This was published 8 years ago
The Quincy Hotel, Singapore, review: An oasis of cool and calm
By Paul Chai
The Quincy Hotel Singapore.
THE LOCATION
The Quincy is a far cooler, and quieter, alternative to the more staid hotel offerings within walking distance of bustling Orchard Road. This strip of mega-malls is on the go all hours and has local hangouts such as Lucky Plaza, a favourite with the domestic workers from the Phillippines and Indonesia, or the glitzy Ion Orchard which is cram full of high-end designers as well as Singaporean-designers-made-good Charles & Keith. A short walk to the north is the famous Newton Hawker Centre, and you are right near the Orchard Road MRT stop, which makes getting around easy.
THE SPACE
The Quincy Hotel's pool.
Squeezing itself into some much-prized real estate behind Mount Elizabeth Hospital, the skinny Quincy Hotel looks like a huge VHS cassette tape sitting on its end, the flashes of blue neon on the building's exterior signalling the contemporary designs within. A blocky, monochrome reception greets guests with back-to-the-future white pod chairs and iMac stations for guest use, and leads on to the communal dining space. Modernity is at the heart of the Quincy's aesthetic from the sleek furniture to the glass cube infinity pool that sits en plein air on the 12th floor – and has a hidden window in the floor that looks down to the road (you need swimming goggles for the best effect). The hotel is set up as a place for adults to play, and has activities like cupcake-making on offer, but kids under 12 are actively discouraged.
THE ROOM
If you are a solo traveller you may get a kick out of the bathroom's floor-to-ceiling glass wall that allows you to look into the bedroom and to take in the view of the surrounding skyscrapers while having a scrub (more modest travellers can drop the blind) and a huge bathroom mirror creates a great sense of space in a compact abode. Cute design tricks mean that when you slide the bathroom door closed it reveals your ample cupboard space and the safe, while a complimentary mini-bar is located beneath the large plasma screen.
The Quincy Hotel Singapore.
THE FOOD
The rooms at the Quincy come with free drinks between 6pm and 8pm and a buffet of snacks to accompany it, but in a town known for its love of food the east-west mash-up on offer is a disappointment. With ample food courts just a short walk away, best to grab a complimentary beer or Singapore Sling and then head out to eat.
STEPPING OUT
The Quincy Hotel's reception.
Taking a shortcut through the York Hotel opposite you are minutes away from Far East Plaza, a low-rise mall full of eateries and shops, and the Shiraz kebab stall on Scotts Road. Where Scotts Road meets Orchard is local department store Tangs which is 80 years young this year, while opposite is the mega-movie complex of Shaw Cinemas Orchard Road.
Orchard gets a bad rap as one big consumer frenzy but there is much more on offer here. Try the Heart Attack Fried Rice at Eighteen Chefs in Cathay Cineleisure Orchard, a social enterprise restaurant that employs ex-convicts, have a cocktail in the converted shophouse bar that is No 5 Emerald Hill, or head out west to the expat-friendly Tanglin Mall.
THE VERDICT
Hokkien soup prawn noodles.Credit: 123RF.com
A winning location, off-beat design flourishes and a well-trained and helpful staff make up for a lack of excitement in the Quincy kitchen. This hotel reflects some of the showiness of the famous shopping strip, but the inclusive offering of drinks and food make it good value.
ESSENTIALS
Studio Rooms start from $229. 22 Mount Elizabeth, Singapore; Phone +65 6738 5888; See quincy.com.sg
HIGHLIGHT
A dip in the futuristic glass cube that is the 12th-floor pool.
LOWLIGHT
The evening buffet which misses the mark in a food-mad city.
The writer was a guest of the Quincy Hotel.
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