There’s a new boutique hotel in town

Just in case you would be coming over to Singapore for a holiday or any business trip, or for any reason, and you will need accommodation, why not try Quincy?

Quincy, which is just a stone's throw from the Orchard Road shopping belt, cost $24million to develop and furnish.
Photos courtesy Ong and Ong architects (top) and Far East Organization

From TODAY, Property
Thursday, 26-March-2009

HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY
Despite downturn, hotel enjoyed occupancy rate of 76 per cent last month

Tan Hui Leng
huileng@mediacorp.com.sg

TOURISTS arrivals may be sliding, but Far East Organization sees opportunities even in a recession like this, with the opening of its first boutique hotel, called Quincy.

Boasting a residential atmosphere in a modern setting, Quincy claims to be Singapore's first "all-inclusive" hotel.

Currently, guests can enjoy a limousine transfer service from the airport, three meals a day, Internet connectivity and two articles of clothes laundered, plus not just a free minibar in their rooms, but free evening drinks downstairs. This costs $208 for one guest per room per night. The second guest pays $60 extra for each night.

Quincy's chief operating officer Chia Boon Kuah said boutique hotels around the world have been setting new standards in hospitality and attracting a niche set of travellers looking for something different.

"In terms of demand, it's timely. In terms of supply, it's opportunistic," said Mr Chia. "People remember a boutique hotel experience."

The 108-room Quincy is located at Mount Elizabeth, just a stone's throw from the Orchard Road shopping belt.

Despite the economic slump, it enjoyed a 76-per-cent occupancy rate last month. Occupancy this month has been around 70 per cent.

It may target mostly business travellers, but design-wise, it is young at heart with a façade of dark grey metal, anodized steel and shimmering windows forming large modular shapes. Inside, it has peanut-shaped benches and illuminated torsos. The hotel cost $24 million to develop and furnish.

Apart from the hip, young set, Mr Chia said the hotel has also attracted mature clientele who may be tired of the usual 5-star hotels and who may crave greater intimacy and comfort.

Mr Chia expects to see more business travel spending as more clarity in the current economic situation comes through.

He noted that intra-Asean and intra-Asian travel tend to be segments that traditionally show more resilience in downturns.

At Quincy, the proportion of Asian guests has been growing since the hotel opened its doors on Feb 1.