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Happy Hour Asia M Social Singapore review: Looking back to a previous stay back in 2016 at the then newly opened, home-grown, design lodging (and debut for the brand by Singapore’s Millennium Hotels & Resorts), makes up an interesting opportunity to draw comparisons and observations about trends and the arrival of new services and concepts within hospitality in recent years.

In 2016. a robotic butler appears on the premises as part of the guest services, doing physical deliveries to hotel guests. Fast forward to October 2024 (when a revisit takes place), and the AURA (stands for ‘Automated Room-Service Associate’) robot is still around, while AVA is a new addition; a display device installed in every guest room, offering AI-based voice assistant communication regarding room service and more.

Interfaced with the hotel’s elevator and phone systems Aura can alert the guests to open the door. A printed document requested from the front desk is thus delivered to the door, with a call informing that the robotic butler is waiting outside the room.

While the comparison with Star Wars’ R2D2 does not feel far-fetched, the robot has a built-in storage. And inside, the ordered printed documented is to be found. It communicates via a display.

Riding the hotel’s elevator on its own, the robot delivers bottled water, towels, toiletries and even packed meals. It also serves a purpose of avoiding less comfort by performing late-night deliveries to female guests (instead of male staff). Aura becomes a familiar – albeit robot – face, and a signature element for M Social.

And now, in 2024, the implemented Aiello Voice Assistant (AVA) connects guests with hotel staff as part of the communication system. It looks like an alarm clock speaker, with the main difference that its front has a display.

AVA is capable of answering enquiries in Chinese, Japanese, Thai, and English. It responds promptly to voice commands, allowing guests to effortlessly connect with other rooms or contact the front desk.

These innovations – representing the new world of in-room service – show how Millennium Hotels & Resorts are positioning themselves at the forefront of technology, and have been doing so from the get go with M Social. It was launched as a vibrant place where elegance, creativity and technology blend to offer a unique experience. It may come as a surprise but robots and other AI tools to boost productivity – and also enhance the guest experience in the process – actually fulfils a purpose to ease the pressure in Singapore’s increased the fight for scarce labour resources.

It’s a perfect test bed as a hotel that appeal to tech-savvy FIT’s accustomed to smart phones and social media as a natural mode for communication and social connections. And keep in mind: this is in addition to having been at the forefront of cool hotel design and concepts (and which continues now with the rebranded M Social hotel in Phuket and an upcoming opening in Penang, Malaysia).

The revisit also shows that the contemporary design has stood the test of time, and M Social still remains very unique in Singapore, as the first and only hotel in Asia with a fully loft-inspired room concept.

The hospitality sector has by now caught up with M Social in terms of being innovative but for sure the design-led brand, and Singapore hotel, has been a benchmark as trendsetter during a long period, also by establishing the hotel brand with additional properties in the world (And it should be mentioned that M Social also has a sister hotel in Studio M, only a few blocks away in the same residential neighbourhood Robertson Quay).

Noteworthy, the social and free-spirited lifestyle brand debut M Social Singapore has design from no other than French industrial architect and designer Philippe Starck.

M Social Singapore has 293 rooms and “thrives on an interplay of friendship, community and new experiences”. It was designed on democratic principles of giving the best to the many and partly by being affordable for a majority of potential hotel guests, particularly those with a millennial mindset (a welcome approach in Singapore, where the prices for accommodation have been going through the roof recently…).

Stark conceptualised an ‘avant-garde’ laboratory, where all the positive elements (creativity, love…) of the world come together to form a stage for creative people.

The first encounter with Mr Starck’s elements is at the street-level, under-roof driveway, where guests are greeted, upon arrival, with an intricate and partly symmetric mosaic of Peranakan-inspired tiles has been laid, and which continues into the lobby flooring. On the wall, next to the [upgraded] hotel name sign, there is a four-colour wall mural with enlarged birds: an eagle, a parrot, a third bird and a curious-looking male face.

The floor tiles stretch through the lobby and continues outside the glass doors on the opposite side, where there is a passage between lobby and the restaurant named ‘Beast & Butterflies’ – and where tiles are more floral actually, and with a light brown pattern aside the black, white, grey.

Inside the lobby there is a ten-metre long, high table flanked with purple display cabinets designed by Starck. Underneath, a veined alabaster floor lit from the inside recalls the effect of marble, and characterizes this section.

Come evening, it also gets easier to grasp Starck’s idea of creating a theatrical stage, thanks to this floor-lit lobby zone.

Back in 2016 it doubles up as a mini business centre, with three large apple computers placed on the table. These are gone in 2024, which probably is testament to changes in guest behaviour, where basically all now handle most of their communication via any smart handheld device.

