Urban Suites
Overview & Key Facts
Urban Suites is a freehold boutique development at 60 Hullet Road, tucked into a quiet residential lane just off Killiney Road in prime District 9. Completed in 2013 by developer Augite Pte Ltd (a Hong Leong Group entity), the project holds 165 units across a single 32-storey tower — a compact footprint that nonetheless delivers genuine Orchard-adjacency and skyline views toward the city and Mount Sophia.
The site is roughly a five-minute walk to Somerset MRT and well under a kilometre from Orchard MRT, placing residents inside one of the most walkable luxury pockets in Singapore. Hullet Road itself is a cul-de-sac, insulating the development from the retail churn of Orchard Road while keeping every major amenity within strolling distance.
Urban Suites targets a specific buyer: singles, couples, and investors who value freehold tenure, central location, and rental liquidity over mass-market facilities or family-sized floor plates. The unit mix is dominated by 1- and 2-bedroom layouts designed for efficient use of prime-district PSF, with a handful of 3-bedroom and penthouse units for larger households. This profile has made it a consistent performer on the leasing market — the property has logged roughly 360 rental transactions at a median of S$9,500/month, underscoring its status as a core-CCR rental asset.
Location & Connectivity
Location is the headline story here. Somerset MRT (NS23) sits about 330m from the front gate — roughly a 4-minute walk — putting 313@Somerset, Orchard Central, and Orchard Gateway within the same walk radius. Orchard MRT interchange is another 10 minutes on foot, and Dhoby Ghaut (North-East, Circle, and North-South lines converging) is under a kilometre away. For public-transport-dependent residents, this is about as good as it gets in Singapore.
Drivers enjoy direct access to the Central Expressway (CTE) via Killiney Road and River Valley Road. The CBD (Raffles Place / Marina Bay) is a 7-10 minute drive in off-peak conditions, and the ECP and AYE are equally straightforward to reach. For parents with school runs, the CTE northbound covers most of the District 11-13 school belt in under 15 minutes.
Everyday amenities are genuinely on the doorstep. The Killiney Road shophouse row — with Killiney Kopitiam, Killiney 24-hour eateries, and a cluster of neighbourhood cafés — is a two-minute walk. Great World City is a 10-minute walk or a single MRT stop away, and the Orchard Road retail belt (ION, Takashimaya, Paragon, Ngee Ann City) sits within 15 minutes on foot. Medical needs are covered by Mount Elizabeth and Paragon Medical just across Orchard.
Schools & Education
2 primary schools within the 1 km Priority Phase balloting radius.
| School | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| ACS (Junior) | primary | Within 1 km |
| St. Anthony's Primary School | primary | Within 1 km |
| Kheng Cheng School | primary | ~1.1 km |
| Fairfield Methodist School (Primary) | primary | ~1.1 km |
| St. Margaret's Primary School | primary | ~1.2 km |
| St. Margaret's Secondary School | secondary | ~1.2 km |
| ISS International School (Preston) | international | ~1.4 km |
| Anglo-Chinese School (Primary) | primary | ~1.4 km |
Facilities
Urban Suites is unambiguously a boutique development. The 165-unit, single-tower configuration does not support mega-condo facility breadth — and buyers should not expect it. Standard amenities include a 25m lap pool and pool deck, a Jacuzzi, a gymnasium, a function room, BBQ pavilions, and landscaped sky terraces on selected levels. A 24-hour concierge desk and security are part of the service proposition, aligned with the CCR positioning.
The trade-off is low-density living: with only 165 units sharing the amenities, queues and booking conflicts are rare. This is a meaningful daily-use advantage over the 1,000+ unit mega-condos in suburban districts, where peak-hour pool use can feel congested. For a professional couple or single occupant, the facility set is adequate — you're not here for a resort experience, you're here to live in Orchard.
“Very central location with Somerset MRT minutes away. Compact development means less crowding at the pool and gym, which suits the kind of tenant this place attracts.”
— Resident feedback summary via PropertyGuru
Buyers seeking tennis courts, function halls, or a tropical clubhouse will not find them here — those typically require 3-hectare-plus sites that simply don't exist on Hullet Road. The recipe Urban Suites follows is: compact footprint, freehold tenure, premium location, essential facilities done well. If that formula fits, this works.
Unit Sizes & Layout
Unit sizes at Urban Suites skew toward the efficient end of the spectrum, reflecting both its 2013 TOP era and its target demographic. 1-bedroom units typically run 500-650 sqft, 2-bedrooms around 750-950 sqft, and the larger 3-bedroom and penthouse units scale up from roughly 1,200 sqft. Layouts prioritise usable living space and natural light over elaborate architectural gestures — the envelope is a clean modernist tower, and interiors emphasise white finishes, floor-to-ceiling glazing, and compact but workable kitchens.
Stack orientation matters on a site this tight. Higher floors facing north and west capture partial skyline views toward Mount Sophia and the Orchard Road corridor; lower floors face the neighbouring landed cluster and shophouse row along Killiney Road. View protection is reasonable: the Killiney/Hullet pocket is predominantly low-rise conservation shophouses and landed properties, which caps future obstruction risk on most orientations. Road noise is minimal given the cul-de-sac setting.
