Its framed 20th-century sketches, club chairs and polished wooden floors go some way towards conveying a sense of history and elegance of days gone by, but make no mistake: The Singular Santiago, routinely regarded as the luxury hotel to stay in town, only opened in 2014. Behind its gentlemen’s-club-like pizzazz hides genteel service and an air of rarefied hospitality.
Heady though as it may be, the Chilean capital doesn’t exactly glory in a mature luxury segment. Travellers checking into The Singular Santiago, however, can look forward to the kind of built environment you’d hope to find in a modern five-star stay: a rooftop bar with exposed beams and floor-to-ceiling windows, golden door handles against black-lacquered doorframes, wide hallways with ceilings so high, you could almost miss the floral fragrance they’re filled with.
Service, on the whole, mirrors the sentiment of grandeur, with the team being markedly attentive and polite. But while ‘customer is king/queen’, a welcome soupçon of South American geniality means that the stuffy formality the hotel’s appearance might suggest is fortunately nowhere to be found. It’s perhaps this combination of classic guise and sincere service that earned The Singular Santiago an entry into The Leading Hotels of the World just two years after its operations began.
Divided into five types, the property’s 62 European-styled rooms keep it within the extended boutique category, and there was much to appreciate about our 40 sqm/431 sqft Singular King with Balcony. A muted colour palette and warm accent lights awaited behind a heavy and substantial-feeling bedroom door, ready to cast their soothing spell upon us as we returned to our lodgings after a day of exploring this fast-paced city. Our room featured a full-sized desk across from a king-size bed and a cosy lounge area ideal for flipping through the pages of the illustrated book that had been placed at its centre. Artworks across accommodations are more decorative than statement, and bathrooms come with generous bathtubs, twin vanities and rather quirky porthole windows.
While the guest rooms certainly feel luxurious with their empire lampshades, and the addition of French balconies for some categories is a rarity in Santiago, they would benefit from some upgraded amenities to bring the product up to date: blackout curtains for light sleepers, a kettle and tea bags in addition to coffee machines, and, most importantly, glass bottled water at turndown, so guests don’t have to rely on the plastic bottles from the mini bar – how those still fly in a ‘Leading’ address in this day and age, we’re not entirely sure.
There were no bottles we disliked at the Rooftop Bar, which overlooks an outdoor terrace on one end and is backed by a panoramic window, against which an impressive array of liqueurs and spirits is set, on the other. The bar’s interiors are as chic and sleek as the cocktail menu is extensive, and there’s a suitably sexy buzz owing to the capital’s fun-loving cosmo-crowd, who gravitate here for sundowners with unbeatable views of San Cristóbal Hill. We also dined here one night, and, opting for the outdoor seating despite our stay falling into the southern hemisphere’s winter, were immediately offered a blanket as a patio heater was moved closer to our table in another display of the proactive service we’d come to expect from The Singular Santiago.
| Perfect for | Fly into | Right on time |
| The Sophisticate | SCL | GMT -3 |
| While you’re Out There |
| Owing to its location in the arsty Lastarria neighbourhood, the hotel affords guests easy access to some of Santiago’s top tourist draws around the corner. But with a bit of extra time on your hands, why not check out the lesser-known but wonderful Barrio Italia, with its vintage stores and pulsating nightlife scene? Or go for a stroll – and a seriously delicious meal – around La Vega Central Fruit Market and the adjoining Patronato district, home to the city’s Arab and Asian immigrant communities. |
The menu is manageable and features just one choice per course that suited our vegan diet, which was demonstrative of the hesitance with which the culinary direction under Executive Chef Hernán Basso regards plant-forward cuisine. Judging by how deliciously umami and richly textured our mushrooms-based main course was, this seemed a missed opportunity, and frequenting neighbourhood restaurants in search of more variety for the remainder of our stay, we were left wondering just how many more tasty and gorgeously plated meals we could’ve had in the convenience of the hotel, if there’d been more of a selection to choose from.
With a proactive stance, The Singular Santiago could easily provide vegan-friendly alternatives to foam-topped cocktails made with egg whites, or implement a solid plant-based option or two on its breakfast menu. At the time of our stay, we weren’t able to order a dedicated option from the menu like other guests, but were instead served single ingredients – some avocado and tomatoes here, a slice of bread there – and offered the occasional culinary oddity in lieu of an appropriate choice (a jam toast with olive oil instead of butter, anyone?). Mind you, this was hardly the fault of the staff, who were as helpful and accommodating as could be, given the somewhat limited offering. And those without dietary requirements will be just fine.
A final surprise is constituted in the hotel’s wellness facilities, which feature a sauna and steam room (accessible privately via a booking, and separated by a rather stylish mosaic twin shower), four treatment rooms equipped with jacuzzis, and a spacious, state-of-the-art gym that’s open around the clock. Everything has been thought of across the subterranean facilities, which come with a built-in sense of being away from it all. Between tea stations, a calming musical backdrop and loungers to recline whenever you feel the need (or dramatic urge) to do so, guests looking to recuperate after a long flight or a night on the town won’t want for anything.
The crown jewel and most glorious feature of the property, however, is its 9th-floor terrace. Here, the hotel’s rooftop dipping pool is a real USP in the city, and a changing skyline behind the poolside white parasols arguably hints at a destination that’s set to see no small amount of development in years to come. But while more five-star addresses will arrive in the future, The Singular Santiago has already made its mark as the city’s top independent place to stay. And with there not being a historical ‘grande dame’ in town, it might just be able to lay claim to the title at some point down the line. For what it’s worth, there’s already a lot to make it grand.
www.thesingular.com| www.lhw.com
Photography courtesy of The Singular Hotels
