An iconic 95-year-old heritage building in Singapore’s downtown is undergoing a name change and rebranding to the Hotel Telegraph after exchanging hands.
It was most recently a luxury boutique hotel called So/ Singapore, but before that, the Ogilvy Centre in 2001, the Cable and Wireless Building for the Telecommunications Authority of Singapore in 1995, and originally housed the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company when the building opened in 1927.
Viva Land Group bought over the 134-key hotel for S$240 million (US$171 million) and has appointed heritage hotel specialist Inverlochy Castle Management International to operate the hotel for its expertise in managing a number of castles and resorts in Scotland and the Caribbean.
“The building played an important role in Singapore’s coming of age as an international business hub,” said Viva Land Group deputy CEO Anthony Chua. “Renaming it the Hotel Telegraph is a direct tribute to its rich history and our ambitions for history to repeat itself.”
Inverlochy Castle Management International’s responsibility for this new project according to its spokesperson Norbert Lieder is to “position the hotel to complement the thriving CBD area, through events and activities, and restore the building’s status as one of the mainstays of the district.”
Hotel Telegraph stands opposite Lau Pa Sat, a popular heritage food court frequented by locals and travellers alike.
The new hotel aims to cater to business travellers, with its convenient location in the heart of Singapore’s CBD. Four train stations are situated minutes away by foot, and also within 10 minutes’ walking distance are the Marina Bay Financial Centre and Raffles Place.
Hotel Telegraph will officially open on 28 September featuring 134 refurbished rooms and suites, offering state-of-the-art contemporary amenities.