Naumi

Hotel description

The colonial style reigned in Singapore hotels for quite a long time. But today a new generation of design-conscious boutique hotels is moving in. In the place of what was once the Metropole, a fairly standard budget hotel, the Naumi now stands proudly clad in steel mesh, just down the street from the Raffles (and, to the great convenience of business guests, just a few minutes’ walk from the convention center).

Inside it’s at once crisp and flamboyant, with clean lines and sober colors livened by expressive touches like brightly-colored design-classic chairs or ornate wallpaper patterns etched into glass. In terms of comforts, the rooms are a step up from the boutique-hotel norm, verging on luxury territory: business travelers will be happy with the full-sized desks, IP telephones and wireless internet, leisure guests will make use of 42-plus-inch plasma televisions with Xbox and Wii game systems, and everyone can benefit from the kitchenettes and from the bathrooms, equipped with separate baths and showers and stocked with Aesop toiletries.

What sets the Naumi apart ultimately is the service. Guests are assigned a “Naumi aide” upon check-in, a sort of concierge-butler-assistant — so you’ll never be on your own. Further thoughtful touches include the ladies-only floor, and the swimming pool, already beyond what’s strictly necessary for a 40-room hotel, and all the more so for its view from the building’s rooftop.