What is the best area to stay in Singapore?

Singapore is one of the most expensive places in the world, and that includes some of the highest hotel rates! For those sky-high rates, you do get very high standards of accommodation and service. And with a little bit of planning, you can find a good place to stay at a reasonable price in Singapore, Asia for Beginners! Continue after the break for my recommendations for the best area to stay!

What helps a great deal when looking for accommodation in Singapore is the excellent public transport. With reliable and fast trains, plentiful buses and taxis and little traffic, you don’t have to stay right next to the places you want to be. Even if you pick a hotel further afield, you are just a short ride away from all the sights Singapore has to offer.


SIN MarriottOrchard - 3The best area for determined shoppers is still Orchard Road, You’ll have hundreds of shops, countless restaurant (like my favorite Brotzeit) and several movie theatres within a short walk. And you can reach other points of interest by MRT very quickly. You’ll find lots of high-end hotels here, like the Marriott Orchard. You’ll also find modern hotels with all the amenities at slightly lower prices, like the Jen Orchard Gateway with its stunning pool. More recently, some select service hotels like the Holiday Inn Express have opened with rates close to $100/night – something you wouldn’t find in the heart of Singapore a few years ago!

 

SIN HotelJen - 1If you are in Singapore for the best views, gambling and high-end shopping – or the annual Grand Prix, the Marina Bay area is your destination. With killer views from the iconic Marina Bay Sands hotel on one side or the Fullerton Bay Hotel (with their great roof-top bar) on the other and other luxury hotels like the Conrad, renovated Pan Pacific or top-end Ritz Carlton, you have plenty to choose from. You do pay for that luxury, so don’t expect to find any bargains here.

 

SIN GardenBay MBS View1While Singapore is not known as a party town – leaving that reputation to Bangkok, the City of Angels – there are lots of good restaurants, plenty of stylish bars and a few dance clubs to keep you awake at night. Many of them are in the area around Clarke Quay and Chinatown and there are a number of hotels in the area allowing you to walk home when you are ready to sleep. The Holiday Inn Express Clarke Quay is one of the best bargains in Singapore. Chinatown has a number of budget hostels, the only way to get your room rate below $70 in the center of the city! There are also the slightly worn Swissotel Merchant Court and Novotel in the area and the more upscale Park Royal with stunning gardens built into the facade of the hotel!

 

SIN HIE ClarkeQuay - 1If family fun is on your agenda and a trip to Universal Studios or the beach on the itinerary, Sentosa Island puts you close to all of those. Resort World Sentosa has a number of hotels in the thick of things. The Shangri-La and Sofitel are luxury choices right on the beach. If you are a kid at heart only or just want to relax on the beach, the W Sentosa Cove is close enough yet removed from the crowds. And if you are on a budget, you can check out the Bay Hotel just a few minutes (and a few hundred dollars less) just opposite Sentosa.


I started the post with the great public transport – it allows you to stay a little further afield to safe on your room. A good example is the luxurious InterContinental Bugis, which is close to some of the cultural sights of Arab Town or Little India, connected to an MRT interchange station and regularly available for less than comparable hotels around Marina Bay or Orchard.

With all these options, there should be something for every itinerary at a reasonable rate, making Singapore, Asia for Beginners, a great stop-over on your trip to other destinations in Asia. You can find the best deals right now, right here!

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