Ideally situated in the island city-state’s central district, Six Senses Duxton and Six Senses Maxwell mark the brand’s first city hotels, celebrating local Singapore culture and history with a touch of playfulness.
The hotels, which are an easy wander apart, feature a diverse mix of Chinese, Malay and European elements. Neo-classical lion head motifs and Chinese porcelain-chip friezes co-existing with Malay timber fretwork combine with French windows, Portuguese shutters and Corinthian pilasters.
Along with adding a touch of quirkiness to each property, a priority for Six Senses is its commitment to authenticity and responsible preservation. In recognition of this, both properties have received the Urban Redevelopment Authority Architectural Heritage Award.
Six Senses Duxton
With its colorful past, Duxton Road in old Chinatown’s Tanjong Pagar is also known as Jinrickshaw Place, named after the rickshaw pullers who used to gather by the station. In the not-so-recent-past, this colourful section of town was home to opium and gambling dens and places of even less reputable vices. Today the site features a row of trading houses that have been sustainably restored under the designer Anouska Hempel, acclaimed for her Hempel and Blake’s hotels in London.
In harmony with a rich Asian history, yet still presenting her luminary vision, Anoushka has given each of the 49 guestrooms and suites a unique individuality so that no two are exactly the same. Guests are in for an eccentric, elegant surprise as they enter the hotel which includes large golden fans and strong hues of black, gold and yellow, layered with Oriental screens and calligraphy wallpaper from Anoushka’s personal collection.
Gold takes centre stage in the restaurant, which will offer a fine dining menu of classic and innovative Chinese cuisine. Adjacent is an antiquarian library themed lobby bar serving up the hotel’s signature house cocktails.
With Singapore being Asia’s crossroads and interchange to the world, Anoushka has worked within the restrictions of a heritage building and variations of room size to successfully express her vision throughout the hotel. From a magnificent Kimono Suite to smaller spaces that she refers to as petit grandeur, elegant bespoke furnishings and the designer ambience typify the experience in every way.
Six Senses Maxwell
Maxwell Road was originally a nutmeg plantation before 14 three- and four-story colonial-style buildings were constructed and later joined together as a single entity. The diverse characteristics have been carefully conserved and the property features 138 guestrooms and suites, a Six Senses Spa, outdoor lap pool, Champagne bar and lounge, whiskey bar, boardroom and club lounge. A verandah lined with lush tropical foliage follows the length of the building and will be the ideal spot to meet for refreshments and alfresco dining.
The interior design is by French architect and designer Jacques Garcia. It reflects the authentic decor and furnishings of the era in which it was built, but with a stylish modern twist. Jacques has infused a Western sensibility along with a timeless ambience, as he has done with La Mamounia in Marrakesh, Hotel Costes in Paris and NoMad in New York.
His attention to detail is showcased throughout the 50 unique room types, from the brass, lacquer and marble mini bars to the handmade Lafroy Brooks bathroom fixtures. All rooms feature handmade mattresses by Naturalmat and organic bed linens to support Sleep With Six Senses, a key pillar of the group’s Integrated Wellness philosophy.
Special looms were constructed to hand weave 13 x 20-foot (4 x6-meter) silk rugs for the public areas of the hotel. The interior spaces, which are all different, meld together in respect of the architectural styles of the original buildings and add to the hotel’s charm.
Colonial meets modern Europe in the restaurant, where the mouthwateringly indulgent yet health-full menus represent the brand’s pioneering approach to fresh, local and seasonal food and drink: Eat With Six Senses. Six Senses Spa will offer specialty treatments while the external lap pool offers a refreshing escape to complement Singapore’s tropical weather.
Six Senses Duxton is due to open in April 2018, followed by Six Senses Maxwell three months later.
