Singapore’s best places to stay

The Parkroyal Collection underwent a $47 million renovation with wildly theatrical results.Credit:

Singapore is full of high-rise business hotels but there are also tropical resorts, budget busters and boutique options for those wanting a more personal stay.

Raffles Hotel

Perfect for: New Colonials, romantic escapes, being spoiled

Singapore’s most iconic hotel has just emerged from a massive two-year renovation that has freshened up the storied halls of the venerable Colonial hotel that has stood here since 1887. The suites are all new, from the entry-level Studio Suites to the Palm Court suites overlooking the guest-only courtyard with rattan-packed balconies. The walls of the hotel are a brilliant white in the hot Singapore sun and even the shops along Raffles Arcade have had a facelift. The peanut-shells-and-Singapore-Slings experience in the touristy Long Bar got a lick of paint but feels much the same. Service everywhere, from the suites to the bars, is every bit as slick as you would expect.

From $875 a night. 1 Beach Road, Phone: [phone]. See raffles.com/singapore

The Fullerton Hotel

Perfect for: Being in the centre of everything, lovers of a view, history buffs

The imposing Palladian-style Fullerton was built in 1928 and now refers to an entire precinct of riverside bars, shopping centres and workplaces that give you that busy Singapore buzz the minute you step outside. Rooms have a modern Colonial vibe, many with amazing views of the bay area, and members of the Straits Club get a daily champagne breakfast for peak indulgence. This building was also the general post office, so it has been at the literal centre of Singapore for years and the common areas still have old-school touches such as the Jade Water Fountain and huge koi pond.

Rooms from $510. 1 Fullerton Square. Phone: [phone]. See fullertonhotels.com

Capella

Perfect for: Fly and flop, architecture buffs, family escape

Designed by architect Norman Foster, this sinuous modern wing is designed to weave its way effortlessly around the tropical grounds on Sentosa Island, linking the two restored Colonial bungalows at the heart of the resort. Sentosa can be a bit crass, but not here – this is a grown-up resort where you can opt for a suite or a villa hidden on 30 acres (12 hectares) of landscaped grounds and decorated in muted colours so as not to distract from the view. There is a focus on wellness, with the highly regarded Auriga spa a must-do activity boasting traditional treatments.

Rooms from $1100. 1 The Knolls, Sentosa Island. Phone: [phone]. See capellahotels.com

Parkroyal Collection

Perfect for: Sustainable travellers, F1 fans, whisky buffs

The Parkroyal Collection used its COVID-19 closure to take on a huge $S45 million ($47 million) renovation that has resulted in a wildly theatrical public space including six beautiful songbirds to greet you in the 63-metre-high atrium, one of the largest in South-East Asia (including a whisky bar). There is also a new garden-in-a-hotel concept, with more than 2500 trees and shrubs on the property. This urban farm-to-table idea introduces the kitchen garden’s fruit, vegetables and herbs into your meals, as cocktail ingredients and even on the spa menu – and the coffee grounds from your morning brew fertilise the garden. The 503 rooms, plus suites, have been modernised too, with bay windows and views across Marina Bay; they are also on a very tricky turn of the Singapore F1 circuit, when room rates skyrocket.

Rooms from $368. 6 Raffles Boulevard. Phone: [phone]. See panpacific.com

Hotel Indigo

Perfect for: Stylish travellers, foodies, night owls

Based in the colourful Katong neighbourhood of Singapore’s east, Indigo is right in the middle of bustling bars, historic shophouses and fantastic food. This hotel chain always takes its design cues from the local culture, so the inside of the hotel celebrates the Peranakans (Straits Chinese), from clothes to fabrics and pop-art reinterpretations of traditional ceramics. The rooms are playfully designed, with individual murals of kampong life, Peranakan touches such as foot-washing bowls and old sewing machines, and killer views across Katong. Baba Chews is the inhouse restaurant with an Aperol-sponsored garden.

Rooms from $487. 86. East Coast Road. Phone: [phone]. See ihg.com

Sheraton Towers

Perfect for: Shoppers, business travellers, old-school vibes

There is a retro, Brutalist feel to the towering blocky lobby that takes in check-in, the lobby bar and the dining space for buffet breakfast and dinner with a view over a waterfall, but Sheraton Towers is all about location. Located at Newton Circus, it is just a short walk from the mega-malls of Orchard Road in one direction and the famous Newton Food Centre in the other, a great base for a credit-card-stretching visit. Rooms are big by Singapore standards but the decor is a bit older. The star food option is Li Bai Cantonese restaurant on the lower level, which puts a jade-and-fine-china spin on family-style dining.

