Boutique hotel Mama Shelter to open in S'pore

New Paper

3 days ago

New boutique hotel Mama Shelter Singapore will mark the brand's debut in Asia when it opens on Sept 23.
The hotel will have 115 rooms across seven floors and be situated in Killiney Road, a five-minute walk from Somerset MRT station and Singapore's shopping belt.
Founded in France in 2008 by entrepreneur Serge Trigano - the former president of hospitality company Club Med - and his sons Jeremie and Benjamin, Mama Shelter has 19 properties globally. Eleven are in French cities like Nice, Toulouse and Rennes.
Mama Shelter is part of lifestyle hospitality company Ennismore - a joint venture with French hospitality group Accor - which develops and operates lifestyle brands around the world.
At the Singapore property, an entry-level room of 15 sq m will cost from $190 a night, inclusive of breakfast for two guests, for bookings made before Aug 31. Subsequently, average nightly rates will start at $240. Nearly half the rooms will come with a private terrace - a feature not found in its other properties.
Boutique hotel Mama Shelter Singapore will open on Sept 23. ST PHOTO: SARAH STANLEY
"Singapore felt like a natural choice for Mama Shelter's first step into Asia. It is a city that thrives on diversity, creativity and contrast," says Mr Sylvain Pasdeloup, executive vice-president of Asia-Pacific at Ennismore.
"These are values that sit at the heart of Mama Shelter. There is a real energy here, a sense of possibility that we connected with from the beginning."
The brand positions itself as the antithesis of static, unimaginative accommodation. Properties feature striking artwork on walls, ceilings and floors, and are furnished with eccentric, eye-catching decor.
For instance, Mama Shelter Singapore's ground-floor restaurant is decked out in leopard-print settees and patterned red carpets, while the ceiling - courtesy of Parisian street artist Beniloys - is elaborately hand-painted with local motifs like orchid flowers and a plane that reads Air Singapore.
French design and interiors studio Dion & Arles was engaged to give the hotel its distinctive look and feel - one that the brand's chief operating officer Cedric Gobilliard describes as "bold, fun, a little rebellious - but never fake".
Nearly half of the 115 rooms at Mama Shelter Singapore will feature private terraces. There will also be connecting rooms with separate private terraces. PHOTO: MAMA SHELTER SINGAPORE
"Mama Shelter is more than just a hotel - it's a vibrant place made for locals, not just travellers. Mama is where people from the neighbourhood come to eat, drink, meet friends and enjoy life," he says.
It is this ebullience that Mr Xavier Pougnard, Mama Shelter Singapore's general manager, plans to weave into the service standards of his roughly 90 staff.
With over two decades of experience in hospitality, including stints at five-star hotels The Peninsula Hong Kong and Shangri-La Singapore, he says: "All the small touchpoints that create a great experience need to be pleasant, and even though we're creating a fun environment, we cannot confuse that with complacency."
To further create a sense of place, the team curated the hotel's playlist, which includes songs by local and regional artistes, and created a downloadable city guide for guests, which will also be available on Google Maps and Apple Maps.
Live entertainment will be a regular fixture on Friday and Saturday nights, as well as on Sunday for brunch between 11.30am and 3.30pm.
Mr Pougnard's favourite part of the hotel is the main pool on the rooftop. Yellow and blue-green tiles create an intricate mosaic on the pool floor that brings to life a Wes Anderson-esque whimsy, in line with the rest of the hotel's character.
He points out two chess tables - similar to those found at older Housing Board void decks around Singapore - built along the inner pool wall and mostly submerged.
"That part is really cool. It's cheeky, it's fun, it's playful, and it surprises anyone who sees it," he says. "It comes together with everything else. It's Mama."