The re-launch of the heritage boutique hotel, sustainably restored by the international designer, reignites its position in the heart of Singapore.
The Oriental spirit and imagination of Anouska Hempel runs through the Duxton Reserve, representing a juxtaposition of her luminary vision for designing ahead of time whilst being grounded in her signature style we know and love. The visitor will see strong hues of black, gold and yellow, layered with Oriental screens and calligraphy wallpaper from her own Collection.
Rooms with names such as Nutmeg, Shophouse, Opium, Kimono and Pearl present contrasting design moods to suit guests’ individual requests. The dramatic two-story Duxton Duplex Suite complete with a restored but original spiral staircase, is also a choice, as are the ground floor Skylight Suites and the singular Montgomerie Suite. The dramatic jet-black Opium Rooms and Suites feature black walls and seductive black four-poster Chinese platform beds, while the Pearl Suites are a bright burst of gleaming white walls, white bedding and dressers inlaid with mother-of-pearl; a nod to Anouska Hempel’s visionary designs of her Blakes London hotel.
Singapore is Asia’s crossroads and interchange to the world. The billowing smells of Pak Choi broth, with burnt sesame, roll like the breakers onto the palm-lined streets, inviting you in. The visitor to Anouska Hempel’s Orient is in for an eccentric, elegant surprise. Big golden fans radiate as you enter. Ask for a Yellow Peril at Anouska’s Salon, a hot whisky, brandy and absinthe, crowned with a chrysanthemum, and dine in the Yellow Pot Café, the Chinese restaurant at the Duxton Reserve headed up by chef Sebastian Goh. Each dish is served in large yellow bowls, black tiffins and black Bento boxes which you open using one metre wok sticks, whilst very cool and disciplined staff dance in attendance. Your table will be groaning with delicacies.
The Duxton Reserve is situated in Tajong Pajar, China Town, and has 44 bedrooms and 5 suites, including the Kimono Suite, a vibrant bar and a restaurant with several dining rooms. There is a Divan area and Gandhi Room to meet, relax and entertain, where a huge tiger with the piercing green eyes of a great animal leads you into another world.
Featuring 49 guestrooms and suites, each room has a unique individuality. Set across eight themed categories of rooms, they feature local and historically inspired names, from the designer’s journeying imagination travelling through each and every space, from the reception to the Yellow Pot Café, through to Anouska’s Salon for a Yellow Peril.
Large golden fans – as big as the rising sun that comes up at dawn, like thunder over the bay – line the windows with objects of desire in golds and yellows. Calligraphy brushes, bamboo screens and indenture wallpaper from Anouska’s personal collection, alongside black and gold sofas and black lacquer tables, immerse you into her “double happiness,” with the symbols of love and destiny. Last but not least, for any ailments, the Traditional Chinese Medicine room is at hand 24/7, guarded by a majestic hand-painted tiger that glows in the gold, while love-birds sing a welcome as you check in.
