Hotel Vagabond now open

Hotel Vagabond now open

Property is the only Jacques Garcia designed hotel in Asia and first in Singapore to offer an ‘Artist In Residence’ programme

Singapore, January 2016:  Now open, Hotel Vagabond is Singapore’s first experience-driven luxury boutique hotel with a Salon area designed to immerse guests in the theatre of art, food, drink and conversation as well as the only hotel in the country to feature an Artist in Residence programme.  The 42 room hotel is also the first and only hotel in Asia to feature interiors by the celebrated French designer Jacques Garcia.  Garcia is best known for his design of Hotel Costes in Paris, Hotel Danieli in Venice, Hotel Mamounia in Marrakech, and most recently the Nomad in New York.

Vagabond Salon

The heart and soul of Hotel Vagabond is the Vagabond Salon – a modern interpretation of a Parisian salon – where guests have the opportunity to mingle with resident artists over a beautifully crafted cocktail, dine amongst a performance, watch an independent film, or listen to a jazz quartet.

Guests of Vagabond Salon can enjoy a five star dining experience courtesy of 5th Quarter, a collaboration between Satinder Garcha and celebrated restaurateur LohLik Peng, run by award-winning Executive Chef Andrew Nocente and offering cuisine using traditional methods of curing meats with the aid of modern instruments to maintain the integrity of flavours.

Drinks are served from Bar Vagabond, conceptualised by renowned drinks collective Proof & Company and offering an eclectic rotating selection of handcrafted cocktails, artisan spirits and wines, and a curated collection of rare and exotic teas and coffees. Craftsmanship is a central feature of Bar Vagabond’s style, with drinks that blend an unexpected attention to detail with a generous measure of theatre.

With 5,000 square feet of luxurious interiors, superb acoustics, and dressed in thick red velvet curtains,  the Vagabond Salon is also designed to work as a fully integrated, adaptable  event space.

Artist in Residence Programme

Hotel Vagabond is the only hotel in Singapore to offer a rotational Artist in Residence programme.  With an emphasis on writing, photography and performance art of all kinds, artists are invited to apply for residencies of up to three months.  Artist Cocktail Hour in the Vagabond Salon will start each evening at 6pm; a time for hotel guests and other Vagabond folk to talk and interact with the artists in residence.

Art at the Vagabond

Hotel Vagabond is also a space for art – both for pleasure and function.  Every piece has been personally sourced and commissioned by owner, Satinder Garcha.

• The solid brass Rhino reception desk, took 8 months to create across 15 villages in Rajasthan. The family who made it have been making armoury for the Rajasthani royal families for generations.
• The pillars in the Vagabond Salon are transformed into golden brass banyan trees through delicate metalwork created by centuries old artisanal techniques.
• Life-size elephants ‘hoisting’ up the main elevator are iconic of Jacques Garcia’s style and made painstakingly in France by the artist Franck Le Ray.
• An impressive monkey sculpture forms the centrepiece of Vagabond Bar – the workmanship of French artist and sculptor Franck Le Ray.
• Video art installation by Marco Brambilla, a Milan-born, New York City-based video collage and installation artist, known for his elaborate re-contextualisation of popular and found imagery, will entertain guests in the elevator.
• Iconic photography by Julia Calfee, known for her images depicting the glamour and excess of New York’s Chelsea Hotel, adorn the walls.  
• Satinder Garcha’s original photography from his international polo team wins to his world travels will adorn the walls throughout the hotel, including each guest room.

Hotel Vagabond is conveniently situated for both business and leisure travellers, between Singapore’s two most historic districts, Little India and Kampong Glam, and only five minutes from the heart of the Central Business District, Raffles Place, Marina Bay and Chinatown.

For more information and reservations, visit www.hotelvagabondsingapore.com or call +65 6291 6677

About Garcha Hotels

Garcha Hotels is a new luxury hotel collection by Satinder Garcha, set to open in an expanding list of cities from Singapore to Santiago.  The hotel collection launches with the opening of Hotel Vagabond in September 2015 in Singapore, followed by a further three hotels in Singapore and Santiago, Chile over the next two years.

Each Garcha Hotels property is built on the belief that the best hotels are deeply rooted in their local settings, creating authentic experiences as they reflect their surroundings.  Satinder Garcha’s vision is to create a collection of hotels which are unique and shape the neighbourhoods they are located in.

The collection will be grounded in genuine old world hospitality, effective and simple technology, extraordinary aesthetics and most importantly, a fun filled environment.  All Garcha Hotels will be carefully curated, combining irresistible nightlife and gastronomy.