Latest news with #ArtonBoutiqueHotel
New Paper
01-08-2025
- Business
- New Paper
Sleeping next to the dead? Some tourists don't mind Lavender's funeral home neighbours
Fancy spending the night near a funeral home? Lavender might be just the place for you - even if not everyone relishes the prospect. A Taiwanese tourist who brought her two young daughters to Singapore in early July had a nasty surprise when she discovered that the hotel she booked was located beside well-known funeral service provider Singapore Casket. "As a tourist who is unfamiliar with the local surroundings, I felt deeply uncomfortable and misled," Shannon, who was unsuccessful in her attempt to get a refund, told Stomp. Neither the booking platform nor the website for Arton Boutique Hotel had mentioned its proximity to the funeral home, she added. "How can hotels in Singapore be allowed to hide such important location information?" A hotel in the area starts from $95. SCREENGRAB: But the hotel that Shannon booked is far from the exception - a search on hotel booking platform listed at least nine hotels in the surrounding area of Singapore Casket. In addition, the storefront of Direct Funeral Services, offering funeral service packages, is located next to the Singapore Casket building. There are at least four funeral homes and service providers in the Lavender area, alongside temples, coffee shops, and other commercial buildings. But not all may be aware of its storied history, or that Lavender was not always known for funeral homes. The two funeral service providers are located beside each other. TNP PHOTO: SEAH JUN DE Not-so-fragrant history Despite its fragrant name, Lavender used to be occupied by Chinese vegetable gardens fertilised with nightsoil and a gasworks plant releasing strong-smelling gases. According to The Urbanist Singapore founder Ho Yong Min, residents proposed the name "lavender" ironically, and the municipality officially accepted it in 1858. "It was associated with working-class trades, clan associations, and community schools. Over time, the neighbourhood grew into a mixed-use zone - part industrial, part residential, and part religious or communal," the 41-year-old heritage educator told TNP. Mr Ho reckoned that the presence of funeral parlours in Lavender today is more likely related to zoning regulations, commercial leasing, and availability of space. "These businesses are typically allowed in commercial or institutional zones, and Lavender's mixed-use landscape makes it a feasible location." The area's mixed-use character and central location have attracted hoteliers as it is a "sweet spot" with easy access to public transportation, heritage charm, and slightly lower operational costs, he added. Do you mind? A convenience store employee said that while there were many tourists in the area, not many knew about the nearby funeral parlours. The presence of funeral homes near their hotel indeed came as a shock to two Chinese nationals who had booked a room at Hotel Yan, a two-minute walk from Singapore Casket. The two women in their 20s, who declined to give their names, told TNP that they were not aware of the presence of a funeral home when they made the booking online. "In China, such things will not be located in an obvious space," one of the women said in Mandarin. However, other tourists did not mind the location. A 25-year-old Indonesian who only wanted to be known as Ms Katut has been visiting Singapore for the past three years to see her sister. It was her first time staying in Lavender. While she admitted that Indonesians are superstitious, she was not disturbed by the nearby funeral parlours, and was not even aware of their presence. A woman in her 20s from the Philippines, who declined to give her name, was staying with her family of three at a hotel in Orchard but had gone to a coin laundry along Tyrwhitt Road. She told TNP that back home, there is no aversion to places associated with death, and the family had no problems with staying nearby. "In the Philippines, there are hotels near cemeteries, so it's just fine," she said. 'Closely integrated with everyday life' Mr Ho of The Urbanist Singapore shared that historically, places linked to death were often closely integrated with everyday life. He cited Sago Lane in Chinatown as an example, where the "street of the dead" was home to funeral parlours, coffin shops, and shophouses that housed the terminally ill. "Rather than being hidden away, these services were visible and embedded in the community fabric." Today, Mr Ho noted, Singapore's urban planning framework is governed by clear zoning laws, public health standards, and land use controls. Funeral parlours are thus subject to many more planning considerations. Muhammad Fariz Daud, a 22-year-old student visiting from Malaysia, told TNP he would have no problem with staying at a hotel beside a funeral home. Nevertheless, most Malaysians would avoid hotels near cemeteries, which are considered more taboo. But Mr Fariz added that he will do research on the hotel's location and public transport connectivity before making a booking. "It's not really the hotel's fault for not informing the customers that there's a funeral home nearby - you can do that research yourself."
