Westin Singapore five-star hotel interior, grand ballroom, day spa, rooftop pool

Every business needs a point of difference, and the same applies to hotels. Some groups opt for signature themes and branding that shouts a message at every turn, while others, like the Westin, take a more individual, holistic approach.

For the new Westin Singapore, it was all about creating a modern oasis where guests can relax, de-stress and rejuvenate. Lance J Ourednik, general manager of The Westin Singapore, says the design needed to showcase the Westin concept of "wellness and finding a work-life balance".

"Westin hotels are about wellbeing and renewal, and for this reason, our hotel interiors are inspired by nature," Ourednik says. "Our spaces are designed to provide guests with an intuitive feeling of home, with all of the conveniences and comforts they need to maintain a healthy balance of work and pleasure. Elements of wellbeing are crafted into modern, uncluttered schemes colours are harmonious, subtle and rich, while materials are sustainable, textural and refined."

Interior design firm FBEYE International was commissioned to design the interior of The Westin Singapore. Managing director Warren Foster-Brown says that while this hotel needed to reinforce the overriding holistic concepts behind every Westin hotel, it was also important that it referenced Singapore's unique landscape and culture in a dramatic way.

"The hotel's location, on the top 15 floors of Asia Square Tower 2, is spectacular. It was important that the five-star interior of the hotel with the highest lobby in Singapore be equally spectacular, while still imparting a strong sense of harmony and serenity," he says.

Right from the entry, there are clear Singapore influences.

"We introduced an exploded lotus flower motif, that is repeated throughout the hotel," says Foster-Brown. "It's visible in the decorative lighting and panelling in the lobby on Level 32, and a suspended sculptural centrepiece above the central podium on this floor. Nature also appears in the leaf patterns on the lift doors and custom carpets."

Elements of Singapore's cultural heritage influenced the design of the elevator buttons. These are discreetly incorporated into handcrafted Chinese cabinets featuring colourful Peranakan pots and ceramics.

"All the artworks, by local artists, were also inspired by nature," says Ourednik. "They feature vibrant colours that reflect the tropical temperature of the city."

In keeping with the nature theme, the drop-off lobby has a vertical botanical garden, with a collection of mosses, plants and stones to enhance the sense of arrival and serenity. Ourednik says vertical gardens feature in all Westin hotels, and were specified by Westin's in-house design team led by Erin Hoover, vice-president of design.

""Hoover was inspired by research conducted by NASA scientists who discovered that growing plants indoors relieves stress, lowers blood pressure, enhances mental stamina and elevates moods. Plants also help to clean the air."

Further drama is created by the height of the drop-off lobby it soars over three levels.

"The other public areas are equally eye-catching," says Foster-Brown. "The Lobby Lounge, for example, is a see and be seen' lounge where guests can perch with a martini, hold an impromptu meeting, or just sit back and enjoy the view."

Special features of the bar include a solid suar timber bar top, backlit glass columns, and a curved freestanding wall with coloured glass bricks and a decorative bottle display. The chandeliers incorporate illuminated crystal decanters made in Prague, and spotlights for each table.

"Other lounges have a softer ambience. The Westin Executive Club, for example, epitomises the Westin look, with its pastel-toned club chairs and beautiful onyx travertine panels.

"Virtually every aspect of the interior was custom designed and manufactured for the hotel, including the huge light fixtures suspended from the barrel vault ceiling in the grand ballroom. These feature three different glass tubes, in milky white, bronze-gold and clear glass. They are all illuminated with LED lighting."

Foster-Brown says no expense was spared for the spa facilities at the hotel, which continue the refined, understated look. These incorporate carved screens, wood pedestal basins and luxurious glass mosaic tiling. Guest rooms have a similarly refined palette, designed to make guests feel at ease.

Sustainability also influenced the design, with the Westin choosing eco-friendly options for both exterior and interior finishes and products.

"Our goal is to help our guests reconnect with nature, and eco-friendly materials and products are part of this," says Ourednik. "On Levels 38 and 39 there are 56 green rooms, which are equipped to monitor and track energy consumption levels via a meter on the in-room IPTV system. We have found that the average energy consumption level for the green zone is 20% lower."

Guests staying in the green zone are encouraged to participate in the energy reduction drive by conserving the use of energy. For every guest who maintains energy consumption levels within a prescribed green zone, The Westin Singapore donates US$1 per stay to UNICEF. The Starwood Hotels & Resorts' partnership with UNICEF has raised more than $25 million since 1995.

"Sustainability is part of our holistic philosophy it fits with our desire to promote wellbeing and a healthy work-life balance," says Ourednik.

Story by: Colleen Hawkes