With its artist residencies and collection of works from the likes of Marco López and Leon Ferrari, the brand-new Hôtel Vagabond (doubles from US$215) is staking out a niche for itself in Singapore’s creative scene. As the debut property of the Garcha Hotels group, the Vagabond occupies a 1950s Art Deco building in Kampong Glam with 42 rooms and suites (some with fold-up Murphy beds) fashioned by French designer Jacques Garcia with florid textiles, mahogany desks, mosaic tiling, and details like Scottish-leather Roberts Radios. On the ground floor, the Salon promises jazz nights, independent film screenings, and a place to have a cocktail with the artists living upstairs. —Gabrielle Lipton

This article originally appeared in the October/November print issue of DestinAsian magazine (“Calling All Nomads”)