Singapore

The Warehouse Hotel

Price per night from$252.24

Price information

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.

Style

God's own godown

Setting

Riverside Robertson Quay

There’s nothing quite like The Warehouse Hotel, a converted colonial-era godown on the waterfront of Singapore’s vibrant Robertson Quay. These days the spices and silks are gone, but its industrial past is not forgotten. Machinery-inspired lighting dangles from black-iron beams in the triple-height vaulted lobby, while in the rooms, earthy textures of concrete and copper contrast with the sleek modern styling. Cool off in the glass-walled infinity pool on the roof, or with a signature cocktail at the bar. For dinner, book into Po, the mod-Sin hotel restaurant; its menu was created by chef-pioneer Willin Low, inspired by his granny, of course.

Smith Extra

Get this when you book through us:

A Moleskine notebook

Facilities

Photos The Warehouse Hotel facilities

Need to know

Rooms

37, including one suite.

Check–Out

Noon, but flexible, subject to availability. Check-in from 2pm; early check-in from noon is available on request and subject to availability.

Prices

Double rooms from £239.54 (SG$408), including tax at 19.9 per cent.

More details

Rates usually include Continental breakfast. Please note, the hotel no longer accepts cash payments.

Also

Singaporean crafts feature throughout the hotel; there’s pottery from Mud Rock ceramic studio, bespoke prints by textiles-maker Matter, and hand-carved furniture by Plane & Bevel.

At the hotel

Free WiFi throughout. In rooms: Smart TV, Bang & Olufsen Bluetooth speaker, minibar, air-conditioning, free bottled water, tea- and coffee-making facilities, Ashley & Co bath products.

Our favourite rooms

The River View Suite, for its double-height vaulted ceiling, stand-alone bath tub, and top-floor views across the river. The queen of quirks is the River View Mezzanine – a split-level show-off with an iron staircase and reading library. What the ground-floor Warehouse Sanctuary rooms lack in windows and natural light, they make up for in mood lighting and privacy.

Poolside

The glass-sided rooftop infinity pool looks over the river and Robertson Quay below. It’s not one for doing lengths in (unless you really enjoy tumble-turns), but it’s ample for a cooling plunge and paddle.

Packing tips

Do *not* forget your swim gear – the pool has glass walls.

Also

All rooms and common areas are wheelchair-accessible. Pets are not allowed.

Children

All ages welcome.

Sustainability efforts

The Ashley & Co bath products are 100 per cent Ecocert-approved, which basically means it’s all good stuff – we’re talking natural and organic ingredients.

Food and Drink

Photos The Warehouse Hotel food and drink

Top Table

Snag one of the banquettes – the one in the corner is cosy.

Dress Code

City slick and in vogue (strike a Po’).

Hotel restaurant

Named ‘Po’, the restaurant is in fact a tale of two Pos. ‘Popo’ is the Chinese word for grandma, and popiah (a chunky, stew-stuffed spring roll) is the kitchen’s speciality dish. The menu was conjured by chef Willin Low, who pioneered the ‘mod-sin’ (modern Singaporean, obvs) food genre at his esteemed Wild Rocket restaurant across the city. The result of all this is a happy blend of granny’s home-spun goodness and inventive nouveau cuisine; be sure to try the umami-laden carabinero prawns and the Cantonese congee, a scallop and clam rice-porridge.

Hotel bar

The bar at Po reflects the warehouse’s past, with craft cocktails inspired by periods in its history. High Tea harks back to the spice trade in the late 19th century, with chamomile whisky and passion fruit shaken up with grenadine, mint and spiced bitters. Or, for a flavour of the 80s disco scene, there’s Lady Luck, a psychedelic shake-up of citrus vodka, roselle gin, coconut and pineapple, served in a fetching doll’s head mug. 

Last orders

Breakfast is served from 7am until 10.30am. The restaurant and bar stay open until midnight Sunday to Thursday, and until 1am on Friday, Saturday and the night before public holidays.

Room service

A menu of all things great and small is available from 11.30am till 10pm every day. Options include barramundi salad and chargrilled Iberico pork satay.

Location

Photos The Warehouse Hotel location
Address
The Warehouse Hotel
320 Havelock Road
Robertson Quay
169628
Singapore

The hotel is on the south bank of the Singapore River, in the bustling bar-and-restaurant neighbourhood of Robertson Quay. It’s a 20-minute walk to both the soaring Downtown skyline and, in the other direction, the shopping district of Orchard Road.

Planes

Singapore’s Changi airport (www.changiairport.com) is a major international hub with direct flights to cities around the world. It’s 21 kilometres from the hotel and takes half an hour to reach in a taxi, which will cost roughly SG$25. Transfers can be arranged by the hotel for SG$100 each way. On request, the Smith24 Team can arrange flights for you (call on 03300 378 398).

Trains

It’s about a 15-minute walk to Chinatown, the closest station on the spick ‘n’ span Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) subway. The MRT also runs to the airport in 40 minutes, as well as to Woodlands Checkpoint for trains to Malaysia.

Automobiles

With a public transport system envied the world over, there’s not much need to hire a car – but if you’re mid-roadtrip there is free parking at the hotel.

Other

Boaty McBoats dock at Singapore Cruise Centre, which is 15 minutes by car to the hotel.

Worth getting out of bed for

Resist the temptation to hole-up in your warehouse cocoon: this is the Lion City, not the lie-in city. A jog (or amble) down the river is one way to shake off a Sling-over and explore the city at the same time; it’s around 3km to the Marina Bay esplanade, and you can take in the ‘hoods of Clarke and Boat Quay on the way. Wide-open lawns and totally tropical flora make Fort Canning Park a top pick for a picnic; it’s also the site of the Battlebox – the underground British command centre during World War II, don’t you know. If that gives you a hankering for history, the Asian Civilisations Museum is just along the river, or for something more this-year, hit the shops on Orchard Road.

