The resort hotel has 20 rooms which will likely be open for stays from Dec. 1, 2023.
Source: The Bus Collective
It only costs a dollar to ride a Singapore bus — but 398 Singapore dollars to sleep in a single.
The Bus Collective is Southeast Asia’s first resort hotel to repurpose decommissioned public buses into luxury hotel rooms.
The project renovated 20 buses that were once owned by SBS Transit, Singapore’s public transport operator, giving them a renewed purpose throughout the hospitality sector.
The resort hotel officially opens on Dec. 1 and bookings are actually available on its website.
A glance into the resort
The Bus Collective is positioned in Changi Village, Singapore — occupying 8,600 square meters of land.
The Queen Victoria room.
Source: The Bus Collective
The property sits near local attractions just like the Changi Village Hawker Centre, Changi East Boardwalk, and Changi Chapel & Museum.
The resort hotel has seven distinct room categories, each with different in-room amenities. Nightly room rates start at SG$398 ($296) and a few rooms even include a tub and king-sized bed.
Some rooms include amenities like a tub, a flat screen television and a minibar.
Source: The Bus Collective
Amongst the several room types, the Pioneer North room has handrails in the bathroom and shower area, built to satisfy the needs of senior guests, a representative from the resort hotel told CNBC.
Alternatively, the Hamilton Place room is designed to be wheelchair accessible, equipped with an external accessible restroom and a ramp leading as much as the room’s entrance, she added.
Among the hotel rooms come equipped with entrance ramps for wheelchair accessibility.
Source: The Bus Collective
Each room covers 45 square meters and may accommodate three to 4 guests, the resort’s website showed. Although these retired buses have been entirely refurbished, some features comparable to the steering wheel, driver seat and windows have been preserved.
The driving force’s seat, steering wheel and windows have been retained as a part of the room’s design.
Source: The Bus Collective
Recreational activities aren’t available on the property, but The Bus Collective will likely be organizing guided tours which guests can book on the resort hotel’s experience center, the representative said.
One among the tours offered is a biking trip around Pulau Ubin — an island off the coast of Singapore. This tour is priced at SG$99 per person and features a two-way ferry transfer to and from the island. Other experiences include a guided food tour and sailing at Changi Sailing Club.
The inspiration behind the project
The Bus Collective was founded by WTS Travel & Tours, a Singaporean travel agency, together with its partners LHN Group, an actual estate management services group, and Sky Win Holding, an investment holding group headquartered in Singapore.
The renovation strategy of the decommissioned buses.
Source: The Bus Collective
WTS Travel and partners desired to showcase how tourism, nature and environmentalism can come together and be a “catalyst for creating unique and exciting recent experiences,” Micker Sia, managing director of WTS Travel told CNBC.
He added that the project goals to “establish a precedent for eco-conscious practices in construction and hospitality … setting a recent standard for sustainable luxury.”
Although The Bus Collective only operates in Singapore currently, Sia told CNBC it could expand in the long run. “We’re definitely open to exploring opportunities for growth and innovation in the long run … and we imagine it has the potential to resonate with audiences in other locations throughout the Asia Pacific region,” Sia said.