Chinatown / CBD

PARKROYAL COLLECTION Pickering

★★★★★

PARKROYAL COLLECTION Pickering is the hotel architects and photographers come to see, and it is also a very good place to stay. Opened in 2013 as PARKROYAL on Pickering and designed by the Singapore firm WOHA, it looks like a contour map turned into a building: wavy concrete terraces planted with palms, frangipani and cascading greenery climb up and through the tower, and together the sky gardens, terraces and green walls add up to about 15,000 square meters, more than twice the area of the site itself. The planting is maintained with solar power and rainwater harvesting, and the building became a symbol of Singapore's "city in a garden" ambitions. The fifth-floor pool deck is the highlight for guests: an infinity pool along the edge of the garden terrace, with cabanas shaped like birdcages, looking across Hong Lim Park to Chinatown and the CBD. Inside, the 367 rooms are bright and calm, with floor-to-ceiling windows, wood and natural tones, and bathrooms with views; the Collection Club rooms add lounge access, and suites have more space. There is a St. Gregory spa, a gym that opens onto the gardens, and Lime, the all-day restaurant known for its buffets and local dishes. The location is excellent for exploring: Chinatown starts across the road, Clarke Quay and Boat Quay are a short walk away, and Chinatown, Clarke Quay and Telok Ayer MRT stations are all within a few minutes.

The design is the reason to choose it, and it is more than decoration. The open corridors and garden terraces are naturally ventilated and shaded, the sky gardens bring birds and butterflies into the middle of the city, and the effect from the street is of a cliff overgrown with tropical forest. From inside, the green frames almost every view. For travellers interested in Singapore's approach to urban greenery, it is the perfect companion to Gardens by the Bay and the Botanic Gardens.

Choosing a room: standard rooms are comfortable and well designed, with the best views on higher floors looking over Hong Lim Park toward the CBD. The Collection Club rooms and club lounge are worth it for longer stays, with breakfast, evening drinks and a quieter space. Families will find connecting rooms and suites, and the pool deck is family friendly. The hotel can be busy with conference groups during the week; book a pool cabana if you want guaranteed space at weekends.

Who it suits: first-timers who want a central base between Chinatown, the river and the CBD; design lovers; and travellers who want upscale comfort at a lower price than the Marina Bay and Raffles hotels. The trade-offs: it is a large, busy hotel rather than a boutique one, and some rooms face neighbouring buildings. The location makes up for it: you can walk to Maxwell Food Centre for breakfast, Chinatown for the afternoon and Boat Quay for a riverside dinner, and be back at the pool in minutes.