Rooms from $850 inc breakfast. 39 Scotts Road. Phone: [phone]. See marriott.com

Quincy

Perfect for: Fashion-conscious guests, lounging around, playful types

Also near Orchard Road, Quincy hotel is a boutique offering with a stylish, modern aesthetic that is squeezed into a slim footprint behind the Mount Elizabeth Hospital precinct. Reception is all high-backed pod chairs and guest computer stations in a monochrome palette and rooms are similarly forward-looking with the bathroom separated from the bedroom by a glass wall (blinds are available) and clever design. Quincy aims to be an adult playground – and recently opened in the Melbourne CBD – with breakfast served until mid-afternoon, free afternoon drinks and Quincy Qurates, the hotel’s very own guidebook that includes cool Singapore experiences.

Rooms from $347. 22 Mount Elizabeth. Phone: [phone]. See quincy-hotels.com

Andaz

Credit: Geoff Lung

Perfect for: Younger travellers, solo travellers, barflies

Andaz Singapore telegraphs its cool credentials with Mr Stork, one of the Lion City’s newest rooftop bars, with tipis set in a lush garden that is already hard to get into on a weeknight. The rooms and public spaces have the minimalist look favoured by hotel designer Andre Fu, who likes things low-lit and low to the ground, like a traditional Japanese home. Design cues have been taken from the surrounding Bugis neighbourhood: folding shophouse-like doors, local fabrics on pillows and cute doorbells housed inside post boxes. Mr Stork is just one of six dining options, from Auntie’s Wok & Steam dim sum to Smoke & Pepper, a modern barbecue joint. This is a great new addition to a Singapore stayover.

Rooms from $559. 5 Fraser Street. Phone: [phone]. See hyatt.com

KeSa House

Perfect for: Longer stays, feeling like a local

Part of the Oakwood group, KeSa House (short for the trendy Keong Saik Road area in which it is located) is a row of Singaporean shophouses turned into short stay and residential properties. The stay comes under The Unlimited Collection banner, which aims to preserve heritage properties as mixed-use stays. These shophouses are right in the bustling Chinatown district and come with a range of “perks”, including specially designed local discounts to make you feel even more like you live here.

Rooms from $225. 55 Keong Saik Road. Phone: [phone]. See oakwood.com

Orchard Rendezvous

Perfect for: Mallrats, foodies, business travellers

Rebranded from the Orchard Parade Hotel just before the pandemic, this is one of the most recognisable facades on the famous shopping strip and one of the closest places you can stay. It has a floral theme – and an orchid named for the hotel – including a cafe called Fleurato, a portmanteau of flowers and gelato. The once-tired rooms have had a refurb, but the main sell here is the great location and affordable prices. Foodies will enjoy the traditional TungLok Signatures Cantonese food as well as Singapore chef Otto Weibel’s take on Mediterranean cuisine.

Rooms from $259. 1 Tanglin Road. Phone: [phone]. See rendezvoushotels.com

Village Hotel Albert Court

Perfect for: Time travellers, shoppers, curry lovers

In walking distance of Little India and with a facade of shophouses that makes you feel like you are in the Singapore of yore, Village Hotel comes with rooms that are a bit snug but continue the Colonial-era charm through dark wood, heavy drapes and crisp white sheets. The Lobby Lounge takes care of your snack-and-drink basics, but for the true Little India experience, wander down the road to Muthu’s Curry for a famous fish head curry.

Rooms from $157. 180 Albert Street. Phone: [phone]. See villagehotels.asia

The Pod

Perfect for: Students, minimalists, fly-in, fly-out

As its states, this is less of a hotel and more of a place to rest your head – a minimalist, modern space with more than 100 cosy capsules, from group pods such as a hostel dorm room to queen pods for couples with their own private entrance. The pods come with a basic free breakfast, a self-serve laundromat and check-in via a self-serve machine that looks like an ATM. Its location just outside the CBD is convenient if you really don’t require a lot of room.

Pods from $45 (single pod). 289 Beach Road. Phone: [phone]. See thepodcapsulehotel.com