Along the kinetic shopping strip that is Orchard Road, one of its latest landmarks is the Pan Pacific Orchard. This 23-storey hotel opened its doors in June 2023 and quickly became a signature sight along the stretch by virtue of its ebullient greenery—or, as its designers WOHA Architects would term it, “high-rise tropical hospitality”.
The numbers behind this architectural feat are as follows: more than 300 per cent of the hotel’s land area is enveloped by greenery, with 150,000 square feet of foliage and water features; while imperious 120-metre green columns tower through the sky terraces, which are segmented into four distinct types—forest, beach, garden and cloud.
In the conception of this hotel, WOHA drew on Singapore’s varied landscapes and environments, from its botanic gardens to its multitude of skyscrapers. This resulted in three-dimensional landscapes that include waterfalls, lagoon pools, a triple-volume reception dotted with decorative bird figurines, a central lawn with gardens and, at the uppermost space, a tranquil event space featuring reflective pools and a mirrored ceiling.
The interiors of its 347 rooms and suites follow the theme of the terraces, with woody elements and sandy-toned finishing on Beach Terrace rooms giving way to marbled floors and a silver-white palette for rooms on the Cloud Terrace floors. Inside the rooms, the idea of graceful luxury promoted by the Pan Pacific Hotels Group is mirrored by 400-thread count cotton bedding, Diptyque bath amenities, and elegant interior design. At the same time, guests are provided in-room filtered water dispensers and reusable bottles of ocean-bound material, while opening the balcony door triggers the air-conditioning to power down. Rooms start with the 270-square-foot Deluxe category and go up to the 720-square-foot Cloud Terrace Suite, equipped with a bathtub for views over the city’s fabled shopping precinct.
And of course, this being Orchard Road, the call of its infinite entertainment, retail and F&B attractions will invariably lead you to check out the latest in stores. But once you’ve had your fill, Pan Pacific Orchard comes to the fore thanks to its multi-faceted relaxation offerings. As a panacea to the frenetic buzz of Orchard, a Happy Sleepers programme includes a pillow menu and activities such as in-room meditation, yoga, curated dining options and spa treatments calculated to boost sleep quality. Its discreet in-house St Gregory Spa soothes and eases after a day hitting the boutiques. Meanwhile, indoor and outdoor state-of-the-art gyms are augmented by the combination of a lagoon, a 22-metre lap pool and kids’ pools.
At Florette, a specialty champagne and oyster bar that sits on the Garden Terrace at Level 11, you find plenty of joie de vivre from the bartenders who serve signature cocktails that also recall the property’s four environments (the Beach cocktail is a delightful concoction of Plantation rum, pineapple, coconut, limes and champagne.) If you’ve worked up an appetite, order their seafood platter that comes loaded with Maine lobster, oysters, king crab, mussels, prawns and Hokkaido scallops.
Just downstairs at the Forest Terrace, you find the hotel’s signature restaurant Mosella. In a continuation of the forest theme, the restaurant’s interiors feel rather like a longhouse in the forest with burnt orange hues and a shimmery silver column for that touch of glam. In the evenings, Mosella attracts a well-heeled crowd of diners eager to try the Mediterranean cuisine of executive chef Pedro Samper, who adds a Peruvian twist to his culinary proceedings.
Mosella’s indulgent menu is a highlight reel of Samper’s greatest hits. And should you find yourself in the company of friends, you could ostensibly work your way through a tuna ceviche, jamon iberico slices served with charcoal-fired flat bread, spicy quinoa with aji rocoto peppers, and an Alaskan king crab anointed with avruga caviar. And that’s just the appetisers. Mains run the gamut of beef tenderloin with anticucho sauce, Australian wagyu striploin, lamb chops rubbed with miso, octopus, lobster served with burnt butter sauce, and the moreish gambas al ajillo—king prawns in chili, garlic, oil and parsley. Bringing up the rear are the desserts that very often turn out to be very generous affairs. The Basque burnt cheesecake will require some time to work through—not that you’ll have any complaints, especially with its delicious side of apple sauce and vanilla ice cream.
All in, Pan Pacific Orchard certainly lives up to the promise of its unique exterior. Those looking to host an event will also find the 65,000 square feet Claymore Ballroom on the Cloud Terrace to be an enchanting space high above the fray, with manicured lawns and sweeping views of the ever-evolving panorama of downtown Singapore.
