Six Senses Maxwell occupies the site of a nutmeg plantation. Fourteen three-storey and four-storey colonial-style buildings were subsequently constructed and later joined together as a single entity to create a colonial-style 19th-century heritage building that now houses the hotel.
Built in 1929, the structure features an Art Deco frontage with exposed brickwork, unique lion head rain spouts, and a flagpole hinting at a possible past as a government building. Six Senses Maxwell showcases the aesthetic of French architect and interior designer Jacques Garcia, in contrast to the Anouska Hempel-designed Six Senses Duxton.
Six Senses Maxwell hosts 138 guest rooms and suites located across four floors of the sustainably-restored building, all decorated with custom furnishings and original artwork; an outdoor rooftop lap pool, a gymnasium, two restaurants and three bars that are destined to add to the vibrancy of the neighbourhood.
“We are absolutely delighted to deliver the complete unparalleled Six Senses experience in Singapore with the launch of this property,” says Six Senses Maxwell GM Murray Aitken.
“Guests will be able to immerse themselves fully into what makes Singapore so special, while at the same time benefiting from the wellness aspects that are the hallmark of the Six Senses experience,” he adds.
Reflecting the authentic decor and furnishings of the era in which it was built, but with a stylish modern twist, Garcia has infused a Western sensibility along with a timeless ambience into Six Senses Maxwell, as he has done most notably with Hôtel Costes in Paris, France and NoMad in New York, the US. Garcia has outfitted many iconic buildings in Paris and across the world, including at the Louvre.
The Garcia style is clear once the double doors at the corner of Cook and Tras Streets swing open, revealing the chestnut reception desk, complemented by Garcia’s eponymous collection of flamboyant high-backed velvet chairs with tassels. These sit on intricately-designed custom-made handwoven silk rugs that took 14 months to complete.
Ethically-sourced, solid inch-thick African wenge hardwood floors adorn much of the hotel, while other public areas feature stone floors that have been recycled from medieval churches and cathedrals in Italy.
A series of authentic and original property deeds, or indentures, are framed and placed throughout the hotel’s interior walkway with brass plaques detailing the historical nature and provenance of each document. This feature ties in with the copies of an indenture Hempel used as her wallpaper design for Six Senses Duxton, connecting the two hotels through a unified form and vision.
Garcia’s attention to detail is also showcased throughout the seven unique room types at Six Senses Maxwell, from the brass, lacquer and marble mini bars, to the handmade Lafroy Brooks bathroom fixtures and rain shower heads.
His unique style is an authentic exploration into the splendour of the past interpreted in a modern style. This is evident in the brocades and damask fabrics and lampshades in pleated silk which enrich a design with clean lines, evoking an opulent yet refined luxury. All the fabrics used throughout the hotel, even those used on the Italian furniture, are bespoke for Garcia and were loomed in Europe, while all the lamps were exclusively produced by luxury lighting specialist Zonca for the designer.
Hotel guests are greeted at the lobby with sustainably sourced goods for sale, including Panama hats ethically sourced from Ecuador that take between 15 days to six months to craft, fine cashmere shawls from Chagaan in Mongolia, locally made items including Peranakan porcelain tea sets from the Straits Settlements era, wellness items such as glass water bottles with added gems to vitalise the water, baoding balls for meditation and an oh-ball to massage the soles of the feet to release tension.
A large brass singing bowl completes the hotel’s signature welcome experience, along with complimentary traditional ice cream made in-house and served from an iconic ice cream cart along the five-footway to all guests. Modern touches such as music played through high-end Devialet speakers throughout the public spaces add to the experience.
The rooftop of Six Senses Maxwell features a 25-m lap pool custom-made by Sempre, a Belgian design firm known for their use of raw and recyclable materials. In weeks to come, this will be highlighted with the opening of Max’s Rooftop Bar, where an edible garden is being grown to be used in-house by the hotel’s food and beverage team.
Guests from both Six Senses properties have full access to all facilities, including the spa pods, which will be opened in the first quarter of 2019. Signing privileges will be available across the two hotels.
Each room and suite features Six Senses’ specially curated mini bar which includes William Yeoward crystal glassware. The Golden Duck Company salted egg yolk crisps for snacking, handmade organic Krakakoa chocolate bars from Indonesia are part of the mini bar experience.
To ensure guests enjoy the best night’s sleep possible, all rooms feature handmade mattresses by Naturalmat, organic bed linens from Beaumont & Brown, and pillows and duvets from Hanse to support Sleep With Six Senses, a key pillar of the group’s integrated wellness philosophy. Each room also has a wellness book, baoding balls (保定健身球) for exercising the hand muscles, and an OH ball. These can also be purchased from the hotel lobby.
Framed photos of the local area taken from the property owner and luxury hotelier Satinder Garcha’s personal collection adorn the bathrooms, offering a sense of charm and whimsy.
