Paradox Singapore Hotel. Envelope Yourself In Luxurious Restorative Relaxation In The City Centre.

Michael Edwards recharges and rebalances at the Paradox Singapore Hotel.

If you are not staying at Paradox Singapore, you could be suffering from “kiasu”. Essentially, that’s Singlish for FOMO.

Paradox Singapore, located at Clarke Quay, is at the very epicentre of Singapore. First-time visitors to Singapore spot that it is at the centre of a hub of boats, buses, MRT underground, riverwalk and taxis. Singapore veterans simply recite, “Location, location, location.”

Along the Riverwalk, guests stroll past Sir Stamford Raffles’ alabaster white statute; the man who clutched the sleepy fishing village of Singapore for the East India company, now looks a little bewildered by the skyscrapers behind him. Raffles’ neighbour is the Asian Civilisation Museum which weaves together millennia of the continent’s stories of belief, culture, and trade. Appropriately, another Raffles’ neighbour is the Victorian grandeur of the Former Empress building, part of the Civic District Heritage Trail.

Since the 1970s and 1980s clean up, redeveloped Clarke Quay has become a social hub for both day and night. Although the pastel facades of the go-downs have been preserved, behind the wooden shutters bars, cafes, clubs, and restaurants hum. Paradox Singapore guests are in pole position for Singapore’s nightlife.

“Why you go Robertson Quay?” My taxi driver demanded as I headed out from Paradox to catch up on friends who had made Singapore their ex-pat home for over two decades. “Clarke Quay nice,” he said with understatement.

For many travellers, Paradox Singapore, represents, restorative relaxation, nourishment, and sleep.

Perhaps breaking a journey to Australia or recovering after hectic business. Whatever, the intuitive warm service of the Paradox’s staff helps restore balance.

Although it only opened in 1997, the Paradox Singapore represents two centuries of multi-cultural Singapore. Octagonal terracotta tiled roofs acknowledge the Peranakan architectural heritage amongst a skyscape of futuristic skyscrapers.

In the early days of trading, wind-power brought ships’ cargoes up the Singapore river to the godowns or warehouses at what would become Clarke’s Quay. Rapid economic growth bringing low bridges across the river meant no more sail masts. The blood, sweat and tears of Chinese coolies had to provide the heft. Their homes, shops and Temple of the Scared Tooth of the Buddha, became Chinatown: one stop north of Clarke Quay on the MRT.

Classic contradictions are evident at The Paradox. Once the cooling walkways, grand pillars and high ceilings would have been classed as Colonial. Nowadays “Tropical Palladian” is more politically correct.

Paradox Singapore anchors itself in local, historic culture too. Like an ethnographic museum, dark wood shelves house historic artefacts. Moulds for creating moon cakes with words imprinted through the dough, large ornamental tea caddies, and delicate paper cuttings. As Chinese New Year approaches, red bows, for good luck, are tied around vases as tall as teenagers.

It is a season of traditions. Red and gold lanterns hang from the ceiling, red pussy willows fill vases, and red blossomed trees appear. Red and gold symbolise the seasonal wish; “May you have abundance.”

All this culture, all this history, to an oriental soundtrack of flutes and breathy reeds backed by the percussion of soft drums and lingering metallic strikes. Guests know that they are in Singapore. The Paradox has its own distinct character. This is where it belongs.

Entering our Executive Room on the 12th and top floor, following the entrance hallway past the bathroom and into the bedroom, the panorama sweeps from Marina Bay towers to Clarke Quay bum boats.

The welcome gift is a delicate duck-egg blue tiffin box. Traditionally its layers were curries, breads, rice, and noodles to fuel arduous manual labour. An oriental lunchbox. Now in a new life, the tiffin box is a colourful and geometric selection of macarons and the mini local cakes called Nyonya kuehs. Think of a Singaporean Paul Hollywood setting a semi-final Bake Off Challenge.

Recalling local history, the Ellenborough Market Cafe’s breakfast buffet overflows with bananas, dragon fruit, melon, and pineapple. Then the guests seem to diversify, ladling oriental soups or taking the western route of cooked to order eggs, bacon, and sausages. The evening buffet provides top quality seafood laid on ice: oysters, prawns, and scallops. Before indulging in one of the local specialties, perhaps a beef rendang, a laksa or ayam buah keluak.

In a city of heat, relentless momentum and sky-high aspirations, Paradox Singapore is always there, as an urban resort, for guests to press the pause button. Cool off with a swim. Linger over high tea. Sip a Singapore Sling. Restored and ready to re-enter the Lion City. As the locals would say in Singlish, “Shiok!” Awesome.