Como Metropolitan Singapore

'The Como?' my taxi driver asked as we made our way to the city. 'That’s a business hotel,' he said, quite certain of himself. And you can see why. In Singapore, around 90 per cent of hotels cater to passing conference-goers — a constellation of ‘hubs’, as they like to call them, for people who’ve more or less made the airport their home. Then again, with its vast mall and that spectacular indoor waterfall — a glass cylinder of cascading rain surrounded by tropical greenery — Changi Airport could almost make a decent home in itself.

Still, I wasn’t quite ready to agree with him. The Como Metropolitan Singapore is, without doubt, in the other 10 per cent. The first clue is its location, right in the heart of Orchard Road’s shopping district, surrounded by designer flagships and some of the city’s most exclusive addresses. It's a prime spot: 20 minutes south to Marina Bay, where most of the business hotels cluster, and 20 minutes north to Bukit Timah. This patch of primary jungle is one of only two in the world to sit within a city (the other is in Rio), perfect for urbanites hearing the call of the wild.

Over my three-day stay, I actually didn’t see a single suit and tie. The Como Metropolitan Singapore draws a different sort of crowd — the well-travelled, the effortlessly stylish, the quietly creative. You can tell from their look alone. And it takes real style to keep pace with the hotel staff, whose uniforms are designed by Comme des Garçons.

The hotel sits within Como Orchard, the group’s new flagship building that opened in September 2023. Once a residential tower, it’s been entirely reimagined as a vertical lifestyle hub by Singaporean entrepreneur Christina Ong, the founder of the Como Hotels and Resorts empire. Each floor of Como Orchard tells a different story: Como Metropolitan for the stay, Como Shambhala for wellness, Cote for indulgence, DA Orchard MedSuites for bespoke healthcare, and Club 21 for fashion. 

I could start this review by telling you about the rooms — all sleek lines and floor-to-ceiling windows framing knockout views of the skyline — but that’s not really the hotel’s main draw. Let’s begin at the end. Or rather, at the top: the rooftop, where this Como Metropolitan truly nails its wow factor.

When the lift doors slide open on the top floor, they reveal a dazzling infinity pool stretching out before you. The rooftop is a small marvel, part cocktail bar, part sun deck dotted with day-beds and loungers made for doing anything but taking a conference call. And then there’s the pool itself, impressively long and suspended high above the city, with a glass-bottom section through which the bustling Singapore traffic flows below. Swimming over rush hour? Check. It’s well worth stopping by at sunset, which of course I did as soon as I arrived.

The next morning, after a quick workout in the gym — impressively equipped with every machine you could imagine, plus a few thoughtful extras such as an infrared room — I head down for breakfast. It’s served at Como Cuisine, a calm, industrial-style space where everything is à la carte, except for a small buffet of fruit and seeds. As a self-proclaimed 'healthy hotel', Como starts with nutrition. By focusing on an à la carte offering — all included, of course — the Como team gently encourages guests to eat well without giving in to the siren call of the overstocked buffet. The food is light, meticulously sourced and genuinely high quality.

That’s another strength of the hotel, whatever the time of day. Mid-afternoon craving? Head to the pastry counter for pâtissier Cédric Grolet’s exquisite lemon trompe-l’œil — a glossy yellow shell revealing lemon confit, zest-infused mousse and a molten citrus heart.

Come evening, the scene shifts. Hotel guests enjoy exclusive access to Cote, the award-winning New York import from chef Simon Kim, which is arguably the best Korean steakhouse in town. Expect premium dry-aged cuts (the Angus is aged for 40 days on-site) served in a softly lit, understated setting, complete with a cocktail bar and a private karaoke room for those keen to exercise their vocal cords for dessert.

The next morning, after breakfast, I set off to explore the neighbourhood, starting downstairs. On the hotel’s ground floor sits Club 21, Singapore’s iconic concept store, spread over two levels and filled with curated pieces from Alaïa, Marine Serre, Carhartt and other cult designers. Then, a short walk to Design Orchard, a creative hub showcasing local talent; and eventually a detour through the lush calm of the Botanic Gardens. Singapore’s energy is infectious, but by mid-afternoon, the tropical heat catches up with me. Time to retreat, and the perfect excuse to test Como’s other great promise: wellbeing.

Back at the hotel, I slip into Como Shambhala, the group’s signature wellness sanctuary. Born from the brand’s original philosophy — balancing body, mind and spirit through movement, nutrition and therapy — this serene space feels a world away from Orchard Road’s urban buzz.

I’ll spare you the exhaustive list of massages and treatments (you can browse and book them directly from the touchscreen in your room, anyway). Instead, I went straight for the heavy hitters — the kind of rejuvenating therapies you’d expect in a Champions League training facility. First up, oxygen therapy: 60 minutes inside a transparent hyperbaric chamber, breathing air as pure and dense as at high altitude, and a lung reboot for those of us who don’t spend our weekends scaling peaks. Next, contrast therapy: 20 minutes in a 70-degree sauna followed by an icy plunge at two degrees. My therapist told me most people last one or two minutes, the brave manage five. In my case, it was 20 seconds. But it’s the trying that counts.

When, to my great dismay, check-out time rolls around the next day, I order my taxi on Grab — the most essential app to have in Singapore — but make one last stop in the lobby to see Bruno. Ah yes, I forgot to tell you about Bruno — one of the more memorable encounters of my stay. A friendly, fully automated barista with robotic arms, capable of crafting your morning macchiato with remarkable precision. Latte art isn’t quite his strong suit yet, but give him time. Bruno is, without a doubt, the mascot of the Como Metropolitan Singapore — and a must-meet before you leave.