SINGAPORE - For urbanites looking for a sanctuary in the heart of the city, The Warehouse Hotel offers rooms on the river with a racy slice of history.
The three-year-old boutique hotel sits in one of the oldest independently standing warehouses in Singapore, nestled between Havelock Road and the Singapore River.
Built in 1895 to store goods of the Melaka spice trade, the warehouse has had many lives - some more sordid than others.
Over the years, it has been a hotbed of secret society intrigue, an illegal liquor distillery and an opium den. From 1986 to 1996, it was home to one of the hottest discos in town, but sank into disrepair after the nightspot closed.
The sleek industrial chic of its current incarnation is worlds away from a den of vice, though the hotel tips a sly wink to its seedy past.
While waiting to check in, one can browse Objects Of Vice, a Supermama x Gabriel Tan installation of objects that allude to the warehouse's history, such as vintage pocket knives, lighters and matchstick holders. The metal hip flask can be purchased for $120; the handcuffs are not for sale.
No two of the hotel's 37 rooms, which range from skylit inner chambers to a mezzanine with a reading library, are alike.
I get the River View Suite, a spacious open-plan room with a lofty peaked ceiling held up by some of the original iron beams from the godown days.
The building is gazetted as a conservation area and much of the hotel's architecture preserves its historic elements - from the exposed brick wall in the lobby, salvaged by cutting out and replacing rotting bricks, to the bars over the windows, once installed to keep thieves out.
One of the joys of the hotel's location is getting to watch life go by along the river. The best view for that is the rooftop infinity pool, a cantilevered glass box that looks like a perpetually melting block of ice and will thrill Instagrammers.
In line with Covid-19 restrictions, only one room's guests can use the pool at a time, by appointment. So for an hour, I get the pool to myself, floating idly from wall to wall to watch people walking tiny dogs across the river or traffic rumble over Pulau Saigon Bridge.
A more energetic guest might enjoy the 4.4km jog to Marina Bay, or cycling down the river on a Tokyobike on loan from the hotel. I content myself with a sunset stroll along Robertson Quay.
Art lovers should pop over the water to STPI Gallery, which has just opened its new exhibition, Turning The Axis Of The World, assembling the works of past residency artists, such as Rirkrit Tiravanija, Shirazeh Houshiary and Ashley Bickerton.
One is spoilt for choice when it comes to dining on the quay, from brunch stalwart Toby's Estate to Japanese restaurant Dashi Master Marusaya, which does delightful things with dashi broth.
Within the hotel, there is Po, chef Willin Low's mod-Sin spin on grandmother's cooking. With its rattan chairs and green marble tabletops, it evokes a homely atmosphere, though the dishes are gussied up.
A twist on Hokkien mee features Carabinero prawns and rich pork belly ($34), and you can add fresh flower crab to your popiah platter ($32 classic, to $52 with crab). Some assembly is required.
Afterwards, I grab a drink on the house at the lobby bar beneath the godown-style pulleys, from which now hang globes of soft light.
The bar has 10 signature cocktails - from the pandan-hued Singapore Sazerac ($23) to the B. B. King ($23), a rich banana whisky with smoked maple syrup.
The B. B. King puts me in mind of the legendary bluesman of the same name, so I retire to the suite's eggshell of a bathtub. I soak and read, listening to the Bang & Olufsen speakers bounce the blues around the rafters.
At 2.2m across, the king-sized bed is an adventure in itself. I get lost in its depths. It is difficult to drag myself out of it the next morning, but breakfast at Po beckons.
There are pancakes and hearty bak kut teh, with youtiao tinted black to look like charcoal.
As with much at this hotel, it does not change the flavour, but makes for an exciting aesthetic.
• Hot tip: While there is free parking onsite, it is extremely limited, so if you plan to drive, call ahead to check if a crowd is expected.
THE WAREHOUSE HOTEL
Where: 320 Havelock Road, Robertson Quay
Info: The Warehouse Hotel's website
Rooms: 37
Rates: Starting at $315 ++, inclusive of breakfast at Po
