Starck-Struck in Singapore
What happens when a Singaporean hotel chain collaborates with one of the world’s most talked-about designers? The Philippe Starck-conceived M Social cleverly mixes high art and high tech, adding for good measure, a serving of modern but never in-your-face Asian charm.
Located in Robertson Quay, the 293-room property has judiciously made use of available space; creating rooms including unique loft-style configurations quite unlike any Singapore has previously seen. Starck has obviously distilled his experience from projects like the Mama Shelter hotels and his Yoo condominium designs to home interiors. The result: sleek and surprisingly comfortable designs and furnishings.
Attention has been placed on surface textures ranging from the shimmery mirror-facing beds, the tactile finely polished wooden stools and the plush carpets – all of which will surely appeal to a maturing design-aware millennial clientele. All rooms are kitted with VOIP mobile phones that provide free local and international calls to selected destinations as well as internet access.
Meanwhile, the hotel’s ground floor restaurant popular with both locals and tourists, Beast & Butterflies, serves exotic dishes like German pork knuckle, paired with Asian sauerkraut, and dipped with Thai nam jim sauce, along with local favourites like clay pot braised clams and rice vermicelli.
