Singapore's Shangri-La Hotel seen as likely venue for US-North Korea summit
Singapore's Shangri-La Hotel seen as likely venue for US-North Korea summit · CNBC
  • A neighborhood in downtown Singapore has been designated a "special event area" for the June 12 U.S.-North Korea summit, according to a government statement.

  • Several luxury hotels are located in the area, but security experts believe the Shangri-La will likely host the historic meeting.

  • There is no official confirmation yet on venue.

The five-star Shangri-La hotel in downtown Singapore is widely expected to host the upcoming June 12 summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un .

The area around the hotel, consisting of the Tanglin, Newton and Orchard districts, has been designated a "special event area" from June 10 to June 14, the Singaporean government said in a Sunday statement about the high-profile event .

That means the summit venue will likely be in that zone, which is home to several luxury hotels such as the Grand Hyatt and St Regis. The Shangri-La, however, boasts certain security advantages that make it the most likely choice of venue, according to experts.

The 792-room property is located in a residential neighborhood surrounded by small roads, which makes it easier to control vehicle and pedestrian access, said Ong Kok Leong, chief operating officer of security agency Secura Group.

Being in a residential area also means "the threat posed by neighboring buildings would have been mitigated through security screenings prior to the event," he continued. Moreover, "with the hotel positioned on a hill top, its vantage points offer good visibility on surrounding activities," allowing security forces to position themselves at various strategic positions, he added.

Also working in the Shangri-La's favor is its proven track record of hosting heads of state such as former Presidents Barack Obama and George H.W. Bush . It was also the site of a milestone 2015 meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and former Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou.

Every year, the hotel also welcomes a suite of global defense officials for a conference known as the Shangri-La Dialogue . The event, which had Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as this year's keynote speaker , took place over the weekend and was considered a dry run for the June 12 meeting. During the conference's 2016 edition, a Gurkha officer — soldiers of Nepali origin considered among the world's fiercest warriors — shot dead a man who drove a car through several road blocks after ignoring police warnings.

A Shangri-La spokesperson told CNBC that it wasn't currently in a position to comment on matters related to U.S.-North Korea summit.