Despite earlier reports that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un wants to stay at The Fullerton Hotel (but not fork out the cash), it seems that he might very well stay at The St. Regis instead, the five-star Orchard Road hotel with bespoke butler services.
That’s because The St. Regis is actually included in the gazetted area (the Singaporean term for an area cordoned off for official use) for the upcoming summit on June 12, while the area around the Fullerton Hotel — a grand, five-star heritage building by the Singapore River — hasn’t been designated a “special event area.”
Fun fact: it’s a nine-minute walk from the St. Regis to the Shangri-La Hotel, where US President Donald Trump is highly likely to be staying.
Earlier this week, the Tanglin area surrounding the Shangri-La was declared a “special event area” for the upcoming summit, bordered by Dunearn, Paterson, Grange and Cluny Roads. This border includes both the Shangri-La and St. Regis.
What’s important to note, too, is that The St. Regis was the hotel where the Chinese delegation bunked inback in 2015, during yet another historic summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and then-Taiwan president Ma Ying-jeou.
If it turns out to be true that the North Korean leader is staying at the St. Regis, it might cost way more than it would have if he was roomed at The Fullerton. The St. Regis features 299 “richly appointed” rooms and suites, offering an all-round opulent experience, including a butler service at one’s beck and call.
The Presidential Suite on the 20th story — and we wouldn’t expect Kim to want anything less — goes for up to S$12,260 a night, with a king-sized bed, silken throw pillows, crystal chandeliers, as well as marble, gold, brass, and silver adornments everywhere. You know, everything that would be highly appealing to a very rich despot.
Sweet digs for sure, but with the US confirming that they will in no way pay for the expenses of the North Korean delegation for the summit, it will likely fall on Singapore to nut up and foot the bill should Kim and his team refuse to pay for logistics.
As far as we know, the Singapore government has yet to gazette other spots in the country for the landmark summit. Come June 10-14, the Shangri-La Hotel vicinity and the entire resort island of Sentosa will be locked down with enhanced security measures, in which people and vehicles entering the zones will have to undergo spot checks and identity screening.
