I love listening. It is one of the only spaces where you can be still and moved at the same time. — Nayyirah Waheed — Friday March 28th — —

“What art does — maybe what it does most completely — is tell us, make us feel that what we think we know, we don’t. There are whole worlds around us that we’ve never glimpsed.” Greil Marcus — Friday March 28th — —

The idea is to die young as late as possible. — Ashley Montagu — Friday March 28th — —

Wanderlust Hotel

Wanderlust is one of those experimental boutique hotels with a very bold overall aesthetic one sees very little. The hotel, founded by hotelier Loh Lik Peng houses in a building which originally was a school built in the 1920s in an area called Little India; a bustling cultural enclave where Indian immigrants once settled in Singapore. The hotel features thematic levels of 29 rooms by different award winning Singapore design agencies, who were all given full creative freedom. This resulted in a bold and beautiful hotel catering to all sorts of aesthetic preferences without taking it too far.

The lobby level has a distinct glamourous industrial appeal and was designed by Asylum. The second level is extremely eccentric and was done by :phunk Studio. With colors everywhere, from the walls to the neon lights and the rainbow corridor leading to an outdoor deck with a customized mosaic-tiled jacuzzi. The second level juxtaposes directly on this clash of color as everything is duotone black and white. This level was designed by DP Architect and features white rooms dressed with Origami and Pop-Art works. The fourth level was done by fFurious and revolves around the concept of ‘creature comforts’. In each room one finds friendly monsters that presents a different vibe and be assured of a fantasy-filled experience. Each level of the hotel ensures a totally different experiences and by combining all of them the hotel is very likely not for everyone, but it has placed Wanderlust boldly on the map since its opening in 2010.

Located on the ground level of Wanderlust, the hotel’s restaurant named Cocotte serves up unpretentious, rustic French cuisine in a casual and comfortable setting. Encouraging social interaction and communal dining, dishes at Cocotte come in sharing portions so guests can enjoy a unique dining experience and sample a variety of scrumptious creations by the chefs. In the three years the hotel has been in service it gathered a string of prices worldwide. From Singapore Tatler’s “Best of Singapore 2013” Best Boutique Hotel, Trip Advisor’s Travellers’ Choice 2012 Trendiest Hotels, the URA Architectural Heritage Award and places on the Conde Nast Traveler’s Hot List, both in the US as the UK.

When asked by FHM what Loh Lik Peng likes the most of being a hotelier he stated:

It has to be watching the front desk in operation when I’m sitting in the lobby, vegging out. I still totally get a kick out of knowing that I’m a part of making all that happen. I get crazy excited when a new hotel is about to open and the contractors are going though the last few bits and pieces of the renovation.

Somewhat reminding, be it as a more cheerful version, of hotelier Zero Moustafa in Wes Anderson’s most recent film, ode to the hotel ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’.

For more information and to book one of the highly diverse rooms see here.