Hotels: old-fashioned luxury and high-tech innovation

This is not really news: Singapore is a city for lovers of fine hotels. In fact, Singaporeans are privileged customers, accustomed as they are to "staycations", holidays that you take - almost - at home. More often than not, they migrate to the Sentosa peninsula, just a 10-minute taxi ride from the city centre. light years away from the hustle and bustle of the cityIn hotels that have become legendary, surrounded by greenery and overlooking the China Sea.

A former British Army estate, Capella is a natural part of this, with its sublime main pavilion dating from the 19th century.^e The immaculate white of the building contrasts with the emerald green of the lawns where the peacocks parade. The immaculate white of the building contrasts with the emerald green of the lawns where the peacocks parade. But behind this colonial image, a surprise awaits guests - even though the hotel already opened in 2009: a futuristic building, all curves, designed by architect Norman Foster to accommodate the 112 rooms with bay windows opening onto a luxuriant jungle, as well as three huge terraced pools. Even on a business trip, opting for the Capella may be a good idea, as sipping fresh coconut water in peace at breakfast gives you the energy you need for action before heading off to the CBD's tall towers.
Still in Sentosa, but in a different style, the Sofitel, the former Singapore Resort taken over three years ago by AccorHotels, has been completely redesigned. It features a new scenography that unfolds over 11 hectares shaded by frangipani trees and enhanced by numerous pools, including one filled with garra rufas, the famous pedicure fish. The swimming pool is almost Olympic-sized. It is surprising to note that the hotel only has 215 rooms, such is the colossal size of the space. For stressed-out people in search of relaxation A huge open-air spa in a garden with waterfalls, as well as open-air massage rooms and an organic restaurant...

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However, when it comes to hotels in Singapore, one name immediately springs to mind: the Raffles. This paragon of the palace, opened in 1887, is - at last! - to undergo a major renovation. Since January 2017, its noble white façade has been undergoing a major facelift. The first stage of this metamorphosis will see the closure of the 40 boutiques in the Arcades, as well as its restaurants and the legendary Long Bar, where the iconic Singapore Sling. Then it will be the turn of the 103 suites in the central building to get a makeover, which will require the hotel to be completely closed, with the reopening scheduled for summer 2018. The work is being orchestrated by Alexandra Champalimaud, an interior architect specialising in luxury hotels, whose work includes the renovation of historic landmarks such as the Waldorf Astoria and the Pierre in New York, the Dorchester in London, the Fairmont in San Francisco, etc.
However, Singapore no longer represents just the discreet charm of luxury hotels. In recent years, the city has turned its attention to innovative hospitality. In 2013, for example, the ParkRoyal on Pickering opened, a 367-room high-rise building made of multiple curved layers, with climbing gardens and a swimming pool suspended in the air. Woha, the Singaporean firm behind this creation, struck again in 2016 with an even greener and more original project The Oasia Hotel. Located in a tower in the CBD, the hotel is surrounded by a metal lacework specially designed to support the plants that shade the rooftop pools and the highly original lobby. This lobby, located at 12^e The entire floor is open to the wind, eliminating the need for air conditioning. An idea very much in line with Singapore's ambition to become a sustainable smart city. While the 314 air-conditioned rooms are located from 13^e floor to offer customers the best views, between the 6^e and the 11^e office homes", flats designed for people who work from home, with strictly separate areas for private and professional life.

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Gardens suspended in the air, towers planted with greenery: with the ParkRoyal on Pickering, followed by the Oasia Hotel, the Woha architectural practice has created two fine examples of sustainable and tropical urban planning, adapted to the imperatives of the cities of tomorrow.
Another innovative concept is M Social, a 293-room four-star hotel designed by Philippe Starck in 2016. the first hotel to use a robotAura, to bring guests bottles of water or towels. In the same vein, the new Sofitel City Centre, which opened in September, is planning to recruit a few 21st century "R2-D2s" to its team, some of whom will be called "Sofie". In this 223-room luxury hotel, the aim is certainly not to reduce the number of staff, but rather to make the most of their strengths, for even more human attention...

Among the new hotels on the scene, the Patina, the second member of the Leading Hotels of the World in Singapore after the Capella, is certainly less high-tech, but makes up for it with great elegance. Located in a sumptuous historic building renovated by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Richard Meier, the hotel has 157 rooms featuring refined details from the colonial era. On the other hand, the latest Andaz, part of the Hyatt group's line of design and lifestyle hotels, with a bar-terrace on the 39th floor and a 360-degree view of the Singapore skyline, will open its doors in December in a formidably futuristic, concave double tower, the Duo. The hotel boasts 342 rooms. Massive, then, but designed to preserve guests' privacy. As for the Intercontinental Robertson Quay, soon to open its doors, it will bring a new lease of life to a rapidly revitalising district along the Singapore River. This hotel will offer 225 additional rooms for a city already so rich in four- and five-star hotels. While Singapore currently has more than 64,000 hotel rooms in all categories, it is expected to have more than 70,000 by 2019. So it's urgent that you discover Singapore's latest addresses, before others steal the show!