Singapore Summit Hotel is Magnificent: Capella Hotel on Sentosa Island

UPDATE: The venue for the Singapore summit between @POTUS and Leader Kim Jong Un will be the Capella Hotel on Sentosa Island. We thank our great Singaporean hosts for their hospitality.

— Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) June 5, 2018

Capella Hotel on Sentosa Island will be the official location of the historic summit between President Donald Trump and North Korea leader Kim Jong Un. The hotel is a combination resort and spa located on 30 acres of land, including a rainforest and bordered by the South China Sea.

This unique resort is a combination of British colonial buildings dating to the 1880s combined with a modern extension designed by architects Foster + Partners. The extension includes private villas.

Aerial and exterior views:

Tiered pools, courtesy Capella, Facebook.

Colonial buildings and historical bungalows named Tanah Merah or red earth in Malay. Photo courtesy Chris Travel Blog. Facebook.

Integrating two beautifully restored Tanah Merah military buildings dating back to 1880s, Capella Singapore seamlessly fuses history with modern amenities and creature comforts. Facebook.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND Courtesy Capella Singapore:

Tanah Merah I and Tanah Merah II, now home to Capella Singapore, were given conservation status on 7 Aug 2000 under the Conservation of Built Heritage.

They were built in the 1880s to accommodate the British Officers of the Royal Artillery, Coastal Defence Command based on Sentosa Island.

The Officers Mess was where the officers and their families had their meals and recreational activities such as dining, wining, dancing and tennis. There was a tennis court beside the block. ‘Mahjong’ was also a game which the British soldiers picked up from the locals on the island.

Christmas and New Year parties were celebrated at the Officers’ Mess. Formal table settings extended out to the wide corridors of the block and band performances were held in the room at the entrance. From the Officers’ Mess, there was a good view of Singapore harbour and it was a practice for the officers and their families to welcome in the new year with the loud horning from the ships in the harbour.

Parties were commonly held at the Officers’ Mess. When an officer’s tour of duty on the island was up, a farewell party was held before he returned to England and a tankard was normally given as a farewell gift. Farewell parties were also held for wives of commanding officers returning to England.

There was an interesting legend of buried treasures remembered by all the officers who served on the island. It was said that in the last days before the British surrendered on 15 Feb 1942, the British officers quickly buried their Regimental silver in the lawn in front of the Officers’ Mess. Part of the silvers was recovered in Port Dickson in Malaysia in 1950 but the where about of the rest is still unknown, and possibly still lying under the lawn.

After the war, the 1st Singapore Royal Regiment Artillery (1st SRRA) was set up in 1948 and the British officers in command continued to use these blocks as living quarters and mess. In 1956 the British Government authorised the disbandment of all their overseas coast artillery and by 1 Nov 1958 the 1st SRRA at Sentosa Island was disbanded.

According to Capella’s Facebook page, the Colonial Manors are the go-to location for VIPs and dignitaries:

COLONIAL MANORS

For a truly unique take on the Capella Singapore experience on Sentosa Island, our Colonial Manors offer Singapore luxury villa accommodations with three bedrooms in our beautifully restored buildings.

Each of our spacious Colonial Manors are 436 square metres and come complete with a stately dining room, a study, lounge room, fully equipped kitchen and a mini lap-pool.