Straits Times
01-08-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Would you mind? Some tourists unbothered staying in hotels near Singapore Casket
There are at least nine hotels in the surrounding area near Singapore Casket. PHOTO: TNP Would you mind? Some tourists unbothered staying in hotels near Singapore Casket Seah Jun De TNP Aug 1, 2025 Fancy spending the night near a funeral home? Lavender might be just the place for you - even if not everyone relishes the prospect. A Taiwanese tourist who brought her two young daughters to Singapore in early July had a nasty surprise when she discovered that the hotel she booked was located beside well-known funeral service provider Singapore Casket. "As a tourist who is unfamiliar with the local surroundings, I felt deeply uncomfortable and misled," Shannon, who was unsuccessful in her attempt to get a refund, told Stomp. Neither the booking platform nor the website for Arton Boutique Hotel had mentioned its proximity to the funeral home, she added. "How can hotels in Singapore be allowed to hide such important location information?" A hotel in the area starts from $95. SCREENGRAB: But the hotel that Shannon booked is far from the exception - a search on hotel booking platform listed at least nine hotels in the surrounding area of Singapore Casket. In addition, the storefront of Direct Funeral Services, offering funeral service packages, is located next to the Singapore Casket building. There are at least four funeral homes and service providers in the Lavender area, alongside temples, coffee shops, and other commercial buildings. But not all may be aware of its storied history, or that Lavender was not always known for funeral homes. The two funeral service providers are located beside each other. TNP PHOTO: SEAH JUN DE Not-so-fragrant history Despite its fragrant name, Lavender used to be occupied by Chinese vegetable gardens fertilised with nightsoil and a gasworks plant releasing strong-smelling gases. According to The Urbanist Singapore founder Ho Yong Min, residents proposed the name "lavender" ironically, and the municipality officially accepted it in 1858. "It was associated with working-class trades, clan associations, and community schools. Over time, the neighbourhood grew into a mixed-use zone - part industrial, part residential, and part religious or communal," the 41-year-old heritage educator told TNP. Mr Ho reckoned that the presence of funeral parlours in Lavender today is more likely related to zoning regulations, commercial leasing, and availability of space. "These businesses are typically allowed in commercial or institutional zones, and Lavender's mixed-use landscape makes it a feasible location." The area's mixed-use character and central location have attracted hoteliers as it is a "sweet spot" with easy access to public transportation, heritage charm, and slightly lower operational costs, he added. Do you mind? A convenience store employee said that while there were many tourists in the area, not many knew about the nearby funeral parlours. The presence of funeral homes near their hotel indeed came as a shock to two Chinese nationals who had booked a room at Hotel Yan, a two-minute walk from Singapore Casket. The two women in their 20s, who declined to give their names, told TNP that they were not aware of the presence of a funeral home when they made the booking online. "In China, such things will not be located in an obvious space," one of the women said in Mandarin. However, other tourists did not mind the location. A 25-year-old Indonesian who only wanted to be known as Ms Katut has been visiting Singapore for the past three years to see her sister. It was her first time staying in Lavender. While she admitted that Indonesians are superstitious, she was not disturbed by the nearby funeral parlours, and was not even aware of their presence. A woman in her 20s from the Philippines, who declined to give her name, was staying with her family of three at a hotel in Orchard but had gone to a coin laundry along Tyrwhitt Road. She told TNP that back home, there is no aversion to places associated with death, and the family had no problems with staying nearby. "In the Philippines, there are hotels near cemeteries, so it's just fine," she said. 'Closely integrated with everyday life' Mr Ho of The Urbanist Singapore shared that historically, places linked to death were often closely integrated with everyday life. He cited Sago Lane in Chinatown as an example, where the "street of the dead" was home to funeral parlours, coffin shops, and shophouses that housed the terminally ill. "Rather than being hidden away, these services were visible and embedded in the community fabric." Today, Mr Ho noted, Singapore's urban planning framework is governed by clear zoning laws, public health standards, and land use controls. Funeral parlours are thus subject to many more planning considerations. Muhammad Fariz Daud, a 22-year-old student visiting from Malaysia, told TNP he would have no problem with staying at a hotel beside a funeral home. Nevertheless, most Malaysians would avoid hotels near cemeteries, which are considered more taboo. But Mr Fariz added that he will do research on the hotel's location and public transport connectivity before making a booking. "It's not really the hotel's fault for not informing the customers that there's a funeral home nearby - you can do that research yourself." Click here to contribute a story or submit it to our WhatsApp Get more of Stomp's latest updates by following us on:
Independent Singapore
01-07-2025
- Independent Singapore
Tourist upset after discovering Singapore hotel is next to funeral home
SINGAPORE: A Taiwanese tourist planning a family holiday in Singapore has raised concerns after she realised the hotel she booked was located right beside a funeral parlour. The traveller, Shannon, told Stomp that she had reserved a three-night stay at Arton Boutique Hotel in Lavender from July 3 to 6, paying $637. However, within minutes of completing the booking, she learned that the hotel stands next to Singapore Casket, one of the country's best-known funeral homes. 'This fact was never mentioned on the booking platform or the hotel's own website,' Shannon said. She immediately contacted both the hotel and the platform in hopes of cancelling the reservation and obtaining a refund but her request was turned down. 'Even though the booking was still fresh and the room had not yet been used, the hotel insisted on enforcing their non-refundable policy,' she recounted, 'Their response ignored the fact that I had been misled by omission, and had acted in good faith.' Text messages between Shannon and the hotel, seen by Stomp, show her explaining that she was unaware of the location and expressing concern that her two young daughters might be frightened by the funeral home next door. The hotel maintained that it could not cancel the booking or provide any refund. Shannon told Stomp that the incident has not only disrupted her holiday plans but shaken her confidence in Singapore's hospitality sector. 'As a tourist who is unfamiliar with the local surroundings, I felt deeply uncomfortable and misled,' she said, 'This caused me great stress and completely ruined my trust in the city's tourism standards, even before I checked in.' She added that a funeral parlour situated directly beside a boutique hotel was 'not something most tourists would knowingly choose,' especially families travelling with young children. 'Tourists should not be tricked into unwanted environments, especially when they act quickly and responsibly to correct a mistake,' she said, 'No tourist should feel deceived or helpless in a city known for order and trust.' While Shannon acknowledged in her messages that she could have researched the address more carefully, she believes accommodation providers have a duty to disclose such information clearly. 'This is not a simple case of buyer's remorse,' she said, 'It raises broader concerns about transparency and disclosure obligations for accommodation providers, and fair treatment of foreign consumers unfamiliar with local geography.' She also pointed out the 'psychological and cultural impact' that failing to mention proximity to 'sensitive or potentially distressing establishments' can have on guests. Shannon has since booked alternative accommodation for her family but remains upset that what was meant to be her daughters' first happy experience in Singapore has been overshadowed. 'I really like Singapore,' she told Stomp, 'But this is my girls' first visit and I don't want to scare them.'
