In general, hotels often consumed the most energy and water to maintain its daily operations. Imagine the amount of electricity used for operating the air-conditioners and lightings? How about the massive supply of water which is required to wash bed linens and towels? I do not have any up-to-date stats to reflect the amount of a typical hotel’s energy consumption. I believe the numbers might be too overwhelming for some of us. Numbers aside, at the very least there are hotels which have taken steps to go eco-friendly and have adopted sustainable practices to lower their carbon footprints.
My mission has always been to explore all the various eco-friendly hotels in Singapore. There are a few eco-friendly hotels in Singapore which have adopted several innovative green practices to do their part to save the environment. There’s one particular eco-hotel (or resort) in Sentosa which I’ve always wanted to check but I never had the opportunity to until only recently. You and I’ve probably passed by Siloso Beach Resort many times while we were at Sentosa but it has never crossed my mind that it is an eco-resort and a green sanctuary. This resort is not your usual luxurious type of eco-resorts or green hotels with garden-themed rooms overlooking the sea and posh interiors. Siloso Beach Resort stands out clearly from the other eco-hotels with its commitment towards sustainability and nature preservation.
Okay, where should I begin? Let’s start with the green features of the hotel.
1. Reception
Interestingly, the reception area is located on the 8th floor of the building. I eventually came to know that this resort is constructed on a hill and most of the rooms are kept close to ground level.
2. Getting There
You could take Sentosa Express from Vivocity and alight at Beach station. It is about a 10-minute walk from the Sentosa Express station to the resort. Once you’re at the resort, you can ask for complimentary tram passes which allows you to hop in and out of Sentosa via Sentosa Express. There are also free shuttle buses at the resort which could take you to Universal Studios or Vivocity.
Are there parking spaces at the resort? Yes, there are!
3. Natural Spring Water Pool
Other than the Sembawang Hot Spring, do we have another spring water source in Singapore? Apparently, the second natural spring water source is right at Siloso Beach Resort. This spring water source was discovered during the construction of the resort. Instead of using chlorinated water in their swimming pools, they use natural spring water from the underground spring water reservoir to fill up the pool which would be otherwise discharged into the sea. A salt ionisation system is used to sanitise the water instead of harsh chemicals. It’s like swimming in a pool filled with mineral water. How cool is that? The mineral-rich water is excellent for the skin too.
There’s also a huge 30-metre man-made waterfall structure where you can enjoy the feeling of being splashed by river water.
This long meandering water landscape pool is 95 metres long! You got to pack your swimsuit along if you’re staying at Siloso Beach Resort. I regret that I didn’t bring mine.
How about a fun slide down from the waterfall to the central pool area?
4. The Rooms
From our roof garden suite rooms, we have a beautiful view of the South China Sea. You can also see fleets of ships cruising along the waters.
This environmentally responsible resort also fosters a compassion for PWDs (persons with disabilities) in society. They offer them employment and training opportunities for this neglected pool of talents. It is a meaningful form of employment as it empowers them to be more confident and independent.
They offer high-quality bath products by MALIN+GOETZ which uses natural ingredients in their products.
They encourage hotel guests to reuse their towels too. Also, the toilet uses spring water to flush the toilet bowls.
There’s a laundry self-service at level 1 where you can wash and dry your laundry.
It’s nice that they offer both the bedroom slippers and Japanese bamboo slippers. With the bamboo slippers, you can wear it to the pool in the resort. I do wish that hotels do provide both types of slippers because some guests tend to prefer comfort and opt to wear their bedroom slippers to the pool or to the restaurant for breakfast.
The suite has a staircase leading up to the second-storey where there’s an open-rooftop showering and bath area.
There’s this cool open-air bathtub which works like a jacuzzi. Fancy a hydrotherapy treatment.
We’ve got a breath-taking view of the beachfront from the open-air rooftop. It does felt like I was on vacation where I could only see the clear blue sky and sea. It is indeed something refreshing for the urban dweller.
There’s a door at the terrace which leads to this green corridor that links with other rooftop suites.
