Singapore is best known for being stopover city and rightly so, it’s a very handy place to take a pause for those going on to Australia/ New Zealand or for anyone hopping around Asia but it’s a mistake to dismiss it as nothing more than that as there is more packed into this teeny little island nation than first meets the eye.
The island’s colonial past is well documented and preserved throughout the city, the animal kingdom is thriving here with the Singapore Zoo, the Night Safari and Jurong Bird Park being highlights for animal lovers everywhere and newer attractions like the Singapore Flyer and Gardens by the Bay mean that a few days in Singapore can you give you plenty to do and that’s before you even start on the shopping mecca that is Orchard Road and its enormous malls.
If you come to visit Singapore, finding somewhere to rest your weary head after action-packed days exploring this hyper-modern town will be high up on your priority list and Singapore doesn’t disappoint, laden with hotels to satisfy every whim and fancy and to suit all budget types.
The most eye-catching hotel must be Marina Bay Sands, famous for its unique structure of a boat resting on 3 buildings but there’s so many more, five-star Fullerton Bay hotel with a view of the triple towers and the colonial Raffles hotel, inventors of that famous tipple, the Singapore Sling.
For us, our great find was Naumi Hotel, a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World collection and as the name suggests small, but perfectly formed. Located right next door to the Raffles hotel, it is next door to examples of Singapore’s colonial heritage but has its own personality and vibe within its own doors.
The rooms are not large but they’re cleverly put together to feature all the things you really truly need in a hotel room. Out with the desk that I’m not sure anybody really uses and in with additional space to store your suitcases and most excitingly of all, conveniently housed phone chargers so you can always stay powered up and connected!
There’s also magic glass in the bathroom so you can have a bath with a view of the television but also preserve your dignity should you so wish and with luxury brand Malin + Goetz toiletries on hand, you’ll find yourself skipping right into the bathroom to start your day off with a bang.
Although the Naumi hotel is small, only 73 rooms, they’ve got one major feature that sets them apart – their rooftop infinity pool. It’s not really intended for those who like to do laps, more for you to perch poolside admiring a bird’s eye view of Singapore and dip in to cool off if the daytime heat gets to be too much for you.
When you’ve eaten all the snacks thoughtfully laid out in your room in your complementary minibar, we made our way out to dinner to experience one of the other things Singapore is best known for – the food!
As you walk around the hotel, you notice quirky little artistic touches everywhere – there’s a Lenticular piece of art that hangs on every floor, video art at reception and many little phrases dotted around in signs that make you want to follow them to see where they lead to!
The ground floor of the hotel has a contemporary Indian restaurant, ‘Table’ by Rang Mahal but since we didn’t feel like Indian food that evening, we took a walk instead to Chijmes, a convent girls school in the 1840’s and now an atmospheric hub full of restaurants and bars and best of all, no more than 5 minutes away from Naumi.
Breakfast the next morning is served at the restaurant and while it doesn’t include as wide a spread as some other hotels I’ve been to, there’s plenty and it’s all hot and fresh. You can order eggs cooked any way you like to come direct to your table and there are some Singaporean specialities like Kaya, a sort of coconut jam which I spread quite liberally on some hot crunchy freshly baked bread.
If you’re feeling the after effects of one too many cocktails the night before, they have a special range of detox juices and smoothies to get you on your way or simply to set you up for an action packed time exploring all the best Singapore has to offer!
Room only deals available from £125pn. For more information on the Naumi Hotel, visit www.naumihotel.com
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