2017 has kicked off in Singapore with the opening of The Warehouse Hotel Singapore, a new boutique hotel since 1 January 2017. The Warehouse Hotel Singapore was known as the Warehouse disco since 1986 when it first opened. Before that, it was used as a warehouse for the Spice trade in the 19th century and then a warehouse in the mid 20th century.  It was vacant for a while after the disco closed down. It did become a cool venue for events.

 

This hotel has upped the ante in terms of coolness in the area albeit being dwarfed by the other hotels in the area such as Four Points by Sheraton Riverview next to it or the Miramar Hotel, Copthorne Kings or Furama Riverfront across the road.  It joins other cool hotels in the vicinity such as the recently-opened M Social Hotel by Millennium and Copthorne group as well as the InterContinental Singapore Robertson Quay which is scheduled to open later this year.

 

Step into the entrance of The Warehouse Hotel Singapore, and be welcomed by a spacious lobby with a very high roof and be transported into the building’s industrial past. I personally like the vibe in here and could sit all day by the bar while getting some work done on my laptop sipping coffee or one of their nine interesting cocktails.

 

The Rooms at The Warehouse Hotel Singapore

Retaining the original building structure, the two-storey building has been retrofitted into a new 37-room boutique hotel managed by the Lo & Behold Group. You won’t see bright or clashing hotels in this hotel.

There are six room categories: Eight x 27sqm Warehouse Sanctuary, Seven x 34sqm River View Rooms, 14 x 27 sqm Warehouse Lofts, Six x 34 sqm River View Lofts, One x 45 sqm River View Mezzanine and One x 57sqm River View Suite. The rooms here are equipped with high-speed wi-fi, Bang & Olufsen Bluetooth speakers, Ashley & Co bath amenities from New Zealand and a fully stocked minibar.

The River View Suite

The highest category room is the River View Suite. Room 208 is the only River View Suite. Measuring 57 sqm, the room’s bedroom and bathroom are separated by the television console on one side and the mirror and basin on the other. The room is mostly wooden flooring except for the carpet where the bed sits on. The rooms on the second floor have high ceilings.

 

All rooms are equipped with Bang & Olufson Bluetooth speakers. there are also ample USB charging ports and an electrical socket by each side of the bed so you can charge your portable devices next to you.

The free-standing bath tub is open, so book the suite if you are staying with someone you have no problems that would not mind seeing you in the buff. I understand that bubble bath will be introduced sometime in the future for hotel guests.

You get the privacy in a separate shower and toilet. There are two basins so you and your partner can brush and wash up at the same time.

 

Ashley & Co has for the first time created a series of Body Wash, Shampoo and Conditioner for a hotel. The Mortar and Pestle hand and body cream and the Parakeets& Pearls Mini Bar soap are available for you to use.

 

 

Riverview Loft

The River View Loft on level two also features a high ceiling, muted coloured room and mostly wooden flooring. The 34 sqm room is spacious and comfortable. But frankly, after looking at the River View Suite, that is the obvious choice for a staycation.

The grilled window allows sunlight to enter the room. Unfortunately, you cannot open the windows to allow fresh air to enter.

The bathroom features a bathtub and separate rain shower. I am rather impressed with the smart use of space in the rooms.

 

Warehouse Loft

The Warehouse Loft on the second level does not have any windows on the four walls. Instead, a window on the roof allows sunlight to enter the room and guests have the option to leave the blinds open or close them at the touch of a button.  The 27sqm room has a high ceiling giving the room a rather spatial feel.

There are no bath tubs in this room category. Just a standing shower with a rain shower.

 

The Cute Stuff

What caught my eye in the mini bar were the naughty pleasure toys such as a faux leather whip, cock ring and condoms. I hope no one has used the whip and put it back into the mini bar. Yucks.

There are also salted egg yolk potato crisps and Vietnamese Dark Chocolate amongst many other tempting delights. Otherwise you can just walk to the SPC petrol station across the road and shop for essentials at the 24 – hour convenience store.

Drip coffee and tea bags are provided complimentary for you to enjoy in the room.

