Varel Singapore, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel is one of Singapore’s newer upscale boutique-style hotels, positioned along Selegie Road near Dhoby Ghaut and Little India. It is where Selegie Centre used to be located at. This indie hotel offers travelers a fresh alternative to the larger luxury chains in the city area.
This hotel is designed by award-winning architectural firm, FDAT. Some of their notable projects are PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay and Pan Pacific Singapore.
There are a total of 128 rooms in the hotel, with 7 different room categories which include the Varel Suite. We stayed at their Deluxe King room with balcony.
Location
It is about a 5-minute walk from Little India MRT station, Exit A. There’s also a bus stop located one-minute away from the hotel entrance. There are buses connecting to nearby MRT stations like Little India MRT station. Next to this bus stop is a 7-Eleven convenience store where you can grab drinks, snacks and other travel essentials. The location is generally quiet and serene. And there are generally several notable cafes and well-known eateries in the area too. However, there is an ongoing road construction near the hotel as of May 2026.
Hotel Entrance
When you reach the hotel drop-off area, you’ll be greeted by 2 huge saga seeds sculpture. This sculpture inspired by the old Saga tree on Mount Emily which is just a stone throwaway from the hotel. As you explore the hotel, you will discover more locally-inspired design elements that tells the Singapore story.
Automated Parking System
Near the pick up and drop-off point is also an automated parking system for cars. All you need is to just drive your car into the mechnical lift and the system will transport and park the car for you.
Hotel Lobby
The lobby is located on the second floor. You will need to take a lift up to the second floor to check-in. The check-in process is relatively smooth. Over here, local guests will need to check-in with their physical passports or IDs.
We are given 2 room key cards which give us access to our hotel room floor. We stayed on the 7th floor.
Located next to the lobby is Hathaway Autograph, a restaurant that specialises in South East Asian cuisine. This is also where the hotel buffet breakfast is served.
Before heading up, the staff offered us some iced TWG teas as well as gelato by Denzy Gelato.
You can choose from the 4 available gelato flavours: Chrysanthemum & Goji Berries, Dark Chocolate, Vanilla and Pear & Ginger sorbet.
Bespoke Hotel Scent
Varel Singapore also partnered with Maison 21G to create a signature scent for the hotel. Maison 21G designed the signature scent “Chai Noir” which is inspired by the hotel’s architecture and local heritage. This bespoke fragrance features notes of white tea, black tea, cedarwood, sandalwood, and smoky leather.
The bath amenities provided by the hotel is also from Maison 21G. The shampoo and bath gel are all Chai Noir-scented. You will find these tall perfume diffusers placed everywhere in the hotel. The scent is pretty strong and distinct. We can even smell it in our rooms as well.
Delxue King Room (with Balcony)
The room size at this hotel is generally smaller than the larger hotels in the city area. This room size for the Deluxe King is 30sqm/323sqft. It has a King-size bed placed right in the middle of the room. The room is air-conditioned but once you lift up the Zip Track Blinds, the air-con will automatically turn off so that you can enjoy some fresh air.
Bedside Tables and Power Sockets
There’s a safe placed near the bedside.
There’s a USB-C and USB-A ports in the room. Over here in Singapore, we use devices with 3-pin plugs.
The balcony area has a comfy sofa and a table. The bulky furniture does make the space look alot more constraint.
Open Wardrobe Area
Most of the newer hotels here in Singapore adopt this mini open wardrobe design. They provided quite a number of hangers in each room.
They offer bottled water which is refillable. There’s also a kettle for you to boil water. In Singapore, the tap water is safe to drink but if you prefer bottled water, you can always request for more via the Marriott Bonvoy® App. I highly recommend you to download this app before checking-in. This app allows you to chat directly with the front desk staff and you can easily request for extra towels or bottled water via the app. To me, it is a game changer for hotels.
Complimentary Mini Bar
The drinks in the minibar are complimentary but not refillable. They offer canned soda drinks, beer and bottled water.
Coffee & Tea-making facilities
They offer TWG teas and Drip Coffee bags from Vernacular Coffee. They also have a pet-friendly cafe located right next to the hotel entrance.
Bathroom
The bathroom also has a stylish interior. You will find the hairdryer, towels and other bath amenities here. There is no bidet in the bathroom.
They provide hand and body wash, shampoo, hair conditioner and body lotion by Maison 21G.
Rooftop Infinity Pool
The swimming pool is located on the rooftop level or 9th floor of the hotel. It’s relatively small pool which is about 0.95 metres deep. There’s also cosy lounge chairs for guests to sit and soak in some sun.
The pool overlooks the shophouses and the nearby HDB blocks in the neighbourhood.
Complimentary Snap Fitness Access
There’s no gym at the hotel itself but hotel guests have free gym access to the nearby Snap Fitness outlet along Prinsep street. It is about a 10 to 15-minute walk from the hotel to the gym which is housed in one of the shophouses along Prinsep street.
It’s a 2-storey 24-hour gym and you will need to ask the hotel frontdesk for the gym pass before heading there. To me, it can be quite of a hassle to walk to and fro from the hotel to the gym. However, the gym itself is quite big and you can find all sorts of equipment there.
Hathaway Autograph
There’s an all-day dining restaurant (located on the second floor) at the hotel which specialises in South East Asian cuisine. You can find several local dishes like Hainanese Chicken Rice and Chilli crab with fried mantou here. Food is relatively acceptable here. It is more suited for group dining.
Hotel Breakfast
The hotel breakfast is served at Hathaway Autograph. It is a buffet-style intercontinental breakfast which includes cereals, toasts, pastries, fruits, salads, Dim Sum and local breakfast dishes like Nasi Lemak.
The breakfast buffet spread is small but generally well-curated. Food is decent. There weren’t any highlights for me though.
You can find Nasi Lemak, Roti Prata and soup dishes at the hot food section.
Vernacular Coffee
There’s also an all-day cafe that offers specialty coffees near the hotel entrance on level 1. They offer pretty good coffees and pastries. There’s also a brunch menu too. There’s an alfresco seating area for those who brought their pets out.
Our Verdict of Varel Singapore
If you are searching for a modern boutique hotel in Singapore that combines stylish interiors, central convenience, and upscale comfort, Varel Singapore, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel might be a good choice for you. It is relatively near the city centre and other major tourist attractions.
The highlight for me was actually the hotel scent. The scent made the hotel appear more luxurious and chic. The room and beddings were comfortable. It was overall a comfortable stay for us. The hotel is more suited for couples or business travellers who are here in Singapore for a short stay.
Prices start from SGD 265 per night (member rate) for their standard Queen room. Do note that the prices may fluctuate based on demand.
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