Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay transformed into Singapore's first 'garden-in-a-hotel'

Following a S$45 million (US$33 million) refurbishment the Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay hotel in Singapore has been transformed into the city first 'garden-in-a-hotel'.

Explaining how the property, owned by Pan Pacific Hotels Group, has become one of the country's most ecologically focused and innovative hotels as a result of the transformation, Melvin Lim, General Manager of Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay, advised “the Parkroyal Collection brand was created to champion sustainability and living responsibly, promote iconic architecture and design, as well as embrace wellness and lifestyle.

“We have certainly taken these up many notches as we reflect upon our multiple initiatives and achievements."

Key features about the transformed hotel include:

Design

• The Hotel has South east Asia's largest indoor skylit Atrium, a 21-storey-tall architectural design which exudes a sense of urban grandeur, and the uninhibited originality of neo-futuristic Architect John Portman.

• Orchidea, the suspended floral sculpture in the Atrium, was installed in 1986 by the famed American Wire Sculptor Richard Lippold. Some say it looks like a windfall of coins falling into cupped hands, signifying the Hotel's prosperity.

• The 13-metre-tall green wall at the lobby by FDAT, with its cloud and mountain abstracts, is evocative of a traditional Chinese landscape painting.

• The lobby is home to two larger-than-life-sized sandalwood sculptures of ancient Chinese philosophers Li Bai and Confucius. These sculptures hark back to the '80s and are the works of Taiwan's renowned contemporary Sculptor Ju Ming.

• The Hotel is home to over 2,400 plants, trees, shrubs and groundcover from more than 60 varieties of flora. The overall landscape design integrates the plants into the hotel interior, creating the distinct impression of a layered, verdant forest. Take a stroll along the Skybridge and experience a walk above the forest canopy, flanked by pavilions allude to the imagery of birds' nests ensconced in the treetops.

Sustainability

• The Hotel building's iconic structure was preserved during the nine-month-long transformation, preventing more than 51,300 tonnes of carbon dioxide from being produced during construction - equivalent to cutting down 8.7 million trees or destroying an area larger than all of the nature reserves in Singapore.

• The Hotel's Urban Farm contains over 60 varieties of fruit, vegetables, herbs and edible flowers, which form the backbone of the farm-to-table concept at the Hotel's restaurants, bars and spa.

Wellness & Lifestyle

• The Hotel's Skyline is a collection of spaces, which includes the Collection Club Lounge, Skyline Bar, The Green Space - a multi-functional open space overlooking the city skyline and Marina Bay, made popular by outdoor yoga enthusiasts - as well as the 25-metre mineral water swimming pool that glows with 1,380 fibre optic lights at night.

Images: Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay, Singapore.