Hotel review: Indigo Hotel, Katong, Singapore - Former Singaporean police station now a cool hotel

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Situated in the old Katong police station (useful for telling taxi uncles), Indigo Hotel is in the heart of the old shophouses and colonial buildings in the bustling eastern neighbourhood of Katong, famous as the home of Singaporean laksa. Indigo is part of the IHG hotel group but no two in the Indigo chain look the same, each hotel channelling the local culture and history. For Katong, that means a modern Peranakan look with a huge feature wall of Peranakan tiles at receptions and pop-art renditions of traditional water jars dominating the area by the lifts.

THE LOOK

The celebration of Straits-Chinese culture permeates the whole hotel from huge photographs of the famous ceramics and colourful beaded slippers on the hallway walls to a Peranakan "mama stall" – a small convenience stall found in the housing estates in the 1960s – to the left of reception packed with bright-coloured clothing, fabrics and decorative wooden screens.

THE ROOM

My room is charming, a reimagined kampong (village) setting with individual murals on the walls of historic neighbourhood life; mine depicts a Singaporean coffee shop with someone making kopi and tables of diners enjoying kaya toast. Each 30 square metre room is designed to reflect the flow of a traditional Peranakan home with the couch and throw cushions in coloured silk and a backlit light feature in the roof mimicking local tile design. Built in to the cupboard is a museum-like display of real ceramics and the room's table is actually a Five Stones board, a popular kampong children's game. The bathroom sink sits atop an iron sewing machine and there is a foot-soaking bowl with a Good Morning towel that is a historic Singaporean symbol of hard work. There is a range of complimentary Asian sweets as well as tea from local Singaporean brand TWG and popular newcomer Bacha Coffee (with a huge new shop underway at Changi Airport). As the only highrise in Singapore's Heritage Town, the view is amazing.

FOOD + DRINK

Designed by architects Ong and Ong, the public spaces are broken up into the reception, an Aperol-sponsored garden party space and Baba Chews, the all-day neighbourhood restaurant and bar. The menu is a mix of modern European and Singaporean dishes with a Western-Asian breakfast menu and pub vibe after dinner. Coffee is from local roasters Common Man Coffee around the corner.