Grassroots with passion 11
Italian Grill & Pizza Bar that’s long been reputed to serve impressive Sicilian and Southern Italian food and Tisettanta Lounge that boasts an outstanding wine collection. For local flavours, head to The Glass House Restaurant for local dishes with a touch of sophistication such as Fried Mee Siam with Boston Lobster. Guilty from all that eating? Take a dip in one of the hotel’s three pools that are chlorine and chemical free, and are instead treated with ionising technology so you can swim in healthy, natural water. Naumi Liora The infamous Keong Saik Road, once a redlight district, is now home to hip coffee joints, watering holes and restaurants. Naumi Liora, the second boutique hotel by Naumi Hospitality (the first being Naumi Hotel on Seah Street), joined the fun in November 2012.
Grand Park Orchard If you’re a hardcore shopper, Grand Park Orchard is a good one to staycation at. Located in the heart of the Singapore’s shopping district, Grand Park Orchard is designed with fashion in mind. Following an impressive S$80 million makeover, Grand Park Orchard now boasts an outstanding herringbone-designed glass façade and dramatic eight- storey tall media wall that sure is glamorous. The glamour doesn’t end there. The full range of Bvlgari bathroom amenities also adds a touch of luxury to the experience. All this in addition to a DVD player and LCD TV, mini bar and coffee/tea making facilities. If all these aren’t reasons enough to do a staycation at Grand Park Orchard, its Staycation Special should be a push factor. From now till 31 December 2015, staycationers get to enjoy exclusive benefits such as S$50 worth of daily F&B credit (Mitzo, the hotel’s contemporary Chinese restaurant, serves up dim sum and other Cantonese favourites with a twist) and late check-out till 3pm, subject to availability. Staycationers also enjoy complimentary smartphone service with unlimited free 3G internet connectivity, local and international calls to selected countries. Hotel Fort Canning Nature lovers would want to retreat into the Hotel Fort Canning, a magnificent conservation hotel tucked within 18 hectres of lush greenery of the historical Fort Canning Park that is within the city. Interestingly, guests at the Hotel Fort Canning also get to share, if only temporarily, the exclusive address of many of Singapore’s ancient rulers and colonial leaders. The iconic building, built in 1926, was the Administration Building of the British Far East Command HQ and the General-Officer- Commanding, Lt-General Percival, once had an office here. As if that’s not enough history, it’s also Singapore’s only hotel to showcase an Archaeological Pit with 14th and 19th century artefacts. Showcased in four pits, the artefacts trace the history of the inhabitants of the Park, and highlight the ancient glory of this once “Forbidden Hill”. If exploring the property’s history leaves you hungry, choose from excellent in-hotel dining options. There’s Gattopardo
Naumi Liora is essentially made up of several 1920s Peranakan-styled buildings with their original timber flooring, French-styled windows and ‘five-foot way’ traditionally preserved. The buildings were originally commissioned by a gentleman named Tan Chin and were built as townhouses, rather than shophouses. While the style of the building is much in line with the Westerhout tradition, comprising a refined neo-Classicism, its embellishments are very much influenced by the Chinese culture. Look out for the decorative bat reliefs beside the capitals of the main pilasters of the upper storey – these are meant to bring well-being and prosperity to those who occupy the building because the Chinese word for bat (“fú”) sounds the same as the Chinese word for good fortune and wealth (both also pronounced “fú”). The rooms come in three sizes, ranging from small to big: Liora Quaint, Liora Heritage and Liora Porch. The latter two have in-room Nespresso machines so you can sip all the coffee you want. Otherwise, the hotel’s reception lobby is also the spot of a complimentary 24-hour self-serve Nibbles snack bar, where you can treat yourself to ice- cream, biscuits, fine teas and yes, Nespresso coffee. After all the munchies, burn some calories at the gym that doesn’t close. Or, take a walk around Naumi Liora; charming Ann Siang Hill, Kreta Ayer, Maxwell Road and Tanjong Pagar are within the vicinity.
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