News & press

Singapore may be one of Asia’s smallest countries (only Macau and the Maldives are smaller in terms of landmass) but it’s also proof that bigger isn’t always better. This country is home to one of the most fabulously diverse hotel scenes in Asia, with the best hotels in Singapore serving up a wide range of […]

Design will have to become more practical and inspiring. Simple things like automated bathroom doors and fixtures will become the norm rather than the exception. Also, the use of copper and its alloys such as brass and bronze – natural antimicrobial materials – could see a resurgence and the overall state of design should become […]

Oakwood has launched The Unlimited Collection by Oakwood with a landmark signing that brings three properties into the new brand portfolio. The new brand, which targets independent travellers, allows for a curation of independent properties that retain their unique positioning yet leverage Oakwood’s hospitality management expertise and distribution network. It will strengthen the company’s market […]

Pasta Bar is an intimate alcove that embodies Italy’s rich culinary history and pays homage to the country’s quintessential diet staple. The restaurant, which is anchored around an animated open kitchen and bar, offers up a selection of 11 different handmade pasta dishes, each prepared in a unique way to create distinctive variations in bite, […]

Our website is a first iteration and introduction into the way we see the world of design. Transformative, engaging and most importantly, memorable. Dive into the design world of iThink Consulting Group. Switch on the sound, sit back, relax and wait to see our world transform with the music Easter Egg. Statement of the jury […]

1.Restored heritage in a hip neighbourhood Made up of 10 renovated shophouses along Keong Saik Road in Chinatown, KēSa House is a flexible-living concept that offers 60 rooms and a series of enticing dining establishments. Designed by Florian Sander of iThink Consulting Group, a boutique hospitality consulting firm, this modern “accommodation solution” is a mix […]

Clever design and the smart use of space are what drive two upcoming co-living spaces KESA HOUSE Back in the day when Keong Saik Road was still a residential zone, it was home to working ladies, and mistresses of rich merchants. In the early 1990s, it underwent a transformation when the Urban Redevelopment Authority put […]

Truly great design is more than just Instagram-worthy moments, hospitality consultant Florian Sander tells Hong Xinyi It is barely 11am when we step out for this photo shoot, but the sunlight washing over us already has the harsh potency of high-noon heat. Welcome to yet another scorching day in Singapore—weather that is all too common […]

Keong Saik is one of Singapore’s most vibrant enclaves, lined with new restaurants and buzzy bars, all tucked inside stunning heritage shophouses. At the end of the road is a row of ten shophouses that have been beautifully restored, and will soon be Chinatown’s trendiest lifestyle destination upon its launch this month. Called KēSa House, the property […]

A new boutique property is opening next month on Keong Siak Street; keep a look out for KēSa House! We speak to Florian Sander (aka Flo), founder and managing director of iThink Consulting Group, Asia’s premier boutique hospitality consulting firm, to find out more about his design vision and approach with this unique heritage property. Tell me […]

In 2019 I think we’ll be seeing a noticeable shift towards stylish, yet more approachable designs. The rise of social media has resulted in design-led operations that prioritise people focusing on the aesthetic as opposed to the actual experience. This often results in linear designs that are wonderful Instagram shots but become one-time visits, where […]

Florian Sander Interview: On hospitality and F&B trends in Singapore Are we too reliant on hyped food and leisure pursuits? OCT 26, 2018 WORDS BY DERRICK TAN In contemporary culture, everyone is striving to be relevant. As the adage goes: you’re nobody unless you’re talked about. In the F&B and entertainment industry, we see this with restaurants constantly updating their […]

Have you ever gone into one of your favourite bars or restaurants and wondered just who designed it? Well, this is what today’s ‘Life Lessons’ feature is exactly about – the brains behind the designs. Meet Florian Sander, an award-winning major player in the hospitality design industry and the Founder and Managing Director of iThink […]

“Without travelling, I won’t be able to do what I love,” chuckles Florian Sander, founder and managing director of iThink Consulting Group. Often flying between Singapore, Hong Kong and Bangkok (which he nicknames his “Asia’s Bermuda Triangle”), Sander manages one of the region’s leading boutique consulting firms. He and his team of specialist consultants helped […]