Cook & Tras Social Library
Located on the ground floor of Six Senses Maxwell and lined with tropical foliage right next to the lobby area is Cook & Tras, a social library restaurant and bar influenced by Straits heritage cuisine.
Featuring a mirrored ceiling highlighting the classic décor and luxurious style of Garcia, Cook & Tras reflects a warm European influence and personality showcased through richly-textured custom-designed furnishings. This establishment is characterised by its specially-curated book collection designed by the UK’s Ultimate Library, known for their dedication to building bespoke book collections for hotels and private residences around the world.
Cook & Tras, a collection of more than 3,000 titles has been curated which reflects the local neighbourhood as well as volumes on subjects such as wellness, meditation, nutrition, herbal medicine, natural history, climate change and sustainability. Hotel guests and future members will also be able to “borrow” books the old-fashioned way.
Cook & Tras makes the perfect introduction to the acclaimed Eat With Six Senses programme that offers healthy and delicious meals prepared with sustainable, seasonal, natural ingredients and organically-grown produce.
Open throughout the day for light breakfasts and an all-day small-plates for sharing menu, guests can expect quality ingredients in small flavourful portions or sip on freshly squeezed cold juices and energising healthy beverages providing nutritional benefits. Homemade tonics and kombuchas along with fine teas are featured on the afternoon menu.
By night, the 20 m-long bar counter takes centre stage at Cook & Tras.
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| Source: Six Senses. The Cook & Tras Social Library, featuring over 3,000 books. |
Murray Terrace Brasserie
Murray Terrace Brasserie is a European-styled brasserie named after the building in which it is housed. and coincidentally also the first name of the hotel’s GM. Its design blends classic Parisian elements with marble tables and handcrafted Indonesian furniture.
The Brasserie’s grand entrance, just opposite Maxwell Food Centre, follows a Parisian café style layout with sidewalk tables along the five-foot (1.7-m) way, a private room, and seating for up to 100 guests inside the dining room.
The culinary focus is on quality ingredients that are sustainably sourced and organically grown. The Murray Terrace Brasserie demonstrates how quality natural ingredients will promote a sense of wellness. Recipes are European-inspired, with a strong focus on Mediterranean cooking methods that let the ingredients take centrestage.
Showcasing southern European culinary influences, the menu features seafood platters with lobsters, oysters, prawns, clams and mussels. With classics such as beef tartare, French onion soup and lobster bisque, the menu includes a range of three-course and four-course set menu options for lunch, and five-course and seven-course degustation menus for dinner.
Organic free-range chicken, sustainably-sourced fish, grass-fed strip loins, whole lamb rack and Chateaubriand from the Josper oven round out the menu.
Garcha’s
Garcha’s is a beautifully-appointed Garcia designed-room with club chairs, cocktail tables and bar seating.
Rose Lounge & Bar
The elegant Rose Lounge & Bar features banquette seating (built-in benches), club chairs (leather armchairs), cocktail tables and bar seating.
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| Source: Six Senses. A suite at Six Senses Maxwell. |
Rose Lounge & Bar, with its lighter décor, is ideally suited for private events, afternoon tea parties and product launches. It is also perfect as a breakout space for meetings held at the adjoining Rose Room, between the Rose Bar & Lounge and Garcha’s, and is an ideal venue for small corporate events and private gatherings.
Six Senses Duxton is set in row of shophouses in Singapore’s colourful Chinatown and restored under Hempel. Both hotels showcase the brand’s commitment to responsible restoration and conservation. Each of the hotel’s 49 guestrooms and suites include bathrooms with tub or shower plus toilet, hairdryer and organic guest amenities. Flat panel televisions offer satellite channels, Bluetooth speaker plus unlimited Wi-Fi. Gold is highlighted in the rich lobby decor and in Yellow Pot, the modern Chinese restaurant with an adjacent antiquarian-themed Lobby Bar.
Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas operates two hotels, 15 resorts and 31 spas in 21 countries under the Six Senses, Evason and Six Senses Spas brands. The portfolio is expected to triple over the next five years with resort, hotel and spa openings underway in various cities, including in Bhutan, Cambodia, mainland China, India, Indonesia, Taiwan, and Thailand.
Details:
Six Senses Maxwell
2 Cook Street, Singapore 078857
Rates start at US$240++ per night. An opening promotion is available for direct bookings made online. Guests can enjoy 15% savings on the best available rate. The package includes daily breakfast for two people, a guaranteed room upgrade and a signature cocktail for two people. Terms and conditions* apply.
Reserve online or call +65 6914 1400.
*Terms and conditions: Valid for stays from to March 31, 2019. The offer is applicable for all room and suite categories. A credit card guarantee and a prepayment in full is required to secure the booking. Bookings are non-refundable and non-cancellable. Offer is subject to change without notice.
