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Friday, 23 October 2009

High Life: Singapore

In case you weren't already aware, we're living through a FINANCIAL CRISIS. Real estate prices are tumbling, jobs are disappearing, freelance journalists are collecting plastic bottles to get the 25 cent refund at the grocery store. It's tough times out there. Unless 'out there' happens to be in Singapore, where, judging from my recent trip, things are still booming like it's 2006. The Singapore Tourist Board was kind enough to extend an invitation to experience the country's five-star hospitality options. Here I'm reporting on my favorite part of the experience: the incredible hotels that they booked me into. I've written about a lot of special properties around the world, but these blew my mind.

The architecture in Singapore is ultra-modern. This is an amazing view of a bridge

 

The Esplanade is one of the most interesting buildings in town, and its an entertainment hub. Elvis Costello performed here during the Sun Festival which took place while I was in town

 

A stunning atrium view

The day before I was due to fly to Singapore (a 17 hour journey that I was dreading) I got sick. I felt so-so, but on the second flight, after a layover in Paris, my left tonsil started to swell and I could barely swallow. I didn't sleep the entire way and by the time I landed I felt delirious. The next 3 days were, unfortunately, a bit of a painful blur but in my conscious moments I was amazed at my surroundings. When I finally came out of my near-coma, I was able to take part in more of the scheduled activities, but my main impression revolved around the unbelievable accommodations and fine dining experiences the STB had arranged for us.

The first night I checked into the Capella, on Sentosa Island, a leisure/resort destination just off the main island, connected by road, tram and airtrain. This lush rainforest resort was designed by Sir Norman Foster + Partners, and the main colonial-era reception building is juxtaposed with the contemporary curves of the guest quarters. The property is perched on a hill with a sweeping sea view that is framed by oversized wall-to-wall windows in guest rooms. My room's interior was a study in sophisticated chic, with neutral tones, integrated remote panel that controlled the lighting, climate, window shades and blinds, summoned help and probably could have teleported me wherever I wanted if I had asked someone to show me how to use it more in-depth. The bathroom's soaking tub looked out onto the water, and it also offered a rain shower, dual vanities and all-natural amenities. These trips are always great because obviously, who doesn't want to spend time maxing and relaxing in an over-the-top setting, but they're also a little bit depressing - like when you realize that your entire apartment in NY could probably fit into the bathroom's sq. footage, and it still wouldn't be anywhere near as nice.

 

The Capella

 

Foster + Partners amazing renovation

 

Do you see why I want to live here?

 

The cascading pools

Susie Lim-Kannan, the property's director of marketing and communications, had met me upon my arrival and seeing the state I was in, she sent me off to my room and then kindly had the chef at the Capella's fine dining Chinese restaurant, Cassia, whip up double-boiled broth and some steamed vegetables for me. It might not sound like much, but this was the best soup and freshest vegetables I've ever had - and for all the haters, they redefine the idea of what Chinese food is (i.e. no General Tso's chicken was on offer).

The next morning I headed down to the Knolls restaurant for breakfast. Most hotels offer some variation on a breakfast buffet, usually populated by greasy eggs, sausage and bacon. The Knolls, on the other hand, had fine cereals (this is the first time I've come across gluten-free granola), fresh tropical fruits and juices (the best pineapple juice I've ever had), Asian and Western breakfast options off the menu (I opted for the congee) and cold salads. Afterward, I enjoyed a massage at the Auriga spa. The therapist knew I was in pain (at this point I could barely swallow without wincing, food was almost impossible and I had a slight fever) and she tailored my treatment to address my illness. After her therapeutic massage, I enjoyed the herbally-infused steam room, which was covered in mosaic tiles and featured an LED-embedded ceiling that shifted colors and patterns. Soaking pools, an ice bath and temperature controlled rain showers were also on offer but I didn't feel up to doing much else beyond going to my room and taking a nap.