Local restaurants

Get your claws on some of Singapore’s best-loved crab at Red House; the signature dish is the chilli stew, but you can also take it wok-fried or oozing from a charcoal takesumi bun. A few doors down is Super Loco, for fast-paced and fun-packed Mexican street food at brunch, lunch or dinner.

Local cafés

Common Man Coffee Roasters is the go-to for single-batch brews fresh from the custom-made Synesso espresso machine. All-day brunch is served on the side.

Local bars

Verre is a sophisticated wine bar and bistro, with over 750 tipples to choose from and a Mediterranean menu to match. From grape to grain, La Maison du Whisky has wall-to-wall whiskies from around the globe, and connoisseurs can call ahead to book in for a tasting session.

Reviews

Photos The Warehouse Hotel reviews
Rachel Lees

Anonymous review

By Rachel Lees, Travelling scribe

The Warehouse Hotel in Singapore is to the hospitality industry what George Clooney is to his audience, a shining example of sex appeal, a cheeky sense of humour and intellect, rolled into one gloriously sophisticated package. And from the moment you walk into the double-volume reception and lobby bar, the hotel’s interiors prove as skilled as Clooney in the art of seduction.

Despite its cavernous size, the industrial space imbues a warm, intimate ambiance. Softly lit pendant lights drip from the ceiling like diamond necklaces, as Lianne La Havas’ husky neo-soul (for our arrival, at least) croons from the speakers. The call to the bar is strong with this one but Mr Smith and I resist—first, we want to freshen up.
 
Through a discreet door at the back of the bar we are lead along a corridor to our ground floor River View Room. Its slick, pared back aesthetic seems to take inspiration from Japanese interiors—and examples are everywhere from its low-level king-size bed draped in hand-printed textiles by local clothing brand Matter; to the wire glass doors that evoke traditional shoji screens.

However, unlike many Japanese rooms, here they are a generous 34 sq m and come with two double doors that look straight out onto the Singapore River, and the footpath that runs alongside it. ‘These windows aren’t tinted’, says the concierge, ‘so just be aware of that’.

Those who feel exposed can draw the sheer or blackout curtains for privacy but it seems to be an incongruous oversight given the otherwise thoughtful, moody interiors—not to mention the three-tiered ‘Minibar of Vices’, replete with a ‘Lust’ section that includes His and Hers vibrators, and a BDSM paddle. Later, Mr Smith and I giggle about the concierge’s warning: was it motivated by couples caught in the act?

Maybe it’s just me but it’s almost like the Warehouse encourages exhibitionist or voyeuristic tendencies. While there’s no gym, the hotel’s rooftop infinity pool—which sits atop a purpose-built, three-storey platform next to a busy intersection—is glass walled. So drivers and pedestrians below have a clear view of your game of Marco Polo. But the tranquil view of the river soon erases all thoughts of the traffic below.

With just four sun loungers and two small bar tables, the compact pool encourages mingling with fellow guests. We chat to Brian from New York, in Singapore for a stopover on his way to Vietnam, and end up having lunch together across the river at Italian restaurant Publico—one of the many bustling and varied riverside eateries within walking distance of the hotel.

Despite the countless excellent food options nearby, we end up dining in the hotel both nights during our stay. The lure of the lobby bar wins out on our first evening. While Mr Smith enjoys a crisp Chilean chardonnay, I sip on a Madame Butterfly cocktail—comprised of tequila, watermelon shrub, rosé and soda—a moreish concoction that tastes like a grown-up version of raspberry lemonade.

One round quickly becomes two, this time with a selection of tasty Asian snack-sized plates, including Kurobuta char siew (barbecued pork), kueh pie tee (a canapé-size pastry filled with stewed pork, prawns and vegetables), and prawn crackers. But bar snacks rarely a meal make and, later, we take the plunge and order room service.

The beef rendang, while eye-wateringly expensive (the menu states $52 but with Singapore’s ++, the total price is $61.20) is generously portioned, and so tender it’s melt-in-the-mouth good. While the room service menu doesn’t include desserts, at our request, a plate of goreng pisang (banana fritter) from the restaurant, Po, is delivered to our door—and acts as a tantalising preview for the dinner we have booked there the following night.

Decked out in an understated interpretation of art deco cool, Po makes a charming choice for dinner for two. Softly lit with prompt, friendly waitstaff, it serves modern Singaporean fare, including popiah, a make-your-own-style spring roll, using thin wheat skins (pancakes), stewed pork and vegetable fillings, and toppings such as crushed peanuts and fresh coriander.

The ingredients are served in bamboo steamers, and a delightful little card on the table provides step-by-step instructions on how to fill and roll your popiah. It’s a lovely hands-on introduction to the local food scene, which carries through to dessert—pulut hitam (a sweet, black sticky rice congee) and ice cream popiah served with pineapple, taro and peanut gelato. 

On the way back to our room, we are waylaid by one of the lobby bar’s butter-soft leather couches. Mr Smith is midway through a whisky sour, while I have opted for a more delicate take—a High Tea, made from chamomile whisky, Laphroaig mist, passionfruit, grenadine, mint and spiced bitters—when Brian from New York returns from a food tour.

He lingers just long enough to share tales of the city’s hawker centres and satay skewers. ‘Have you guys left the hotel since lunch?’ he asks pointedly. While there are undoubtedly plenty of great sights to see in Singapore—Gardens by the Bay and the National Gallery are two notables—if your hotel was a ‘Clooney’, why would you leave?

You’ll also find The Warehouse Hotel in:

Book now

Price per night from $252.24