Where to Stay in Singapore - Best Hotels & Things to Do - Area by Area

Planning a trip to Singapore? It can be a bit trying to decide which area to stay in. Though Singapore is a relatively small country with a good transit system (bus, MRT, taxi, Uber, Grab), it’s good to have an accommodation in an area based on your needs and travel plans.

I’ve been there three times so far and stayed at different hotels in different areas. The latest trip in December, I stayed at three different accommodations over the course of 9 days.

One thing to keep in mind is that Singapore is one of the most expensive cities in the world and therefore, most hotel prices are higher than those of other Asian countries.

I’ve picked some of the best hotels in the each area along with things to do/see. They are all rated 7.5 or above out of 10 on booking sites as of January 2020.

*$$$: high-price range $$: mid-price range $: budget-price range

Cheap flights tickets

1, Marina Bay

Marina Bay Sands, Singapore Flyer, Arts & Science Museum

Get ready to splurge….everything is on the higher end. It’s a beautiful area by the bay. Many shopping malls, restaurants and five star hotels are in this area.

Things to Do/See:

- Merlion Park & Merlion Statue - iconic half lion, half fish statue of Singapore

-Singapore Flyer

-Gardens by the Bay - avatar trees park and botanical gardens

-Arts and Science Museum- awesome arts and science museum with exhibitions

Dolphin made of plastic waste at Arts and Science Museum

Where to stay:

- Pan Pacific Singapore ($$$)

-The Fullerton Bay Hotel Singapore ($$$)

-Marina Bay Sands ($$$)

-Mandarin Oriental ($$$)

View from my room on the 11th floor of Pan Pacific Singapore Hotel

2, Colonial District

Centrally located and walking distance to Orchard, Bugis, Little India, and Marina Bay. Good area for history and art lovers.

Things to do/see:

-National Museum of Singapore

-St. Andrew’s Cathedral

-National Gallery of Singapore

-Fort Canning Park

Where to stay:

-Raffles Hotel ($$$)

-Hotel Fort Canning ($$$)

-Rendezvous Hotel ($$)

3, Orchard

Shopping, nightlife and restaurants. Gigantic Shopping malls with international brands.

Things to Do/See:

-Istana Park - small botanical garden in the midst of the city

-Shopping- Ion Orchard Mall and many others

-Dining- food courts, restaurants, bars

Where to Stay:

-The Quincy Hotel ($$$)

-Shangri-La Apartments ($$$)

-Hotel Jen Orchardgateway Singapore by Shangri-La ($$$)

-Orchard Rendezvous Hotel by Far East Hospitality ($$)

-Lloyds Inn ($$)

4, Chinatown

Close to the business district, Chinatown is a good place for a base with variety of food and bar options. Grab a bite at Maxwell Hawker Centre after a tour of the temples and landmarks! Some boutique and budget-friendly accommodations in this area.

Things to Do/See:

-Chinatown Food Street - street foods, authentic Chinese & Singaporean foods

-Buddha Tooth Relic Temple

-Thian Hock Keng Temple

-Sri Mariamman Temple

-Maxwell Hawker Centre - open-air food court

Where to Stay:

-Six Senses Maxwell ($$$)

-PARKROYAL COLLECTION Pickering ($$$)

-Amoy Hotel by Far East Hospitality ($$$)

-Hotel 1887, The New Opera House ($$)

-Cube Capsule Hotel @ Chinatown ($)

5, Bugis

Cheap shopping and hip hangouts. An area with different religious temples (Hindu, Buddhist, and Islamic). Also known as Arab area.

Things to Do/See:

-Bugis Shopping Street - lots of cheap shopping and food vendors

-Albert Food Centre - open-air food court

-Sultan Mosque

-Sri Krishnan Temple

-Kwan Im Thong Hoo Cho Temple

Where to Stay:

-InterContinental Singapore ($$$)

- Naumi Hotel ($$$)

-Hotel NuVe Heritage ($$)

-Cube Boutique Capsule Hotel @ Kampong Glam ($)

6, Little India

Located in the north of Singapore river. Shops with trinkets, textiles, jewelry and clothing in vibrantly colored buildings. Lots of good Indian eateries. More mid-range to budget-friendly accommodations.