Why you should stay at the New Hilton Singapore Orchard - the largest Hilton in Asia-Pacific
Since restrictions have eased, Filipinos have been traveling increasingly throughout the region, with Singapore one of the top destinations of choice. The decision on where to stay has to be strategic, given that visits often span just three to four days, with a full itinerary of eating, shopping and sightseeing!
Enter the new Hilton Singapore Orchard, which opened in February 2022, now literally at the heart of Orchard Road. It occupies the space that was previously the Mandarin Orchard, located on top of the Mandarin Gallery with the lobby on the fifth floor. (The site of the previous Hilton is now another hotel.)
It’s right next to all our favorite malls — Takashimaya, Paragon, and Ion Orchard, just to name a few — and a five-minute leisurely stroll to two subway stations (Orchard or Somerset, take your pick!) Its prime location at the city center also makes Grab taxis easy to come by, with a shorter wait time than most other pickup points.
A design inspired by the plantation history of orchard road
Sustainability is a key factor at the new Hilton Singapore Orchard, which underwent a SG$150 million renovation. Interiors and artworks draw inspiration from Orchard Road’s plantation heritage, once abundant with fruit orchards, nutmeg plantations and pepper farms.
This also translates to the 1,080 rooms. Each features a predominantly dark-wood palette with contrasting green and gray tones. Thoughtful details like full-length mirrors lined with lights on its frame make it not only easier to plan what to wear, but also for makeup application, as well as an open-concept wardrobe to better remember what clothes you packed, or to hang new purchases easily.
A chaise lounge looks out to the Singapore skyline, and adjacent is a functional table — great for either working or dining — with sufficient lighting (always important, some hotels are so dark!) to ensure that work actually gets done.
Each room is also equipped with both a shower and a bathtub, with Crabtree & Evelyn amenities in large-bottle formats to eliminate single-use wastage. All rooms are fitted with energy-efficient technology such as in-room motion, with light sensors that readjust, and air-conditioning that recalibrates, as soon as the guest enters or leaves the room. Keys can come in a digital form on the smartphone, or via a physical wooden card.
Guests staying on the executive floors can enjoy Express Elevators, as well as breakfast, afternoon tea and evening cocktails (all of which are complimentary within their designated time windows, with non-alcoholic drinks and snacks available all day) at the generously spaced Executive Lounge.
The reopening of osteria mozza
The much-loved Osteria Mozza by James Beard award-winning chef Nancy Silverton and restaurateur Joe Bastianich is back in Singapore, now with a new home at the Hilton Singapore Orchard. (The restaurant, previously located at Marina Bay Sands, closed in 2018 when then-co-owner Mario Batali became embroiled in a sexual misconduct scandal; his shares have since been bought by the Bastianich family.)
Thankfully, a majority of Osteria Mozza’s former kitchen and front-of-house staff, including executive chef Peter Birks and Philippine-born assistant general manager Michelle Tapang (both worked previously with former Filipina executive chef Karla Mendoza, who is now running the Osteria Mozza location in London), have returned.
At the sole Asian outpost of the eponymous Michelin-starred restaurant in Los Angeles, their California-inspired Italian ethos is translated through gabion stonewalls, timber paneling, leather furniture, and a menu that includes their signature house-made pastas, grilled meats and cheese platters. This time, though, since both Osteria Mozza and Pizza Mozza have merged into one location, the thin-crust, wood-fired pizzas are only served during lunch. (Don’t miss the Burrata pizza!) A must-order is Nancy’s Caesar — a crostini topped with garlic aioli, braised leeks, slices of hard-boiled egg and slivers of anchovy served alongside romaine lettuce leaves perfectly dressed in a garlic-parmesan vinaigrette — which when eaten all together embrace the nostalgic flavors of the classic salad.
The wine list is predominantly Italian, including Bastianich’s namesake wines from the Friuli region (highly recommend the Bastianich Vespa Bianco, a blend of chardonnay, sauvignon and Picolit grapes, which is also one of his personal favorites), as well as a wide selection of Barolo, Barbaresco and super Tuscans.
A new botanical-inspired cocktail bar
The hotel is also home to Ginger Lily, a botanical-inspired lobby lounge and cocktail bar, helmed by Filipino head mixologist Michael Mendoza. Their Bloom cocktail program is a multisensorial cocktail journey through botanicals centered around Orchard Road’s plantation past.
Must-orders include the ultra-photogenic In Full Bloom, a low-ABV cocktail mix of citrus, berries and herbs infused with peach Rinquinquin and tonic water, meant to highlight Singapore’s diverse fruit plantation; and Kokum Spice, which is kokum blended with honey, lemon juice, and Ceylon arrack, topped tableside with a bergamot sphere.
If you like classics, opt for their Frozen Negroni, which Mendoza shares is served in ice-cold temperature to lower bitterness. It comes in a gorgeous frozen bottle and is perfect for a nightcap.
Chatterbox, a local institution since 1971 (I was first introduced to it by Drs. Z and Aivee Teo many years ago as one their favorite places for chicken rice) remains at the property. The hotel is also home to two-Michelin-starred Sichuan restaurant Shisen Hanten by Chen Kentaro, and Estate, a residential-style, all-day dining restaurant.
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Hilton Singapore Orchard is located at 333 Orchard Road, Singapore, 238867, Singapore. For more information, visit www.hilton.com/en/hotels/sinorhi-hilton-singapore-orchard/.
