A new serviced apartment in Singapore’s New Bahru, Alma House, has set its sights on being a non-cookie-cutter serviced apartment that can tap into the potential of adaptive reuse projects.
Alma House is under the stewardship of Project X, itself a new, Singapore-based hospitality operator.
“Alma House is the first in a series of Houses curated and managed by Project X. We strive to set the benchmark for authentic hospitality experiences – beyond revitalising spaces, we want to reshape the urban fabric,” Giselle Makarachvili, general manager of Alma House and co-founder of Project X, told TTGmice. Makarachvili was previously the CEO of Hmlet (rebranded to Habyt in 2023), another Singapore-based co-living solutions provider.
This is Project X’s foray into the hospitality industry, together with their investment partners Sunray Woodcraft Construction and Agility Funds Management. Their mission is to ensure Alma House is seen as a “refreshing option” as opposed to the more predictable “traditional brand offerings”, Makarachvili shared.
“A new generation of travellers are seeking authentic localised experiences and Alma House, alongside the offerings across various verticals at New Bahru – from gastronomy to retail and wellness – caters to that,” she quipped. “We were drawn by The Lo & Behold Group’s mission for New Bahru to create a new creative cluster in Singapore which supports local enterprises.”
There is no maximum length of stay at Alma House, but the longer the length of stay, the lower the daily rate. Currently, the lowest rate is for six months and more, but Makarachvili does not anticipate having many guests staying beyond 90 days.
“Our main audience focuses on foreigners or locals requiring temporary accommodation either while finding their permanent residence in Singapore, or while renovating their homes or awaiting keys to their new home. Separately, we work with different corporates to offer short- to mid-term solutions for incoming expats or overall business travellers coming for conferences, workshops or assignments,” she explained.
When asked about Project X’s future plans, Makarachvili declined to share further, but TTGmice understands that Alma House will not be the only property in its portfolio, where each “House” will have a unique, standalone identity.
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The Ritz-Carlton, Bangkok, which debuts in November, has appointed a team of six seasoned hospitality experts.
Having been with Marriott for 24 years, new general manager Tina Liu boasts an impressive business acumen and an extensive background in luxury hospitality. She has led teams at high-profile hotels, primarily in Thailand, and is fluent in Thai.
Next is hotel manager, Lewis Quinn, who brings with him over 15 years of working in hospitality to his new role, while Evelyne Hahang takes on the role of director of rooms, having honed her hospitality skills for over 15 years in the UK, France, Australia, and Thailand.
Leon Chan, who hails from Singapore, is the director of sales & marketing. He has amassed 15 years of hospitality sales and business development experience working at high-profile hotels in Singapore and Hong Kong.
For F&B, Clément Larre leads as director, with Glen Cooper as executive chef.