Hotels

M Hotel Singapore review: A revisit some fifteen years later enables Happy Hour Asia taking the temperature of the CBD scene, and getting the experience updated from the first hotel for this particular brand. The Anson road-based property has been a key hotel in terms of prototyping hotel concepts and new ideas for Singapore’s homegrown Millennium Hotels & Resorts brand (MHR) – today a giant with 145 hotels worldwide (27 properties in Asia and counting)! A lot of MHR’s history and customer recognition traces back to this particular premium hotel, as a favourite among both business and holiday visitors to Singapore. Join us on this rediscovery – to find that MHR now has its own bottled wine and also an AI voice assistant!

As for its location relating to business, in Tanjong Pagar, it could hardly be more centrally located among the office skyscrapers than this, within the downtown core district of Singapore! And yet, lifestyle and leisure-oriented diversions and indulgences are not far away. In fact, if arriving via the MRT subway, this is found right outside the gates to the underground station, with the mixed-use development skyscraper Guoko Tower. Guoko, which houses six levels of retail space, is with its height of 290 m, currently the tallest building in Singapore! Within its well-curated mix, fin unique F&B and retail options, not to mention premium wellness opportunities, including one of Singapore’s first altitude fitness studios!

And on ground level find the lush outdoor Urban Park, where there are also dining options under and a roof, as well as spaces for workout.

Tanjong Pagar is also righty next to the Duxton area, which has undergone a transformation in recent years in terms of its offerings especially on the F&B front. Nearby is also the striking The Pinnacle Duxton public housing complex, including seven 50-storey towers.

This time, the arrival takes place on a public holiday which means that CBD is remarkably quiet; empty from both road traffic and pedestrians. The 800-metre walk from Tanjong Pagar station to the hotel only presents office buildings, hence this quietness on such a day. So, it is rather nice that downtown can be so calm and relaxing on non-working days. This is also reflected in the lower number of club lounge guests this particular Thursday.

M Hotel Singapore review: afternoon tea arrival

M Hotel Singapore City Centre is a long building with curved ends on its meetings and parking levels, and with an outdoor platform for jacuzzis and a swimming pool (generously open until 11 pm.) above those and besides the accommodation floors.

As a nod the hotel’s surrounds, the M Bull statue still stands sturdily in the lobby, representing a bullish financial market, as well as strength and power. The bull market inspires business people and investors to have a positive mindset, even when the going gets tough in trading.

Aside the obvious business clientele. the hotel and destination are also a draw for weekend holiday visitors from the region (Asia-Pacific travellers within 6 hours flight time come to Singapore).

A benchmarking feature when the then next-gen hotel was newly opened is the hotel’s sit-down check-in service, which takes place in a cosy setting and under the lobby floor’s chandelier ceiling lights. 

The ‘M’ concept, launched in Singapore via this hotel, was intended to serve as a potential model for other MHR hotels in the future – which is indeed also what happened, with M Social and Studio M coming on board. As for M Hotels, there are however only two more two more: M Hotel AI Dana Makkah and M Hotel Makkah in the Middle East.

After completing the check-in procedure, which basically just requires a few details and a digital signature, this arrival takes place just in time for Afternoon Tea. For club room guests this is served between 2.00 pm – 4.00 pm at the M Club Lounge (alternatively, upon this revisit there is a ‘Nostalgic playtime afternoon high tea set’ for two available for all diners, at The Tea Bar). So up to level 28 via the lift we go, drop the luggage in the sizable Club Premiere room and head to the lounge for the first hotel stay activity – and to see how things are in 2025.

First of all, this club floor certainly feels inviting, especially towards the evening, where paintings hung on the beige wallpaper as well as sections of the brown floor carpet in the corridor are spotlit. And by the lifts you find the beautiful flooring laid, with interlocking tropical wood and blonde wall panels.

Inside the club lounge proper, a mid-section partition wall (brownish wallpaper on one side and green wavy transparent glass on the opposite) separates the space to create a configuration with more semi-private seating options. The seating varies, including a creamy lime twin sofa, marble tables (in creamy white-grey) or round glass tabletops, mustard-black leather designer armchairs. The flooring is partly black tiles, partly carpets in different sections and abstracts colours. Those leather armchairs are very comfortable and with tables at perfect laptop height, which will satisfy business travellers even better.

