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Singapore hotel prices are considerably higher than hotel prices in other South-East Asian countries. There is however stiff competition among mid-range and top-end hotels in Singapore, which means that there is always plenty of discounts available. With a little bit of research and luck you can end up staying in a luxurious international hotel in Singapore and pay half or less of what you would have paid for the same standard hotel in Europe.
The greatest concentration of cheap hotels in Singapore is in Gelyang district, rather far from the centre of Singapore. Geylang is famous for good food and infamous for being Singapore's red light district, so expect some noise at night. Cheap hotel rooms in Geylang are often hired by customers of the ladies of the night so we can't say that hotels in Gelyang are particularly family friendly. Cheaper hotels near the centre of Singapore are concentrated around Bencoolen Street and Beach Road and also in Little India and Chinatown, while the greatest concentration of mid-range and top-end hotels is at and around Orchard Road.
We tried out the following hotels in Singapore:
Madarin Orchard Hotel Singapore *****
The five-star Mandarin Orchard Hotel Singapore is one of the most luxurious hotels in Singapore. It consists of two 40-storey towers at Orchard Road, in the heart shopping, dining and entertainment district.
Large rooms at Mandarin Orchard Hotel Singapore are furnished with very comfortable beds, roomy wardrobes, armchairs, spacious work-desks and gigantic LCD TVs. There are in-room electronic safes, large enough to accommodate smaller laptops. All the details at Mandarin Orchard Hotel Singapore have been carefully thought out - there is for instance an electricity outlet inside the electronic safe. So you can without worries charge your electronic devices locked in the safe while you are roaming around town. Bathrooms at Mandarin Orchard Hotel Singapore are well-equipped and clad in sparkling marble and glass.
Rich buffet breakfast is served at the 39th floor of the hotel which offers unparalleled panoramic views of Singapore. Rooms at higher floors have nice views too.
Mandarin Orchard Hotel Singapore is a good choice for those seeking to get the most for their money. The good part is that it is not necessary to spend a lot on a room at Mandarin Orchard Hotel Singapore as there are often plenty of special offers available. In March 2009 we only paid 280 € for three nights in a double room, including buffet breakfast. In Europe we would have probably paid the same price for a single night in such an excellent hotel.
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Berjaya Singapore Hotel ****
Berjaya Singapore Hotel is a boutique four-star hotel in Singapore Chinatown. Berjaya Singapore Hotel is housed in a nicely renovated Chinese merchant house. The rooms are clean and well appointed, furnished with antique furniture designed in traditional Chinese style. There are numerous bars, pubs and restaurants around the hotel. The heart of Singapore Chinatown is five minutes walk away while shopping Mecca of Orchard Road is easily accessible by MRT. Berjaya Singapore Hotel is a good choice for those seeking four-star comfort in a hotel with traditional Chinese-colonial flavour and for those who like to stay near bustling nightlife.
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Summer View Hotel ***
Summer View Hotel Singapore is a well-kept hotel at Bencoolen Street, about seven minutes walk from Bugis MRT station and the pleasant Bugis shopping mall. Sim Lim Square, the largest computer and electronics mall in Singapore, is practically next to the hotel. Rooms at Summer View Hotel Singapore are rather small but clean, pleasant and nicely furnished.
Summer View Hotel Singapore is a good choice for those seeking an excellent price/quality/location ratio.
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Aqueen Hotel Lavender ***
Aqueen Hotel Lavender opened its doors in 2009 and offers excellent price/quality ratio. Aqueen Hotel Lavender is located at Lavender Street, 10 minutes walk from Lavender MRT station and opposite international bus terminal with bus connections to Malaysia. There are several city bus stops very near to the hotel.
Rooms in Aqueen Hotel Lavender are small but modern, clean and very well appointed. We particularly liked many lightning possibilities – from discreet to bright lightning comfortable enough to work. We are pointing this out because in some hotels (even if they are expensive) lights in the rooms are so dim that we feel the management of those hotels want to blind business travellers who need to do some work.
Rooms in Aqueen Hotel Lavender come with free bottles of water, a kettle for making free tea/coffee and Internet access which was free too at the time we visited. Check Aqueen Hotel Lavender description before booking to find out if Internet access is still free.
Aqueen Hotel Lavender has no meal services but there is a pleasant restaurant/bar with occasional live music next to the lobby. There is a hawker centre (Eminem Plaza) a few steps from the hotel where you could indulge into cheap local specialities. There are also several 24-hours shops (such as 7-11) in the vicinity of the hotel.
Value Hotel Balestier **
Value Hotel Balestier is one of the cheaper Singapore hotels. Value Hotel Balestier is located a short bus or train ride from the centre of Singapore. There is a bus stop right in front of the hotel whereas a train (MRT) stop is 10 minutes walk away. A bus or a train trip to the city should not take more than 10 minutes.
Standard rooms at Value Hotel Balestier are very small, without windows and without furniture (apart from a bed and a nightstand). Superior rooms are slightly larger and come with windows, a wardrobe and a DVD player. There is an LCD TV and a phone in both standard and superior rooms.
Value Hotel Balestier is a good place for travellers looking for a cheap hotel in Singapore and don't mind small and rather bare rooms neither the fact that they will need to take public transport to get into the city.
Hotel 81 Star *
Hotel 81 Star is a very cheap Singapore hotel. Hotel 81 Star is located in Geylang, near Aljunied MRT station. Geylang is a red-light district dotted with cheap hotels mainly belonging to Hotel 81 and Fragrance chains.
Considering the fact that Hotel 81 Star lies in the heart of Singapore's red-light district we did not expect much from the rooms. We were pleasantly surprised though. The rooms at Hotel 81 Star are good-sized and reasonably clean. Of course they cannot be compared to sparkling clean luxury Singapore hotels in the centre but if you are a traveller with limited budget and get to Singapore from cheaper neighbouring countries where hotel standards are not so high then Hotel 81 Star will be perfectly OK for you.
Hotel 81 Star is a good choice for backpackers who are willing to sacrifice a little bit of comfort in return for the low price and would not be annoyed staying in a red-light district. However, families with kids and travellers requiring more comfort should look elsewhere.
Raffles Hotel *****
No, we haven't (yet) splurged on one of the luxurious suites at Raffles Hotel Singapore, but we are pointing it out because Raffles Hotel Singapore is probably not only the best known hotel in Singapore but in the whole South-East Asia. Hotel Raffles opened its doors to first guests in 1887, at the time when Singapore was a British colony. Raffles Hotel Singapore is located in the centre of Singapore and is surrounded by a lush tropical garden. There are numerous shops and a museum at Raffles Hotel Singapore. Access to the garden is not restricted to hotel guests and a stroll through the garden is highly recommended.
Room prices at Raffles Hotel Singapore are appropriate to its fame and luxury. Expect to pay at least 350 € per night. But if you can afford it you won't be sorry.