voco Orchard Singapore

voco Orchard Singapore
Interactive map of the voco Orchard Singapore area
General information
StatusCompleted
TypeHotel
Architectural style
High-rise
LocationOrchard Road, Singapore
Coordinates1°18′21.09″N 103°49′45.38″E / 1.3058583°N 103.8292722°E / 1.3058583; 103.8292722
OperatorIHG Hotels & Resorts

voco Orchard Singapore is a voco hotel in located at Orchard Road, Singapore. It is the first voco-branded hotel by InterContinental Hotels Group in Southeast Asia.[1][2]

History

The construction of the Singapore Hilton was announced in The Straits Times on 1 November 1963, along with its sister hotel, the Kuala Lumpur Hilton.[3] Singapore had joined as one of the states in the new nation of Malaysia only weeks before. The two hotels were financed by businessman Cho Jock Kim, head of Far East Publishers. The $18 million hotel was designed by local architects Booty Edwards & Partners.[4] Completion was intended for 1965, but Singapore left Malaysia that year, and by November 1965, only the pilings of the structure had been completed.[4]

Construction resumed in 1968 and the Far East Organization, owned by billionaire Ng Teng Fong,[5] listed the hotel on the Stock Exchange of Malaysia and Singapore in August 1968, through its Far Eastern Hotels Development Ltd. subsidiary.[6] A topping off ceremony was held on 23 September 1969.[7] Interior design work was done by Dale Keller, of Pacific House (Asia) Limited[8] and the hotel featured a huge 19-panel facade mural, sculpted by local artist Gerard Henderson and a 25-foot solid aluminum lobby mural by artist Seah Kim Joo.[9] The partly-completed hotel opened 100 of its 448 rooms in March 1970.[10]

The Singapore Hilton celebrated its grand opening on 30 January 1971,[11] officiated by Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Labour S. Rajaratnam.[12] Hilton International operated as a separate business from Hilton in the US after 1964, and its properties were rebranded in 1979, with the hotel renamed the Hilton International Singapore. In 1980, the hotel was sold to billionaire Ong Beng Seng.[13] Hilton re-acquired Hilton International in 2005[14] and the Hilton International branding was retired in 2006, when the hotel became the Hilton Singapore.[15]

On 13 December 2015, the ceiling of the hotel entrance collapsed and debris fell into a car. 4 people were sent to hospital. According to the Building and Construction Authority, the building's structure remained intact and was not affected by the collapse of the false ceiling.[16]

On 1 January 2022, the hotel was rebranded as voco Orchard Singapore, marking its transition into the voco brand under InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG).[17] The rebranding forms part of IHG’s broader strategy to expand its upscale voco brand across the Asia-Pacific region, introducing the brand to Singapore’s Orchard Road district.[18]

Following the transition, the hotel adopted voco’s brand hallmarks, which emphasise distinctive guest experiences, locally inspired character, and sustainability-focused initiatives in line with IHG’s global standards.[19]

Accommodation and facilities

The facade along Orchard Road, showing the large multi-panel Gerard Henderson mural

The hotel has 423 guest rooms,[20] a rooftop swimming pool, a 24-hour fitness centre,[21] four dining venues,[20] 17 meeting rooms accommodating between 18 and 550 people,[22] and a Club Lounge.[21] Situated in the heart of Orchard Road, a popular entertainment and shopping district, the hotel is located near major shopping centres including ION Orchard and Takashimaya. It is approximately 20 minutes from Singapore Changi Airport and is near several of Singapore’s attractions.

Sustainability

voco Orchard Singapore has obtained certification from a Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC)-accredited certification body, indicating alignment with internationally recognised standards for sustainable tourism.[23][24] The hotel has implemented measures such as reducing single-use plastics, adopting water- and energy-efficiency systems, and incorporating sustainable sourcing practices in its operations.[25][26]

Access

The hotel is linked to Four Seasons Hotel via a link bridge.

See also

  • Iggy's, a fine-dining restaurant within the hotel

References

  1. ↑ Rashiwala, Kalpana (3 June 2021). "Hilton Singapore in Orchard Road to be rebranded as voco Orchard Singapore". The Straits Times. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  2. ↑ "Hilton Singapore Rebrands to IHG's Voco Brand". Hotel News Resource. 2 June 2021. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  3. ↑ "Hiltons to run two hotels in Spore and K.L." eresources.nlb.gov.sg.
  4. 1 2 Seng, Eunice (1 January 2017). "Temporary domesticities: The Southeast Asian hotel as (re)presentation of modernity, 1968–1973". The Journal of Architecture. 22 (6): 1092 – via www.academia.edu.
  5. ↑ "Far East Organization | Infopedia". eresources.nlb.gov.sg.
  6. ↑ "Hotels listed in a separate section". eresources.nlb.gov.sg.
  7. ↑ "SINGAPORE HILTON HOTEL TOPPING OFF CEREMONY". eresources.nlb.gov.sg.
  8. ↑ "Best in luxury, taste and elegance". eresources.nlb.gov.sg.
  9. ↑ "10years in Singapore Hilton plays lead role in hospitality industry". eresources.nlb.gov.sg.
  10. ↑ "Hotel opening". eresources.nlb.gov.sg.
  11. ↑ "S. Rajaratnam At Opening Of Singapore Hilton". www.nas.gov.sg.
  12. ↑ "GUESTS AT THE OPENING OF THE SINGAPORE HILTON BY THE …". www.nas.gov.sg.
  13. ↑ "Ong Beng Seng | Infopedia". eresources.nlb.gov.sg.
  14. ↑ "Hilton Hotels buys Hilton International in $5.71 billion deal". www.travelweekly.com.
  15. ↑ "Hotel check: Hilton Singapore". Business Traveller.
  16. ↑ Ho, Olivia; Chew, Hui Min (13 December 2015). "At least two taken to hospital after Hilton hotel driveway ceiling collapses". The Straits Times. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  17. ↑ "IHG launches voco brand in Singapore with Orchard Road property". The Straits Times. 5 January 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2026.
  18. ↑ "IHG launches voco Orchard Singapore". TTG Asia. Retrieved 25 March 2026.
  19. ↑ "IHG expands voco brand in Asia Pacific". Business Traveller. Retrieved 25 March 2026.
  20. 1 2 "voco Orchard Singapore: Opening the doors to somewhere different". IHG Hotels & Resorts. 2022. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
  21. 1 2 "voco Orchard Singapore Hotel Details". IHG Hotels & Resorts. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
  22. ↑ "Meetings and Events at voco Orchard Singapore". IHG Hotels & Resorts. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
  23. ↑ "Hotel Properties Limited Sustainability Report 2024" (PDF). Hotel Properties Limited. 2025. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  24. ↑ "Singapore's Hotel Sustainability Roadmap". Global Sustainable Tourism Council. 26 September 2024. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  25. ↑ "Visit: voco Orchard Hotel – Built on Sustainability". SHATEC. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
  26. ↑ "Staycation Review: voco Orchard Singapore". The Peak Magazine Singapore. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
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