Review: Singapore’s sleek new Sofitel

Go back to the enewsletter

Refined and elegant with a Singaporean twist, the recently opened Sofitel City Centre is Singapore’s third offering from the French luxury hotel brand, now part of Accor. An easy 20-minute drive from the airport, it feels far from a typical city hotel. We’re whisked up to the VIP lounge for a private check-in, a selection of meats, cheeses and breads on offer, along with a light main meal if you’d like. There are six mostly French wines in a glass ‘tasting’ cabinet; sample them all and fill your glass when you find your favourite – it’s wine on tap, in other words.The place to lounge though is by the pool, where sumptuous daybeds, verdant gardens and towering palms create an oasis in the city. At night, instead of stargazing, recline and gaze up at the skyscrapers towering from every angle. The lobby bar is lovely – all marble, dark wood, mood and groove – with stunning over-sized floral artworks by Italian painter Arianna Caroli gracing the walls.The hotel opened in October 2017 in a prime position just three-minutes’ walk from a fabulous eat-street alive with Korean, Japanese and Singaporean fare – it’s worth a wander even if you decide to eat at the on-site Racines restaurant. With executive chef Jean-Charles Dubois at the helm, French and Chinese classics are prepared at the restaurant’s four live cooking stations.This is a hotel that’s trying a few things out of the box. In the rooms, a smartphone sits charged and ready in the dock loaded with maps, city activities (and discounts), hotel facilities and more for guests to use during their stay. In the bathroom, a bath caddy equipped with a wine glass, bath bomb and book (101 Ways to Live Well) encourages relaxation. On the desk is a colouring-in book for grown-ups with sharpened pencils inviting you to sit and be in the moment.The more you look, the more you find. By the door is a bag with a yoga mat and exercise props designed to be used in the room or by the pool. And if you’d like an extra bottle of water? A robot named Sophie or Xavier will deliver it to your door!See www.accorhotels.com

Go back to the enewsletter