Mandai Rainforest Resort marks Banyan Group’s 100th hotel milestone with Singapore debut

Banyan Tree Holdings Limited, which now operates as Banyan Group (SGX: B58), has officially opened its 100th property worldwide with the launch of the Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree. Strategically located inside the Mandai Wildlife Reserve, this resort marks the group’s first entry into the Singapore hospitality market and is owned by Mandai Wildlife Group. It stands out as the first rainforest resort to be situated within a nature and wildlife precinct in a capital city, positioning itself as a flagship destination within Singapore’s broader “City in Nature” agenda.

The launch not only reflects Banyan Group’s homecoming to Singapore but also showcases the hospitality group’s commitment to integrating regenerative tourism principles into urban environments. President and Chief Executive Officer Eddy See described the development as both symbolic and strategic. He emphasized that it combines the group’s legacy of design-driven hospitality with an ethos of environmental stewardship. According to See, the resort invites guests to slow down, reconnect with nature, and participate in a more meaningful form of travel that supports community upliftment and ecological balance.

For Mandai Wildlife Group, the partnership with Banyan Group adds a vital accommodation component to its 126-hectare precinct, which includes globally recognized attractions such as the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, Bird Paradise, and River Wonders. Group Chief Executive Officer Bennett Neo noted that the resort enables guests to extend their visits, experience the parks at their own pace, and engage more deeply with Singapore’s only dedicated nature destination.

What makes the resort’s rainforest design and architecture a model for low-impact urban hospitality

Spanning 4.6 hectares of preserved secondary forest, the Mandai Rainforest Resort incorporates biophilic architecture that harmonizes with the natural topography. Elevated pathways and platforms preserve the site’s terrain and vegetation, including notable native species such as a 12-meter Rain Tree and an Indian Beech tree. The design philosophy emphasizes non-intrusive construction and vertical development, with the main five-storey resort building blending into the forest canopy and maximizing unobstructed views of the Upper Seletar Reservoir.

Treehouse-style accommodations, modeled after the seed pods of the Purple Millettia, are suspended in the canopy and allow vegetation to flourish underneath. These unique structures elevate the guest experience by combining architectural novelty with immersive natural surroundings. Inside, guest rooms feature artwork by Singaporean artist Donna Ong that highlights the four forest strata—floor, understorey, canopy, and emergent layers. Complementing the visuals are vintage lithographs showcasing regional wildlife such as the lesser mousedeer and white-collared kingfisher.

Every design element integrates environmental intent. Rooms are equipped with full-length windows for natural ventilation, and ambient conditions replicate the cooling effect typical of tropical rainforests. Energy usage monitors are built into each room to encourage mindful consumption. Rainwater harvesting systems have been installed for non-potable water uses, reinforcing the project’s achievement as Singapore’s first Green Mark Platinum Super Low Energy-certified resort.

How dining, wellness, and leisure are reimagined through the lens of biodiversity and local sourcing

Anchoring the resort’s dining experience is Forage, a signature restaurant overlooking the reservoir and offering a menu based on a “Harvest to Table” concept. Ingredients are sourced directly from an on-site rooftop edible garden and nearby sustainable producers. The menu showcases native herbs including Roselle, Pandan, Torch Ginger, and Lemongrass, allowing guests to physically explore the garden before seeing those same ingredients featured in their meals. The restaurant also doubles as a sunset viewing spot and a popular location for birdwatching, with more than 30 avian species including sunbirds and kingfishers frequently sighted in the vicinity.

Interior décor at Forage mirrors rainforest aesthetics, blending natural textures with subdued color palettes. The space is purpose-built to enhance diners’ connection with the environment, incorporating preparation techniques that mirror the rhythms of the rainforest and emphasize minimal waste. The rooftop also features the Discovery Forest, a living green landscape that restores forest types once endemic to the region, and the Edible Garden, which hosts more than 15 varieties of native plants.

On the events front, the Meranti Ballroom serves as a forest-inspired venue for weddings, conferences, and private functions. Its centerpiece is designed after the Bridal Veil Stinkhorn mushroom, a rare forest species, creating an immersive and symbolic setting. A dedicated Bridal Room adjacent to the venue ensures privacy and convenience for wedding parties.

The wellness offering is led by Banyan Tree Spa, which features individual therapy pavilions shaped like the scales of the endangered Sunda pangolin. These structures are integrated into the forest and designed to promote tranquility. Guests receive treatments that blend ancient Asian healing traditions with modern therapeutic techniques, reinforcing the group’s focus on mindfulness and sensory rejuvenation.

