Our Story

A 100-Year Old Building

The Sultan is a labour of love. The owner, an aficionado of Singapore culture and heritage, painstakingly put together 10 Grade A conservation shophouses to create a hotel that is a grand tribute to Singapore’s glorious and colourful past. Housing 60 guest rooms across 8 room categories, no two rooms at The Sultan are the same.

Faithfully preserved and recreated from traditional Late Shophouse and Second Transitional Shophouse-style Singapore shophouses, The Sultan retains many beautiful architectural features that hark back to a time when Kampong Glam was a bustling shopping and trading district. Tall columns, wide arcs, and beautiful full-length shuttered French windows are just some of the architectural features that have been lovingly restored, allowing our guests to experience the charm of old Singapore up close.

A winner of the 2012 Urban Redevelopment Authority Architectural Heritage Award, The Sultan is especially prized for its lobby building which has been recognised as a distinguished example of Late Shophouse-style Singapore shophouses. The former home of HARMY Press and Al-Ahmadiah Press, the building is so cherished it even has its own 1996 Singapore stamp!

Kampong Glam

Kampong Glam has its origins as a thriving port town and is Singapore’s oldest urban quarter. In Malay, the word kampong means “compound”, while glam is often attributed to the gelam (long-leaved paperbark tree), which was found and used locally for boat-making, medicine and even as a seasoning for food.

In 1822, Sir Stamford Raffles allocated the area to the Malay, Arab and Bugis communities. The area subsequently became one of the seats of Malay royalty in Singapore.

After Kampong Glam was declared a conservation area in 1989, its rejuvenated allure has attracted locals and tourists alike, who converge here to enjoy its eclectic mix of traditional and modern shops and eateries.