 

Foster+Partners dramatic architecture

Another view of the modern addition

Later that afternoon I shifted to the Raffles Hotel, Singapore's oldest hospitality option. The hotel was renamed in honor of Stamford Raffles, the British colonial founder of Singapore. The hotel has been in operation since 1887 and for anyone coming to Singapore on business or leisure, it's a must-visit. Again, the first couple of days were a blur, and by the second I actually had to take a trip to the local hospital because my throat hurt so badly, but after a dose of medicine I felt almost back to normal by the next day and was able to enjoy the lavish surroundings. My room was in the oldest wing of the hotel, and had many original fixtures, including antique engraved wooden light 'buttons' instead of switches and an artisanal-tiled soaking tub with gold fixtures. The hotel is famed for its butler service and my suite had two super friendly and sweet valets assigned to it, Alvaro Christian and Sherlyn Lee. They checked in on me regularly (probably to make sure I was still alive), brought me hot mint tea and honey unasked, and generally made me feel at home. When you're sick that's the place you want to be most, and I appreciated all the effort they put into try to make me feel better.

Raffles at night

the lobby at Raffles

Alvaro and Sherlyn

Grand Hotel Suite

While I was at the Raffles, I enjoyed an amazing lunch at the Raffles Grill, which offers a classic French menu with regional accents. For once I skipped the foie gras and opted for a salad to start and my main course was a mouth-watering roast pork. Desert was called Tangerine, and it seemed to mostly consist of citrus-infused whipped cream on top of slices of tangerine and some sort of rich milk chocolate pudding. As Diane can testify to, I eat a lot and I managed to finish everything in front of me, plus a basket of gluten-free bread (which, again, was freshly baked, not defrosted, and far better than anything I get in Berlin.) I also ate lunch at the hotel's Empire Cafe, which serves traditional Singaporean specialties in a colonial cafe setting, with marble-topped tables, dark wood and brass accents. I can say without any doubt that it was the best dim sum I've ever had, and the selection was different than what I've come across in NY's Chinatown.

Empire Cafe

Raffles Grill

After a few nights I checked out of the Raffles and into the St. Regis. Where the Raffles trades on its heritage, the St.Regis unabashedly embraces contemporary luxe and technology to engineer what are rated, along with the Ritz-Carlton, as Singapore's most luxurious rooms. The Singapore St. Regis' design merges the inspiration of the original NY property with an Asian sensibility. The massive marble lobby has no check-in counter - there's only three discreet small desks towards the far wall. Staff stand back, but at the slightest indication that a guest needs help, they materialize in front of you, anticipating how they can assist. We checked in in the morning but our rooms were already prepared - before heading up, however, we had breakfast in one of the soaring dining rooms, which has massive windows that front onto a swimming pool and reflecting pool with dancing fountains. The breakfast buffet here rivaled the Capella in lavishness - I counted about 15 kinds of fresh sliced fruit, along with Asian and Western breakfast options, about 10 kinds of bread (including the requisite, by now, gluten-free options, baked fresh). 

 

Lobby at the St.Regis Singapore

Lobby

 

The massive ballroom

The journey to my room was a good indication of what was in store inside. The hallway's walls were covered in hand-painted chartreuse silk with delicate sparrows balanced on branches. The door to my room opened onto a vestibule covered in burled, polished walnut, succeeded by marble and then a plush carpet. The interior was flawless and a little bit flashy - the kind of brassy, in-your-face charm that Donald Trump wishes he was known for. A giant flat-screen on the wall faced a massive bed with a quilted leather headboard. A console controlled all the lighting and blinds electronically. The bathroom was the craziest room of all - a freestanding soaking tub sat facing a heated mirror with an LCD tv embedded seamlessley in it. The other mirrors were also heated, including the one inside the shower, the Remede bath products were nice enough to want to take home with you - basically I would have been fine to trade my Chelsea apartment for a permanent residence in the bathroom.

 

Room at the St. Regis

 

Another St. Regis room

By the time my return flight was looming, I was finally feeling better, enough so that I couldn't believe my trip was already over. Besides rolling around on high-thread count sheets for 8 days, I had also seen some amazing sights (the Singapore Flyer, which is along the lines of the London Eye, the two Integrated Resort developments that, together, total over $10 billion in construction/development costs) and eaten some amazing food (at restaurants like the stunning Fifty Three, Les Amis and Jing). But like Eloise, my favorite part of the trip was the making a temporary home in these unbelievable hotels. I can't wait to head back and experience the new ones that will open up in 2010 at Sentosa's Resort World and at the Marina Bay Sands...