In addition, the service is also attentive and feels very friendly here. Already upon the previous visit over 15 years ago, M hotel informed about their belief in that it was possible to surpass customers’ expectations, by empowering staff members. That approach has very much become the norm – which it wasn’t so much back then – within hospitality

Tea served at M Hotel Singapore City Centre comes from the high-quality brand ‘Raffles Lighthouse’, with many flavour choices including (and limited to) ‘The Millennium’ (specially curated for MHR) – a modern earl grey, Yunnan Pu Erh (aged for 10 years), Uji Sencha, and Moroccan Peppermint.

Alon with your choice of the are some savouries include finger sandwiches and sweet items such as tarts such as Mini chocolate éclair and one chocolate tart looks like mini sunflower plant in a pot!

While enjoying afternoon tea, there are also magazines and the local newspaper to read. On its sea-facing side guests can a view that includes the harbour with its shipping terminals.

Wellness, pool and fitness floor

Following afternoon tea there is time for example to have swim or just relaxing in the outdoor Jacuzzis – on the ‘Waterfloor’ and that (aside a well-equipped fitness centre) also houses what seems very interesting indeed (unfortunately overlooked for this short visit but something to return for): M Hotel Singapore harbouring the Integrated Health Management Wellness Centre (IHM – launched in 2015)! With its holistic approach to healthcare that combines traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) there are innovative therapies, including Bioelectric Meridian Therapy (BMT) and other bioenergetic solutions, with focus on the body’s energy field to promote balance and healing. Through advanced assessments and targeted treatments, they aim to restore energy flow, enhance wellness, and support the body’s natural healing abilities for a more complete and lasting sense of health.

The Club Premiere room is representative of the hotel’s 415 rooms: spacious. And focused on providing a contemporary, relaxed, and productive environment for business travellers rooms are equipped with spacious, crescent-shaped work desks, in ergonomic style. Functionality and style are key at the M hotel, with the rooms done up mainly in an earth colour palette: beige, brown (such as the blackout curtains and seating) and with a mustard yellow-brown carpeting, as well as brown panels and beige surfaces cover the walls.

The room is also contrasted by a rectangular framed blueish abstract painting mounted above the textile-padded, bright headboard. The bathroom is all-white shining and clad in sandy marble, and feature mirror walls.

M Hotel Singapore review: benchmarking hotel has evolved

The trend to open up the wall between the bedroom and the bathroom is the only deviation here from what became trendy in recent years. On other fronts this Millennium hotel has also continued its tradition of being innovative – from being the first locally to include Wi-Fi and broadband, and having laptop-sized safety boxes (amenities which could not be taken for granted back then) to today’s in-room voice assistant Aiello. Via this music player display and AI communication devise guests can request for example extra towels or pillows by simply speaking to Aiello! Also, the in-room filtered water dispenser is praiseworthy!

Not be forgotten, MHR nowadays also has its own branded M Wines from France, which is even for sale as retail in some of its hotels. These house wines is a Merlot Carbernet Sauvignon 2023 and a Colombard chardonnay. Chardonnay – Colombard wines combine the richness of Chardonnay with the reliability of Colombard. Chardonnay is the variety behind Burgundy’s great white wines, while Colombard is a nameless blending partner in Cognac and Armagnac, as well as many neutral white wines from South West France.

These are served in the club lounge during the cocktail hours 6.00 – 8.00 pm, where Mr Rhys (a westerner) and his team welcomes you back for canapé and evening cocktails.

The white wine turns out to be enjoyable. The Chardonnay – Colombard combination explained further informs that in warmer areas, Chardonnay has a tendency to drop acidity, making flabby, unfocused wines. Then, the highly-acidic Colombard comes in – as a “neutraliser”. This grape means that it offers little in the way of flavours but making a wine that combines the Chardonnay’s fruit-driven palate with a balance of acidity.

To start things off in terms of this joie de vivre moment a Piccini Prosecco extra dry is also served, which works fine with both savoury bites and sweet desserts. From the wine region of Veneto, Italy the Piccini Prosecco is branded as an “extremely intense wine” – indeed very floral, and supported by fine sparkling.

