The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore

The bath is the postcard. In every room of The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore the tub sits beneath an octagonal window, and from the water the view takes in Marina Bay, the Esplanade's spiked roofs and the three towers of Marina Bay Sands. The hotel opened in January 1996 at 7 Raffles Avenue as part of the Millenia Singapore complex developed by Pontiac Land, the private company of the Kwee family, and the family's taste shows in every corridor.

History

Marina Bay was reclaimed land in the 1970s and 1980s, and the Millenia project was one of the first large developments to bet on it. Pontiac Land commissioned American architects for the whole scheme and signed Ritz-Carlton as operator for the hotel. When it opened, the bay in front of it was still open water with little around it; the Esplanade concert halls followed in 2002, the Singapore Flyer in 2008 and Marina Bay Sands in 2010, each one adding to the view the hotel had been built to frame. The Formula One street circuit, raced since 2008, runs along Raffles Avenue beneath the windows.

Architecture and design

Kevin Roche John Dinkeloo and Associates, the practice that inherited Eero Saarinen's office, designed the 32-storey tower. The octagonal windows are the signature, but the lobby is the other reason to visit: the Kwee family bought art for the building rather than decoration, and the collection runs to around 4,200 works. Dale Chihuly's glass sculptures hang above the lounge named after him, Frank Stella and David Hockney are in the public rooms, Andy Warhol and Henry Moore elsewhere in the house, and Chinese contemporary painters including Zhu Wei have been added since. A printed guide to the collection is available from the concierge and a staff member gives tours.

Rooms and suites

The tower holds 608 rooms and suites, large by Singapore standards at around 51 square metres for the entry category. All have the bay or the city skyline through full-height glass. Club rooms on the upper floors come with access to the Club Lounge, which serves five food presentations a day. The suites run up to the Ritz-Carlton Suite on a high floor, with a dining room and a bay-facing bath.

Dining

Summer Pavilion is the Cantonese restaurant, set around a courtyard garden and holding a Michelin star for several consecutive years. Colony serves the buffet breakfast and a dinner spread of Singaporean and international food in a room of marble and wood. The Chihuly Lounge in the lobby is the place for afternoon tea beneath the glass. Republic is the bar, decorated around the 1960s and the year of Singapore's independence.

Wellness

The outdoor pool sits in a landscaped garden at the foot of the tower, with a whirlpool beside it. The spa and fitness centre are on the same level. A tennis court and jogging routes along the bay complete the picture.

Weddings and events

The hotel hosts weddings and conferences throughout the year. The Grand Ballroom is column-free and is used for large wedding banquets in the Chinese tradition, with a foyer for cocktails. Smaller function rooms serve board meetings and dinners, and the lawn beside the pool is used for ceremonies. The facts file records both weddings and meetings; capacities are not stated.

Location

Marina Bay is the business and leisure heart of the island. Promenade MRT station on the Circle and Downtown lines is beneath the adjoining Millenia Walk shopping centre, Suntec City and its convention centre are across the road, and the Esplanade theatres are on the waterfront. Changi Airport is about 20 minutes by car. For a luxury hotel in Singapore with a view of the whole bay and walking access to the convention district, there is no closer address.