, 347-room hotel in Claymore Rd, planned.
Their vision for the property, replacing an earlier Pan Pacific Hotel, was for “a new prototype in high-rise tropical hospitality”.
Grand words, but for the driver and me it is the building blocks and columns swathed in green that spur the initial “wow”. Vertical greenery, gardens and pools and water features cover an area (about 14,000sq m) twice that of the land footprint.
WOHA set about creating a garden hotel that evokes four Singaporean environments – forest (about 2000ha of the island state is so-planted), beach, garden and cloud. That is the forest at reception level, creating sanctuary from the Orchard district bustle; there’s a waterfall, canopies and screens, and the sleekly designed Mosella restaurant helmed by executive chef Pedro Samper, who prepares a menu featuring Mediterranean cuisine with a Peruvian twist, a first for Singapore (we’ll be back there, quick smart).
The Beach Terrace is on level five with a lagoon pool; several of the guestrooms here, which have sandy-toned finishes and pastel-shaded furnishings, have private decks on to the water. Six levels up, the Garden Terrace has a central lawn flanked by planter beds, seats and decorative pools. Find here Florette, a champagne and oyster bar with a menu that tends to tasty smaller plates, including Maine crab cakes.
With indoor-outdoor seating, I’m attracted to the bar’s offering of a plate of 12 oysters flown in from Ireland, which (as promised) are plump with a subtle sweetness.
A cocktail that blends Remy Martin VSOP cognac, champagne and Wild Turkey rye with beetroot, molasses and clove is a crisp companion. Overlooking this terrace is the Pacific Club Lounge for members, which serves breakfast and evening cocktails and canapes.
I’m back on home territory in the realm of the Cloud Terrace on level 18. There’s a classy ballroom up in the heights, and a mirror ceiling way above gives a view of what’s happening below by looking up. My suite is an oasis of cool calm. In the morning, with all the window dressings open, I take in the panorama.
From one side Orchard Rd, from another Singapore Botanic Gardens and its lush tropical flora a stroll away; from a third, the diplomatic belt of Claymore Rd with the grounds of the Royal Thai Embassy next door and the American Club.
The surrounding apartment blocks are among Singapore’s priciest. The best views are from the marble bathroom, with its twin vanities, large tub, separate shower and Diptyque French bath products. The total Toto toilet gives me a Beverly Hillbillies moment every time its lid opens by sensor.
It’s way past time I was back in Mosella, where the breakfast buffet, catering to international tastes (a special call-out to the gravlax, dumplings and Indian delights), is among the best. Chef Samper has prepared favourite dishes from the lunch and dinner menus; most plates are for sharing. San Sebastian-born, he has worked in the kitchens of Michelin-starred restaurants in Spain, Tokyo and Hong Kong. Most recently he was executive chef at Four Seasons Resort Dubai.
Why add Peru to his plates? “I have always been an explorer of cultures and Peruvian cuisine is such a fascinating confluence of culinary traditions, including Chinese, Japanese and Spanish,” he says. His Hokkaido scallop ceviche is a perfect example. The seafood is marinated in a Peruvian spice blend and mixed with tomatoes and onion. The burrata is a winner, as are lamb chops marinated overnight in a blend of Peruvian red pepper and Japanese miso, and cooked on a Josper grill.
There’s one more delight on the chef’s schedule – afternoon tea, served from 3pm on Wedgwood ware featuring the whimsical Wonderlust Waterlily pattern.
Choose from the TWG tea or Lavazza and Bacha coffee lists then await delicacies such as lobster and caviar sandwiches, mixed berries and yoghurt cake, Earl Grey orange frangipani tart and, naturally, scones with strawberries and rose jam, orange marmalade and clotted cream. A sparkling iced tea or a glass of prosecco, too? Remember, it’s hot outside.
Orchard Rd takes its name from plantations, particularly nutmeg, that covered the area from the mid-19th century. There’s a hint of that spice in the hotel’s fragrance. The area has grown as the home of luxury retail, fine dining and classy hotels, after a local effort to refresh and surprise. Pan Pacific Orchard is a marker, in the best possible way.
In the know
Pan Pacific Orchard is at 10 Claymore Rd, Singapore; rooms from $S460
($530) to $S910.
Graham Erbacher was a guest of Pan Pacific Orchard.
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