What has arrived though are some interesting drinks-oriented gift shop items, now displayed on the shelves. These include: 1) A ‘Premium Gin Collection from Drinks By The Dram’, with 12 mini hand-waxed drams 2) Beast & Butterflies’ presenting the ‘M Alley Gin’. Their selection includes both gin and rum: Retro Gin Fridge (Inside the nostalgia packaging are 8 different flavours of gin selected carefully by That B Gin Company), Plantation Rum Experience Gift Set (a unique packager of 6x 100 ml expressions from the Plantation Rum Range. Available once a year this limited-edition gift pack), Premium Gin Collection Dram (from some of the top gin producers in the world), and a Japanese Whisky Tasting Kit Master of Malt, with 5 x 30ml samples.

A second public area is the restaurant and bar Beast & Butterflies, deliberately kept in a separate part of the hotel to differentiate the experience. One thing they have in common though are the patterned floor tiles, that, informs the hotel, was brought from Spain. It makes sense in the same way as it is known as ‘Sino-Portuguese’ in Southern Thailand,

Within the restaurant the interior design items have also changed slightly since back in 2016. Gone are the wall-mounted tablets projecting contemporary artworks (obtained through an open-source art platform), along with the previous clusters of lava lamps.

The Stark-designed furniture is still there, with tan-coloured leather armchairs interspersed with retro-style checked sofas made by weaving leather together. There are also tan and dark brown wavy floor carpets, and those rosé red cone-shaped floor lamps are still there.

As another feature conducive to social interaction Beast & Butterflies also include communal tables made using the same inside-lit alabaster as the flooring in the reception, ideal for meeting and mingling with other guests. Two 13.5-metre counter tops overlook the bar, embedded with a total of 28 television screens. Up above, LED lights incorporated with motion detection technology get activated based on movement by humans. Adding to this the lit-up floor by the bar lends the venue a nightclub resemblance during the evenings.

Eight kitsch chandeliers are partly hidden within recessed ceiling circles. It’s a vibrant venue that makes you feel comfortable to linger for longer throughout the day, as an extended living room lounge of the hotel.

On the food front it embraces a fusion of Mediterranean and Asian flavours, where, during the previous visit for this review, a delicious Caesar salad was enjoyed (add on grilled chicken or smoked salmon).

There is a lunch, brunch and dinner menu with pretty much the same dishes to choose from, while there is a set lunch offer. For guests oversleeping breakfast, a Brunch Special can be Eggs Benedict or Scramble egg croissant.

Starters also include Burrata salad, Quinoa, Octopus etc. There is a Cold cut/cheese board and pasta/risotto dishes with a Mushroom risotto or, for instance, Wagyu beef pasta

From the ‘Local Delights’ selection, the Claypot Hokkien Mee can be mentioned, among many other such classics to choose from. ‘Charcoal Grilles’ is focused on Australian Angus Beef.

Beast & Butterflies also offers a decent breakfast that has the variety Westerners as well as Asian will look for: Bircher muesli; pastries and bread; pastrami ham; brie, cheddar, comte and,goat cheese; black olives; various salad leaves; fresh fruit juices, egg station; and a selectin of hot dishes including Kimchi soup, grilled herb tomatoes and more.

For drinks there is an affordable Happy Hour; a ‘2-Hour Free Flow’ with Sangria, Mimosa, Aperol Spritz for $24 only, with every meal purchased until 4:00 pm.

M Social Singapore also serves the ‘M Wine’ which are Australian wines branded for Millennium Hotels, with a Sauvignon Blanc 2019 or Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 for $12 per glass or $60 per bottle. The majority of the rest of the wine list selection are organic wines.

Beast & Butterflies as venue is part of an enclave of long-lasting riverside bars and restaurants in the neighbourhood., and which is truly something of a hidden gem as a great dining and drinking destination with a difference in Singapore!

What makes the Robertson Quay area extra attractive is the fact that there are no roads for cars here along the riverside, but only walkways for pedestrians. The bars and restaurants here can therefore also benefit from being not only in a mainly residential precinct, but one with a dedicated and relaxing indoor/outdoor F&B zone, and where quality and differentiation are common denominators.

You’ll find a lot to explore on the F&B front in this picturesque area. There are simply a lot to choose from, and with options for outdoor seating in lush riverside surroundings – which is obviously a winner (with the exception of some extremely hot days that can occur).

To begin with, the Italian eatery ‘Limoncello Pizza & Grill’ is next to the hotel, a classic white-cloth-table restaurant; offering also outdoor seating. Nearby ‘Botany Robertson Quay’ focuses on mindfulness in food, with everything from breakfast and coffee to a variety of hot meals including all-day brunch items, east meet west dishes and desserts. There is also a Toby’s Estate Coffee Roasters branch, which opened its doors to Asia in October 2011, with the launch of this flagship Café and Roastery in Singapore.

