The Robertson House by The Crest Collection hopes to fuse your next stay in the Lion City with a luxurious history lesson.
The newest opening for The Ascott group, The Robertson House delivers a welcomed touch of colonial charm and contemporary elegance to Robertson Quay. We check-in to check out the city’s newest history-inspired house of slumber.
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So, this is a boutique hotel?
Formerly the Riverside Hotel Robertson Quay, Ascott has drawn inspiration from Singapore’s rich heritage to create a new hotel with 336 rooms and suites that highlights the city’s riverside story as a bustling entrepôt trade hub. While it’s quite a lot of rooms, the vibe is certainly that of a boutique hotel or luxury residential property.
So, it’s part museum, part hotel?
You could say so. Entering The Robertson House, guests will catch a glimpse of British colonial Singapore through the eyes of Dr Murray Robertson, a prominent municipal councillor during the time British colonial Singapore was an entrepôt port from 1819 to 1941. Running through each space, from printed backdrops in the rooms to framed historic visuals, a unifying colonial theme narrates the city’s storied past. The hotel even has an exclusive scent inspired by the spices and teas once traded along the flourishing quayside.
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How about the rooms?
The hotel’s 336 rooms and suites are designed to immerse guests in the illustrious history of the quay. Rooms are, in a word, ‘cosy’; my Queen Deluxe Room is 24 sqm, so no cat swinging. However, it’s well-appointed and includes a flat-screen TV, lush shower amenities, a filtered water dispenser, a coffee machine, a complimentary minibar laced with locally-sourced products and a view of – well, apartment buildings. If space is your thing, opt for one of six themed suites, named after spices once traded nearby.
What’s one hidden gem?
That would be the 1823 Reading Room. Located on the top floor, it serves as the hotel’s club lounge and takes its inspiration from the opening of the National Library, with plenty of fascinating vintage books to read as you nibble on afternoon tea or sip on evening cocktails made with the hotel’s own gin, crafted by local distillery Tanglin.
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How about dining?
Head down to the lobby where you’ll find Entrepôt, which, like the rest of the The Robertson House, pays homage to Singapore’s quayside story. Decked in black and white visual cues and furnished with rattan furniture, the all-day dining restaurant is helmed by director of culinary and beverage operation, Nixon Low, with signature dishes including Chinese terracotta tea, an appetising tea-infused Chinese dried mushroom consommé served with crustacean tortellini in clay pots; and angelica root chicken roast, French corn-fed chicken smoked with dried angelica root served with sautéed cordycep mushrooms and Asian napa cabbage.