The uninitiated might miss the entrance to Employees Only (EO), billed as a cocktail bar and speakeasy, in Hong Kong’s Lan Kwai Fong area. It is deliberately downplayed – its initials worked out like a secret code on the marquee, a neon sign that can be glimpsed through a curtained window, no more than a […]

In the finicky world of F&B, only the most consistent and distinctive survive. Florian Sander, founder and managing director of hospitality consultancy iThink Consulting Group should know, having seen his fair share of hits and misses in the 16 years he has worked in the industry. Early in his career, Sander developed La Scala at The Sukhothai Bangkok […]

Visit the row of shophouses along Ann Siang Road in the evening and you will enjoy its vibrant, cheerful atmosphere, with crowds patronising the many restaurants, cafes and drinking holes that line the street. To add to the lively environment is the well- appointed Ann Siang House, which has breathed new life into the corner […]

If you’re looking for an alternative to the big brand hotels next time you visit Singapore, Ann Siang House is a dynamic new lifestyle-led hotel that has opened in the city’s vibrant Chinatown. Housed in a tastefully restored heritage building, with just 20 well-appointed guest rooms, the new hotel defines a new modern style for […]

We haven’t had a chance to review the new Employees Only HK, but it has opened to much fanfare in the city. Here’s what you should know. Designed by iThink Consulting Group, Employees Only Hong Kong will be a reiteration of the original in New York City — from the Art Deco-inspired aesthetic and hidden […]

From its luxury restaurants to its tasty local delights, Hong Kong is one of the best places in the world for dining out. The latest opening to hit  the Lan Kwai Fong area already has branches in New York, Singapore and Miami. So you definitely need to check out Employees Only for its fantastic cocktails, great service and late-night […]

8M Real Estate, the name behind Singapore’s most admired shophouse restoration projects, unveils the first phase of its latest conservation property – Ann Siang House.  Leading a dynamic, lifestyle-led approach to hospitality, the tastefully restored heritage building re-opens in March with 20 well-appointed guest rooms, defining a new modern style for short and extended-term city accommodation. […]

เดอะบลั เวนีเลาจน์กรงุเทพ ฯ คอืสถานทตีงัเลาจนแ์หง่แรกในเอเชยีตะวนั ออกเฉยีงใตท้ีThe Balvenie แบรนด์ พรเีมยีมวสิกชีนันําเจาะจงเลอืกเปิด ภายในเลาจนจ์งึคลงุ้ไปดว้ยบรรยากาศแสนคลาสสคิและหรหูรา แตท่วา่กแ็ฝงไป ดว้ยความอบอนุ่เป็นกนัเองลสิตเ์มนูประกอบดว้ยเมนูชนัเลศิทไีดร้ับรางวลัอนัทรงเกยีรตริะดบัโลกมาแลว้ทงัสนิไม่ วา่จะเป็น The Balvenie Double Wood 12 ปีทถีกูบม่ในถงั ไมส้องชนดิเพอืใหเ้กดิกลนิหอมตดิจมกูของเชอรร์ี และมอบรสชาตทิหีวานนุ่มลนืคอของเมล็ดถวัและชนินามอ่นอนั หอมหวาน, The Balvenie แครร์บิเบยีน คา สก ์14 ปีทผีลติในถงั บม่ทเีคยใชบ้รรจเุหลา้แครร์บิเบยีนรัม ทําใหก้ลนิทหีอมหวานเขม้ขน้ผสานรสชาตขิองโอค๊และ วานลิลาบางเบา , The Balvenie Double Wood 17 ปีทหีมกั บม่ในถงั ไมโ้อค๊อเมรกิา และถงั ไมเ้ชอรร์ยีโุรป ทําใหเ้กดิรสชาตอินัน่าอศัจรรย์ทงัรสชาตขิองเชอรเ์บ็ตท็อฟฟีครมีและแลมอนดอ์บโดยใหร้สหวานของนําผงึหอม เครอืงเทศตดิปลายลนิออกแบบตกแตง่ ภายในดว้ ย ITHINK Consulting Group