QT Singapore: Eclectic Style in the Central Business District

Unlike many hotels in Singapore, the QT Singapore isn’t set in one of the many modern skyscrapers that line the city’s bustling streets. The first Asian property in the Australia-based QT Hotels family, this Singapore lodging, which opened in 2024, is located behind the curved stone facade of a completely revamped heritage building, originally constructed in 1927. 

This boutique property channels the Art Deco era, with plenty of contemporary pizzazz. With vibrant fabrics, dramatic tilework, and colorful art, even in the elevators, the QT Singapore isn’t a hotel for lovers of beige, uniform, or plain. 

Here’s the scoop:

Guest Rooms and Amenities at the QT Singapore

The 134 guest rooms at the QT Singapore range in size from cozy doubles to spacious suites, many with the high ceilings often found in heritage structures. Decorated with geometric prints and bright red accents, all units are outfitted with espresso makers, teapots, wireless Bose speakers, large flatscreen HD TVs, and what the property calls “quirky mini bars,” stocked with a mix of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, snacks, and chocolates.

Each room has a tablet device that includes a weather report, a wake-up alarm, requests for housekeeping, an electronic “do not disturb” notice, as well as a directory of hotel services and a list of nearby attractions. Wi-Fi is available throughout the property. 

The entry-level guest rooms are the compact QT Kings, measuring approximately 260 square feet. The Deluxe Kings, at 375 square feet, and Deluxe Twins, at 430 sq ft, give you a little more space. 

The suites, with sitting areas, get much larger; the balcony suites, at more than 800 square feet, have outdoor terraces that overlook the busy streets below. 

The bathrooms, in creamy gray marble with black and white accents, have been updated with illuminated mirrors and spacious rainshowers. The larger units have freestanding bathtubs, as well as a separate area for the toilet. Plush robes and  QT-branded slippers are a dramatic black, rather than the typical hotel white.

Facilities and Services

On the lobby level, the hotel’s Cygnet Restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with a mix of international and Southeast Asian dishes, with the ambiance of a New York steakhouse. I enjoyed mee goreng with a long black for breakfast, but our dinner was more uneven. Thumbs up to the charcoal-grilled squid, the unusual crab linguini topped with salmon roe, and the broccolini with an anchovy dressing; the seabass with gnocchi was less successful.  

You can get coffee, drinks, and light meals in the lobby-level cafe. The Cygnet bar, also in the lobby, is a popular happy hour hangout.

A more spectacular spot for drinks is the Rooftop at QT, the open-air pool and long illuminated bar on the building’s 6th floor, surrounded by the downtown skyscrapers. If you need more active relaxation, head for the fitness center on the second floor.

What’s Nearby?

Located in the Central Business District, QT Singapore would be a convenient base for business travelers, and the location, a short walk from several metro stations, is handy for vacationers as well. Chinatown and Marina Bay are both within walking distance. 

The hotel is directly across the street from the Lau Pa Sat hawker centre, which has a myriad of food vendors. It’s best known for its nightly “Satay Street” — an outdoor fest of grilled meats, drinks, and streetside tables piled high with satay skewers. Like the QT Singapore, it’s great fun.

QT Singapore Rates

Double room rates at the QT Singapore start at approximately US$275 per night. Bed and breakfast packages are available as well.

You can compare rates online at Expedia, Booking.com, Agoda.com, or Hotels.com.

Hotel feature by Vancouver-based travel, food, and feature writer Carolyn B. Heller. Photos © Carolyn B. Heller. QT Singapore hosted my stay for review purposes while I was traveling in Singapore.