If you haven’t entered any dates, the rate shown is provided directly by the hotel and represents the cheapest double room (including tax) available in the next 60 days.
Prices have been converted from the hotel’s local currency (SGD340.00), via openexchangerates.org, using today’s exchange rate.
Past meets present at 21 Carpenter – an understated former remittance house that is doubled in stature by a modern, metallic extension, and discreetly decked out with green-minded details that do nothing to detract from its heritage good looks. Pen postcards from the lobby’s reclaimed wood desk, call for a cocktail on the verdant terrace, pop to the rooftop pool for a dip at dusk, or befriend the bright-eyed bartenders. Community is at 21 Carpenter’s core, and you’ll be a part of it in no time.
Noon, but flexible, subject to availability and an extra charge. Earliest check-in, 3pm.
Prices
Double rooms from £239.57 (SG$408), including tax at 19.9 per cent.
More details
Some rates include breakfast, otherwise a buffet of pastries, fruit, cold cuts and hot dishes is available for $42 at Kee’s.
Also
The hotel has two rooms which are suitable for guests with reduced mobility; one is adapted for wheelchair users. There is a lift which reaches every floor, plus the restaurant and public bathrooms are wheelchair-friendly.
At the hotel
Garden terrace, Linus bikes to borrow, charged laundry service, and free WiFi throughout. In rooms: smart TV, Bang & Olufsen speaker, Dyson hairdryer, air-conditioning, ceiling fans, minibar, Bacha coffee, tea-making kit, and Smith & Co bath products.
Our favourite rooms
The rooms at 21 Carpenter are an elegant blend of past and present, but those in the history-rich Heritage Wing naturally nod more to times gone by. The Two-Bedroom Suite is spacious and bright, anchored by Chengal wood features, terracotta tones and art-adorned sliding doors. And, there’s no need to sink a few Singapore slings before bedtime – soundless sleep is ensured with triple-glazed panes. The double-height windows in the Urban rooms and suites are framed by the wing’s calligraphy-covered exterior, which projects entrancing shadows onto the curtains.
Poolside
On the ninth floor, the skyline-reflecting infinity pool offers some rooftop respite. The stretching views from this plant-shaded spot might help you plan your next day’s activities – after dusk, the lights of Marina Bay Sands twinkle on the horizon. Come for sunrise swims or late-night laps; the pool is open from 7am until 10pm daily, and there’s a phone in the indoor-outdoor lounge in case you need to dial for further refreshments, post-dip.
Packing tips
Any heat-beating pieces for Singapore’s year-round humidity, like loose linens and soft silks.
Also
Slip off to the hotel’s foliage-framed terrace if you’re in need of some quiet contemplation – Singapore is the ‘Garden City’ after all.
Children
Welcome, but this sophisticated spot may suit older children better. The two-bedroom suite has a single bed for a third guest; some suites can be paired off to make an apartment-style stay. Cots for under-fours are available on request.
Sustainability efforts
It’s easy to sing 21 Carpenter’s praises, especially when it comes to sustainability: the hotel uses solar and photovoltaic panels to produce its own energy; the Urban Wing’s steel surface is naturally cooling, dissipating the heat of the Singaporean sun; and energy consumption is significantly reduced through the use of motion sensor light bulbs and a hybrid cooling system in the rooms. The hotel also relies on water efficient taps, automated irrigation systems, and avoids single-use plastics. They partner with a local charity to plant a tree for every bottle of water consumed (naturally, the bottles are glass and refillable). And, it’s a case of waste not, want not – the restaurant uses imperfect (but delicious) produce to minimise food waste, and 300-year-old Chengal wood from the original building has been repurposed throughout the hotel. Plus, 21 Carpenter is decorated with locally sourced artwork, to support the wider community and reduce their carbon footprint; the same can be said for the minibar, which is stocked with Singaporean snacks.
Opt for one of the window-facing booths – they’re sunny at lunch and primed for people-watching later on.
Dress Code
This refined bistro calls for looks that are luxe, yet laidback.
Hotel restaurant
Kee’s, a neo-bistro and bar, draws locals as well as guests for long lunches, grazing plates of cheese and charcuterie, and celebratory soirées. This street-level brasserie is decked out in caramel-coloured banquettes, marble details, and psychedelic canvases; floor-to-ceiling windows wrap the space, streaming sunlight all the way through to the lobby beyond. At its helm is starred chef Andrew Walsh, whose fusion creations add Asian flair to European fare, acknowledging the former remittance house’s equally culture-blending heritage. Each dish is crafted with cultural balance in mind – artichoke pappardelle with a poached Japanese egg, slow-braised beef rendang curry – and the sweet treats are no exception (we’re eyeing the rich chocolate mousse topped with pandan meringue).
