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Eco-Lodge at Mandai to be 400-room full-service hotel

SINGAPORE — Up to 400 rooms and family accommodation units — alongside a full suite of facilities for banquets and events, a swimming pool and a spa — could be available at the new Eco-Lodge in the mega nature attraction planned for Mandai, when development works are completed in 2023.

Artist impression of the Mandai park development by 2023. Photo: Mandai Safari Park Holdings

Artist impression of the Mandai park development by 2023. Photo: Mandai Safari Park Holdings

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SINGAPORE — Up to 400 rooms and family accommodation units — alongside a full suite of facilities for banquets and events, a swimming pool and a spa — could be available at the new Eco-Lodge in the mega nature attraction planned for Mandai, when development works are completed in 2023.

And the planned Planet Explorer and Sri Seletar Point education centre will feature an “indoor nature-themed entertainment hub” with galleries for permanent and temporary exhibitions, and function rooms to host workshops and mini-lectures.

Details about the facilities were found in the environmental impact assessment (EIA) that was made public on Tuesday, even though plans for the new accommodation and the education centre were first announced in June.

Occupying a 4.65ha plot of land — about the size of six football fields — located next to the Upper Seletar Reservoir, the Eco-Lodge has been conceptualised as a full-service hotel with its own drop-off point, a lobby and reception, food-and-beverage facilities, as well as banquet and events facilities.

“The overall building form and height will be low-rise, respecting existing tree lines and well-integrated with the surrounding landscape. A 15m setback from the reservoir edge will allow for a buffer area of vegetation close to the reservoir to be retained,” stated the report, which was commissioned by Mandai Park Holdings (MPH), which manages the three wildlife attractions already in the area — the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari and River Safari.

The company also shared last month that there are plans to build more permanent accommodation such as tents, rustic cottages and family rooms. The Singapore Zoo already offers overnight camps.

Though the design and construction footprint of the Eco-Lodge had yet to be finalised at the time the report was written, it noted that the construction work for the accommodation is expected to take about four years. The building will be no taller than four-storeys to limit its shading and edge effects on the surrounding forested areas.

Meanwhile, Planet Explorer and Sri Seletar Point will be housed in a three-storey building, and is expected to draw about 25,200 visitors at its peak each day. The exhibitions will feature themes such as conservation, sustainability, natural sciences and biodiversity.

There are also plans to have function rooms to host events, workshops and mini-lectures, as well as training rooms for staff and vets from visiting zoos. Children can also attend classes on conservation at the Forest Kindergarten.

Other facilities in the building include a library, retail stores and offices. Construction work for the Planet Explorer and Sri Seletar Point is expected to take about three years and will be ready after the second quarter of 2022. When completed in 2023, the 126ha mega nature attraction in Mandai will see a new Bird Park — relocated from Jurong — a Rainforest Park, along with the Eco-Lodge and the education centre.

On Tuesday, MPH shared how original plans were modified after the assessment found that the construction and operation of the attractions could have an impact on the habitats, wildlife and vegetation, and cause pollution.

For example, Planet Explorer and Sri Seletar Point were envisioned to be housed in separate buildings along the reservoir edge. But this was tweaked to house them in a single building on a site where a multi-storey car park now sits, to reduce building footprint and avoid any impact on the nearby forested area.

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