This year, Singapore is celebrating its 50th birthday (SG50) with a yearlong variety of events. As part of the fete, Singapore introduced its Jubilee Walk, a walking trail that covers historic locations in the civic district and the Marina Bay area and incorporates a new pedestrian bridge that will stretch from the Merlion Park to Marina Promenade, in front of the Esplanade Theatres. It is marked by trail markers and four new public art works to commemorate SG50.
Also commemorating SG50, the National Gallery will open in November 2015 with a 10-day long festival.
In addition to the SG50 openings, Singapore’s ever-expanding skyline has been adding top-tier hotels with brand names like Westin and Sofitel. Earlier this year, the Sofitel So Singapore debuted in a 1927 heritage building with 134 guest rooms, including nine suites.
Last year, the Westin Singapore Marina Bay opened in Singapore's financial district on Marina Bay. The 305-room hotel offers 10 venues and 6,500 square feet of meeting space, including two ballrooms as well as an on-site gastrobar and infinity pool.
At popular Clarke Quay, the Holiday Inn Express at Clarke Quay opened in March 2014 featuring 442 rooms. The Orchard Road area is also seeing a number of hotel openings, including the Holiday Inn Express Singapore Orchard Road and the 502-room Traders Hotel in the mixed-use complex named Orchardgateway.
In 2013, the $283 million Pan Pacific Hotel Group’s Parkroyal on Pickering opened, staking its claim as one of the greenest hotels in Asia. Located at the edge of Chinatown, the hotel boasts more than 160,000 square feet of sky gardens, reflecting pools, waterfalls and vertical greenery. The hotel has 367 guest rooms as well as the Orchid Club Lounge, with a 360-degree view of the city skyline.
Another recent opening is the 386-room Carlton City Hotel in the Tanjong Pagar area. The hotel's Graffiti Sky Bar on the 29th floor provides a view of the city skyline.
Dorsett Singapore opened in March 2013 with 285 guest rooms, set atop the Outram Park MRT station. Special features include a landscape roof garden and koi pond.
Opened in May 2013, the Ramada Singapore at Zhongshan Park offers 384 guest rooms.
Slated for a spring opening is the Patina, Capitol Singapore, which will be housed in two heritage buildings, and slated for 2016 are Novotel Singapore, with 254 guest rooms, and Ibis Singapore, with 528 rooms.
For group off-site options, the Singapore Sports Hub opened in 2014 as a sports, entertainment and lifestyle hub overlooking the Kallang Basin. It will be the main arena when Singapore plays host to the South East Asian (SEA) Games in June.
Pinacotheque de Paris, the largest private art museum in Paris, will be opening its first Asian outpost in Singapore this year. Situated at the Fort Canning Centre, the galleries will showcase a revolving collection of classic and contemporary art.
