TTG Asia Luxury May 2018 | Page 28

focus host country singapore Old and new worlds kiss As Singapore welcomes a spate of new luxury hotel brands, the evergreens are not resting on their laurels. It’s a case of the old learning from the young and vice versa, not at all a collision. Pamela Chow takes a look One Farrer Hotel & Spa adds more colour to the Little India neighbourhood 22 TTG Asia luxury | May 2018 A wave of new luxury hotels opening in Singapore is an indicator that the city is a gold mine for the business. From January to June 2017, RevPAR of luxury properties here grew 2.4 per cent to S$373 (US$285), and ARR rose 2.4 per cent to S$444 – the only hotel segment to post an increase in ARR. Last year alone, eight new properties joined the ranks of what is now 420 hotels in Singapore. The country is expecting 3,372 more rooms in 2018 and beyond, including new brand entries such as Six Senses Singapore and Dusit Thani Laguna Singapore. Though more compact, these boutiques marry creative design with personalised and playful indulgence, in contrast to the sweeping spaces and grand opulence of traditional luxury hotels. As this new brand of luxury sweeps in, where do the old-world titans stand within the golden circle?