Trouble's allure

Luxury and boutique are two buzzwords that’s fast making an imprint on Singapore’s hotel scene, although the new-ish and unapologetically rebellious Vagabond Hotel makes for a most unusual example. The location itself – housed within a heritage building in Kampong Glam, between Little India and the Arab Quarter – makes a statement of a rebel not bothered with the thought of merely fitting in.

The four-storey, 5,000sq ft. art deco building at the corner of Syed Alwi Road dates back to the 1950s, with a colourful past that set the stage for its current revolution. A hodgepodge of old and new in the surrounding neighbourhood exudes a sense of bygone, ethnic charm. Reminiscent of a modern Parisian-style terrace, the hotel’s entrance does not hint at what lies within.

Stepping into Hotel Vagabond for the first time can be a disorienting experience. Immediately, there is a feeling of entering a profoundly different space as the eyes and senses adjust to the dominating hues of rich red and gold. An old-school cabaret club comes to mind, with a heightened dose of hyper-exoticism that teeters one step away from overwhelming; and yet, suspiciously tongue-in-cheek in intent. The jarring details come together in a discordant harmony, a mad ingenuity perfectly captured in interior architect Jacques Garcia’s edgy vision. 

Two enormous elephant sculptures – which flank the elevator – form the centrepiece and imperceptibly divides the lobby. On both sides, red lounge sofas fill up the space, with floor-to-ceiling gold banyan trees that create a focal point with its branches sprawling overhead. Red velvet curtains envelop the room and also used as dividers to the large multi-purpose salon at the back half of the ground floor.

“Please head to the rhino” – the hotel staff indicates by-way of pointing out the check-in counter. The solid brass rhinoceros inspired by French artist, Lalanne, sits a short distance from the elephant. Its making involved more than a hundred craftsmen from Rajasthan in India over eight months, presided over by the Allahbuksh family who, for generations, were the Rajasthani royal armoury makers. The six intricately detailed banyan trees, now iconic to the hotel, are also painstakingly produced by them.

Another conspicuous feature is the abundance of artworks hanging on the walls, as well as those creatively incorporated into the 42-room property. Owners Harpreet Bedi and Satinder Garcha first conceived the idea from an art-centric hotel out of personal passion and interest. The husband and wife team - Harpreet, a former lawyer, and Satinder, a Silicon Valley entrepreneur-turned-property developer - drew inspiration from hotels like the Swatch Art Peace Hotel in Shanghai and the legendary Chelsea Hotel in New York. Vagabond marks the second of three hotels they own in Singapore under the up-and-coming Garcha Hotels brand.

In a conversation with Harpreet, who is chief operating officer and the presiding “Lady Boss”, she highlights their Artist-In-Residence programme: “A lot of hotels in the world do art programs. But for us, our only request in exchange for artists staying - be it a night or three months - is that they engage in some way with guests every day. It’s this interaction that most people crave for, especially for people from worlds entirely different to these artists.”

Most evenings, an ‘artist hour’ at the salon allows guests to meet and converse with the likes of DJs, writers, video artists, visual artists, and other interesting types. “We had a French seamstress once, she made a full crinoline right here in the salon,” recounts Harpreet.

The energy and activity in Vagabond Hotel centres around its spacious salon, which carries over the red colour theme mixed in with deep purple tones. Here, a great touch by Garcia are the sunroofs that bring in natural light, drawing out the lush red colour and creating a different feel to the space altogether during the day. Besides serving meals throughout the day, the space is also transformable into a makeshift cinema, live performance joint and party venue. Another banyan tree stands tall in front of the art deco bar, which features a solid brass monkey by another French artist, Franck Le Ray, who also sculpted the elephants.

Upstairs, six suites take up the attic level, accessible only via staircase from the third floor. Once again, natural lighting is incorporated into the heritage building through ceiling windows. On the second floor, a cluster of rooms face a communal open-air veranda, with classic wooden louvre windows installed as an ode to the building’s past as well as a means to privacy. Several windows in each room help boost a sense of airiness in the somewhat cosy rooms.

Their predominantly white and overall classic style evokes colonial sensibilities, though Garcia maintains Vagabond’s DNA through a few contrasting accents – including floral folding screens and raunchy contemporary artworks. A more personal touch is the sets of photographs hanging on the bedroom walls, all taken by avid-photographer Satinder himself.

With a tagline that reads “If you must get in trouble, do it at the Vagabond”, the Tribute Portfolio hotel (under the Starwood and Marriott brand) has seduced the rebel in every soul and those who seek a taste of bohemian escapism – recently topping the list of TripAdvisor’s 2017 Travellers’ Choice Awards for Hotels. In a world of uniformity, immersing in a world of difference feeds the imagination; and at the very least, it makes for an unforgettable experience.  

In a nutshell…

Things to do: Cross the street and have a coconut in front of the sundry shop and fruits stall. Take a short walk to Little India for an affordable meal followed by a visit to the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple and the colourful Tan Teng Niah house. A late night supper at the local hawker joint nearby can also be followed by a visit to the bustling 24-hour mall, Mustafa Centre, for a different side of Singapore.

Nearest MRT: Lavender. The Central Business District is a six-minute ride from there on the East-West line to Raffles Place station.

Don’t miss out: Linger at the Vagabond Salon. Have a meal or drink and spend time reading one of its coffee table books or enjoy the artist hour. Staff members are always on hand to offer a tour or more insights into the hotel.

Art in Vagabond:

Jacques Garcia has a penchant for the grand and the weird – often together, in a good way. For his first ever project in Asia, the award-winning French designer best known for being the mastermind of Hotel Costes in Paris and most recently, Nomad in New York, roped in British absurdist artist Peter Millard, who curated artworks for the Salon. Owner Satinder Garcha also personally sourced and commissioned many of the extensive collection of artworks. Here’s what to look out for:

• Probably the only hotel that takes its guests on a tour to the toilets – there you can find, among others, Israel-based French artist, Michel Platnic’s Three Studies for Portrait of Lucian Freud (1965), a “reverse-engineer” film of Francis Bacon’s painting featuring himself.

• A beautiful, if unassuming, art deco screen at the lounge area. It is in fact an original set piece from the movie, Pretty Woman, purchased through an auction. A photo of Julia Roberts and Richard Gere hangs close by as a hint.

• The humorous and satirical staged portraits by Argentine photographer Marcos Lopez in front of the elevator warrant a closer look for its augmented reality imagery.

• Black and white photographs by renowned Indian photographer Gauri Gill provide a nice, earthy contrast. Her works can be found in museums around the world, including the Tate Museum in London.

• Each room’s entertainment system comes with a list of free movies. They are handpicked by Satinder, who is also a movie buff.

• Music selection in rooms includes original playlists created by visiting DJs during their stay in the hotel.

• Step into the elevator and enter the world of Italian video artist Marco Brambilla’s Civilization. The intricate “video collage” will take more than a few rides to absorb, and can be amusingly disconcerting.

This article first appeared in the Summer 2017 issue of Haven, which comes complimentary with The Edge Malaysia Weekly.

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