Hilton Singapore Orchard – Hotel Review

Towering over Orchard Road and its crowd of glittering malls, Hilton Singapore Orchard seems to be in a class of its own. Thanks to a recent US$100 million overhaul, this luxurious stay is bang on-trend: everything from the room decor to the lobby interiors fits the current super-snappable aesthetic of curved edges and long-slung couches. Add five chic on-site eateries, an updated outdoor pool, two sleek gyms and its location in the heart of the city starts to feel like a bonus. Read on for the full review.

While the source of Singapore’s shopping fame is practically as close as the breakfast buffet, as are easy transport connections to the marina and the mesmerising Gardens by the Bay, the real gems — like the iconic, almost 50-year-old on-site restaurant Chatterbox — seem to be hidden inside. This is one reboot you’ll actually want to see.

Where is Hilton Singapore Orchard?

It'd be hard to lose your way home: located at 333 Orchard Road, the huge Hilton Singapore Orchard is visible from blocks away. It’s about a 20-minute drive from Changi International Airport and MRT transport links are less than 10 minutes away.

What’s near Hilton Singapore Orchard?

You’re never far from a mall in Singapore but at this hotel, you’re even closer. One entrance to the hotel actually snakes through Mandarin Gallery, an upscale shopping centre with shop fronts of Max Mara and quirky Spanish label Bimba Y Lola.

Gardens by the Bay, Singapore’s forest of soaring Supertrees, is a direct, half-hour MRT ride away and the wonderful Botanic Gardens are 15 minutes away by car.

Room types

There are several room and suite types at Hilton Singapore Orchard, with the smallest occupying 29 square metres. Even this room type includes a chaise lounge near a window that overlooks the skyline, as well as a marble bathroom with separate shower and soaking tub, Nespresso machine and Wifi-connected LED TV. Suites are on levels 24-30, and there’s noticeably more space, with a separate living area of dining table and tactile booth-style seating and a couch that gazes over the city view (and the wall-mounted TV). Suites also unlock Executive Lounge access, a sharply-designed space of parquetry flooring and complimentary cocktails.

Restaurants and bars

All five on-site eateries bear the hallmarks of a recent refurb: there are trendy fluted glass window panes in craft cocktail bar Ginger.Lily, as well as rattan-fronted cabinetry at buffet site Estate and breeze block feature walls in the atmospheric Osteria Mozza. Honour the local flavours at Chatterbox, a stalwart eatery that’s been serving casual hawker classics such as Mandarin chicken rice such 1971 (in slightly different surrounds, of course).

Travel for work

Although Wi-fi is available in all rooms, it’s not the only place you can set up shop. The space formerly dedicated to the hotel’s parking is now used for meeting rooms and conference halls, some with natural light for long days in front of the laptop. The Executive Lounge, which is accessible for executive room and suite guests, also has private spaces that can house meetings for up to eight. Solo work is probably best done while enjoying an evening beverage, on the house.

Pool and gym

The size of the rooftop pool isn’t exactly proportional to the size of the high-rise — but you probably won’t mind if you manage to snag a sunlounger backed by a lush vertical garden. 

Even those allergic to exercise might consider a session in one of two on-site fitness centres. Swapping the intimidatingly bright (and slightly exposed) feel of a traditional gym, a careful lighting scheme softly directs focus away from the lineup of machines so you can pant in peace.

Sustainability

Hilton tackles the small things to make a big impact when it comes to sustainability. There are no single-use bathroom amenities, plastic keycards have been replaced with wooden ones (saving some 40,000 plastic cards a year) and on-site water filtration and bottling aids in eliminating the need for plastic bottles.

What you need to know

Chatterbox is practically an institution in Singapore. The original location inside Mandarin Singapore may have changed but its delicious dishes have not: the reigning favourite is the Mandarin Chicken Rice, made in the same way with the exact recipe from 1971. Another original? The Signature Coconut Ice Cream, topped with retro chocolate curls and tropical fruit.

SEE ALSO: The Best Hotels to Book Near Singapore’s Orchard Road