It’s a train story, but of a different kind.
In August 1859, George Pullman introduced the Pullman sleeper car, a first of its kind carriage that became popular, especially for comfortable overnight travel. A model of this now decommissioned sleeper car sits outside the newest Pullman property, Pullman Singapore Hill Street. The carriage still holds luggage belonging to travellers. It is a unique bridge that unites the company’s past and its present.
At the outset, Pullman Singapore Hill Street looks like any other five-star property. But walk in, and it isn’t your typical hotel. The U-shaped building takes the company’s rail history and cleverly weaves it into the hotel’s ethos. “Pullman Singapore Hill Street’s train travel theme is rooted in our desire to honour the legacy of George Pullman and his iconic sleeper train carriages. Every aspect of its design reflects our dedication to craft an experience that transports guests on a journey through time and space,” says general manager Mazen Abilmona rather grandiloquently.
The first thing that catches the eye when you enter is an installation of vintage carriers, which line both sides of a marble walkway. There are automated kiosks for checking in, but the friendly Pullman Porters are outstandingly helpful. Apart from luggage help, they can also curate an itinerary like the best concierge can.
The hotel is designed by Singaporean DP Architects, who strove to highlight the brand’s history in a modern, appealing manner. “The façade constitutes an aluminium screen which is a modern interpretation of railway sleepers, and the tower curtain wall has aluminium fins reminiscent of railway tracks. The terracotta hue of the podium mimics the roof tiles that were the quintessential roofscapes of the shophouses of Hill Street in the past,” says Jeremy Tan, director, DP Architects.
Old school elevators lead into hallways lined with carpets showcasing the inaugural railway map of Singapore. The Art Nouveau-rooms are modelled after private railroad cabins and feature an open-concept wardrobe that imitates the seating in a rail coach; and textured wall coverings resembling train interiors. The cupboard handles look like vintage suitcase clasps.
With a little imagination, the hotel’s first floor could be considered a bustling train station, complete with a luggage holding area, dining spots, and easy access to the street. Madison’s is a New York deli reflecting Pullman’s Chicago origins. The piece de resistance is a golden brass cabin (the Porter’s Lounge),
a semi-private dining and meeting space. Behind is a cabinet of vintage technological treasures. An unassuming door hides an expansive space which is a modern Izakaya-meets-speakeasy bar, MOGA. There are tiny trains here, too. They run continuously, on parallel lines every few minutes, in a futuristic-looking Japanese cityscape.
The Pullman takes sustainability seriously, de rigeur for all new enterprises. The bathrooms taps are equipped with Blue Pure filter, providing fresh drinking water. The curtains are automated, and smart in-room sensors go into energy-saving mode after you leave the room. No single-use plastic: only smart plants cascading down the façade of a part of the building to lower the temperature.
While Pullman journey begins with vintage carriages at the hotel entrance, it ends on the rooftop beside an infinity pool swim-up bar, El Chido. The railway barons who made America are long gone, but their legacy inspires the hospitality barons of today.