The evening was brimming with impossibilities. I had walked off my flight into a London Taxi, out of which I was now emerging into a private screening—don’t worry, I was invited—of Under the Turban, an ambitious documentary about Sikh identity which straddled several continents and had Singapore’s swish set transfixed. Did you know, for instance, that there is a small community of Sikhs in Argentina, who first arrived there in the 19th century to work on the British railroad? The docu’s director was Satinder Garcha, a turbanless Sikh, who, along with his wife Harpreet, was also the proprietor of Hotel Vagabond where the screening was underway. We were all here as part of the launch party, every detail of which had been carefully planned out for maximum impact. Otherwise, what were the chances that DJ Captain Planet would jockey the same evening that Joy Villa—the girl who stole the 57th Grammys by turning up in a dress made of orange construction fencing (yes, you read that right)—was belting out a signature pop-rock number and the photographer Julia Calfee, known for her iconic images of the Chelsea Hotel, was regaling audiences with anecdotes about the famous and notorious? Clearly, the Garchas can make the impossible happen. And they know how to party, as the heaving crowds spilling into the warm night well past the witching hour attested.
And when the Garchas decide to get into the hotel business, they arrive with no bags, so to speak. None of that done-to-death minimalist nonsense for them—they’re Punjabis after all. So when they began redeveloping a row of heritage shophouses just down the road from the venerable Mustafa Shopping Centre, they hired Jacques Garcia, the French interior designer whose middle name is ‘excess’. Or is it ‘over the top’? Garcia has designed a string of, well, designer hotels over the years. These include the Hotel Costes in Paris, Hotel Danieli in Venice, Hotel Mamounia in Marrakech and, most recently, the Nomad in New York. But Garcia’s most ambitious project is the Château du Champ-de-Bataille in Normandy which he owns and has restored.
Vagabond is the only Jacques Garcia designed hotel in Asia. Every little touch he’s introduced is a possible conversation point. The moment you walk in, you’ll be in a lobby that can best be described as cosy (typical Singapore shophouse-turned-hotel predicament). Even here, they’ve managed to squeeze in a solid brass Rhino reception desk, which took eight months to create across 15 villages in Rajasthan. Golden, life-size elephants seemingly hoist up the main elevator and were made in France by the artist Franck Le Ray. Ensconced in thick red velvet curtains, just beyond is a Parisian-style salon which also doubles up as a movie theatre and restaurant. The area’s multiple functions require the furniture to be rearranged several times a day and this is done effortlessly. The pillars in the salon have been transformed into golden brass banyan trees through delicate metalwork. An arresting monkey sculpture forms the centrepiece of the Bar Vagabond—another Franck Le Ray creation.
The Garchas are eclectic art collectors, with a preference for contemporary media, and the hotel seems packed to the gills with interesting stuff. Art is central to the hotel’s concept too, the Vagabond being is the first hotel in Singapore to offer an ‘Artist In Residence’ programme (in essence: stay for free, amuse our guests and leave some art behind).
One of the very first you’re likely to see is the video art installation by Marco Brambilla, a Milan-born NYC-based video collage and installation artist, “known for his elaborate re-contextualisation of popular and found imagery”, we were told, which amuses guests endlessly in the elevator. There’s photography by Julia Calfee, who, if I’m not mistaken, is their first artist-in-residence. The sun-filled Vagabond Suite even boasts a pencil sketch by Manjit Bawa. Mixed with this is Satinder’s own photography from his polo trips around the world.
Vagabond is also positioned as a slightly naughty proposition (don’t worry, it’s all above board). These are their words, not mine: “Vagabond is a sensuous playground for the high-spirited, the mischievous and the fun lovers…If you must get into trouble, do it at the Vagabond.” The gentleman who showed us around did say that the hotel was popular for staycations and that young couples liked to check in for ‘testing’ before tying the knot. In Singapore, that’s as naughty as it gets.
The neigbourhood certainly oozes character and beautifully illustrated maps of Little India, Kampong Glam, Bugis Street, etc have been provided to encourage exploration.
But forget all this. Just go there for the food. And the drinks. No, really. The Bar Vagabond has been conceptualised by drinks collective Proof & Company and offers handcrafted cocktails, artisan spirits and wines, and rare and exotic teas and coffees. The restaurant on the premises, 5th Quarter, is a collaboration between Satinder Garcha and celebrated restaurateur Loh Lik Peng (also known for creating the Unlisted Collection), and is run by award-winning executive chef Andrew Nocente. It specialises in cured meats and offal, elevating them, quite appropriately in retrospect, to little works of art. I had dishes like ‘mackerel, gin & cucumber’, ‘oyster blade, guanciale, white beans & puffed tendon’ and desserts like ‘pineapple, coconut & pistachio’. But these cryptic names are misleading, for they are needlessly diffident. There is a stunning display of skill at every stage, in the sourcing, the curing, the consistency of the cooking and in the heavenly plating. What reaches your table is a dish that looks almost too good to eat. Hell, even the popcorn at the Salon is truffle-oil infused.
When I did get back to my room, I found it to be a calming retreat. And I slept well. And, at the end of the day, that’s what really matters in a hotel.
The information
Location 39 Syed Alwi Road, Singapore, 207630. 20min from the airport
Accommodation 42 rooms in various categories: Classic, Deluxe, Classic with shared terrace, Deluxe with shared terrace, Art Suite, Junior Suite, Vagabond Suite
Tariff From SGD 209 ++ (excluding breakfast)
Contact +65-62916677, hotelvagabondsingapore.com