Singapore Hotels

Lodging in Singapore has never been “cheap,” at least compared to other Asian capitals; however, there are plenty of bargains to be had in the Lion City, whether you’re looking for top-end luxury and service or newer, moderate digs that make finding a hip budget hotel easier than ever.

There are even hostels that are havens for hard-core budget travelers. I stayed in one of these located in an office building on Beach Road (a mere two blocks from the Raffles Hotel) with three other backpackers sharing a double-bunk room for $8 per night, cash, on my first visit to Singapore, 10 years ago. Can’t say I’d do it again now, but it was a clean, convenient, affordable option at the time.

Planning Tip: When calculating your hotel costs, be sure to include Singapore’s 7 percent nightly room tax, and for higher-end properties a likely additional 10 percent service charge.

Luxury Leanings

There’s no shortage of Asian luxury hotel brands in Singapore, and if you haven’t yet experienced the exceptional service that is standard for these properties, Singapore is a good place to start, especially since its dollar gives you a 30 percent savings compared to comparable stays in other international cities.

 

• Relax on the Raffles Hotel patio with a Singapore Sling cocktail.

Courtesy of Raffles Hotel and Resort

Check out the Mandarin Oriental Singapore, Pan-Pacific Singapore and Orchard, and Shangri-La Hotel Singapore and Rasa Sentosa Resort. Most of these hotels have fabulous spas, and the Shangri-La Hotel Singapore even has lush botanical gardens with more than 133,000 plants, flowers and trees. Garden tours are available on Friday mornings. At time of publishing, starting rates at these properties for the dates Aug. 13 to 16, 2009 ranged from S$220 to $S349 (about US$150 to US$240).

Raffles Hotel Singapore

Whether you stay here or simply visit, the Raffles Hotel Singapore is a required stop, even to merely sip a Singapore Sling in the Long Bar, where it was concocted in 1915. One of the most classic and beautiful hotels in the world (it was built by the same owners of the equally historic Eastern & Oriental Hotel in Penang, Malaysia), the Raffles will transport you to the turn of the 20th century.

Tour its Colonial architecture and décor, taking in the soaring marble lobby and columns, crystal chandeliers, grand piano, oriental carpets, antique furnishings and sitting areas and dual-sided staircase. You’ll feel like you’re in a museum. Wait! There is a Raffles Hotel museum on site, open daily 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. I picked up a set of replica cruise-trunk stamps, circa 1910, in the gift shop as an appropriate souvenir. Rates start at S$472 (US$325, with an early booking discount).

 

• Lounge by the pool at the historic Fullerton Hotel.

Courtesy of the Fullerton Hotel

1 Beach Road, tel, +(65) 6337-1886, www.raffles.com

Fullerton Hotel

Another classic Colonial building, with Doric columns to boot, and one of the top hotels in Singapore is the Fullerton Hotel. Located in the former General Post Office, this stunning property is an excellent example of a successful use-conversion, and its convenient location overlooking the Singapore River adds to its appeal. The hotel’s bar and restaurant are city hot spots. Vintage Rolls Royce cars are on hand for VIP guests.

The Fullerton currently offers a 50 percent off special for stays in its Loft (S$840, about US$575 discounted) and Fullerton (S$990, about US$675, discounted) suites, now through Aug. 31, 2009. Guests staying in suites at these rates also will have access to the hotel’s executive club, The Straits Club. Regular room rates start at S$338 (US$230).

1 Fullerton Square, tel. +(65) 6533-8388, www.fullertonhotel.com

 

• The Regent Hotel is located in the upscale Tanglin neighborhood, near Orchard Street shopping.

Courtesy of the Regent Hotel

Regent Singapore

The Regent Singapore, one of two Regent properties still managed by the Four Seasons, the brand’s former owner, is located in the quiet, upscale Tanglin district. I stayed here on my most recent visit, and it was nice to be off a main drag, yet close enough to walk to the Botanic Gardens and shops on Orchard Road. The contemporary hotel has 439 rooms surrounding an atrium center. Regent Club rooms are ideal if traveling for business, as they include access to the business center and club lounge, with a complimentary breakfast buffet, and evening cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.

My stay coincided with the annual Mooncake Festival (aka Lantern Festival or Mid-autumn Festival), the only time of the year when mooncakes are made (or so I was told); complimentary ones were delivered to my room. Rates start at S$220 for standard rooms, S$345 for Club rooms (US$150 and US$235, respectively).

1 Cuscaden Road, tel. +(65) 6733-8888, www.regenthotels.com/singapore

Next: Boutique and Value Hotels, New Properties