You can tell from a quarter-mile away that the Gallery Hotel is meant to stand out. Its modernist facade, standing over Singapore’s redeveloped Robertson Quay, is plainly an homage to Mondrian (the artist, not the hotel), with its irregular primary-color rectangular accents. You could be forgiven for imagining that the inside will be chock full of 20th-century modernist artworks; but its not exactly that kind of Gallery.
Here the artworks are the rooms themselves, and the exterior’s optimistic color scheme is very much in evidence inside. Some rooms are understated, with occasional bold accents against a backdrop of neutrals and natural woods. The boldest and brightest, though, are the 19 “CYX Boutique” rooms and suites, the result of a competition featuring young Singaporean artists and designers. And if you’d rather look out than in, book one of the Glazzhaus rooms, with their floor-to-ceiling glass, or the Observatory suite, which comes equipped with a telescope and a view of the Singapore river.
Other highlights include the cantilevered pool, the spa and fitness center, and the Gallery’s restaurant and lounge — and countless other eateries and nightclubs lie just outside the hotel’s doors. This stretch of the waterfront is among Singapore’s nightlife and dining hotspots, and there’s more (including shopping) at Orchard Road, just blocks away.
author watson@mouselink.net, source www.tablethotels.com