Why Banyan Group and Mandai Wildlife Group are targeting multigenerational and eco-conscious travelers

Children and families are key segments for Mandai Rainforest Resort, and the resort’s nature-inspired playground has been designed to foster biophilic learning through play. Sculptural elements such as cannonball fruit domes, buttress root structures, and large rainforest leaves form the backbone of the play zone. Italian artist Maximilian contributed a standout Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete cannonball fruit installation, which serves both as a visual landmark and a multi-functional climbing structure.

These installations are designed to encourage movement, creativity, and balance while subtly introducing children to Singapore’s native ecology. Leaf-shaped springers and a giant netted leaf structure offer opportunities for group play and rest, all within a safe yet richly organic setting.

The resort also provides exclusive access to the Mandai Wildlife Reserve’s various attractions, including the newly launched Curiosity Cove—a 4,600-square-meter indoor playscape inspired by nature. Families benefit from bundled packages that include discounted park entry and age-inclusive programming such as Wild Zoo Day Camps, interactive animal encounters, and wellness activities. These programs are designed to span multiple age groups, allowing families to build shared experiences in an educational and ecologically meaningful environment.

How Banyan Group is expanding its footprint through sustainability-first tourism development

The Mandai Rainforest Resort reflects Banyan Group’s continued evolution into a global hospitality player with purpose-driven values. The group’s current portfolio spans over 100 hotels and resorts, 140 spas and galleries, and more than 20 branded residences across 20 countries. Its brand family, which includes the flagship Banyan Tree and others like Angsana, Cassia, Dhawa, and Garrya, is unified under the experiential travel membership program withBanyan.

The hospitality group’s sustainability commitment is anchored in its founding ethos, “Embracing the Environment, Empowering People,” which is executed through initiatives like the Banyan Global Foundation and Banyan Academy. The Mandai Rainforest Resort advances this mission by demonstrating how luxury and environmental accountability can be interwoven into a high-density urban setting.

Singapore’s tourism authorities have increasingly emphasized sustainable development, and the Mandai precinct is now emerging as a case study for how biodiversity, architecture, and public engagement can coexist. Industry observers believe that this project may become a blueprint for similar developments globally, particularly in regions where urban encroachment on nature is an ongoing concern.

What the Mandai Rainforest Resort signals for Singapore’s eco-tourism future and integrated destination planning

The grand opening of the Mandai Rainforest Resort also reflects the culmination of a long-term vision by Mandai Wildlife Group to transform Singapore’s northern biodiversity belt into a globally competitive wildlife and ecotourism hub. The precinct now features five wildlife parks, green public spaces, and now, an integrated resort component that lengthens visitor stay duration and boosts experiential tourism potential.

Mandai Wildlife Group is also active in conservation science, regional wildlife partnerships, and sustainable living education. It supports Mandai Nature, its conservation arm, and runs Mandai X, a venture accelerator focused on new growth engines in eco-tourism and biodiversity. This multi-pronged strategy places the group at the intersection of hospitality, conservation, and environmental technology.

With rising global demand for low-impact travel and increased attention on urban sustainability, both Mandai Wildlife Group and Banyan Group appear well-positioned to shape the next chapter of eco-tourism in Southeast Asia and beyond. The Mandai Rainforest Resort serves as a key proof point of this integrated vision—one that merges infrastructure, environment, and immersive experience in equal measure.

What are the key takeaways from Banyan Group’s Mandai Rainforest Resort launch in Singapore?

• Banyan Tree Holdings Limited, now operating as Banyan Group (SGX: B58), opened its 100th global property with the Mandai Rainforest Resort in Singapore.

• This marks the group’s first hospitality project in Singapore and is set within the Mandai Wildlife Reserve, a premier urban nature and wildlife precinct.

• The resort features 4.6 hectares of biophilic, elevated design, preserving native species and offering immersive views of the Upper Seletar Reservoir.

• Treehouse-style rooms, art by Singaporean artist Donna Ong, and vintage wildlife lithographs deepen guests’ connection to the local rainforest ecology.

• All rooms include sustainability-focused features such as natural ventilation, rainwater harvesting, and energy monitoring systems, contributing to Green Mark Platinum SLE certification.

• The signature restaurant Forage offers a “Harvest to Table” dining experience using herbs and produce grown onsite, with views ideal for birdwatching and sunsets.

• Banyan Tree Spa, event spaces like the Meranti Ballroom, and rainforest-themed playgrounds create multigenerational experiences grounded in conservation and wellbeing.

• Guests receive special access to all Mandai Wildlife attractions, including the Singapore Zoo, Bird Paradise, and the new Curiosity Cove playscape.

• The resort is part of a broader regeneration strategy by Mandai Wildlife Group to build a fully integrated eco-tourism hub in northern Singapore.

• Industry observers view the project as a benchmark for urban eco-luxury, aligning Singapore’s tourism ambitions with global demand for sustainable travel.