After a stylish makeover, the Hilton Singapore Orchard made a stunning debut recently in one of the city’s most thriving areas and the property has quickly become a favourite for locals and travellers alike. To find out what makes the property so unique, James Wilkinson caught up with Hilton Singapore Orchard General Manager Rupert Hallam recently.
Hilton Singapore Orchard has been popular on so many levels since it opened, from the location to the lobby, design, rooms and food and beverage on offer. Tell us about your favourite things of the property.
My favourite thing about Hilton Singapore Orchard is the team and the camaraderie between team members – often going the extra mile to look after each other and our esteemed guests, especially in this large 1,080-room hotel.
It’s undeniable that a great team makes a great Hotel. People aside, I do enjoy the hotel’s strategic location which is in the heart of Orchard Road, Singapore’s premier entertainment and shopping district that is only a 25-minute drive from the Airport.
Our strong design narrative is something that I find myself enjoy sharing when we have guests all over the world. ‘The Orchard Trail’ design concept stems from the roots of our location, Orchard Road. It used to be a plantation in the olden days.
Drawing back to that history, we took those elements to weave it in our botanical-inspired rooms and 16 versatile meeting spaces, and even through to our award-winning F&B establishments which all has a rich design story-telling.
Tell us about the stylish rooms and suites on offer, which have fantastic views over the city.
We have 1,080 rooms in Hilton Singapore Orchard, Hilton’s flagship and the largest property in Asia Pacific.
Our rooms take on the same overarching design narrative that story-tells the narrative ‘The Orchard Trail’ and how Orchard used to be a plantation before its revamp to the vibrant precinct we all come to love.
We have incorporated botanical-inspired elements from the headboard, painting to carpets within the rooms, and adopt colours like forest green and neutral tones to pair with wooden elements that pay homage to the landscape and plantation past.
The second layer of the design inspiration is based on the idea of Orchard Road being a fashion and retail belt.
To exemplify this, guests will notice elements of retail like an open-concept wardrobe and dresser that they can use to showcase their clothes and fashion hauls instead of hiding them in the closet after a day of shopping.
Strategically located mirrors and lighting are also in place, so that they take photos of themselves to appreciate their hauls.
The bathroom for instance has reflective dark green walls inspired by fashion retail stores to give a perception of luxury and space.
Located in the heart of Orchard, our room views are spectacular – those on the higher floors will be treated to a sweeping view of the Marina Bay area with iconic landmarks in sight on one side, and on the other side, Orchard Road views are also amazing in its own right.
Rupert, tell us about the fantastic food and beverage on offer, which is some of the best in any Singapore hotel.
We’re proud to position ourselves as a dining destination with our award-winning food and beverage establishments that cater to every palate.
Estate, our all-day buffet restaurant featuring elevated international and regional flavours, Ginger.Lily, our botanical lobby lounge and bar serves up elegant afternoon tea, artisanal cakes, and craft cocktails, Osteria Mozza, our famed Californian-Italian restaurant from Los Angeles with a MICHELIN star helmed by celebrity chef Nancy Silverton, Shisen Hanten, another
MICHELIN-starred restaurant serving quality Szechuan cuisine, and Chatterbox, a heritage brand that dishes up local favourites and known for their Hainanese Chicken Rice. There’s truly something for everyone.
What’s your X-factor at Hilton Singapore Orchard?
I believe that the people makes the place. That is why I’ve introduced “ONETeam”; a Family Culture which I encouraged my team to embrace alongside me.
The culture focuses on nine core elements, including: open communication, respect, being the best, make commitments and keeping them, embrace flexibility, leading by example, drive for success, trust one another and acting with humility and authenticity.
Each of the nine boxes reflect a key focus which outlines the core of what we do every day.
I firmly believe in the trickle-down effect that good leadership starts at the top. In the same fashion that Hilton’s corporate leadership has continuously strive to create a welcoming, diverse and inclusive environment in and outside of the workplace, I too strive to lead by example within Hilton Singapore Orchard and inspire our team to go above and beyond to exceed our guests’ expectations while taking a humble, genuine and warm approach to hospitality.
How important is the loyalty, particularly given the popularity of Hilton Honors?
Given the competitive nature of the Hospitality industry, having a strong loyalty program like Hilton Honors is vital to the long-term success of our network of hotels, including Hilton Singapore Orchard.
We have now more than 200 million Hilton Honors members globally and a large percentage of our guests is driven through the loyalty to Hilton Honors, encouraging return guests and stays.
The program is well-positioned and always looking to reward our esteemed members – from complimentary room upgrades, preferential check-in experiences, early check-in and late check-out to exclusive access to our Executive Lounge for our Diamond guests.
The convenience and ease of the program also means that the guest benefits from many industry-leading enhancements to improve guest experiences from streamlined booking process to automatic upgrades, Digital Key, automated complimentary room upgrades and the ability to book confirmed connecting rooms.
All of these improve our guest satisfaction and loyalty. Not forgetting that Honors members can also receive points for Meetings, Events and Weddings booked at the hotel. Whether you are here on Business or Leisure, there is always a good reason to belong to our Hilton Honors family.
Rupert, what are some of your favourite things to do in the local area?
For me, there’s no better way to bond than over food. Here in Orchard Road, there is a myriad of dining options and experiences from the local hawker fare to fine-dining MICHELIN-starred restaurants that cater to the budget of every traveler.
Beyond food, I enjoy spending time with friends and family at the Singapore Botanic Gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is also a 10-minute drive away from the Hotel and Orchard Road – a good way to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, and also relaxing by another popular local attraction; Sentosa’s beach clubs.
Those who enjoy shopping will love to be where Hilton Singapore Orchard is located with a long stretch of luxury and upscale iconic shopping malls within walking distance.
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