As you drive along the Mandai Road on the northern side of Singapore, the spectacular city skyline disappears into the rainforests. Located just adjacent to the Central Catchment Nature Reserve, the Mandai Wildlife Reserve is managed by a private company, and is home to five of the most exciting nature parks in the country. I, however, was headed to the newest and the 100th hotel by Banyan Group, the Mandai Rainforest Resort that opened in 2025.
Walking into the lobby feels disorienting at first, as one may mistake it for a glorious garden instead of a hotel reception. Leafy greens sprouting from every corner instantly reflects the experience one is in for. The resort has two blocks, eponymously pointing to Mandai East and West, but more on that later. Past the reception, one may walk towards the lobby lifts on either side to access the rooms. The resort itself feels less like a hotel and more like a dynamic negotiation between architecture and nature. Designed by WOW Architects, the 338-key property doesn’t impose itself upon the landscape, it bends around it.
Design Wins
Spanning 4.6-hectares, the resort provides direct access to the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, River Wonders, Bird Paradise and Rainforest Wild Asia, a new park that combines adventure with wildlife watching in a unique way. It was built around the site’s mature trees, wings raised on stilts, leaving room for resident wildlife to move freely below.
This commitment to biophilia, i.e., the idea of designing with nature, runs through every aspect. The arrival area, flanked by a 12-metre-tall Rain Tree and a stoic Indian Beech that stand where they always have, Banyan Group declares this as nature’s domain. “Being here means embracing the role of nature’s guest,” says Teo Joo Leng, Chief Product Officer of Mandai Wildlife Group. He speaks of the “MRR mindset”—short for Mandai Rainforest Resort—a call to be mindful, to reconnect, and to renew one’s sense of stewardship for the environment.
The resort’s elevated treehouses echo this sentiment—pod-like sanctuaries with private patios that hover gently above the ground. The main five-storey structure rises vertically through the forest canopy, its 314 rooms and suites offering views of the rainforest, gardens, and reservoir beyond. Windows open wide to let in natural airflows, and temperature regulation mimics the cool calm of tropical rainforests. Digital panels quietly nudge guests to moderate energy use, while rainwater collection systems and sustainable materials underline the property’s Green Mark Platinum Super Low Energy certification.
Also Read: Raffles Sentosa Singapore: An Upcoming Haven Of Luxury, Wellness, And Legendary Service
Gourmet Cuisine
At the top of the West block, Forage offers a dining experience that feels attuned to its surroundings. As the reservoir mirrors the fading light and glasses of welcome champagne catch the last glint of sunset, Forage offers what few restaurants can—a meal that feels in rhythm with the world outside. Led by Chef de Cuisine Marcus Tan, the restaurant interprets the rainforest’s changing moods through a harvest-to-table philosophy shaped by seasonality and sustainability. Forage’s interiors echo the resort’s biophilic design with stone carvings of native fauna, golden leaf monkeys sculpted into light fixtures, and floor-to-ceiling windows that open onto the still waters of Upper Seletar Reservoir. With just 40 seats, dinner begins at a single exclusive seating at 6 p.m., timed perfectly to capture the slow descent of dusk.
Chef Marcus, with a background spanning a decade of Michelin-level kitchens, brings a meditative respect for ingredients and provenance. His menus, changing seasonally, are guided by restraint, using the day’s freshest finds from local markets and the resort’s rooftop edible garden. Diners can choose between a five-course Discovery Menu or an eight-course Experience Menu, both evolving with the season’s yield. The dishes reflect quiet confidence with the lobster jelly or skipjack tuna or the wagyu tenderloin, marrying technical finesse with a sense of place. Herbs like pandan, ginger flower, and lemon basil, harvested just a floor above, find their way into oils, pickles, and delicate garnishes that underscore the connection between land and plate.
At the Banyan Tree Spa, design once again takes its cues from the wild. The three main treatment pods draw inspiration from the keratin scales of the endangered Sunda pangolin—symbols of both fragility and protection. Inside, the textures soften and the world hushes as signature Asian therapies unfold in a ritual of oils, herbs, and meditative calm. I joined in for a curious DIY bodyscrub workshop before enjoying the fruits of my concoction in a serene spa room.
The resort’s rooftop pool stretches toward the horizon, offering unhindered views of calm waters where the reservoir meets the forest like a serene perch suspended between the sky and canopy. Take a minute to find the Discovery Walkway here, that winds through the resort like a living corridor, guiding one across elevated paths shaded by native trees that come alive with the sounds of the rainforest every morning before heading to the Planter’s Shed, the all day diner for a delightful and very elaborate Asian breakfast buffet. For everything else, there is an In-Room Dining menu with many surprising dishes.
Also Read: The 7 Most Luxurious Swimming Pools In The World
Note: While the rooms are chic, the elements of a luxurious stay are somewhat mismatched with the amenities provided, especially in the bare flooring. The tree houses are the best reason to visit, but book well in advance as there is high demand for them.
Rating: 4 Stars
Things to Remember:
- The region can have mosquitoes aplenty, especially in the evenings
- Price per night starts at USD 280
- Best way to explore all the parks with rest in between
