A new Singapore hotel has opened near Little India – Varel Singapore is a privately owned property that comes under the Marriott Bonvoy group as a Tribute Portfolio hotel. The name comes from a combination of the owner’s name, Vinson, and his parents’ names. Design-wise, there are many personal elements and links to his Indo-Chinese heritage, including in the textures, artwork and architectural details.
Varel Singapore hotel location and staff
I spent four nights at this Singapore hotel recently and enjoyed a few unexpected surprises. The location, the Selegie-Mount Sophia enclave, wasn’t an area I knew, but it turned out to be so central and great for walking. I walked to Raffles City Shopping Centre (near Raffles Hotel) in 20 minutes, and in the other direction to H&M on Orchard in about the same time, passing the Istana and Plaza Singapura.
The start of Little India is very close – about a five-minute walk. Nearby MRT stations include Rochor and Little India. On Selegie Road itself there are a few new developments, and I got the impression that the area is on the up.
The staff are lovely and friendly. Everyone is given a free gelato and a TWG cold tea drink on arrival. The owner’s support for local companies like TWG and and Denzy Gelato can be seen throughout the hotel, and there’s also a collaboration with the Singapore branch of Parisian perfumery Maison 21G, including in-room toiletries and a signature fragrance for the property. Another nice surprise was the coffee at the roadside café on the ground floor, pet-friendly Vernacular Coffee. It was divine! The pastries and brunch items were great, too. If you’re a hotel guest, you can enjoy two complimentary coffees there every day.
Plans are underway for a guided heritage walk, offering local and overseas guests a deeper appreciation of the Selegie neighbourhood’s history and character.
Hathaway Autograph restaurant
The owner of Varel also owns the Hathaway restaurants in Singapore, and there’s a flagship outlet in the hotel, Hathaway Autograph. Breakfast there was a good mix of local and Western cuisine, with a cool pancake-making machine and a state-of-the-art coffee machine.
Dinner at the restaurant included a good variety of cuisines, icludimg some Southeast Asian specialties – like the Chilli Crab Dips which were delicious! It’s perfect if you really want to please everyone in the family or for a get-together with friends. Also, the restaurant is next to a small bar called Saga Bar where we popped in for a little nightcap after dinner.
The bedrooms at Varel Singapore
The hotel’s 128 rooms come in different styles and in two colour combinations, dark and light. Both are quite calming. Interesting design elements include the sinks and the laundry stand that are fashioned on old Chinese steamer baskets – a nice idea for a hotel in Singapore. Some of the rooms have balconies with blinds; my side didn’t have the greatest view, but it was nice to have the extra space and sitting area. I also had a desk so I could work – and there’s a small work area near the reception area if you need it, too.
Other key elements of this Singapore hotel
I spent quite a bit of time at the rooftop pool on the ninth floor – it’s a great area to chill, as well as get a better look at the surrounding neighbourhood. The car park was very cool, too. There are about 10 spaces below that are accessible only by an automated car lift – you drive in and it lowers itself and turns the car around. When it’s time to retrieve your car, just enter your PIN number and wait a few minutes, and it magically reappears, ready to drive out. That entertained me every time! Of course, you don’t need a car being so central.
For a Singapore hotel experience, it’s definitely one that you will remember visually. I know I have stayed in a few, but honestly there aren’t many I can remember the rooms of – many are so similar. Great food too, and it’s a good location for a lot of sightseeing spots.
Find out more about Varel Singapore hotel
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