Donald Trump will meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at a resort on an island in Singapore that has a historic and colourful past. The hotel is one of 14 hotels situated on the island, which is also home to two golf courses, a theme park, a sandy beach, and a casino.
All eyes focused on Singapore, as the city-state gets set to host one of the unlikeliest of summits in recent history: a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
And if Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un didn’t seem the ultimate odd couple, check this out …
The always unpredictable Dennis Rodman has decided to crash the party, inviting himself to the city-state, which thinks of itself as the Lion City!
While the Donald maintains that the former NBA star wasn’t invited to the summit, the two of them do seems to be members of a Mutual Admiration Society.
Says Dennis about Donald: “To all Americans and the rest of the world, I’m honoured to call @POTUS a friend. He’s one of the best negotiators of all time, and I’m looking forward to him adding to his historic success at the Singapore Summit.”
Dennis did, in fact, give Jong-um a copy of Trump’s best-seller, “Art of the Deal”, during his last visit to the Hermit Kingdom.
Did Rocket Man, as Trump calls Kim, read the tome? That’s anyone’s guess, but the Donald does like praise, and he’s returned the compliment, calling Dennis “the great rebounder”.
Where The Summit Will Be Held
The summit will be held on 12 June 2018 at the Capella Hotel, a luxurious hotel set amid 30 acres of beautifully landscaped gardens on the island of Sentosa.
A muster of peacocks and peahens wander the beautifully landscaped grounds of the five-star resort.
What could be more appropriate?
The hotel’s lobby is housed in a Victorian-era building, which was previously a mess hall for the British Royal Artillery during the colonial era.
Singapore was a British colony from 1824 to 1963. It was briefly a part of the Federation of Malaya, Singapore, Sarawak and North Borneo (now Sabah).
Singapore declared independence from Malaysia in 1965.
The hotel’ has a total of 112 guest rooms, suites, and villas, The 61 guest rooms and suites are housed in a modern curved space that was designed by architects Foster + Partners.
Another 51 free-standing villas are scattered about the tropically landscaped property.
Interior spaces a are modern, with classic colonial touches and lots of Chinese antiques.
Included are two presidential suites. With three bedrooms each, they were decorated by Indonesian designer Jaya Ibrahim.
Is this where Trump and Kim and their respective entourages will spend the night?
The hotel has three food and beverage outlets.
- Bob’s Bar – a Latin style bar specializing in rum-based cocktails, Bob’s Bar has a Latin band performing most nights.
- Cassia – located in a colonial era building, Cassia is a fine-dining restaurant serving Chinese cuisine.
- The Knolls – overlooking the sea, The Knolls serves Mediterranean-inspired dishes focusing on tapas, grilled meats, and fresh seafood.
Facilities include a three-tiered cascading pool, a fitness centre, and a luxurious spa, designed by Indonesian designer Jaya Ibrahim.
The hotel has 24,000 square feet of meeting and event space and lots of break-out rooms. Included is a circular ballroom.
The hotel opened in March 2009. It is developed by Pontiac Land.
Hotel guests have priority access to the Sentosa Golf Club, an 18-hole championship course a short drive from the hotel.
Other nearby facilities include a sandy beach, a shopping mall, a casino, jogging trails, tennis courts, and jogging trails.
Sentosa Island
An island in Singapore, Sentosa was previously called Pulau Blakang Mati, which means “Island of Death from Behind” in Malay.
Sentosa was a British military base during the colonial era.
During the Japanese occupation of Singapore (1943 to 1945), Sentosa served as a Japanese prisoner of war camp.
The island has evolved into one of Singapore’s premier tourist destinations attracting some twenty million visitors a year.
Tourist attractions include a 2 kilometre ((1.2 mile) stretch of sandy beach, two golf courses, a Universal Studios theme park, a casino, and 14 hotels.
Six of the hotels are a part of the massive Resorts World Sentosa complex.
Where Will Trump and Kim Stay?
So where will Trump, Kim, and Rodman be housed during their stay in Singapore?
The Capella would seem an obvious choice, but perhaps that is too much for one property to chew.
One of the other 13 hotels that populate Sentosa Island, perhaps?
The Singapore daily newspaper, Straits Times, predicts that Trump will stay at the Shangri-La hotel Singapore and that Kim will stay at the St. Regis Singapore.
Neither of these hotels are located on Sentosa Island, where the summit will be held. They both are located in downtown Singapore.
For the record, I’ve stayed at the St. Regis Singapore. For my review of the hotel, click here …
Why Was Singapore Chosen?
Kim wanted the talks to be held in Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, but that would have been unacceptable to the Americans.
And the Americans were not about to invite Kim to Washington.
Kim’s second choice was the “truce village” of Panmunjom, which straddles the North and South Korean border.
Beijing, China; Vladivostok, Russia; and Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia were other possibilities acceptable to Kim because they were relatively accessible and could offer “security guarantees.
Several Southeast Asian countries, including Indonesia and Thailand, appeared eager to host the summit. Others thought either Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; or Geneva, Switzerland, would make better hosts.
Switzerland does, after all, have a long history of political neutrality, and Geneva has often played host to international summits.
But Kim would not have felt comfortable if the summit were to be held in a Western democracy. He wanted something closer to home, which could offer security guarantees.
Officially known as the Republic of Singapore, Singapore won the lottery, and it was an interesting choice to host the Trump-Kim Summit.
Situated just 137 kilometres (85 miles) north of the Equator, Singapore has a population of just over 5.6 million people and a land mass of just 722 square kilometres (278 square miles).
An independent country since 1965, Singapore is politically stable and economically prosperous.
Known locally as the Lion City, Singapore is a staunch U.S. ally, but it can also offer the security assurances that Kim must covet.
The Lion City offered the best of both worlds.
Where
Capella Singapore – 1 Knolls, Sentosa Island, Singapore.
The hotel located 16 miles, or 30 minutes, from Changi International Airport.