The Singapore Flyer

Marina Bay Sands (it's insane!)

The skypark at Marina Bay is an engineering marvel but probably not for those with vertigo

Crystal Pavilion at Marina Bay - Louis Vuitton is going to take over one of them and do an entirely new concept

An over-the-top bathroom at the Hotel Michael at Resort World Sentosa. Much of project's aesthetic has been conceived in collaboration with designer Michael Graves, who will present a signature hotel. All photos of RSW: Resorts World Sentosa elements and all related indicia TM & © 2009 Resorts World at Sentosa Pte. Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

 

Rendering of RWS

Rendering of RWS

 

Les Amis restaurant

 

53 restaurant

Posted by Sameer Reddy at 10:55 AM | Permalink

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Comments

i'm from singapore.... and wow, stb really let sameer enjoy the high life!! haha!! those are like the best spots right now! i haven't even been to some of them myself! (the bad thing about living away from singapore for the past 6 years). i only hope he got a chance to really have some great local food! local food is so cheap and SO amazing! if i were even in singapore when you are there, i would love to show you the best places for good food and even some local designers. :)

Posted by: queengilda | Oct 24, 2009 10:20:36 PM

I wish that I had been enjoying all the high life in Singapore, alas , it was my contributor, Sameer Reddy. All the best, Diane

Posted by: diane pernet | Oct 24, 2009 10:05:19 AM

Hey Diane, Glad you enjoyed our tiny island, just a little bit of trivia on raffles hotel, did you know that a tiger was discovered, then shot in its now famed billiard room, also, my father was the person who did the entire internal and external facade lighting for raffles hotel, every fixture, every bulb. The next time your in town, if you need a guide, don't hesitate to e-mail me.

Posted by: Gregory | Oct 24, 2009 3:32:13 AM

High life you are living up to your name. What an amazing post and glad that even with the health problems you were able to take pleasure in such a grand trip. I will only go to Singapore if I can live it in the same way that you did. xxxxDiane

Posted by: lowersevens | Oct 23, 2009 12:28:50 PM

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#58 |  OGRE |  October 23rd, 2009 at 3:27 am

Waste93:

No I’m not confusing arrest warrants and search warrants. Exigent circumstances is an exception to the warrant requirement for both an arrest warrant and a search warrant; although its meaning will be slightly different in the particulars for each context, the gist is the same. Fresh pursuit is a relatively universal exception to the warrant requirement for an arrest warrant. You may want to check out the Colorado Revised Statatutes 16-3-102; according to the annotations, the Colorado courts use those terms as well. (Note that Colorado law permits a warrantless arrest of a misdemeanor suspect even if the offense occurred outside of the officer’s presence, but it requires PC both as to the commission of the offense AND to the suspect having committed the offense. Also note that notwithstanding this, an arrest warrant is still needed in Colorado to make entry into a residence, with certain exceptions applying such as consent or exigent circumstances.)

Most states are not as lax as Colorado when it comes to permitting warrantless arrests. What you’ll find in most states is a general prohibition against all warrantless arrests, with noted exceptions such as the offense is a felony, immediate danger, breach of the peace, exigent circumstnaces, fresh pursuit, or the offense was committed in the officer’s presence. Additionally, most states also allow warrantless arrests in specific circumstances as set forth in statute, most common are shoplifting, domestic violence, and DUI related crimes.

Regardless of any particular state law, all arrests must be supported by probable cause, as required by the Fourth Amendment.

I don’t know the particulars of Virginia’s warrant requirements, but I’m a practicing criminal defense attorney (and former prosecutor) in West Virginia, and our laws tend to be rather similar. (We were one state until only 140 years ago…) I am quite familiar with West Virginia’s laws on this subject, and even once got a battery of an officer charge dismissed because the officer entered a residence without a warrant to effect a misdemeanor charge for which no exception to the warrant requirement applied.

My point in the previous posts was not that the arrest was not lawful, but that it is quite possible that it was pursuant to an arrest warrant. Which means some silly magistrate agreed that this was a situation where probable cause existed that a crime was committed.