Coliwoo Gay World Hotel: Memories of former 1936 amusement park in Geylang
It was built by Lee Kong Chian's brother
By Asih Jenie -
Geylang Road’s historic shophouse hotel gets a new lease of life as one of the co-living brand Coliwoo's properties.
Located on Geylang Road, a short walk from the Kallang MRT station, the Gay World Hotel is a memento of the bustling Gay World Amusement Park.
Otherwise known as "Happy World", the Gay World Amusement Park was one of the three theme parks built by Chinese businessman George Lee Geok Eng (Lee Kong Chian's brother) in Singapore before World War II descended.
Back then, Singapore had three famed “World” amusement parks, namely Great World, New World, and Gay World.
Formerly known as Happy World before it rebranded, Gay World occupied 10 acres of land along Mountbatten and Geylang roads - at least until its demolishment in the year 2000.
Today, the three-storey shophouse hotel is operated by co-living Coliwoo as one of the properties under its co-living hotel concept, which has seen all of its 27 rooms refurbished by Coliwoo’s in-house design team.
Here, a look into the new Coliwoo Gay World Hotel interiors:
Gay World Hotel: A Historical Site
According to the National Library Board's archives, the Gay World Amusement Park offered "a variety of entertainment including cabaret, operas, movies, gaming, sport matches, stunts and shopping."
However, the Park was victim to many fires over the decades. Finally, in 2001, Gay World Amusement Park was demolished "to make way for redevelopment".
Gay World Hotel Now A Co-Living Space
Supplementary to Coliwoo’s co-living residences, the co-living hotel concept focuses on premium flexible stays that allow guests to stay for just a minimum of one night.
Targeting individuals, modern local families and expatriates, these hotel units aim to elevate the typical co-living experience by choosing heritage properties equipped with modern amenities.
Self-Contained Co-Living Studios
Rooms at Coliwoo Hotel Gay World have been designed to be self-contained studios. Each is equipped with a kitchenette that allows guests to whip up a quick meal – an atypical feature in regular hotels.
Pale Woods and Pastel Interiors
The rooms’ overall aesthetic is modern and contemporary, featuring practical built-in carpentry awashed in pale wood finish and pastel colours.
220 Square Foot Co-Living Units
There are five types of rooms available, ranging from spacious 220 sq ft units fit for a family to a quaint single-bed studio suitable for singletons on a sojourn.
Coliwoo’s co-living hotel properties include Coliwoo Hotel Amber in Katong and Coliwoo Hotel Balestier. Meanwhile, the brand is also looking to expand its co-living residence portfolio with two new projects planned in the Orchard and River Valley areas in the near future.
Coliwoo Gay World Hotel is at 115 Geylang Road.