Hotel bar
Bag a spot at the marble-topped counter in Kee’s and you’ll get front-row seats to the friendly bartenders’ shaking and stirring, plus their distilled advice on the line-up of bottles behind them. Italian ingredients are paired with local flavours – Aperol with chilli padi, sweet vermouth with lapsang souchong, mandarin sake with grapefruit bitters – making for some top-notch tipples. For a more intimate setting, head to one of the cosy corners near the lobby to nurse your nightcaps.
Last orders
Kee’s serves all day, from 7am until midnight.
Room service
Light bites and bigger plates can be ordered to your door between noon and 9.30pm.
The eponymous 21 Carpenter is situated between Clarke Quay and Chinatown, minutes away from the Singapore River.
Planes
Singapore Changi International Airport is a 30-minute drive from the hotel; as is Seletar Airport, should you arrive by private jet. The hotel can arrange transfers from both airports; rates are provided on request.
Trains
Clarke Quay Central is opposite the hotel; from here, the immaculate Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) subway will whizz you around the city in no time.
Automobiles
The hotel doesn’t have its own parking, but there are public spaces on Carpenter Street or covered bays at Clarke Quay Central; both are under five minutes’ walk away.
Worth getting out of bed for
Despite Singapore's scale, 21 Carpenter’s prime position lends itself to sightseeing steps away from the hotel, plus you can borrow Linus bikes if you wish to explore slightly further afield. Just around the corner, the National Gallery will unite history buffs and modern art lovers – the contemporary collections are displayed in the former City Hall and Supreme Court buildings. Fort Canning Park is a green expanse amidst the skyscrapers, where you can amble along fern-lined paths to historical monuments. If that doesn’t scratch your itch for nature, a visit to Gardens by the Bay should – this fantasy-like park has a cloud forest, lakes and ponds, vertical hanging gardens and solar cell-constructed trees. While you’re near, it’s worth getting a closer look at the equally futuristic Marina Bay Sands; from their SkyPark Observation Deck you can survey speck-like city life down below. Orchard is a district known for its designer-decked shopping malls and boutiques, whereas Dempsey is dotted with colonial-era buildings and trendy cafés. Here, you’ll also find the Museum of Ice Cream, a pastel-pink affair which is sure to sweeten up your Instagram with its immersive exhibitions, a vintage diner and unlimited ice cream (though you might want to keep the ‘unlimited’ from any little Smiths).
Local restaurants
Take a seat at the raw bar in nearby Neon Pigeon, which delivers Asian-fusion flavours in a lively izakaya-style space. Save room for something sweet after platters of sashimi and Chilean sea bass – breakfast for dessert comes in the form of oat milk pancakes topped with miso granola. For an informal, all-hours alternative, head to Lau Pa Sat, Singapore’s history-steeped hawker market where locals and visitors descend on Satay Street for, you guessed it, mouth-watering satay skewers. Over in Orchard, a 15-minute drive away, you’ll find Imperial Treasure Super Peking Duck, another spot which does what it says on the tin – this top-rated restaurant uses centuries-old traditions to prepare their Peking duck, and the table-side carving adds extra excitement to the evening.
Local cafés
The bright and airy Baker & Cook in Dempsey serves up sourdough-centric breakfasts and delicately decorated cakes, with a side of garden views.
Local bars
Concealed behind a 1960s shophouse façade, you’ll find 28 Hong Kong Street, a word-of-mouth watering hole specialising in craft cocktails and artisan spirits. Wine and dine at Wine RVLT – this bar was founded by two Singaporean sommeliers and their carefully considered selection accompanies snacks and small plates.
Every hotel featured is visited personally by members of our team, given the Smith seal of approval, and then anonymously reviewed. As soon as our reviewers have returned from this hybrid heritage hotel in Singapore and unpacked their durian-flavoured treats and designer finds, a full account of their city break will be with you. In the meantime, to whet your wanderlust, here's a quick peek inside 21 Carpenter…
‘Waiting for the homebound wind’ reads a poetic quote cut out of the Urban Wing’s lustrous exterior, but we’re not sure you’ll want it to arrive after a stay at 21 Carpenter. This forward-thinking architectural feat nods to the building’s past: the perpendicular patterns running across the shining surface comprise vertical lines of Chinese characters intersecting with their English translations, sourced from the letters sent back when the Heritage Wing was the Chye Hua Seng Wee Kee remittance house.
Artistic flourishes are in abundance from roof to reception. Works by established and emerging Singaporean artists adorn the social spaces and suites; look out for the lobby’s multicoloured tapestry and the charcoal mural of the neighbourhood by the pool. It’s an art collection that’s as local as the snacks in your minibar, and part of the hotel’s concerted efforts to give back to the community. It’s a generous ethos deployed hotel-wide right down to your room key – an embossed wooden circle, far from a typical plastic keycard – that also makes a great souvenir (as encouraged by your generous hosts) and provides some solace for when those homebound thermals arrive.
