Clue’s in the name, you might say, because Else is something else. Gritty yet glamorous, steps away from Chinatown, the 49-room hotel spanning over 56,000 square feet and seven floors is sited within the beautifully restored Lee Rubber Building.
Once inside, expect respite from the bustle and beelines and bus honkings of city life. Studio Bikin, appointed by first-time hoteliers Javier Perez and Justin Chen, has reimagined the 1930s art deco property into a chic, modern space, where the raw meets the refined. Think retro banquette seating and Roman columns at the lobby; in the gym, floatation pods available for 60- or 90-minute treatments; and exceptional art handpicked by Gilded Lion.
Raw Kitchen Hall, the dining-living hall serving up playful Latin-Asian sharing plates, and Jun Wong’s Yellow Fin Horse, championing elemental cooking over open flames, are two of the hottest new openings in the city. Hunger-sated and thirst-quenched, retreat into your 41-sqm sanctuary to enjoy scenic views from the private balcony.