The best 8 hotels in Singapore

The trick to the perfect Singapore trip, is finding the perfect Singapore hotel.

More than any country I’ve ever been to (and I’ve travelled around Europe), nowhere made me want to pack my most stylish outfits and spend my days lazing with a cocktail by a luxurious pool more than Singapore. And that meant discovering best hotels in Singapore. Only leaving to experience a taste of the city’s famed dining scene.

And this is coming from a chronic itinerary over-stuffer.

Upon arrival, I discovered I had made the correct choice. Like many Asian countries where it’s simply too hot to function during the day, sunlight hours are for taking to the shade or cooling off in a body of water.

And the style here is not just a figment of the movies, it’s undeniable and varied. Not to mention, with its storied history and unique merging of several different cultures, each corner provides a different slice of the Singaporean experience. The best way to experience it all? By selecting hotels in different suburbs and spending a few days exploring each after the sun begins to set and the city comes to life. Trust me, it’s worth hotel hopping for.

Singapore offers a huge variety of accommodation choices, but these were my picks for the best hotels in Singapore.

1. Mandarin Oriental, Singapore

Best for exploring: Marina Bay, Chinatown
Address: 5 Raffles Ave
Website: mandarinoriental.com/en/singapore/marina-bay 
Cost: $$$$ – $$$$$

The iconic image of Marina Bay and its merlion statues are the first to come to mind when speaking of Singapore. And since first opening in the 80s, the five-star hotel Mandarin Oriental has been part of that image.

Having emerged from a six-month overhaul in 2023 by Kuala Lumpur-based practice DesignWilkes, the newly refurbished hotel shook up its original neo-futuristic design by American architect John Portman and added inspiration from the city itself. And you can feel it. From the iconic atrium being coloured “50 shades of clay” as a nod to Singapore’s roof tiles, to the all-day dining restaurant, Embu, which feels like you’ve stepped right into Singapore’s jungle (but make it trendy and add air-con).

Stay in a magnificent room.

Then, there’s club lounge HAUS 65. Access to this incredible space is reserved for guests booked into a suite or Club Marina Bay Room, and so worth it. Enjoy exclusive privileges: from daily Champagne breakfast and tasty afternoon tea, to special wellness classes and access to a complimentary chauffeur-driven car.

Add in the onsite spa, fitness centre, gorgeous outdoor pool and even more onsite dining options (the degustation at Cherry Garden was a delight), and I must confess I wasn’t tempted to step foot outside for my entire stay.

Honestly, from entrance to suite, it’s a stunning hotel.

Gaze upon Marina Bay from your room, or the rooftop pool.

2. The Outpost Hotel

Best for exploring: Sentosa Island
Address: 10 Artillery Ave, Sentosa Island
Website: theoutposthotel.com.sg
Cost: $$-$$$

Sentosa Island could certainly be done in a day, but to really soak up this odd (in all the best ways) part of Singapore, an overnight stay is called for.

While I’ll openly admit I was originally attracted by the pools (yes, more than one), there was plenty to keep me hooked after hanging up the beach towel.

Casually fun and stylish is really the best way to describe this hotel, with impeccable service. Not to mention adult-only spaces that make for a peaceful solo retreat or memorable romantic getaway.

You’ll find two dining options onsite, the casual 1-Altitude Coast Bar found on the adults-exclusive pool deck and day club for casual all-day nibbles and drinks. Or Sol & Ora for a heartier meal, selected from its menu that combines Latin and Mediterranean influences.

As for the location, it’s right next door to Universal Studios. But Sentosa Island is kind of like its own big theme park – with everything from light shows to beaches to perfume-making workshops to aquariums.

The playground of Sentosa Island is begging to be explore.

3. Naumi Hotel Singapore

Best for exploring: Downtown
Address: 41 Seah St
Website: naumihotels.com/singapore
Cost: $$$

Modern, artistic style is the name of the décor game at boutique Naumi Hotel Singapore. Its 73 guest rooms range from minimalist with earthy tones, to architectural shapes and bright pops of colour. Furnishings and decorations were handpicked from designers around the globe, including B&B Italia, Poltrona Frau and Zanotta. Specially commissioned Singaporean art brightens the walls.

Colourful rattan armchairs spread across the wooden deck of the rooftop pool, covered with cushions large enough to lie on. The poolside Cloud 9 Rooftop Infinity Pool (and more comfortable seating options) sits under a deep veranda, perfect for all-day lounging. And watching the sunset over the city.

Set within the core Downtown area, a world of restaurants, bars and clubs await just outside the door (most notably Chjimes Heritage Building and Raffles). And the reception staff here are the friendliest I experienced anywhere.

Spend all day swimming, then head out at night. (Image: Karlie Place)

4. The Vagabond Club

Best for exploring: Little India
Address: 39 Syed Alwi Rd
Website: hotelvagabondsingapore.com
Cost: $$$ – $$$$

If you’ve ever yearned for the days of speakeasies and underground jazz clubs (or even if you haven’t), The Vagabond Club – a Tribute Portfolio Hotel – is the place to itch that scratch. Housed inside an Art Deco building from the 1950s, the hotel and onsite bar and restaurant were transformed by illustrious French architect and interior designer, Jacques Garcia.

