SINGAPORE – One of Orchard Road’s longest-standing hotels, the Holiday Inn Singapore Orchard City Centre in Cavenagh Road, will reopen as luxury hotel The Hari Singapore in 2027.
The existing 324-room Holiday Inn Singapore hotel, which first opened in 1985, sits between Kramat and Cavenagh roads, and is behind Cuppage Plaza. Holiday Inn is one of the flagship hotel brands owned and operated by IHG Hotels & Resorts, formerly known as InterContinental Hotels Group.
Currently under renovation, the new hotel is slated to open in the first quarter of 2027, marking The Hari brand’s debut in Singapore and its third worldwide. The Hari London opened in August 2016, while The Hari Hong Kong opened in December 2020.
It is a brand of luxury boutique hotels created by Harilela Group, with interiors designed by British designer Tara Bernerd.
Bernerd – whose portfolio includes the Four Seasons Hotel in Florida and London, as well as residential projects in New York, London and Hong Kong – will oversee the transformation of the mid-scale Holiday Inn Singapore into a five-star establishment.
The Hari brand is part of IHG’s luxury and lifestyle brand Vignette Collection, which was launched in 2021.
The Hari hotels are part of a three-hotel portfolio deal between IHG and Hong Kong-based Harilela Group, a hotel development and management company with a portfolio spanning Asia and Europe.
Under the franchise agreement, the 85-room The Hari London and 210-room The Hari Hong Kong will come under Vignette Collection.
This agreement is an expansion of an existing partnership between IHG and Harilela Group, which includes Holiday Inn Golden Mile in Hong Kong, Holiday Inn Express Changzhou Center and Holiday Inn Bangkok Silom.
Aron Harilela, chairman and chief executive officer of the Harilela Group, said in a media statement on Aug 17 that bringing The Hari hotels into the Vignette Collection provided the opportunity for a unified brand partnership and leveraged IHG’s scale, global reach and commercial strength.
“We have a clear and ambitious vision for The Hari brand, with plans to expand its footprint in major international destinations,” he added.
Rajit Sukumaran, IHG’s senior vice-president and managing director for East Asia and the Pacific, said: “This landmark agreement introduces Vignette Collection to one of the world’s most strategically important gateway cities and expands its presence in both London and Hong Kong.
“The Hari hotels are renowned for their distinctive and understated luxury stays, making them a natural fit for the Vignette Collection.”
IHG intends for the Vignette Collection to build up its portfolio to more than 100 hotels by 2031. As at Aug 17, there are 38 hotels in 17 countries in its portfolio, with another 46 properties in the pipeline.
Recent openings include The One Shanghai Downtown and Palm Springs Hotel Chengdu, both in China. Upcoming additions include the Mangala Estate Kuantan in Malaysia and Vaagali Maldives.
Vivek Bhalla, IHG’s managing director for South-east Asia and South Korea, said that while The Hari Singapore is located towards the end of Orchard Road and hemmed in by older buildings such as Cuppage Plaza and Orchard Plaza, its proximity to Emerald Hill and place within a precinct that continues to evolve will reinforce its long-term appeal.
“Today’s luxury travellers are increasingly seeking hotels with a strong sense of individuality, character and place. When it opens in 2027, The Hari Singapore, Vignette Collection will offer a truly differentiated luxury proposition in one of Asia’s most vibrant cities,” he said.
Though the Singapore dollar has remained robust against regional currencies, Bhalla said travel is among the most resilient of discretionary spending areas for consumers.
He noted that the Republic has always been a competitive hotel market in the region, and that the group believes success in luxury hospitality is driven by differentiation.
“One significant shift we’re seeing is of travellers increasingly seeking authentic, local and purpose-driven experiences. This has led to a rise of lifestyle-led hotels and collection brands.”
He added that the quick expansion of Vignette Collection reflects this, with hotel conversions accounting for 43 per cent of IHG’s openings and 49 per cent of signings in the first half of 2026.
“There’s a clear opportunity to go further,” he said. “Singapore is a strategically important market for IHG and we see opportunities to expand our portfolio across all segments here.”
IHG has Hotel Indigo Changi Airport in the pipeline, a 255-room property scheduled to open in 2028. As part of the upper upscale, lifestyle hotel brand, the hotel will pay homage to Changi Airport.
