Gin bar, hostel make their marks on Time

A popular bar and a hipster hostel in Singapore have made their way into Time's inaugural 2018 World's Greatest Places list. They are Atlas Bar, in the distinctive Parkview Square building in Bugis, and Coo Boutique Hostel and Sociatel, located in Tiong Bahru.

The list features 100 entries from 48 countries, sorted into categories for visiting, staying and dining. Time said it had solicited nominations from dozens of industry experts, as well as its own editors and correspondents. "Then we evaluated each one based on key factors, including quality, originality, innovation, sustainability and influence," it explained in an article about how the list was assembled.

Other places on Time's list include Vietnam's Golden Bridge, known for its iconic giant stone hands; Museum Macan, a contemporary and modern art museum in Jakarta; and ChangChui, a creative marketplace in Bangkok.

Hong Kong saw three places featured on the list - The Murray, a former government building turned hotel; Happy Paradise, a modern Cantonese bistro; and Tai Kwun, an arts and culture centre that was a police and judicial complex in the colonial era.

Time's entry on Coo notes that the hostel has beds for as little as US$20 ($27) a night and offers guests access to an online platform that allows them to meet other guests based on mutual interests.

Coo founder Silas Lee, 53, told The Straits Times yesterday that the hostel is very honoured. "As a Singaporean, I am of course proud that this helps to showcase Singapore's hospitality sector."

The hostel at 259 Outram Road is housed in a four-storey conservation shophouse. It has 11 rooms with 68 beds.

Atlas made the list because of its gin collection, one of the world's largest, which features about 1,000 varieties of gin. Some of the gins date back to 1910, Time said.

Ms Vicky Hwang, 39, who owns the bar, said: "It's an incredible testament to the unique space that my grandfather created and the fantastic team that works so hard every day to make Atlas deserving of international recognition."

Ms Hwang is the granddaughter of the late Hong Kong property mogul C.S. Hwang.

She told Time: "We wanted to be a centre of excellence for gin, a place where those who are gin enthusiasts or simply gin-curious can come, enjoy and learn a bit more."

Atlas rose eight places to No. 4 on a list of Asia's 50 Best Bars, ST reported in May. It also ranked 15th on a list of the World's 50 Best Bars this year, Time said.