Accor’s Hotel Faber Park SG offers unique experience for culture-seeking travellers

Singapore’s first Handwritten Collection hotel was inspired by the iconic Mount Faber.

Until recently, tourists had to journey for miles or take a cable car to catch a glimpse of Mount Faber, but with the launch of Accor’s first Handwritten Collection hotel in Singapore, guests can now immerse themselves in the beauty and history of Singapore’s second-highest hill and premier attraction, all from the comfort of their hotel room.

Not only is Hotel Faber Park Singapore – Handwritten Collection nestled by the iconic hill,  it also tells the story of Captain Charles Edward Faber of Madras Engineers, who built a narrow winding road to the summit for the installation of a signal station.

The design and layout of the rooms and amenities such as the restaurant were also inspired by the foothills of Mount Faber Park, giving guests a piece of Singapore’s history.

Andrew Langdon, Chief Development Officer of Accor Asia, said hotels under the Handwritten Collection brand each follow a unique theme and story, which is often linked to the owner of the hotel.

“Hotels under the Handwritten Collection portfolio are highly curated and have a unique identity and personality. The idea is we infuse existing hotels with a story typically linked with the owner’s passion, giving guests unique experiences,” Langdon told the Singapore Business Review.

“No two Handwritten Collections will look the same. They are meant to be different, independently-inspired hotels,” Langdon added.

Further comparing the Handwritten Collection with Accor’s brands that have already entered the Singapore market, Like Ibis, Pullman, and Novotel, Langdon said the former is a soft brand, whilst the latter are hard brands.

“Handwritten Collection hotels are typically named Hotel ABC — A Handwritten Collection. For our hard brands, hotels are named after the brand, for example, Pullman Orchard,” Langdon explained.

Unique, authentic experiences

Since Handwritten Collection hotels are independently-inspired, it also allows Accor to offer their guests unique and authentic experiences, which are what travellers are seeking nowadays.

According to Booking.com’s 2023 Sustainable Travel Research Report, 75% of travellers seek authentic experiences that are representative of the local culture.

“We have seen how our guests’ attitudes have changed, visitors and guests of our hotels are now looking for actual, authentic, culturally-sensitive, culturally-aware stay,” Langdon said.

“The Handwritten Collection hotels will very much cater to those guests who are looking for something different, something unique, something that is potentially off the beaten path,” he added.

The 194-room Hotel Faber Park Singapore - Handwritten Collection, for example, offers guests access to Sentosa Island, VivoCity, Singapore Cable Car, and surrounding reserves, with the MRT line located within walking distance of the hotel.

More hotels in Singapore

Apart from the introduction of the Handwritten Collection, Accor also opened new hotels in Singapore including the 543-room Novotel on Kitchener Road and the Pullman Singapore Hill Street.

 As of writing, the number of hotels  under the Premium, Midscale, Economy segment  run by Accor in Singapore totals 28. Of the 28, one is a Handwritten Collection hotel, one is under its Swissôtel brand, two under Pullman, one under Grand Mercure, twounder Novotel, one under Novotel Living, three under Mercure, two under ibis, another two under ibis Styles, and 14 under the ibis Budget brand.

“We are currently working on a couple of other opportunities which we plan to announce in 2024,” shared Langdon.

Besides Singapore, Accor also plans to further expand in countries within the Asian region.

“We are targeting to sign 60 hotels and 15,000 keys throughout our brands and throughout the 14 countries in Asia this year,” Langdon said. “We want out brands in all of the destinations that our guests expect to go and visit.”

Langdon also underscored that inter-Asian travel is “very strong” and he expects it to grow at a far greater pace.

“Asia is an abundant region with many different cultures, many different experiences and that’s why it attracts not just the domestic travel in certain countries, but also interregional travel and international travel,” Langdon said.