Review: Hotel Clover the Arts – Singapore’s First True Art Hotel

Hotel Clover The Arts is a new concept boutique hotel just a stone’s throw away from the key areas of Clarke Quay, Chinatown and Singapore’s CBD. It is the newest addition to the rapidly expanding chain of Hotel Clover branded properties all around Singapore. In fact, I stayed at their sister hotel just next door, Hotel Clover 5 Hongkong Street, less than a year ago. This being said, Hotel Clover The Arts is their most exciting property yet! Probably the first “art hotel” in Singapore, the creative quotient is a major plus and is certain to at least draw some “oohs” and “aahs” even from those not inclined to the arts. No two rooms are the same in this 44-room hotel – perfect for those looking for individuality and vibrant surroundings in their stay.

The hotel has several room categories, ranging from single rooms without windows to corner rooms with king-sized beds. There’s a small plaque stuck on to each room’s door that give guests a preview of what the interiors look like. I stayed in their “Clover Executive” room, their second highest room category which measured a cozy 17 square meters. It was also a bright corner room, overlooking Raffles Place and Marina Bay Sands in the distance. When I entered, I was surprised to find a welcome basket filled with cookies and chips, not to mention a complimentary array of drinks in the fridge – a great first impression to my stay!

In summary, these are the room inclusions:

• Free minibar (2 canned drinks inside plus bottled water)
• Hair dryer
• In-room safe
• Toiletries
• Nespresso Coffee Machine + 2 capsules of Nescafe Dolce Espresso
• Free wifi

very pleasing look in my room

in-room coffee-maker

My room had this unmistakeable cheery vibe, brought about by the tulips and blue skies painted all over the wall. This made my experience much more unique, altering the otherwise ordinary hotel room ambiance that one would normally have. I could tell the hotel owners went the extra mile to color coordinate everything in the room – from the sky blue curtains to the triple-colored small pillow that graced the bed. Staying there, I felt more like I was consuming the art rather than just making a spectacle out of it.

Similar to many newer boutique concepts, the washbasin was not placed in the toilet area but was situated in the room itself. True to my previous experience with the Clover brand, the counter was filled with a copious amount of amenities, including the standard toiletries and disposable slippers. They’ve never let me down in this department.

This whole art theme piqued my curiosity about the other rooms. I then asked to see some of the highlights, which the hotel gladly obliged. I was first shown the single studio room with windows. It had a pop art theme made evident by a derivative of an Andy Warhol painting of Marilyn Monroe in the walls. Measuring about 12 square meters, the room was at the small side but for single travelers, it seemed sufficient.

Depending on the room, the hotel also provides for an “arts come alive” concept where additional artistic elements are sprinkled in various parts of the room to give it a 3d effect. For instance, one of the Family Premier rooms which had a Singaporeana theme came with dolls dressed in Singapore Airlines costume and a stuffed orangutan!

Likewise, one of the Clover Executive rooms which had a panda theme came with stuffed pandas on the bed and green pillows to match the surrounding paintings of bamboo.

And finally, the cream of the crop was perhaps the Arts King on the top floor which featured a Japanese / Mt Fuji motif. This room has been getting a lot of buzz online and I was really looking forward to seeing this room, which was situated just next to the room I was staying in. It came with geisha figurines and a painting of Mt Fuji by the side! But the highlight was perhaps the 3D cherry blossom tree creeping its way from the walls like a vine.

At the time of my stay, the hotel was running an installment of CloverRedi2Art, a social community art sharing program conceptualized by the hotel together with 2013 COMPASS 18th Annual “MERITORIOUS” multi award-winning singer/songwriter/producer, Mr Jiu Jian. These events usually consist of intimate art sharing sessions cum art demonstrations at the hotel’s rooftop, and are open to the public free of charge. That same evening, there was an interesting meditation session with batik and yoga done by yoga teacher / artist, Ms Nita Ng, who came from Kuala Lumpur to share her wisdom to hotel guests. I thought this was a fantastic concept, and a definite plus for guests who choose to stay in Hotel Clover the Arts. As far as I know, no other hotel has been creative enough to offer something like this.

Verdict
This property delivers on the boutique concept, going beyond the usual criterion of having less than 100 rooms to be considered “boutique.” The “no two rooms are similar” promise is quite ingenious, and getting local artists contribute to the interiors add a social message to the hotel’s value proposition, not to mention substantially increase the in-room ambiance and the individuality factor for guests.

My stay at Hotel Clover the Arts was sponsored by the property. However, all opinions are my own.

Hotel Clover the Arts

Address: 58 South Bridge Road
058689 Singapore
Phone Number: +65 6439 7088

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