More than 50 years on, grand Singapore hotel goes green

6 hours ago 6

Family is a big deal to Singaporeans. You only have to go to Sunday brunch at the Grand Hyatt in the Orchard Road district and see the multi-generational tables of locals enjoying it for evidence of how family is valued as a cultural pillar in the island nation.

But family ties are also important to the workings of the hotel itself.

For example, long-time employee Kakak Azizah Sulaiman met her husband at Grand Hyatt Singapore, and now works with her two sons in the Rooms Department. Other staff members working alongside relatives include sisters in Food & Beverage; as well as other siblings in Engineering and Human Resources.

As the landmark hotel celebrates the conclusion of a multi-year renovation – just in time for Singapore’s own 60th birthday celebrations – it is also celebrating its own “legacy of loyalty”, which not only comprises these family connections but longevity of service as well. More than 35 per cent of the Grand Hyatt’s staff has been with the hotel for more than a decade, some for multiple decades.

When it comes to guest experience, especially in Singapore’s competitive hotel market which is forecast to face a workforce shortage in the next couple of years, that kind of stability counts for almost as much as beautiful spaces.

Fortunately for those staying at the Grand Hyatt Singapore, the hotel now has both.

The Grand Hyatt Singapore was South-East Asia’s tallest hotel and one of Singapore’s first five-stars when it opened as the 22-storey Hyatt Regency in 1971.

Open-plan rooms with warm walnut flooring and Peranakan-inspired accents.

Having undergone a deep renovation, gutting the interiors meant up-to-the-minute sustainability systems could be installed into the 54-year-old structure. The hotel now runs on 100 per cent renewable electricity, has a closed-loop food waste-to-farm aquaponics system, and its own water bottling plant.

Acclaimed international hospitality design firm, Strickland directed a transformation of the just opened Grand Wing now featuring open-plan rooms with warm walnut flooring, Peranakan-inspired accents, and Patagonia Stone in the bathrooms.

StraitsKitchen Restaurant in a city that loves food almost as much as it loves family.

Strickland also took charge of the hotel’s reception where a sculptural centrepiece and carved louvres echo the Peranakan theme, and ceiling fans made of local wood provide cooling.

Tokyo designers NAO Taniyama created the relocated Grand Club lounge designed for use from daily breakfast, to the evening cocktail hour.

And the Terrace Wing was designed to have a verdant resort ambience by landscape architects Grant Associates. Drawing inspiration from the Japanese concept of shinrin-yoku (forest bathing), the wing’s interconnected garden zones feature butterfly-attracting nectar plants, koi ponds, and tropical greenery. At the heart of this is a multi-tiered waterfall, featuring granite reclaimed from the demolition works.

And of course, in a city that loves food almost as much as it loves family, the Grand Hyatt Singapore reclaims its place as one of the most popular social hubs in town, featuring seven distinctive dining and drinking venues including 10|Scotts where afternoon tea is a multi-generational ritual.

Damai, the hotel’s wellness area, has also been expanded and enhanced with state-of-the-art equipment and therapies.

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