The 41 rooms pair moody dark wooden details with golden accents and distinct touches of red. Bright pops of all colours come in the form of striking paintings adorning nearly every inch of the walls. Take a complimentary art tour after you check in to take a closer look at permanent pieces, current installations and the hotel’s curated Artist-In-Residence programme.

Perhaps its crowning glory, however, is the downstairs Whiskey Library & Jazz Club. Lauded as one of the best whiskey bars in the world, discover 1000 bottles of bespoke whiskies that line the walls as decoration and settle in for entertainment.

From the hotel’s location in the heart of Singapore’s Central Heritage District, take an easy walk to the vibrant streets of Little India and Kampong Glam.

Surround yourself with art at The Vagabond Hotel.

5. Hotel Indigo Singapore Katong

Best for exploring: Katong
Address: 86 E Coast Rd
Website: ihg.com/hotelindigo/hotels/us/en/singapore/sinki/hoteldetail
Cost: $$

Katong-Joo Chiat is a neighbourhood slightly removed from the hustle and bustle. But as the home of Peranakan Chinese culture in Singapore, the suburb is filled with local flavours, boutique cafes and charming heritage shophouses making it worth a stay of its own. Honestly, my favourite area of Singapore. Enter, the wheelchair-friendly Hotel Indigo.

In keeping with the Indigo brand, this hotel taps into the local vibe with references to the colourful Peranakan traditions and architecture. The hotel’s 131 rooms are decorated with exuberant splashes of colour, patterned tiles and wall murals mirroring that of the local streets.

What’s more, the hotel boasts the best bathroom views of the city, with floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over tightly packed, terracotta-tiled rooftops. Enjoy it from your luxurious rain shower or spacious bathtub. A rooftop infinity pool offers up the same vista with Rooftop 88 offering a short but satisfying nibbles and drinks list.

Explore the incredible Katong from Hotel Indigo.

7. Grand Hyatt Singapore

Best for exploring: Orchard Road
Address: 10 Scotts Rd
Website: hyatt.com/grand-hyatt/en-US/sinrs-grand-hyatt-singapore
Cost: $$$ – $$$$

The bustling streets of Singapore are part of its appeal, especially on the famous Orchard Road, but there’s still nothing like having your own, private garden oasis to retreat to when you need a break.

Despite being amongst it all on Orchard Road – Singapore’s iconic shopping and entertainment district – it all melts away once you step foot inside Grand Hyatt Singapore. Which is probably why it refers to itself as a wellness haven.

Cozy and refined, the hotel décor is a mix of warm earthy tones and lush green spaces. Particularly unique for the centre of Singapore, the Terrace Wing is crafted as a quiet, outdoor haven with landscaping that feels a world apart from the urban jungle outside, and the peaceful sound of a cascading waterfall drowns out street noise.

While not on a rooftop, the pool area continues the guest’s journey to calm, surrounded by yet more landscaped greenery with spacious cabanas almost hidden beneath the plant life for a peaceful place to relax the day away.

If you can’t get enough of the Hyatt umbrella, Andaz Singapore offers colour and comfort, where Kampong Glam, Little India and the Bras Basah Bugis arts and entertainment hub meet.

Find an oasis in the middle of the Orchard Road area.

8. Hotel Fort Canning (soon to be METT Singapore)

Best for exploring: Fort Canning
Address: 11 Canning Walk
Website: hfcsingapore.com
Cost: $$ – $$$$$

Fort Canning Park itself is an urban oasis and a popular place to visit on its own. However, 18 hectares of it is reserved for guests of the luxurious Hotel Fort Canning. Take a step back in time to before Singapore became so developed and busy, in one of the 86 guestrooms and suites.

Built in the early 20th century, this heritage boutique hotel started life as a British military administration site. Today, it’s very much modernised, but still retains its colonial glamour in the architecture and décor. It offers spacious and elegant rooms with lush views of the surrounding greenery.

Despite its close proximity to the centre of Singapore, a stay here is like escaping to a tranquil, manicured jungle retreat. Something that is particularly appreciated when relaxing by the spacious in-ground pool.

The hotel will be closing for renovations in April, and reopening under the name METT Singapore.

Find continental glamour in peaceful surrounds.

8. Raffles Singapore

Best for exploring: Raffles, Bras Basah Bugis
Address: 1 Beach Rd
Website: raffles.com/Singapore
Cost: $$$$$

An icon of the island city-state, it would be remiss of me not to include Raffles Singapore as one of the best hotels in Singapore.

Ever the grand dame of Singapore, classic touches – like the intricate white-washed façade and colonnades, turbaned doormen, gorgeous light-filled lobby, personalised butler service and charming British colonial-style rooms – meet newer elements – like modernised bathrooms and state-of-the-art technology.

Of course, just as famed as the hotel, are the restaurants held within the building’s walls. A before-dinner drink at the sumptuous gold and dark wood Writer’s Room bar is a must (yes, I made it a Singapore Sling). While an Indian feast at Tiffin, sitting outside with an iconic view over the harbour, is the perfect way to spend an evening.

Partake in an afternoon tea at the elegant and intimate Raffles Room.

Before heading to Singapore, be sure to read our five-minute guide to getting around once you’re there.