It is 10 am on a Monday but most of the power-enabled tables at Dolcetto by Basilico at the Regent Singapore are occupied. The bakery-café has a soothing ambiance, but it is not packed with the ladies of leisure. Instead, there are executive types in earnest discussion or hunkered over their laptops. Everyone around us is doing some form of work, says Jaelle Ang in an excited whisper.
The buzzing Flexi-working scene obviously pleases Jaelle, who has suggested to meet here. After all, together with her husband Yian Huang and sister-in-law Su Anne Mi, she had founded The Great Room, a hospitality-led co-working space operator that offers flexible office set-ups.
The Great Room was born from a vision Jaelle had to create a new version of a branded and elevated workspace. The Great Room is coworking rethought and refined, explains the entrepreneur, who veered away from the usual densification model of co-working spaces and took inspiration from luxury hotels and business clubs to create spaces that encourage productivity, creativity, and networking through inspiring design, dynamic collaborations, and thoughtful wellness activities.
In 2016, the first Great Room was born on George Street in a 15,000 sq ft space with another 25,000 sq ft added later. Six years on, Jaelle has opened seven Great Room spaces in three cities. Besides Singapore, there are also Great Rooms in Hong Kong and Bangkok.
On May 17, a day after our chat, The Great Room made news again. Industrious, the highest-rated flexible workplace company in the industry and headquartered in the United States, has acquired The Great Room together with Welkin & Meraki, forking out roughly US$100 million (S$138.6 million) in cash and stock between the two. With the latter in Europe and The Great Room in Asia, the CBRE-backed Industrious will gain an immediate foothold in key European and Asia Pacific markets.
This story is from the June 2022 edition of Prestige Singapore.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the June 2022 edition of Prestige Singapore.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Detox With A Side Of Botox?
Wellness hotels and resorts have always been more about stress relief and sensory indulgence than scans and stem cells, but a growing number are transforming into medical wellness destinations, with science-backed therapies accompanying typical spa offerings.
ELECTRIC LUXE
Mercedes-Benz combines advanced technology, personalisation and sustainability with its all-electric fleet to transform urban mobility in Singapore.
NO HOLDS BAR
Innovation is rife in Singapore’s competitive cocktail scene.
RHYTHM OF TIME
Adorned withfairies and ballerinas, these Poetry of Time timepieces by Van Cleef Arpel: mi the passage of the hours, minutes __and seconds, creating a meditative experience. The delicate figures h It of h f skilled work by the h i oe are the result of hours of skilled work by the house’s artisans, including gem-setters, enamellers and engravers. Beyond beauty on ne surface, mechanical movements drive their exceptional horological features, such as jumping hours and retrograde time-indicating hands. i
TRACING TREASURES
The Chanel Patrimoine is a space dedicated to the maison’s most precious fine jewellery and timepieces. Just as priceless are the stories embedded in each creation.
MISSION TO ASTONISH
Tiffany Co CEO ANTHONY LEDRU takes the brand back to its roots by reaffirming its position as a high jewellery heavyweight.
AMONG THE STARS
THERE'S PLENTY TO IN COUTURE TO CELEBRATE THIS SEASON, WHETHER IT'S HONOURING THE SALON, PAYING TRIBUTE TO PLAY OR HAVING THE BUTTON TAKE THE LEAD.
STATES OF Grace
The picture of glamour in local high society, GRACE CHNG charms us with her down-to-earth side.
Spirit of the Châteaux
Martell cellar master CHRISTOPHE VALTAUD crafts a limited-edition L'Or de Jean Martell, the first in a series that will honour French estates.
Haute Spot
Merging retail, culture and dining, LV The Place Bangkok establishes a new blueprint for future Louis Vuitton destinations.