The Scarlet Singapore was opened in 2004, comprising 13 Early Shophouses built in 1868 and a 1924 Art Deco building.

[2] The hotel incorporates No 9 to 37 Erskine Road which includes a four-storey concrete building which was constructed in 1942 and fourteen two storey 'shophouses'.

The shophouses were bought in 1988 to make a boutique hotel (The Inn of Sixth Happiness).

[9][10] In March 2016, The Scarlet Hotel took part in the Earth Hour movement by dimming down its lights, reducing AC usage, and asking guests to follow through in their rooms.

The decor is predominantly gold, bronze and crimson, and includes rose-patterned furniture, chandeliers, and gilded mirrors.