Wanderlusthotel

Singapore

Located on an island in the southernmost part of the Malaysian peninsula, measuring 647.8 square kilometers and consisting of 64 islands, Singapore is an outstanding andexceptional example of economic growth and national cohesion. Since being freed from British domination, Singapore has become a model society which to this day, is one of the most highly reputed in Asia. The values on which its success is based are economic growth, security, cleanliness and materialism. Singapore is a lively and active city-state. Its business quarter, which is one of Asia’s most important financial centers, and Orchard Road, the luxury shopping quarter, where the favorite pastimes of the local population are eating and shopping, has made Singapore a Mecca for businessmen and seekers of luxury.

Design madness

Located in the lively and picturesque Little India quarter, the Wanderlust stands out as an exception in Singapore’s upscale luxury hotel industry, in that it is a rare example of a hotel that doesn’t take itself too seriously!

The combination of luxury and humor is not always conclusive in the area of design, but here, the equation is totally successful ! The Wanderlust’s owner is none other than Loh Lik Peng, the owner of the New Majestic as well, whose originality stems from its daring juxtaposition of furniture.

At the Wanderlust, irreverence is pushed to the extreme. The exterior gives little or no indication of the aesthetic shock awaiting the visitor inside, since it’s a well preserved 1920s building. The only noticeable aspect is the handsome Art nouveau style mosaic.

As soon as you enter the lobby however, the shock begins. The desired impression was to create a sort of playground for adults, and according to the owner, to amaze the guests. To do so, Loh Lik Peng commissioned four different design agencies, placing each one in charge of a different part of the hotel.

The Asylum agency, in charge of the lobby, placed the emphasis on a powerful contrast of industrial piping side by side with glamorous and vintage furniture, creating a stunning fusion space bathed in natural light. The bay window illuminates the lobby from the outside. The Phunk Studio, responsible for the 2^nd floor, created rooms with uniform colors, assigning them appropriate pop music names like Blue Monday or Yellow Submarine, and giving each room its own special atmosphere. The 3^rd floor was the work of DP Architects who opted for totally white rooms and black corridors, an almost unreal dream like setting. The top floor possesses the duplex apartments whose ambiance can best be described by the term : unbridled imagination!

It would be a shame to reveal the numerous surprises awaiting the guest in these thoroughly atypical spaces with their ETs, rockets, stuffed animals, etc. The 29 rooms and suites of this eccentric, dream like, off the wall hotel are invitations to fun, games and good humor. The relaxed atmosphere carries into the Cocotte French restaurant, which proposes rustic dishes served in totally laid back informality.

Loh Lik Peng is a unique hotelier. This former lawyer changed his three piece suit appearance for a more relaxed look, and he tries to reflect this attitude in the five hotels he has opened in the past seven years. His philosophy is not to take himself too seriously!