Credit: Courtesy of Mandarin Oriental, Singapore
Which hotel you should stay at in Singapore depends on what type of traveller you are: do you want downtown convenience, the perfect family hotel or a quieter, more indulgent experience? Here are our recommendations on the best Singapore hotels for every traveller.
The five-star Sofitel Singapore City Centre puts you close to Singapore’s phenomenal food action, with easy access to top restaurants, bars and hawker centres. It’s located in the historically down-at-heel Tanjong Pagar district, which has blossomed in recent years with openings like Tippling Club (high-concept cocktails and modern fine dining) and modern barbecue joint Burnt Ends . Not that you need to leave the hotel: you can take high tea at 1864 (or barrel-aged cocktails by night) or dive into the French-Singaporean menu at Racines. Sophie the robo-butler can even deliver a snack or drink to your room. Need to work off those calories? Head to the outdoor infinity pool or the 24-hour SoFit Gym.
Don’t miss: Just minutes away is Maxwell Food Centre, home to a cluster of local favourites including the mouthwatering and Michelin-lauded Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice .
With expansive views of Marina Bay, classic luxury and a convenient downtown address, The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore is a reliable favourite among Singapore hotels for families looking to mix a dash of luxury into their stay. Rooms start at 549 square feet, while larger suites feature living rooms. Kids will love the nearby ArtScience Museum ’s fun-packed exhibits, while the Ritz Kids Night Safari offers the little ones an in-room tent, a Ritz-Carlton lion beanie and a complimentary scoop of ice cream if they complete an activity sheet.
Don’t miss: The hotel’s Colony Bakery features a signature Upper Crust combo boxes with a hybrid cookie-crust-and-muffin-base creation that’ll be a sure-fire hit with the kids.
Courtyard by Marriott Singapore Novena proves business hotels don’t have to be stuffy, suited-and-booted affairs. The hotel’s stylish, modern aesthetic attracts a mix of business travellers, hip millennials and families buzzing through the lobby, pool and restaurants. The city-centre hotel is housed in a complex that includes a mall and food court, and you’re walking distance from Novena MRT station, close to Orchard Road and 25 minutes from the airport in a taxi. There’s a small desk in the rooms for working and generous floor-to-ceiling windows with views across the city. The views are better still from the rooftop infinity pool.
Don’t miss: Nearby, the classic pork rib soup at Founder Bak Kut Teh restaurant is a citywide favourite and great for a quick meal between meetings.
The Mandarin Oriental ’s enduring elegance and frankly fabulous restaurants have made it a firm favourite with travellers seeking classic romance. Rooms offer city views across to the National Gallery or over the surrounding Marina Bay, and decor is punctuated with handsome dark woods, warm tones and subtle Asian motifs. If you’re feeling fancy splash out on a suite to enjoy a separate living room, study area and bathroom with free-standing tub. For pampering, head to The Spa , which includes two couples’ suites and a spa concierge to help tailor your perfect treatment.
Don’t miss: Go all-out on date nights at the hotel’s five restaurants and two bars. You can’t go wrong with a couple of Old Fashioneds at the MO Bar before dinner at Japanese restaurant Teppan-Ya.
The St. Regis brand is synonymous with luxury and the Singapore outpost is no slouch with the requisite Bentleys, butlers and luxe details throughout. Rooms are positively palatial: think king-size beds, regal drapes and free-standing tubs in the marble-and-mirror-clad bathrooms. Equally as grand are Remède Spa’s pampering bathing rituals and eucalyptus-scented steam chambers. Of course, high rollers in the penthouse Presidential Suite have their own Jacuzzi and steam room (and a baby grand in the living room). The hotel is also situated on a quieter stretch of shopping haven Orchard Road, close to Singapore Botanic Gardens and Dempsey Hill, a former barracks now peppered with classy dining destinations like Candlenut , the world’s first Michelin-starred Peranakan restaurant.
Don’t miss: The private collection of artworks, including pieces commissioned specially for the hotel like Li Chen’s Dragon-Riding Bodhisattva, Fernando Botero’s Reclining Woman and Anthony Poon’s striking Sense Surround sculpture.
First impressions count for a lot, and rocking up to the Capitol Kempinski ’s striking three-storey heritage frontage truly sets the tone. The 155-room hotel is the result of a decade-long restoration of the 90-year-old Capitol Building and the even older Venetian Renaissance-style Stamford House. Decor throughout is subtle and stylish, with cream walls offset with dark woods. That’s the same in the rooms – go for one with a balcony overlooking the inner courtyard. In the neighbourhood you’ve got more heritage at the Peranakan Museum (currently under a revamp and due to reopen in 2021) and Chijmes , a former convent which was featured as the wedding venue in Crazy Rich Asians.
Don’t miss: The Bar at 15 Stamford is a true showstopper with its long wooden bar, hanging lamps, leather banquettes and a colonial-era vibe that’s as strong as the classic cocktails.
Geoff Lung
The Andre Fu-designed Andaz Singapore is awash in warm colours and takes subtle cues from the surrounding melting pot of neighbourhoods. Pop down the road to explore Kampong Glam’s heritage sites (the gold-domed Sultan Mosque; the Malay Heritage Centre) as well as the hip clutch of boutiques, bars and restaurants along Haji Lane and Arab Street. Next up: nearby Little India. Among the six hotel restaurants, Alley on 25 puts an elevated twist on Singapore’s famous hawker cuisine, while Auntie’s Wok and Steam celebrates zi char (‘cook and fry’) food culture. The Andaz Times, available in rooms, does a neat job of cherry-picking local recommendations.
Don’t Miss: For an unforgettable nightcap, head across the road to art-deco temple Atlas , which displays more than 1,300 gins in an eight-metre-tall tower.
The 792-room Shangri-La Hotel Singapore resembles a tropical wonderland, enveloping guests in more than 133,000 varieties of native flowers, plants and trees. These six hectares of gardens go a long way in establishing a sense of tranquillity, as does the hotel’s Garden wing – one of three distinct wings, alongside the classically elegant Valley wing and the Tower wing, with its contemporary Asian luxury. Rooms have balconies overlooking a palm-fringed pool, and the jungle-like central courtyard also entices guests outdoors. It’s almost hard to believe that the glitzy, bustling shopping destination of Orchard Road is just 15 minutes away.
Don’t Miss: For more of Singapore in bloom, stroll the 74-hectare Singapore Botanic Gardens , featuring rolling lawns, lakes and themed gardens, such as the standout National Orchid Garden.
Singapore’s only beachfront resort mixes Shangri-La’s signature sophisticated style with family-friendly amenities and the blissful holiday vibes of Sentosa Island. The centrepiece is a gargantuan outdoor pool area, including two hot tubs, three waterslides, a splash pad and a dedicated children’s pool. Lounge around on Siloso Beach; give stand-up paddleboarding and beach volleyball a try; or get your adrenaline pumping in the game room, complete with a climbing wall and flying trapeze. All 454 rooms and suites have small balconies – and some overlook the South China Sea.
Don’t Miss: Sentosa Island favourites Universal Studios for high-octane amusement park thrills and SEA Aquarium for up-close encounters with undersea creatures.