Hotel spotlight: Stylish city stays

The city’s first five-star hotel in 20 years provides a feeling of expansiveness with its open-plan design, generous use of natural light and bright, earthy tones.

Rooms in the central glass tower boast floor-to-ceiling views of the MacAlister Range or the Coral Sea. The elegant spaces come with nice touches such as a coffee machine, cocktails in the mini-bar and a yoga mat, for the sunrise yoga sessions held on an island in the lagoon pool. There are also free bikes to explore the city.

Dining options include Cairns’ first rooftop bar and restaurant, the Mediterranean-inspired Rocco, which serves tapas and spice-infused cocktails; whole food-focused Greenfields; and Paper Crane, which does Asian street food and dry -aged beef, reared on the hotel’s own
cattle station in Queensland.

Location:
It’s on the Esplanade, close to bars and restaurants, public
art, a swimming lagoon, plus cycling and walking paths.

SEE ALSO: 3 new urban retreats to visit on your next holiday

In line with the brand’s ethos of restoring and conserving heritage buildings, this luxury hotel – opened in December 2018
– sits within a cluster of shophouses in Tanjong Pagar. A former colonial-style office block has been raised to opulent grandeur by French designer Jacques Garcia, with attention paid to the smallest details, such as the show-stopping tasseled velvet chairs in the lobby to the Lafroy Brooks bathroom fixtures in the rooms.

Don’t miss the hotel’s most unique feature: a collection of carefully preserved historical documents, giving guests a sense of the area’s storied past.

Location:
Conveniently located 
within walking distance
 to bars, restaurants and
 cafés, the property is also
 close to cultural sites, including Chinatown.

Located in a skyscraper, the recently opened property is currently listed as the world’s third-highest hotel. The elegant interiors incorporate modern glamour with a neutral palette and luxe materials. However, the hotel retains a firm sense of place, thanks to vernacular motifs like the kerawang (decorative wooden carvings), which are seamlessly incorporated in the detailing.

In-house Chinese restaurant, Yun House, features a double-height pewter screen by Royal Selangor. The Lounge is a stylish take on the Malaysian home with rattan details and a mosaic, while Bar Trigona takes its design cues from traditional weaving techniques.

Location:
It sits above new mall, The Shoppes, and is next door to KLCC, a shopping, dining and nightlife complex.

SEE ALSO: The hotel hot list 2018: Urban retreats

Text by Jennifer Choo, Kirsty Nancarrow and Vanessa Tai

This article was originally published in the March 2019 issue of Silkwinds magazine