You can easily stream your videos and photos from your mobile devices via WiFi. No need to connect any cables to your devices. Media Streaming means you can then watch Netflix or Youtube videos with ease.

You won’t forget to tip housekeeping when you stay at The Warehouse Hotel Singapore. A table mat with the words Maid Tip imprinted on a small board is where guests can leave a tip for housekeeping. A novel way to remind guests not to forget the people who have to clean up after your mess.

 

The Amenities at The Warehouse Hotel Singapore

The Swimming Pool

 

 

The second-floor outdoor plunge pool is located on the corner of Havelock Road and Saiboo Street. The pool is rather small, but in Singapore’s offensively hot weather, I would be contented to have a dip in here. The Singapore River may be somewhat tempting, but hey you can’t swim in there.

 

 

The Food & Beverage

Po

Wild Rocket’s Chef Willin Low is the Chef-Partner for the hotel’s only restaurant Po. He also spearheads the menus for breakfast, in-room dining and the lobby bar.

Po is a refined Singaporean concept that features modern-day Singaporean flavours. Chef Low will take on a more traditional approach to enhance local classics with premium ingredients. Executive Chef William from Violet Oon’s National Kitchen previously will work alongside Chef Low.

Signature dishes here include Pohpiah that involves a four-hour long braising process, Charcoal-grilled Iberico Satay (S$20) marinated in spices for 12 hours, Paper Spring Chicken (S$49) , Carabinero Prawns and Konbu Mee (S$32), an interpretation of Hokkien Mee with charcoal-grilled prawns, pork belly, Red Boat fish sauce, Lardons and Sakura ebi.

Po serves breakfast from 7am to 10.30am, lunch from 11.30am to 2.30pm from 20 January 2017 and dinner from 6pm to 10pm.

 

The Lobby Bar

The Lobby Bar offers cocktails, a fabulous selection of alcoholic beverages, tea and coffee as well as bar food. The cocktails are created based on the three different eras of the Warehouse Hotel’s rich history.  Split into the Spice Trade (19th Century), Godown (Mid 20th Century) and The Warehouse Disco (Late 20th Century) eras, three cocktails have been created priced from S$19 to S$22 for each era.

During my recent hotel tour, I enjoyed a cup Papa Palheta Coffee as well as a Barbarella cocktail from The Warehouse Disco (Late 20th Century) category. Barbarella is a concoction of hibiscus gin, elderflower, rhubarb and earl grey tea. The not-so-manly purple coloured drink with baby’s breath flowers wrapped around the glass was delightfully refreshing.

I like the open bar concept. I can see myself enjoy an afternoon with one or two friends sipping Billecart-Salmon Brut Reserve for S$150 a bottle. If you want to spoil yourself or impress a client, go for the Krug Grand Cuvee priced at S$320 or the Perrier-Jouet Cuvee Belle Epoque for S$295.

Wines by the glass start from S$14 to S$23 or S$65 to S$140 by the bottle. I am appreciative that the wines are categorised in the menu making it easier to order. There are Fruity and Fragrant; Lush & Elegant and Opulent & Bold white wines. White wines are available by the bottle from S$80 for the Tabilí Sauvignon Blanc 2014 Limari Valley up to S$340 for the Domaine Chevalier Pére & Fils Corton-Charlemagne 2012 Côte de Beaune.

The red wines are categorised by Silky & Fruity; Mature & Lush and Bold & Elegant and are priced from S$100 for the Luciano Sandrone Dolcetto D’alba 2013 to S$265 for the Domaine David Duband Clos Vougeot 2008.

There are also six types of beers, six types of sakes, Gin, Vodka, Tequila, Rum available. And if you like your whiskies, there is a good selection of Japanese Whiskies such as Kakubin, Yamazaki Distiller’s Reserve, Hakushi, Nikka, Hibiki, Togouchi 12 years, Akashi, Togouchi 18 years or Nikka Taketsuru 17 years. A glass is priced from S$13 to S$45. Other types of whiskies are also available at the bar.

You can also order Bar snacks to go with your tipple. I have to return soon to try out their bar snacks.

Overall, we recommend The Warehouse Hotel to Singaporeans looking for a new staycation venue.