Making Orchard Road Great Again

The recent high-profile hotel, F&B and lifestyle retail openings on Orchard Road have given the area a boost. But what would give the precinct an even bigger shot in the arm?

- Aaron De Silva

From the 1980s to the 2000s, Orchard Road was affectionately known to some as the "capital" of Singapore. It had everything a hedonist could want, from luxury shopping and fine dining options to high-end hotels and medical and aesthetic facilities. But in the past two decades, some of that shine was lost to lifestyle enclaves, such as Marina Bay, Dempsey Hill, Duxton Hill, Robertson Quay and Telok Ayer, that have sprung up.

"Orchard Road used to be the centre of Singapore and then suddenly, [the attention shifted] to Marina Bay," shares Oscar Postma, cluster operations general manager of Conrad Hotels & Resorts. "I remember arriving there 15 years ago when I was at The St Regis and that was the last big new hotel project that was built." Postma was the hotel's former executive assistant manager for rooms.

There is no doubt that Orchard Road continues to be a big draw for residents and visitors alike, but what would it take for the centre of gravity to shift back to the precinct?

Certainly, the recent spate of high-profile openings have refocused the public's attention to the area. On the hospitality front, there are Artyzen Singapore, Como Metropolitan Singapore, Conrad Singapore Orchard, Pan Pacific Orchard, Singapore, and The Singapore Edition. In retail, the district welcomed the world's largest Richard Mille flagship, Asia's largest Nike store outside China, and a Marimekko Concept Store.

Leading the dining vanguard are Cedric Grolet's inaugural Asian outpost; Cote Korean Steakhouse, the world's first Michelin-starred establishment of its kind; and Michelin Bib Gourmand-listed Ju Xing Home. Rounding out the lifestyle assortment are Asia's first integrated sports (snow, surf and skate) facility, Trifecta, alongside Como Shambala's 9,000 square feet urban flagship.