From the canapés selection: Vegetable crudités with nacho cheese dip, Crispy boxing chicken wings, Tuna tartlet, Pumpkin tartlet, Mango pudding, and almond cherry tart – as well as assorted cheese and crackers.

Cocktail requests can be mixed based mainly on rum, vodka, whisky and gin.

Evening cocktails can be continued with some bar-hopping among the many waterholes in particular around the nearby Duxton area.

Club room guests also enjoy a one-time complimentary minibar per stay, the expected complimentary laundry and pressing of two pieces per day, as well as a generous late check-out till 4,00 pm. the next day a business appointment also makes use of the M Club Boardroom (complimentary 1 hour per day).

Café 2000: breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets

International breakfast is currently served at Café 2000 only, situated on ground level and characterised by mint-green faux leather dining chairs, with an open kitchen and live stations

As expected, the breakfast spread includes a mix of pan-Asian and Western dishes, and of course varying from day to day. Get fresh brew, or choose your tea from the ‘Raffles Lighthouse’ selection. Miso soup is a great starter, along with Bircher muesli. Meat ball pomodoro (plant-based), Sauteed herbs mushroom, Ratatouille, and Herbed baby potatoes become immediate favourites.

The Indian vegetarian. Corner is also tempting, serving: Mixed vegetable sambar (a popular South Indian lentil stew that we prepare with yellow lentils and mixed veggies, and flavoured with spices); Upma (traditional South Indian breakfast dish, thick porridge); and Okra curry – looking pretty “innocent” and yet being spicy indeed…

In between business meetings one may have in the area, or as part of key things to discover in the area, a hawker lunch is recommended at Lau Pa Sat food centre, a 12-minute walk up the road from M Hotel Singapore City Centre, where one can choose from a large selection of exciting Asian cuisines and classic Singaporean dishes!

Having Power Lunch Buffet (for $30++ only!) back at Café 2000 (evening buffet is also served many days of the week) is also a delight, with Seafood on ice (scallops, shrimp, mussels), Salted vegetarian duck soup, Buttered fried calamari, Charcuterie and fromage board Macaroni salad with ham and pea, Potato salad with bacon and scallion, Vegetables Masala, Chicken curry, Briyani rice, Mee goreng kampung, Wok-fried clams in ginger sauce, Roast lamb leg, Steamed fish Nonya curry, Pizza and more! Desserts include Bread & butter pudding, Swiss roll, red velvet cake, ice cream and more.

Elsewhere, the ground level also houses The Tea Bar, next to the check-in zone, separated by a semi-circle partition. It is furnished with 1950’s style beige as well as mustard-hued upholstered wood armchairs, and also wine-red sofas and light brown leather steel armchairs. It comes with timber flooring, by curved floor-to-ceiling street-facing windows.

Perfectly located for business and leisure

The hotel is certainly perfectly located when needing be in the CBD for convenience of conducting business, but aside that it is also close to many Singapore attractions, not least now when the MRT network has been expanded. And in this sense M Hotel Singapore is indeed an ideal hub for any stay – be it for business or pleasure! Find that many of Singapore’s best attractions only a short drive away!

So, via Tanjung Pagar, and changing between lines it is now fast to get to upper Orchard, to Harbourfront (with the Vivocity and Sentosa island attractions) and over to Marina Bay, plus of course nearby Chinatown. And early morning walk around Gardens by the Bay is for instance recommended.

Singapore already being a hub for professional meetings (with previously existing Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre), opened two integrated resorts with a multi-billion-dollar casino, entertainment and convention complexes; Sands Expo & Convention Centre and Resorts World Sentosa.

With more than 14 event spaces to choose from for either business or social functions the hotel also has a tradition of being popular for weddings, showcasing the ‘M Experience’ offering wedding themes curated to meet varied styles. The hotel’s Banquet Suite can set up to 320 guests and comes with an adjoining refurbished VIP lounge. Wedding couples can also celebrate with a stay in the Bridal Suite equipped with in-room Jacuzzi.

For other guests the selection of room types includes various suites (such as Family), premier, deluxe and club rooms. Pick you preferred choice an enjoy the benefits of the location as well as the extra ‘inhouse’ benefits if opting for a club room stay. Enjoy!