Can this hotel with so many Bagua really offer a comfortable stay?

Trust us – staying in this hotel is a completely different experience.

Have you ever seen bagua? We’re sure you have, but do you know what it does? Few people will know the real answer! The bagua, or eight trigrams, originates in the ancient Chinese classic I Ching. It represents all creatures in the universe, its phenomena, directions, five elements, and even members of a family. Objectively speaking, understanding the bagua is not difficult, but not easy either – you need some measure of knowledge and practice. However, the bagua does have a purpose that most are familiar with – to ward off evil. By now, you should know we’re not referring to “gossip” (also called “ba gua” in Chinese), right?

Indeed, whenever a home encounters negative qi, even those who know nothing about feng shui will think of using a bagua to resolve the problem. Even Singapore’s coins have the shape of a bagua imprinted on them, but whether that’s just a design element or if it really helps to ward off evil is anyone’s guess!

Anyone can perform magic tricks or read a bagua…but to create a feng shui design that’s both effective and aesthetically pleasing is a real challenge! Now, those who have visited or seen The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia will know that the shape of the bagua is an essential element of the hotel’s design, be it the exterior or interior. No? Look at the main entrance, the sign at the driveway, and all the guestroom windows – the six-sided or eight-sided bagua shape is everywhere.

You might ask: did the The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia have its feng shui analysed? If so, what negative qi is it trying to block? Why did it go to such pains to integrate the bagua into nearly every part of the hotel? We don’t know if any feng shui adjustments have ever been made, but the hotel’s design and layout seems to suggest so.

The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia opened in 1996 on a prime spot, conveniently close to the Esplanade and Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort. The hotel has 608 rooms with views of either the city skyline or Marina Bay. Its only flaw is that the hotel faces the heavily-used East Coast Parkway (ECP) expressway. Naturally, this generates a significant amount of negative qi for the hotel.

Walking around the area, you’ll realise that the entire hotel building and its main entrance do not directly face East Coast Parkway. What’s more, you’ll also discover that the hotel is surrounded by tall trees. You might dismiss this as an effort to add greenery to the environment, but you could also interpret it as yet more efforts to block negative qi (plants can be used for this purpose).

Of course, the most eye-catching sight here is that of the many bagua-shaped windows, like a secret weapon the hotel uses to ward off evil. These octagonal shapes can be spotted all over the hotel, like a phalanx of soldiers with shields raised and ready to defend the building from enemy attacks.

In addition, The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia has also employed a Yin formation feng shui design in order to complement its external surroundings. How so? In order to soothe a powerful and direct negative qi, one must include architectural elements that absorb and negate the qi. The hotel’s architects and designers cleverly included spacious areas at the base of the building, allowing better ventilation. This not only helps to resolve negative qi but also absorbs powerful energy and stores it in the hotel’s swimming pool!

The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia may be filled with bagua shapes, but the hotel is rarely the subject of gossip. Hence, this hotel with the most “bagua” actually does offer a most comfortable stay – it is a 5-star hotel after all!