THE Royal Peacock Hotel in Chinatown's Keong Saik Road is likely to be sold soon - with a potential price tag of about $38 million.

The owners of the boutique hotel called for expressions of interest, which closed on Wednesday, after attracting at least five bidders.

The keen interest underlined rising interest in the hotel sector in Singapore, analysts said.

The 74-room hotel's marketing agent, Cushman & Wakefield, said the property's guide price is $38 million, or more than $500,000 a room.

While the wider property market is quiet, as many buyers and sellers are remaining on the sidelines, the hotel sector offers a different picture.

With rising tourist arrivals and room rates, investors are more than happy to pay 'tomorrow's price' for a hotel located in the city centre, said Mr Donald Han, the managing director of Cushman & Wakefield in Singapore.

A five-star hotel typically sells for $700,000 to $800,000 a room, he said.

The bidders for the Royal Peacock, most of whom are foreigners, are not existing hotel players in Singapore, he said.

The hotel, which opened in 1995, is owned by Grace International, the local property offshoot of a family trading business based in Indonesia. The firm also owns The Scarlet, an 84-room boutique hotel in Erskine Road that opened in late 2004. This is set in 13 two-storey, restored shophouses built in 1868 and a four-storey shophouse.

The Royal Peacock occupies 10 restored shophouses in Keong Saik Road, which was once famous as a red-light district.

The rooms, ranging from 18 sq m to 30 sq m in area, boast period touches such as antique gilt-framed mirrors, plush purple carpets and red walls. They cost between $105 and $185 a night.

The eventual buyer will be looking to enjoy rising room rates, analysts say.

Room rates in Singapore have been rising steadily after staying low for a long period. Average rates are now hovering around $240 to $250, up from just $120 in 2004.

Mr Han said the outlook for the hotel industry remains upbeat, and Cushman & Wakefield is in the process of being appointed as the marketing agent for two other hotels over the next two months. These hotels, with fewer than 200 rooms, are also well-located.

This article was first published in The Straits Times on May 9, 2008

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