Located in the Jalan Besar district in Singapore, and conceptualised by the award-winning French designer Jacques Garcia, The Vagabond Club Singapore will inspire you with its Parisian-themed design.
As part of the Tribute Portfolio group of hotels, this property is also a part of the Marriott programme.
While the facade may look dated, don’t let that fool you. To get a sense of what to expect, the lobby will give you a good gauge. Red and gold feature prominently in the interiors, with artwork being displayed on the walls and all around.
Large animal statues grace the lobby. Talk about the elephant in the room!
Plus you have a rhino as the check-in desk, which is quite awesome.
We were informed that we were upgraded to the Junior Club Suite on the top floor, which was a pleasant surprise. While waiting for our key cards, we decided to tour the ground floor. Ahead of the lift lobby, the space opens into The Whiskey Library, and you can guess why.
Apart from the impressive alcohol collection on display, the cozy setting is great for after work drinks, where guests can also chill over some Asian-fusion dishes.
This is also where breakfast will be served every morning.
We were soon on our way to our suite, which was located on the fourth floor. For those of you who might get assigned this suite, the lift only takes you to the third floor, so you’ll have take a flight of stairs up to the top floor to access the suite.
The benefit of having the suite on the top floor is that you’ll get to enjoy some natural lighting streaming in though the skylight above.
The ceiling also tapers towards an apex right at the top, giving the suite a much roomier feel.
Notice the artwork lining the walls, which is pretty much in line with the design theme of this property. The far wall is also lined with cabinets for additional storage.
At the front of the suite, you’ll find the television and a work desk.
You can connect your devices via Bluetooth to this speaker too. And the rhino makes yet another appearance in the hotel, this time as bookends.
The full width ottoman at the foot of the bed doubles as a sofa, albeit without a back rest.
The bedside tables were small, but just enough for your personal items. And I found the choice of the telephone interesting!
The nearly floor-to-ceiling screen separates the bedroom from the bathroom, which can be accessed via one of the hinged doors.
The bathroom was pretty standard, with a standing shower, WC, and washbasin area. For a Junior Suite, the bathroom was a little small. Plus note that there isn’t a bathtub as well.
One thing to note, the taps right beside the sink that control the temperature of the water felt very stiff to operate, but this may not be the case for other rooms.
Just outside the bathroom screens you’ll find full-sized wardrobes with the usual items, such as bathrobes, slippers, and a kettle, together with a selection of teas.
The suite also comes with a large round dining table, perfect for takeout meals and in-room dining.
In the evening, the natural light at dusk coupled with the ambient lighting in the suite make for a romantic setting.
Since this was a Junior Club Suite, we were entitled to some canapés and cocktails in the evening.
We also decided to give their restaurant menu a try. While the selection was rather limited, the taste was phenomenal.
As mentioned earlier, breakfast was also served at The Whiskey Library. If you’ve only got space for one main, be sure to pick the chilli crab omelette. The chilli crab sauce has just the right amount of heat, and its also prepared using fresh crab meat!
Facilities wise, there is no pool at the hotel. Moreover, the hotel gym located just across the street was also closed at the time of our visit. That being said, the property being more boutique in nature was pretty much in line with our expectations.
One thing to note is that there is no parking garage connected to the property. This means that the only onsite parking available is the paid public lots located along the street in front of the hotel, which is first-come-first-serve of course. Otherwise you might have to park a little further down the street, making it a little inconvenient to access the property.
Overall, while the rooms may be a little on the small side, the property is distinctive enough to make your stay memorable. From the red and gold accents, to the lavish display of artwork and alcohol, your boutique luxury experience awaits at The Vagabond Club Singapore.
