Maybe Singapore’s once-conservative hotel scene is loosening up across the board. Or maybe it’s just Loh Lik Peng. Anyway there’s no denying the fact that hotels like the New Majestic have done their part to add a stylish and youthful dimension to Singaporean hospitality. Wanderlust, if it’s possible, takes the evolution a step further; a twenty-nine room boutique hotel in the city’s funky, gentrifying Little India neighborhood, it’s the purest distillation yet of Peng’s eclectic approach, a run-down antique building dressed up in well-curated retro furnishings and ultra-contemporary design flourishes.

Focus was never the object. Four different design firms designed Wanderlust’s four floors, and they spaces they created vary wildly, from the neon riot of the second floor to the pared-down bedrooms of the third floor (complete with the drawn-on outlines of lavish luxury furnishings on the walls) to the live-in installation art on the fourth. It’s a lively place above all else — some boutiques of this size turn into semi-private apartment houses, but Wanderlust’s vibe is communal. There’s no room service, for one, and the dishes at the French-inspired bistro are sized to share. If you want mellow and beige, Singapore’s got plenty of that too — Wanderlust is for those wishing to expand the edges of their comfort zones.

Style: Cutting-Edge

Atmosphere: Happening

29 Rooms - Rates starting at SG$ 189.00 (approx. US$ 148)