Similar to London and New York, design-led boutique hotels are becoming more and more popular in Singapore, but few deliver the immersive experience of The Clan Hotel. Located in buzzy Chinatown, the hotel draws on the area’s heritage to take guests on an experiential journey that combines the best of Singapore’s past and present. Speaking of the past, be sure to take a look at these Singapore heritage hotels when you’re visiting the Little Red Dot too. One last thing, in the interest of transparency, we’d like to mention here that while this stay was gifted by the hotel, all the thoughts and opinions are our own.

While this stay was complimentary, all thoughts and opinions are our own.

We review The Clan Hotel in Singapore

The local touch

Having opened in March 2021, The Clan Hotel prides itself on immersing guests into the culture and history of the Chinatown district—and Singapore at large—with painstaking attention to detail. It begins at check-in, as the resident Tea Master serves the hotel’s signature Chinese tea, developed by local tea makers Pryce Tea, with traditional Tau Sar Piah (a traditional bean pastry).

The Clan Hotel swimming pool
Enjoy views of the city from the swimming pool

The hotel also partners with a rotating roster of famous hawker centre stalls to deliver exquisite local street food right to your room. I order the renowned Punggol Nasi Lemak and 45 minutes later, the dish—a combination of fragrant coconut rice, fried chicken and fish, and egg—arrives to my room, presented in a stainless-steel tiffin box with all the trimmings. The hearty dish lives up the hype, and the presentation—courtesy of the hotel—is flawless.

To round out its commitment to delivering local experiences, The Clan Hotel also works with boutique Singaporean brands to create bespoke experiences for guests, from a brewery tour with The 1925 Brewing Co to explorations of Singapore’s historic trade industry by Tribe Tours.

For my immersive experience, I head for Scent by SIX, a local perfumery that also created the hotel’s signature scent. Over an hour, I’m introduced to the brand’s line-up of signature products—they all smell divine—then indulge in a workshop to create my own version of the brand’s classic scent as a nice memory of my stay.

The room

Spacious, modern and featuring subtle local touches, my Grand Premier Room is the top suite at The Clan Hotel. Clad in earthy shades of black, grey, brown, and cream, this elegant bolthole is a calming oasis that comes with all the creature comforts.

The Clan Hotel Grand Premier Room
Grand Premier Room

There’s a king-sized bed dressed in crisp white linens, a spacious work-desk where I spend the afternoon writing furiously, a 55-inch Samsung flatscreen, and—because we’re in the midst of a pandemic—a UV sanitising device. The equally well-fitted bathroom features a separate shower and soak tub with Vuudh amenities and—in a nod to sustainability—a Hyflux filtered water tap for drinking water.

My favourite part, though? The corner room offers sweeping views over the terracotta tiles of Chinatown’s shophouses that give way to the towering skyscrapers of modern Singapore.

All the extras

No request is too small for The Clan hotel, and I certainly put this to the test during my stay. Before arriving, I’m asked to create my own minibar with a choice of five items curated from a list of gourmet treats—including The Clan Beer Orient Brew created by Brew 1925.

Before bedtime, the Clan Keeper—aka the butler—Kenneth, also prepares a bubble bath, taking the time to check the water temperature and leave a handwritten note.

Grand Premier Room bathtub The Clan Hotel
Have a bath drawn for you and relax

Meals are served in the fourth-floor Qin restaurant, and each offers a modern interpretation of local flavours. Breakfast features kaya toast—a local favourite—and a choice of mains, while the four-course Chef Special Set lunch includes a decadent Chilli Crab Crostini, and a “Spatchcock” corn-fed chicken served with rice cake, fermented chilli aioli and shoyu jus, and for dessert.

For visitors to the city, The Clan Hotel offers an engaging way to plug into the city’s history and experience the best of its modernity. And, once you’ve tried all the incredible experiences and great food on offer, you can kick back at the rooftop lap pool to contemplate just why it took so long for Singapore to get a hotel like this.

Discover more about The Clan Hotel or Book through Booking.com

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