5. Eco Alfresco Café
This is where we come for our buffet breakfast. Even the cafe itself has got this beautiful facade of plants grown in recycled plastic bottles.
Breakfast here is a simple affair, but the standard of the food is rather good. I enjoyed the waffles, sweet fruits and fresh vegetables which are probably obtained from their rooftop garden.
The food selection is limited but sufficient. There’s juices, hot beverages, pastries, eggs, sausages, noodles, salads and fruits. To prevent food waste, they would prepare food in small batches. If the food runs out, they will top up. In that way, the food is also kept fresher too.
Ingredients used are sourced from local farms or neighbouring countries to reduce carbon footprint. They also do not serve meat of any endangered species such as bluefin tuna.
Having been to many hotels before, I would say that the breakfast here is quite alright and most of the items here are quite healthy which is in line with their eco-resort theme. Since there are aiming to reduce food waste, the number of food choices is limited. You might be dissappointed if you’re expecting a wider variety of breakfast items. Nonetheless, they are merely practising what they preach.
I like that they included local delights like Char Kway Teow. I particularly enjoy their fresh fruits and salads.
6. Eco-Tour
After breakfast, we went for their Eco-tour which usually starts at 9 am. That day we had Karl as the guide who brought us to the resort for an insightful eco-tour.
7. The Villas
Our first stop is at one of their villas. While other hotels cut down trees to make way for buildings and construction, Siloso Beach Resort works around nature and creates spaces for the trees to grow. For instance, they allow slow-growing trees to grow through the rooftop of the villa as shown in the photo below. How cool is that!
This tree is encased in a glass tank so that it allows some space for the tree growth and at the same time it blends in well with the room decor. It is quite aesthetically pleasing to the eye. I mean, how often do you visit a house with a tree trunk growing through the rooftop? It must be rather challenging to construct the villa in the first place. Instead of seeing trees as a hindrance to the construction of the resort, they saw the functionality and beauty of trees. Now, that’s the true essence of sustainability and nature preservation. It may seem inconvenient at first but if you start to think beyond and further, a lot of the environmental problems could be solved via modern-day innovations.
Villa Rooms
We also visited this insanely beautiful algae wall that has creepers growing all over it.
8. SBR Wormery
The highlight of the eco-tour would be the visit to the wormery where we get to see some earthworms in action. These Malaysian Blue earthworms help to break down food waste and the castings they produce make great fertilisers for the plants.
Suitable food waste obtained from the kitchen is brought here to the wormery for it to be vermicomposted. The food waste is then segregated and placed into these black trays of beddings, which consisted of peat substrates with the earthworms in it.
Do you know that the earthworm castings contains beneficial bacteria and nutrients for the plants? They might be gross to look at, but they play a crucial role in decomposition and plant nutrient cycle.
9. Green Sanctuary
There are several functional spaces within the resorts which are great for hosting events. Beside this rooftop space is the rooftop garden where they grow a variety of herbs, spices, flowers and vegetables.
Sustainable farming methods practised here allows the plants to grow organically without the use of pesticides and plant growth stimulators.
Overall, I am very impressed with the green initiatives employed by Siloso Beach Resort. It is truly a one-of-a-kind Eco-resort which is fully committed to protect the environment. I love how they are flexible enough to allow the plants to flourish naturally. To contribute back to society, they try to be inclusive and provide job opportunities for the PWDs. It is not your usual modern and chic hotels or luxe resorts that pamper you like a royalty. This is a socially-responsible and eco-friendly resort that has a rustic charm. Occasionally, you might even see squirrels and other smaller reptiles roaming around. Such sightings goes to show that their habitat is not destroyed but well-protected. It might not be your thing if you’re uninterested in nature or eco-tourism.
There’s certainly a lot of potential in this resort as there are many pockets of spaces which are under-developed. Certain areas so need some sprucing up and undergo refurbishments and maintenance (such as their gym) in order to stay up-to-date and competitive. It could easily be one of the best Eco-resorts in Southeast Asia once they undergo a transformation to provide the best experiences for their guests.
Siloso Beach Resort
51 Imbiah Walk
Sentosa, Singapore
Tel: +65 6722 3333
