The ULI Awards for Excellence programme is widely regarded as the land use industry’s most prestigious recognition programme worldwide. It seeks to acknowledge and reward “truly superior development efforts” in the disciplines of planning, design and development, which are “worthy of emulation”. Winning projects, representing the highest standards of achievement in the development industry, contribute to a live-work-play environment and are designed to complement and enhance the greater community.

Of the 99 world-wide entries this year, 19 finalists were selected. Two of which are from Asia: The highly acclaimed Roppongi Hills (Tokyo, Japan) and the multi-award winner The Fullerton (Singapore). Ten winners were eventually chosen by the jury with the Fullerton Square Project emerging as the only winning entry from Asia.

“The Fullerton, a historical edifice so inextricably linked to the Singapore story, inspired the creation of a world-class product that preserves its rich heritage, yet captures the mood of the new Millennium with modern hospitality and technology,” said Mr Chia Boon Pin, Chief Operating Officer of Retail & Lifestyle Concepts Business Group and Director of Corporate Affairs, Far East Organization.

“We are deeply honoured by the Urban Land Institute’s conferment of the prestigious Award for Excellence. It reaffirms The Fullerton’s achievements in its pursuit of world class real estate development excellence, a vision that has guided Far East Organization in all its development endeavours,” added Mr Chia.

Originally built in 1924 as a symbol of the colonial government's vision for a classically monumental civic centre, the historic Fullerton building has been transformed into a world-class hotel. Stringent conservation guidelines preserved the facade and interior historical elements. A new two-story commercial complex, One Fullerton, is linked to the historic building by an underground link.

The Fullerton building holds a special place in the hearts of Singaporeans and friends. In its 75-year history, it had been a government institution, a trade and commercial centre and a social epicentre. Today, The Fullerton Singapore continues to carry its legacy and responsibilities to the community with pride.

The restored Fullerton hotel not only preserved the dignity and character of the original building but also celebrates its architectural splendours complemented by innovative contemporary Asian design. The Fullerton building with its Edwardian Baroque neoclassical architecture standing in sharp contrast to the ultra modern nautical design of One Fullerton has become an important Singapore landmark of the new Millennium.

In just under four years of operation, The Fullerton Singapore has not only been weaved into the downtown fabric but has also gained worldwide recognition for excellence in all aspects of its development and business operations.

This independent hotel without any marketing advantages of a hotel chain with established geographical distribution and brand awareness has shown remarkable growth in business. Its success can be seen in its rapidly growing occupancies and rates from launch. It is a valuable, unique asset that has demonstrated financial success as evident in the growth of its returns to the business.

The Fullerton has also helped fulfil the government’s vision of a revitalised Singapore River. The Fullerton Square area, stretching from Fullerton hotel along the Singapore River onwards to One Fullerton and the Merlion Park promenade, is vibrant with its mix of lively activities. It is now a favourite spot for locals and tourists.

The vision and quality of this project have been recognised by the local and international communities with a succession of accolades. The Fullerton Square Project received the highest international recognition for excellence in “all aspects of its creation” with the Fiabci Prix d’Excellence Award 2003 conferred by the International Real Estate Federation based in Paris. The Fullerton Singapore also received the URA Architectural Heritage Award in 2001 for the protection and restoration of Singapore’s built heritage and the Singapore Institute of Architects Architectural Design Awards 2001 (Conservation Category).

The Fullerton Singapore was recently awarded a 39th placing in the highly regarded Institutional Investor World's Best Hotels survey. It is the only independent hotel in Singapore to be ranked amongst the top in this survey and its ranking is an impressive improvement over its 2003 ranking of 54th place. The survey, currently in its 24th year, ranks 80 hotels in 37 cities based on responses from a high-powered panel of discerning travellers made up of senior corporate and financial executives. To ensure the prestige of the awards is upheld, the requirement is for each respondent to have spent an average of 52 nights in hotels over the past year.

Other accolades include: Third Best Hotel in the Top Ten Hotels – Asia category (Conde Nast Traveller 2004); Singapore Service Class Certification in recognition of its practices in organisational excellence; Best New Business Hotel in Asia Pacific 2002 & 2003 (Business Traveller Asia Pacific Awards); Best New Business Hotel in the World 2003 (Business Traveller UK/Europe); One of the World’s Most Prestigious Hotels 2002 (Institutional Investor 22nd Annual World’s Best Hotels Survey); One of the World’s Best New Hotels (Conde Nast Traveller 2002 “Hot List”).

The Fullerton Singapore has indeed responded successfully to the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA)’s inspired vision for the grand historic building, which was to “create the grandeur of the Ritz, the opulence of the Peninsular and the majesty of the Waldorf Astoria.”

The Urban Land Institute (ULI), www.uli.org, founded in 1936, is a highly respected non-profit research and education organisation with 22,000 members worldwide. The ULI Awards for Excellence is an annual competition where properties around the world are honoured. Winning properties are selected by renowned land use development and design experts. Projects are evaluated on the basis of financial viability, the resourceful use of land, design, relevance to contemporary issues, and sensitivity to the community and environment. The awards recognise the full development process of a project, not just its architecture or design. The criteria for the awards include leadership, contribution to the community, innovations, public/private partnership, environmental protection and enhancement, response to societal needs, and financial success.