Interior finishings were specified to mid-to-upper mainstream standards rather than bespoke luxury — comparable to what Hong Leong delivered across its 2011-2014 pipeline. Most resale units today have been refreshed by previous owners or tenants' landlords. Buyers should plan for selective renovation (kitchen tops, bathroom fittings) to bring units to current market-standard finish, particularly if the target is high-yield leasing to expatriate tenants.
| Bedrooms | Transactions | Avg PSF | Avg Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 BR | 9 | $2,979 | $4,702,778 |
| 5 BR | 4 | $2,742 | $5,550,000 |
Pricing & Market Position
Based on 13 recorded transactions, sale prices range from $4,180,000 to $5,700,000, averaging $4,963,462 (~$2,786 psf).
Rents range from $5,600 to $27,000 per month across 370 rental transactions. Current rental yield sits at approximately 2.3%.
Price Appreciation
From 2021 to 2026, the average PSF has declined by 6.9% (from $2,942 to $2,738 psf).
Neighbourhood Comparison
Within District 9, the relevant comparison set includes The Avenir (Freehold, 376 units, newer, PSF ~S$3,190), Irwell Hill Residences (99-year lease from 2020, 540 units, PSF ~S$2,726), and River Green (99-year lease from 2024, 524 units, PSF ~S$3,134). Urban Suites sits at a lower PSF than The Avenir and River Green while matching Irwell Hill on pricing — but with the critical distinction of freehold tenure versus Irwell Hill's 99-year lease.
The trade-off against newer leasehold launches is mostly about build age and facility breadth. Urban Suites is 13 years old in 2026 and offers a compact facility set; The Avenir is newer with similar freehold tenure but sits at a meaningful premium. For a buyer anchoring on freehold and walking distance to Somerset/Orchard, Urban Suites offers the better entry point. For a buyer willing to trade tenure for newer finishes and more facilities, Irwell Hill or River Green become viable — but the 99-year lease clock starts ticking the day you buy.
| Development | Tenure | TOP | Units | ~Avg PSF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| URBAN SUITES | Freehold | 2013 | 165 | $2,786 |
| IRWELL HILL RESIDENCES | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2020 | 2021 | 540 | $2,728 |
| RIVER GREEN | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2024 | 2025 | 524 | $3,138 |
| RIVER MODERN | 99 years leasehold | — | — | $3,239 |
| THE AVENIR | Freehold | 2021 | 376 | $3,190 |
| KOPAR AT NEWTON | 99 yrs lease commencing from 2019 | 2021 | 378 | $2,511 |
ShiokNest Scores
Our proprietary scoring system evaluates URBAN SUITES across multiple dimensions.
What Residents Say
“Location is hard to beat. Somerset MRT is about 4 minutes on foot and you can walk to most of Orchard. Good for tenants who don't want to deal with a car.”
— Resident sentiment via EdgeProp
“Quiet cul-de-sac, modern tower, compact facilities. Don't expect mega-condo amenities — that's not what this place is for.”
— Resident sentiment via PropertyGuru
The consistent themes across tenant and owner feedback are (1) the location premium justifies the maintenance and entry costs, (2) the boutique scale translates into uncongested facilities, and (3) expectations should be calibrated to a 165-unit tower, not a mega-development. The rental tenant base skews heavily to expatriate singles and couples, with a smaller contingent of local professionals. Turnover rates at the unit level are typical of CCR leasehold and freehold stock in the area.
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Freehold tenure — rare in the District 9 new-launch pipeline
- ~330m to Somerset MRT; ~750m to Orchard MRT interchange
- Walkable to Orchard retail belt, Paragon Medical, Killiney Road eateries
- Cul-de-sac setting — quiet despite Orchard proximity
- Compact 165-unit boutique — uncongested facilities
- Strong rental liquidity — ~360 recorded leases at ~S$9,500 median
- Meaningful PSF discount vs newer D9 freehold (The Avenir)
- Low future-obstruction risk — surrounded by conservation shophouses / landed
- Core-CCR freehold franchise value — scarce site supply
- Modest facility set — no tennis, no function hall, single pool
- Compact unit sizes — limited suitability for larger families
- Gross yield ~2.28% typical of CCR freehold; low cash-on-cash return
- En-bloc potential low (score 40/100) — small site + tall tower
- Interior finishings reflect 2013 mid-upper mainstream spec
- Limited guest parking — boutique site footprint
- Few 3-bedroom / family-size units available
- Higher per-sqft maintenance fees than mega-condos (fixed costs over fewer units)
Verdict
Urban Suites is a focused instrument for a specific job: freehold CCR ownership with rental liquidity at a PSF that remains meaningfully below the new-launch benchmark. At an average 12-month PSF of S$2,786 against District 9 new launches in the S$3,100-3,300 range, buyers are trading slightly older build year for a 15-20% pricing discount and a freehold title — a defensible trade for long-hold investors.
The gross rental yield of approximately 2.28% is typical of CCR freehold stock — buyers here are underwriting capital preservation and long-term appreciation, not cash-on-cash income. What the numbers do not fully capture is the franchise value: Hullet Road is a quiet, mature address five minutes from Orchard MRT, and that combination is structurally scarce. No new freehold sites of this size and location are coming to market.
The honest limitations: facilities are modest, unit sizes are compact, and the 2.28% yield will not excite cash-flow investors. Families needing 3- and 4-bedroom configurations, resort-scale amenities, or school catchment plays should look elsewhere (Amber Park in D15 or The Avenir elsewhere in D9 offer different trade-offs). For the buyer this is designed for — a professional couple, investor, or pied-à-terre owner who values location and tenure over facilities — Urban Suites is a coherent and well-priced option.