Legends Fort Canning To Undergo $70m Revamp

Source : The Business Times, October 8, 2008

Town club will have boutique hotel, members' block

THE Legends Fort Canning Park will get a luxury boutique hotel and a new members' block as part of a $70 million revamp.

Upscale: Artist's impression of the revamped club, with luxury hotel rooms and new food and beverage outlets

The town club has been operating for five years out of a colonial building, which will be remodelled to include the hotel and new dining outlets.

The hotel will have 82 rooms and suites on the second and third floors of the building. The ground floor will house new food and beverage outlets managed by the GGR Garibaldi Group of restaurants. Italian, Japanese and modern Asian restaurants are in the plans.

The club said that a survey of members showed guest rooms were one of the things they wanted most. 'With the luxury hotel rooms added, members will not only have another excellent facility at their disposal, but I think their membership will increase in prestige and value,' said club CEO Oh Chee Eng.

The boutique hotel concept could also be a stepping stone to bigger things for the club, he said. 'If the business model grows and is exciting, we intend to replicate it regionally.'

The hotel will have a separate identity from The Legends Fort Canning Park, and the new brand will be unveiled in the first quarter of 2009.

The hotel will cater not only to business and leisure travellers, but also to club members at preferential rates. 'We are comfortable that we can achieve a 70-80 per cent occupancy rate,' said Mr Oh.

Besides the hotel, club members can look forward to a new three-storey glass building with a gym and spa and swimming pools.

The club is tapping shareholder funds and bank borrowings to finance the redevelopment. Renovation starts on Oct 15 and the club will reopen on April 1 next year.

Because of the closure, members will not have to pay subscription fees from Oct 16 this year to April 1, 2009. In the meantime, the club will tie up with an established fitness chain to offer alternative gym facilities at special prices.