"Go back to the moment you arrived and give us an establishing shot. Why did this hotel catch your attention?Arriving here feels like you're heading to a house party (especially if it's on a Friday night). There are people milling on the street, others looking down from the surrounding rooftop bars, and still others packing the restaurants in the hotel. This street is hot stuff, and the hotel is very much a part of the celebration.
Is there an interesting backstory here?The hotel is run by a boutique collective passionate about creating accommodations that are "a departure from the conventional short-stay hotel experience". The building's history is a good starting point to understanding what that differentiation means—this used to be a clan house for Chinese immigrants, who would gather under its roof to play mahjong or watch Chinese opera.
What can we expect from the rooms?The rooms here are designed to match guests' lifestyles, so there are Culinary Studio rooms with kitchenettes for those who love cooking, Active Studio rooms that come complete with a mini gym inside the room, and more. Even the bottom tier Deluxe rooms are decent size, with a mid-century modern vibe. The Hypnos mattresses produce a great sleep, and the Ashley & Co (a local label) organic toiletries and complimentary continental breakfast are a nice touch.
Is there a charge for Wi-fi – and is the quality good?The Wi-fi was complimentary as well, and quick.
What about food and drink? Is that something the hotel is known for?For a hotel with just 20 rooms, Ann Siang House has a disproportionate number of F&B outlets. Whatever you do, make time for Blue Label Pizza on the ground floor, where you'll get the absolute best pizza in Singapore. We're talking flavor bombs with hot, blistered, crispy crusts dripping with gourmet ingredients. The rooftop bar, The Other Roof, gets crushingly crowded on Friday and Saturday nights, so either use your clout as a hotel guest to snag a table on those nights, or try a different day.
How did you find the service? Anything stand out?Service is casual and refreshingly honest. For example, the female maitre'd at the entrance of The Other Roof shared that it would be too crowded to enjoy when we tried to get a table on a busy night, and recommended other bars to us.
Who were your fellow hotel guests?Lots of cool cats at this hot spot, all of them ready for that Instagram moment. Pack your most photo-worthy wardrobe if you don't want to look out of place.
What else is in the neighborhood? Is it somewhere we'd want to hang out?Come Friday evenings, Ann Siang turns into party central for the young working adults and expats in the area, and the hotel leans into that vibe with its bars and late-night restaurants. Once you're done with the in-house offerings, wander out to discover the hip bars and funky restaurants that line the street. Don't miss Native, voted the 13th best bar in the world in 2018, which shakes up cocktails made from regional ingredients.
Anything we missed?Steps away is Maxwell Food Centre, which has great local food, not to mention a stall (Tian Tian Chicken Rice) that Gordon Ramsay once visited to learn how to make the namesake dish.
Bottom line: Worth it?A thoughtfully curated experience with oodles of personality at a great price point. One of Singapore's most interesting hotel openings in recent years." - Audrey Phoon
