Stay here: Singapore Artyzen

What’s the deal?

Biophilic design is all the rage in Singaporean hotel design, as architects seek to capture the city’s famed green spaces while incorporating sustainability to harmonise the property with its environment. When you view Artyzen Singapore from the outside, you can’t fail to notice the foliage that sprouts from wide nooks that extend from the ground level to the rooftop. The greenery sits side-by-side with tall, terracotta-toned metal panels that are more than adornment: reminiscent of the window screens from traditional shophouses, these steel mesh panels serve as shading devices while affording guests an extra layer of privacy. It’s an example of the clever ways architects Ong&Ong delivered on the hotel’s three design requirements: stylishness, sustainability and Singapore.

Opened in late-2023 by the luxury hospitality group of the same name, Artyzen Singapore sits just off Orchard Road yet feels a world away from the bustle of the city thanks to its original design. It’s located at the site of the former Villa Marie, one of the last remaining villas in the area, built in the 1940s. The villa’s arched columns, history of orchid cultivation and colourful tiled courtyards are reinterpreted throughout the hotel.

Why stay?

We stayed in a Premier Balcony King, a room type located on the higher floors, offering a broad view of the city. It features a deep, eggshell-textured soaking tub and a rainfall shower, as well as a wireless B&O speaker, Nespresso coffee machine and generous 55-inch TV. While other new hotels might play it safe by leaning more minimalist in design and neutral in colour scheme, Artyzen Singapore plays up its South East Asian roots, mixing dark woods, Peranakan-inspired patterns, jewel-toned furnishings, rattan accents and floral textiles in a way that feels sumptuous and sultry. The building’s footprint is relatively small, which is made up for with soaring verticality in every space, including four-metre-high wood-panelled ceilings in each room – another nod to the iconic shophouses.

And the pool? It’s impossible to miss it – a 25m rooftop cantilevered infinity pool, which boasts a glass-bottomed section with underwater speakers. Recline on a lounger with a cocktail or bob about in the water as you gaze out west towards the sunset: this is a little slice of paradise high above the city streets.

The Roof Garden is perfect for poolside snacks and drinks, while the ground floor Café Quenino, where you’ll have breakfast, also transforms into a bar serving cocktails and Singaporean craft beers as the day wears on. However, it’s Quenino by Victor Liong that deserves your highest attention: this fine dining, degustation menu-only restaurant is the jewel in Artyzen Singapore’s crown. It’s named after and developed by acclaimed hatted Melbourne chef Victor Liong but chef de cuisine Sujatha Asokan runs the daily show: her exquisite, exacting attention to detail and love for the region’s flavours, ingredients and stories come through in every artistic plate. A pumpkin tart with a sambal filling and a tiny flower perched on top of it like a butterfly. Delicate pieces of Spencer Gulf kingfish with a white soy sauce, roasted leeks with white radish and white flowers. Scallop mousse with tomato, ginger flower and tamarind; swapped for oyster mushrooms on the vegetarian “Verdure” menu. Out of everything on offer during our stay at Artyzen Singapore, it’s Quenino by Victor Liong that’ll have us itching to return to the hotel.

Cathay editors say:

"Artyzen Singapore bills itself as a lifestyle hotel and delivers on its promise: it’s a fun, inclusive city stay with excellent attention to detail. Be sure to book in for dinner at Quenino by Victor Liong, a rising yet still seriously underrated spot on the fiercely competitive Singaporean fine dining scene."