Hybrid workers who pass by Dhoby Ghaut MRT daily will find that it makes perfect sense to visit Staytion Lifestyle Centre as a one-stop hub for their wellness needs.
Hybrid work often implies that while you have the freedom to work from anywhere, you are also expected to work from anywhere. I’m sure that we can relate to the notion of having to put work ahead of personal affairs, but concepts like Staytion Lifestyle Centre are tailor-made for this; think along the lines of mixed-use developments that combine residences, malls and office spaces into one space.
The long and the short of it is this: for those who find it challenging to take time off work to do regular health checkups or squeeze in a gym workout, this one-stop hub might just whittle away your resistance to taking time off for these essentials. It caters to the health, fitness, and beauty needs of busy professionals who rely on public transport and spend considerable time in the city, especially when you pass by Dhoby Ghaut MRT often. Imagine a place where you can seamlessly transition from work to wellness without straying far from your daily commute routine.
A wellness oasis and a teaser for future retail spaces
Before it gets a little confusing, here’s a quick primer: Staytion is a startup subsidiary of Stellar Lifestyle, which is SMRT’s business arm. Staytion specialises in hybrid workspaces and is one of the largest marketplaces in Southeast Asia, with a presence in six countries, over 2,500 listings across 1,000 locations, and a user base of over 1.3 million members.
Staytion Lifestyle Centre is a reimagined retail space that brings together a variety of services under one roof. On weekdays, the centre functions as a vibrant hub for work, health, and fitness. Come weekends, it hosts a bustling flea market, promoting a sustainable pre-loved culture in partnership with Fleawhere, Singapore’s largest flea market operator.
Visitors can enjoy an array of services designed to fit seamlessly into their daily routines:
- Co-working space: Staytion Lounge provides a quiet area to work, which is pretty handy if you need to pull out your laptop to handle something urgent mid-commute.
- Medical centre: Alliance Medical Centre is a unique one-stop clinic that offers an extensive range of health screenings and services, including X-rays, ultrasounds, and visual and hearing examinations. The centre is focused on and well-equipped to facilitate preventive care and the management of chronic illnesses.
- Medical aesthetics clinic: EVOQUE Medical is also a one-stop solution-based clinic that provides a wide range of aesthetic treatments to keep you looking your best.
- Holistic wellness centre: Absolute Wellness offers all-natural, long-lasting weight loss and weight management through techniques inspired by traditional Chinese medicine and healthy eating.
- Gym facilities: The Gym Pod is equipped with private workout pods for fitness sessions on the fly, which you can book conveniently via an app.
- Varied meal options: Various healthy and hearty meal choices — KithSTOP for quick bites and great brews, SaladStop! for healthy salads, wraps and grain bowls, Takagi Ramen for hearty comfort food, and several vending machine options from Le Tach Vending.
If you often travel in town primarily via MRT and are very conscientious about your health and appearance, the Staytion Lifestyle Centre is essentially a ‘home base’ where you can easily work and go for your appointments and meals without wasting time shuttling from one place to another.
Looking Ahead
For as long as the MRT has existed, retail stores at MRT stations have always been just another store located at a train station. While they are conveniently located, the elephant in the room is that they are less compelling as a shopping destination when other malls are nearby — unless you have something specialised, of course. Those old enough will remember Bishan MRT station as a mecca for Magic the Gathering players, for example.
While the burden of proof is firmly on their shoulders to prove that this shift is systemic rather than a let’s-keep-throwing-stuff-at-the-wall-till-it-sticks approach, Stellar Lifestyle’s previous announcements — Timezone at Orchard MRT and Hive 2.0 at Esplanade MRT — do indeed point towards an ambitious endgame. In particular, Hive 2.0 and the recent pilot trialling the use of trains for postal services indicate a clear strategy to expand the role that train stations — or trains even — play beyond public transportation.
While you may not like the idea of fulfilling your daily essentials without ever leaving the train station premises, many will undoubtedly appreciate the convenience when pressed for time — and options are good.
