_Alma House: A new kind of stay for the experience-driven clientele

If you’re after predictability, uniformity, and a templated hospitality experience, then a stay at Alma House is not for you.

The serviced residence’s guests eschew the cookie-cutter experience other overnight guests prefer. And Alma House serves as a playground of curiosity and wonder to meet these needs; an intentionally created space that extends an invitation to reconnect with one’s inner sense of adventure through nostalgia, albeit via a modern lens of exploration and cultural immersion.

Occupying what was formerly Nan Chiau High School and located within creative enclave New Bahru, Alma House is home to 79 serviced apartment rooms with six different accommodation options, from 193 sq ft Deluxe rooms to an Alma Family Suite spanning up to 635 sq ft. The units are competitively priced against hotels, but provide larger floor areas and amenities such as kitchenettes, laundry, and flexible living spaces for a minimum stay of six nights.

Beyond their doorsteps, residents have access to a unique retail space with establishments spanning art, design, gastronomy, lifestyle, and wellness. Meanwhile, a unique residents’ lobby, designed as a flexible extension of residents’ homes, hosts weekend flea markets, local designer launches, and intimate cultural events―fostering connections between residents and the broader New Bahru community.

An oasis in the heart of the city

What sets Alma House apart is its ability to blend the flexibility of serviced apartments with the soul of a cultural venue. Its resident base comprises digital nomads, entrepreneurs, creatives, and experiential travellers pursuing flexibility and immersive lifestyles.

They check in during major events such as a global brand launch or a pop-up dinner; there's always something happening — a key reason guests return. Particularly, in the past six months, there has been an uptick in domestic and Southeast Asian guests combining work and leisure, seeking experience-driven stays—with several guests extending their stays after discovering weekend events they hadn’t initially planned to attend. To date, its longest staying guest has been there for nine months, and it has only been open for 10.

The Alma House team responds to their guests’ preferences by offering thoughtful amenities such as wellness-focused suites with organic mattresses, business-friendly meeting spaces, and regular experiential programming that keeps the environment fresh and inviting. The result? A living experience that constantly evolves, making every stay unique and memorable.

A model for the future of hospitality

Respondents in our Quality of Life 2025 survey selected price and affordability, location, floor area, public transport access, and proximity to daily essentials like healthcare and supermarkets as their top five housing priorities. How does Alma House align with these needs, and has that impacted guest retention?

“Price sensitivity and value-for-space are core to our appeal,” states the Alma House team. “Our units are competitively priced against hotels, but provide larger floor areas and amenities such as kitchenettes, laundry, and flexible living spaces.

“Located within the River Valley/Robertson Quay area, Alma House benefits from exceptional access to public transport, proximity to Cold Storage supermarkets, and everyday F&B and retail options. These essentials, paired with lifestyle perks, have contributed to high satisfaction among guests balancing work and play.”

And asked how top ranked communal facilities food and retail access, parks and green spaces, sheltered walkways to amenities, wellness and healthcare facilities, and sports and fitness options are reflected in their shared spaces, the team says these needs are met through both design and integration with New Bahru:

Food & Retail: Residents have immediate access to over 30 independent brands including restaurants One Fattened Calf Burgers and Artichoke, premium skincare line Surge, indoor rhythmic cycling studio Cru Cycle and cocktail bar Bar Bon Funk.

Parks & Greenery: The Lawn and surrounding walking trails offer space for morning yoga and a public playground for the little ones. 

Wellness & Fitness: Alma House has hosted wellness ceremonies, cacao workshops, and maintains collaborations with wellness neighbours on site such as spa packages from Hideaway. 

Kids Programming: The precinct offers children’s enrichment classes (Julia Gabriel) and art workshops (Chalk n Pencils).

Social & Flexible Lobby: The lobby space is a core part of the communal experience. Designed to be an adaptable extension of each resident’s home, it serves as a flexible living room where guests can host friends for a happy hour, meet business associates for coffee, or engage with curated pop-ups such as weekend flea markets with independent and artisanal brands.

In an era where mobile lifestyles are the norm, Alma House exemplifies the future of hospitality: spaces that flexibly adapt to host life in all its facets—work, creativity, community, and rest. By continuously engaging with local curators, tastemakers, and experiential brands, Alma House remains nimble and relevant, ensuring it meets the evolving desires of its residents and visitors.

Adds the team, “We believe the future belongs to spaces that can host life — not just accommodate it.”