Gravity-defying greenery

Stepping into the Parkroyal Collection Pickering is like glimpsing a future where tropical nature has reclaimed the land. Where you might expect to be surrounded by concrete and glass, instead you find yourself amid the cooling shade and freshening scent of thousands of plants and shading trees, planter walls, waterfalls and lush foliage. The simple act of checking in transports you from the city streets below into a radically different environment—one that’s cleaner, healthier, and unexpectedly beautiful.

This immersion in environmental fantasy would be unusual anywhere, but it is in even sharper contrast to the Parkroyal Collection Pickering’s surroundings of modern-day Singapore. Currently ranked the third most densely populated region on earth, the island is not somewhere associated with self-sufficiency. Yet the Pickering is using the urban-farm sections of its garden to grow fresh herbs, spices and edible flowers for the kitchen and bar—along with almost 90lbs of vegetables a week for local senior citizens who come to help out with the gardening as part of the hotel’s social program.

As general manager Kung Teong Wah explains, the hotel’s story began with an idea to recreate a paddy field—and integrate more than 160,000 square feet of greenery in the process. Created by local design studio WOHA in 2013, they describe how, “the project is a study of how we can not only conserve our greenery in a built-up high-rise city center, but multiply it in a manner that is architecturally striking, integrated and sustainable.”

This care for the environment is shaped by Singapore’s reality as a small island where inventive solutions must be created for every problem. “We are a country with nothing, but with everything,” says Teong Wah. The country’s ongoing 30 by 30 program (whereby 30% of the country’s food will be locally produced by 2030) is informing the hotel’s work.

The eye-catching four-story garden is only part of the hotel’s radical approach to creating a more sustainable experience. “We put in the best heating, ventilation and air conditioning,” says Teong Wah. “Then we looked at how we are going to sustain the garden with the least rainwater.” The hotel received a permit from the government to collect its own precipitation (Singapore’s scarce resources are usually centrally managed), further cutting down its carbon footprint and preserving drinkable water in the area.

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The bigger picture

What’s more, the hotel’s food waste is disposed of through an on-site digester, single-use plastics have been swapped for recyclable paper products, and all carpets are made from sustainable materials. The sky gardens are zero-energy, powered by solar cells, while the 367 surprisingly spacious rooms and suites are inspired by nature with a palate of calm greens and natural wood (Teong Wah recommends the Royal Suite).

With a full-time horticulturalist and seven gardeners, the Parkroyal Collection Pickering is taking a fresh approach (literally) to running a huge hotel in a built-up urban environment. It’s the perfect destination for travelers who want to find a hotel that doesn’t just look and feel different, but acts differently. As Teong Wah says, “Change is starting to come. If you give, you’re only going to go forwards. You won’t go backwards.”

What guests say

State-of-the-art sustainability in building. Excellent staff. We arrived at 8 a.m. and our room was ready. On the day of our departure, we were allowed to keep our room until 3 p.m.
Jewel, three-night trip with friends



Hotel was amazing, especially the fifth floor. Beautiful pool, amazing greenery, and a great gym, all of which had amazing city views. Room was great too.
George, two-night trip with friends



Very nice, well-kept property on the edge of Chinatown. Garden rooms make you feel like you’re living in nature. Room design is very modern and lovely.
Gary, three-night romance trip