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THE first thing you’ll notice when you first step into Hotel Vagabond’s lobby is the change in sound.
At first glance, it seems like you’ve stumbled upon an impossibly sexy private art collection, but the delusion is oh-so-slightly shattered by the excellent concierge personnel who begin your stay by introducing you to the impressive portfolio of art that graces nearly every inch of the hotel’s walls.
The brass banyan tree installations are painstakingly crafted by hand
But first, a primer on the property: Hotel Vagabond is the brainchild of Satinder Garcha and Harpreet Bedi, designed by French architect and decorator Jacques Garcia.
Both were on completely different career trajectories before somehow landing in the hospitality industry, but boy, do they do it well. Garcha, founder and CEO of luxury hotel collective Garcha Hotels, started out as an international polo player and photographer.
Bedi, director of Garcha Hotels, founded BELRIS, a reproductive treatment and ethics NGO in Singapore. Hotel Vagabond became a franchised hotel under Starwood’s growing Tribute Portfolio brand in September, which includes some of the best independent hotels in the world.
The trippy video installation in the ground floor bathroom
The entire building – a 1951 heritage structure – plays host to Garcha and Bedi’s private-now-public art collection, which includes over a thousand contemporary art pieces.
The collection isn’t just made up of canvas pieces – the golden animals and trees in the lobby are also part of it, as well as the trippy, looping video inside the hotel’s single elevator.
“Satinder was personally involved in sourcing for pieces like the Marco Brambilla video art installation, or commissioning them in the case of our banyan trees and rhino front desk,” Bedi told Travel Wire Asia.
The Classic Rooms are a dose of Parisian chic
Hotel Vagabond is also the first hotel in Singapore to implement an Artist-in-Residence program, which welcomes all sorts of creative types from anywhere in the world. How do they choose who gets the privilege?
“Some artists we hear about by word of mouth and approach them, like (Icelandic singer) KRÍA, who came recommended by the First Lady of Iceland, and Kate March, who was raved about by a friend,” said Bedi.
“Other Artists-in-Residence applied after finding out about us online. The most important thing for us when choosing these artists is that we can find common ground in vision and passion.”
Risqué art, mood lighting, and plush detailing in the Deluxe Rooms
Guests can join Bedi, also known as the Lady Boss, for hi-tea in the Salon next to the lobby, or engage with the Artist-in-Residence over a Vagabond cocktail on designated nights as they perform or speak.
But it’s not just the art that keeps us coming back; staying in the hotel is such a treat especially after a sweaty, busy day out in Singapore.
From the feel of cool hardwood floors after kicking off your shoes and running a hot rain shower with musk-scented soaps and shampoos from Milan to sinking into the plush beds, every part of the Hotel Vagabond experience has been thought through carefully for a stellar customer experience.
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Source: travelwireasia.com