In June 2026, the Urban Redevelopment Authority relaxed restrictions on new hotels, serviced apartments, and hostels in the Upper Circular Road and Beach Road street blocks to encourage more vibrancy in the areas. In the following month, EdgeProp reported on a fresh wave of conserved commercial buildings on the market after the policy shift. This is not a niche trend, but a policy-driven wave.

As investors and owners, you are probably exploring how to convert Singapore conserved buildings into hospitality businesses. The question is also: how can conserved buildings be converted into hospitality businesses with success? Design plays a significant part. While conserved buildings carry their own charm, they may also have site constraints. Harnessing them well leads to remarkable boutique hotel design. 

Why “Good Bones” Matter in Hotel Design

Venue Hotel The Lily has a striking black-and-white facade

When it comes to existing buildings, conserved or otherwise, as designers, we look at whether the structure has good bones. In practice, that means three things: 

• The façade: Details like Art Deco flourishes, original brickwork, five-foot ways, columns, and Shanghai plaster restoration give conserved buildings a built-in brand identity that no new builds can replicate.

• The layout: Structures built decades or a century ago come with structural and load-bearing features such as narrow frontages, courtyards, and split levels. The structural grid and rhythm force creative spatial flow, instead of cookie-cutter space configurations typical of new-build hotels.

• The materials: Materials like reinforced concrete, timber and original columns are not just structural. They give a space texture, depth, and character that modern finishes try to emulate. What may appear as a design constraint can be the beginning of a strong design.

Conserved Buildings Can Make Exceptional Hotels

As a result of this policy shift, owners are now exploring restoring ageing commercial properties, topping up leases, and testing the market. With the door to more hospitality use opening, investors too are stepping into this promising yet competitive market. 

For owners and investors, it quickly becomes a design story. There will be a need for design partners who understand both heritage constraints and hospitality functionality. Here, the tension lies in balancing URA conservation guidelines and guest experience expectations. The design team must also diligently follow URA conservation guidelines and approvals from the relevant bodies. 

What may seem like constraints at first, such as narrow footprints, low ceiling heights, non-standard room sizes and layouts, can be harnessed to create unique guest experiences instead of problems to hide. Why do boutique hotels succeed? It’s precisely because each room is not identical. A conserved building’s quirks become the differentiator, far from the liability it appears to be at face value. 

The Role of Interior Design in Hospitality

Venue Hotel at Joo Chiat features chic interiors with a modern Peranakan flavour

Since Designworx’s founding in 1998, we have worked with conservation buildings like Tan Chin Tuan Mansion and the award-winning GCB at Cable Road. We have also worked with architects on hospitality projects like Hotel Mi Rochor and Days Inn by Wyndham Novena. Of note, Venue Hotel at Joo Chiat, located in adjoining conservation shophouses, won the Best Hotel Interior Singapore in the Asia Pacific Property Awards 2014 for its vibrant interior design.

Hotel Mi Rochor integrates local art on Singapore’s multi-cultural heritage.

In many ways, our experience in designing residential and conservation spaces has been valuable in our boutique hotel design work. Residential design is about creating intimate spaces, liveability and warmth, which we achieve through spatial configuration and bespoke detailing. Conservation work taught us how to preserve that warmth within heritage constraints. Hospitality design, particularly for conserved buildings, adds further demands – guest flow, brand storytelling, F&B integration, and a sense of luxury – all shaped into one cohesive experience. That's where our versatility comes in as Singapore interior designers.

Takeaways for Owners and Investors 

When considering turning conserved buildings into exceptional hospitality spaces, these are some things to note: 

• Bring design in before locking in the layout plan. Once applications for planning permissions have been submitted, changes could be costly. An interior designer who understands both heritage constraints and hospitality flow can help you get more out of an atypical footprint.

• Restoring the façade is an asset although it might first feel like a cost centre. That’s because these details are what differentiates a boutique hotel from a generic one.

• Interior features such as a slanted ceiling or an odd window are quirks that can become a distinguishing feature and not an awkward inconvenience.

• With buildings that need new lifts, washrooms, infrastructure, and systems retrofitted around original structures, involving both a conservation architect and an interior designer experienced in hospitality design early can help you avoid expensive reworks later.

• Consider adjoining shophouses to allow better natural light, larger guest room configurations, and a more flexible spatial flow.

• Enhance and upgrade your buildings alongside topping up the lease to make the best use of the property.

With conserved commercial buildings in the Upper Circular Road and Beach Road areas entering a new chapter in Singapore's hospitality landscape, owners and investors now have greater room to contribute vibrancy to Singapore with their unique takes on the hospitality experience. 

With URA’s policy shift, there’s no better time to start the conversation. Get in touch with us to discuss how we can work together.