Club house on Sentosa

Alan Smith's job requires him to move house often but the family expects there'll be tears when they leave S'pore.

Tue, Oct 04, 2011
AsiaOne

By Geoffrey Eu

DESPITE moving six times in the last 16 years to cities such as Vienna, Warsaw, Belfast and, more recently, Singapore, Alan Smith has no problem feeling instantly at home in each place. That's because in a way, he never really leaves home.

Every time he and his wife Jane and their two daughters relocate, they make it a point to bring all their furniture with them so that while the external environment may change, the interior stays essentially the same.

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Mr Smith's job as a senior supply chain executive for Coca-Cola requires him to travel frequently, and naturally the safety of his family is a major concern. Knowing that they are comfortably ensconced at home enables him to stay fully focused while he's on the road - and in the Singapore context, it's hard to be more comfortably ensconced than at The Club at Capella.

These long-stay villas adjoining the Capella Hotel on Sentosa are high-end service apartments with a spectacular difference, allowing people to live in a private residential environment while enjoying all the benefits of an exclusive resort.

Before deciding on a 3,200-square foot, three-bedroom unit here, the Smiths also looked at options in Sentosa Cove and in prime residential districts in central Singapore, but felt in the end that a villa here met their needs best.

For one thing, there is a special sense of being in tune with nature here - not, perhaps, in the same all-encompassing sense as in their permanent home at Loch Lomond (a large freshwater lake in Scotland with over 30 islands and magnificent views of snow-capped mountains), but a better-than-adequate tropical version nevertheless. There is a floor-to-ceiling picture window in the living room, and the master bedroom offers views of lush greenery and a glimpse of the sea beyond.

'We spent the last 16 years primarily in Central and Eastern Europe and I wanted a total change of scenery,' says Mr Smith, adding that his wife Jane has by necessity become something of a professional mover.

'We were looking for a modern property as our furniture is contemporary, and we both knew as soon as we came here that this was what we wanted. We looked at some really beautiful apartments elsewhere but here it was the most convenient all-round package for us, with everything in one place.'

The Club at Capella offers elegant, fully-furnished interiors by celebrity designer Jaya Ibrahim but for the purposes of continuity, the Smiths opted to use their own furniture instead. Favourite items include a modular sofa set in the living room, a leather master bed featuring a pop-up television at its foot, a chest of drawers upholstered in cowhide and a baby cot that has since been converted into a child-size sofa.

An original watercolour of Loch Lomond by a well-known landscape artist hangs in the dining room, one of many reminders of the home country. A series of monochromatic prints of female forms by British artist Simon Claridge adorns walls throughout the villa. Photographs of the paintings are taken whenever the Smiths change homes so that, as with a gallery show, the artist gets an idea of his work exhibited in different environments.

The Smiths' home-away-from-home is filled with other meaningful pieces and reminders of previous postings. Inevitably, there is also Coke-related paraphernalia, including a vintage-style drinks dispenser and variations on the Coke-bottle theme. A pool table on the terrace outside provides an additional source of entertainment.

The setting, on a slope overlooking the sea with no other building in sight, was another plus point for the couple. 'It's an unusual choice perhaps but we were overwhelmed by it,' says Mrs Smith. 'If something goes wrong, some landlords will wait months before working on it but here, people come right away - it's really been the easiest move ever.'

She adds: 'We're not city dwellers by nature and we prefer the quiet life. You can sit here and feel like you have no neighbours and see nothing but trees and green.'

A clubhouse for long-term residents is a stone's throw away. The downside, according to Mr and Mrs Smith, is that they never have the urge to leave home. With the latest addition to the family - a friendly Shar Pei named Mei-li - the Smiths are content to roam the 30-acre property or simply enjoy quiet evenings at home.

Scattered throughout the villa are photographs of the family, including one of Mr Smith and his brother when they were carefree lads back in Scotland. Most of the photos depict the Smiths and their children, but there is also a treasured picture of Mr Smith leading Queen Elizabeth II on an official tour of a Coca- Cola factory in Belfast.

It's a picture that yields an interesting anecdote, says Mr Smith. During the course of the visit, Her Majesty asked many well-informed questions about the world's most popular soft drink. In turn, he enquired about the drinks situation at home and was pleased to learn that Coca-Cola is stocked at Buckingham Palace.

Naturally, staying at an all-inclusive oasis like The Club at Capella isn't for everyone - especially since the rental rates are likely to induce cardiac arrest in the average Singaporean. There is a price to be paid for the security, the comfort, the convenience - and depending on the size of the unit, that price ranges from around $10,000 to $58,000 a month. A typical lease runs for anything between a month and two years, but there is currently a 15-year lease on the books.

The Smiths, meanwhile, have grown accustomed to packing up every few years and shipping a 40-foot container's worth of belongings to the next destination. For the moment, however, Singapore is home - a beautiful villa and a tranquil location means it's one that they can happily live with.

Mrs Smith sighs. 'There'll be tears when it's time to leave,' she says.

This article was first published in The Business Times.