And for another brunch menu Boomarang (serving Australian café and bistro food) is still around in 2024, including the following dishes on its breakfast menu: Wholemeal toast with avocado, granola muesli, Country bean stew (tomato-based with Cannelloni beans, bacon, onion, fresh herbs, poached eggs), Smoked salmon, Bondi (poached eggs, baby spinach, tomato, mushroom with multi-seed toast), or Buttermilk pancakes.

And a bit further down the river find French steakhouse (established already in 2006) Les Bouchons Rive Gauche, boasting a really French feel with its outdoor terrace.

Also, the sister hotel Studio M Hotel’s ground floor dining outlet MEMO Café & Breeze is a must mention, only a few hundred metres from the riverside, including under-ceiling alfresco tables by the streetside walkway.

This modern café embodies the leisurely lifestyle of this residential area and is appealing to the guests of the two M hotels. Memo, helmed by a team of “creative artists, trend-setters, and regulars”, offers new Mexican and Asian culinary delights from $8++

There is an eat, meet and drink ethos permeating the Memo urban hub of activity.

Find Healthy bowls and Bagels & Sandwiches on its all-day dining, and with a wine selection (also to go) including the M-branded wines.

The main difference in the area today compared to eight years ago is actually that more hotels have been added, in addition to the fact that there is now also a subway line passing through the area, with fast access to both upper Orchard Road and the CBD.

Then, we have come to the actual centre of a attention for M Social Singapore: the accommodation with its signature loft concept and distinct interior design. Going up to the floors with guest quarters one will notice through the lift’s glass window painted murals (in the style of white cray on a black surface) on the lift shaft’s wall, which is of the same kind as on the columns within the restaurant. These are done by Spanish artist Luis Urculo, and invites the viewer to make her/his own interpretation. One can for instance sense that there are drawing and sketches relating to the conceptualisation and construction of this inaugural M Social hotel. It becomes a bit like watching a movie as the picture changes as one travels up and down the shaft.

Every corridor is furnished with a distinct wine-red floor carpet, a white snaking line on it, along the corridor, and a similarly shaped led light mounted from the ceiling. Walls and ceiling are in bare concrete, with each the floor number etched into the wall by the lift.

Generating a lot of excitement – and for good reasons most likely many return visitors –
considering their chic, elegant and avant-garde design, the rooms spread across ten floors.

Smartly designed with timeless elegance indeed, the loft rooms are truly winners, in consideration of that rooms are usually quite small in Singapore, since they offer something like 40% extra space with a second floor reached via a staircase. The loft design also means that the unit is high-ceilinged (up to 5 metres!) with curtains hanging, while the compact living design is maximised with steel-mirror cabinets along the floor. Also, mirror walls add visually to the feeling of a larger space. The versatility in different configurations (some lofts have the bed on the ground floor, others on the mezzanine) furthermore invites to a varied utilisation of the spaces (working, socialising, relaxing…)

The choice of eye-catching interior materials include steel (used for frames, bathroom fittings etc), glass, silver (such as for the bathroom tiles) and blonde wood – all contrasted by bar concrete sections. Design details like the creamy-white padded headboard and a greyish wall-paper-looking floor (!) adds to the stylishness, paired with warm colour tones, including for the thick carpets, and a Cappucino-hued leather sofa.

When the warm yellow light reflects on the silver-hued window blind separating the bathroom – it turns golden.

Each hotel unit is also equipped with a tringle-curved, steel-legged, white table, and in the loft edition also a black-and-white floor carpet and light brown chair. The TV is mounted on a mirror wall together with a fold-out cone-formed, yellow lamp.

Then there are alcove rooms that certainly add to theatricality envisioned by the famous French designer. Upon this revisit the stay is one of those chapel-inspired alcove rooms – the Alcove Premier Queen Room – and with an outdoor terrace including trees, and overlooking a residential neighbourhood and with lush greenery. The outdoor space is separated in to equal plots, separated by plants and a relatively high metal fence. Each room comes with one light brown, vintage resort style garden chair with green cushions and a fold-up canopy.

This configuration is perfect for guests wishing to soak in the tropical, urban atmosphere, and even catching up/connecting with neighbour guests. This room type comes with a four-metre-tall pitched roof, creating a spacious vibe. Its arched entrance foyer has fresh paint in a yellow pastel. Bedside, the room has cosy warm yellow cone-shaped lamps.

The last social space to mention is the rooftop open-air deck (also housing a fitness centre), where a 31-metre lap pool tiled with glittering blue mosaic stretches out towards the historic Singapore River. The pool is flanked by a green wall with plants on one side and a platform with loungers on the other, where to linger.

In conclusion: Whether on the premises of M Social Singapore, or in this lifestyle boutique hotel’s immediate vicinity, there are many attractive places where to hang out and have joie de vivre moments, socialize and enjoy food and beverage in one of downtown Singapore’s most relaxing settings imaginable.