Where to stay · Singapore
Where to stay in Singapore
8 neighbourhoods compared, with the trade-offs hotel listings don't tell you.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
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Quick answer
For a first visit, stay in Marina Bay. Skyline hotels, the Marina Bay Sands complex and waterfront promenades. Best alternatives — budget: Chinatown; nightlife: Clarke Quay and Robertson Quay.
Key facts
- First visit
- Marina Bay
- Families
- Marina Bay
- Budget
- Chinatown
- Nightlife
- Clarke Quay and Robertson Quay
Best area for each kind of trip
| Trip type | Area | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First-timers | Marina Bay | Skyline hotels, the Marina Bay Sands complex and waterfront promenades |
| Families | Marina Bay | Skyline hotels, the Marina Bay Sands complex and waterfront promenades |
| Couples | Marina Bay | Skyline hotels, the Marina Bay Sands complex and waterfront promenades |
| Budget | Chinatown | Restored shophouses, temples, Maxwell Food Centre and Keong Saik bars |
| Luxury | Marina Bay | Skyline hotels, the Marina Bay Sands complex and waterfront promenades |
| Nightlife | Clarke Quay and Robertson Quay | Riverside restaurants and bars along the Singapore River |
| Food lovers | Chinatown | Restored shophouses, temples, Maxwell Food Centre and Keong Saik bars |
| Solo travellers | Chinatown | Restored shophouses, temples, Maxwell Food Centre and Keong Saik bars |
| Shopping | Orchard Road | A 2 km boulevard of malls, department stores and big hotels |
| Quiet stays | Tiong Bahru | 1930s Art Deco walk-up flats, bakeries and an old-school market |
| Beach | Sentosa | Resort island of beaches, Universal Studios and family hotels |
Singapore neighbourhoods in detail
$$$$ · Best for first-timers, luxury, couples and families
Marina Bay
Marina Bay is the postcard: Marina Bay Sands, the ArtScience Museum, the Merlion and Gardens by the Bay are all linked by a waterfront promenade around the bay. Hotels here are large, polished and expensive, and the free evening light shows — Spectra on the bay and Garden Rhapsody at the Supertrees — start on your doorstep.
- Good
- Walk to the headline sights; Skyline views from most rooms; Direct MRT links on the Circle and Downtown lines
- Watch out
- Among the most expensive rooms in the city; Little street-level local life in the evening
- Nearby
- Gardens by the Bay, Merlion Park, ArtScience Museum, Esplanade
$$ · Best for first-timers, food lovers, budget, culture and solo travellers
Chinatown
Chinatown mixes the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and the Hindu Sri Mariamman Temple with shophouse streets, the Chinatown Complex hawker centre and Maxwell Food Centre. Its southern edge around Keong Saik Road, Club Street and Ann Siang Hill has boutique hotels, cocktail bars and restaurants, and the MRT reaches Marina Bay in a few stops.
- Good
- Excellent hawker food on every block; Wide range of hotel prices; Central, with three MRT lines
- Watch out
- Souvenir stalls on Pagoda Street are touristy; Some budget rooms are windowless
- Nearby
- Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, Maxwell Food Centre, Ann Siang Hill, Tanjong Pagar
$$$ · Best for nightlife, couples and food lovers
Clarke Quay and Robertson Quay
Following the Singapore River upstream from Boat Quay, Clarke Quay is the loud, neon-lit bar strip, while Robertson Quay further up is calmer, with serviced apartments, brunch cafés and riverside wine bars. The riverside path leads on foot to the Asian Civilisations Museum and Marina Bay.
- Good
- Riverside walking route to Marina Bay; Many evening dining options; Robertson Quay is quiet at night
- Watch out
- Clarke Quay drinks are expensive; Noisy near the main bar strip on weekends
- Nearby
- Boat Quay, Fort Canning Park, Asian Civilisations Museum
$$$ · Best for shopping, families, luxury and first-timers
Orchard Road
Orchard Road is lined with malls from ION Orchard to Takashimaya at Ngee Ann City, with basement food halls and dozens of large hotels. It is air-conditioned, convenient and close to the Botanic Gardens, though it has less character than the older quarters.
- Good
- Walkable to the Botanic Gardens; Large choice of family rooms; Covered walkways in the rain
- Watch out
- Commercial and mall-based; Further from Chinatown and the river nightlife
- Nearby
- Singapore Botanic Gardens, ION Orchard, Emerald Hill
$ · Best for budget, food lovers, culture and solo travellers
Little India
Serangoon Road and its side streets hold the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, the Tekka Centre wet market and hawker centre, and the 24-hour Mustafa Centre. Guesthouses and mid-range hotels are good value, and the streets are at their liveliest on Sunday evenings and during Deepavali.
- Good
- Good-value rooms; Superb vegetarian food; Downtown and North East MRT lines
- Watch out
- Crowded and loud on Sundays; Fewer upscale hotels
- Nearby
- Tekka Centre, Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, Mustafa Centre, Kampong Glam
$$ · Best for culture, shopping, budget and nightlife
Kampong Glam and Bugis
The historic Malay-Muslim quarter centres on the gold-domed Sultan Mosque, with Arab Street fabric shops, Middle Eastern and Malay restaurants and the narrow boutique strip of Haji Lane. Bugis next door adds Bugis Street market and Bugis Junction mall, plus easy MRT access.
- Good
- Characterful streets and food; Mid-priced boutique hotels; Close to Marina Bay
- Watch out
- Haji Lane gets crowded in the evening; Limited large hotels
- Nearby
- Sultan Mosque, Haji Lane, Bugis Street, National Library
$$$$ · Best for families, beach and luxury
Sentosa
Sentosa sits just off the south coast and is reached by monorail from VivoCity, cable car or a covered boardwalk from HarbourFront. It is home to Universal Studios Singapore, Siloso, Palawan and Tanjong beaches and a cluster of resort hotels — convenient for families, but a 20–30 minute trip from the city's food and culture.
- Good
- Pools and beaches on the doorstep; Walk to Universal Studios; Quiet at night
- Watch out
- Expensive dining on the island; Removed from hawker centres and old quarters
- Nearby
- Universal Studios Singapore, Siloso Beach, Palawan Beach, VivoCity
$$ · Best for quiet stays, food lovers and couples
Tiong Bahru
One of Singapore's oldest public housing estates, Tiong Bahru has curved Art Deco blocks, independent bookshops and cafés, and the Tiong Bahru Market hawker centre. It is residential and calm, one MRT stop from Outram Park and an easy walk to Chinatown.
- Good
- Local, low-rise atmosphere; Excellent breakfasts and coffee; Near the Southern Ridges
- Watch out
- Few hotels; Little nightlife
- Nearby
- Tiong Bahru Market, Chinatown, Henderson Waves
Areas compared
| Area | Price | Nearby |
|---|---|---|
| Marina Bay | $$$$ | Gardens by the Bay, Merlion Park, ArtScience Museum, Esplanade |
| Chinatown | $$ | Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, Maxwell Food Centre, Ann Siang Hill, Tanjong Pagar |
| Clarke Quay and Robertson Quay | $$$ | Boat Quay, Fort Canning Park, Asian Civilisations Museum |
| Orchard Road | $$$ | Singapore Botanic Gardens, ION Orchard, Emerald Hill |
| Little India | $ | Tekka Centre, Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, Mustafa Centre, Kampong Glam |
| Kampong Glam and Bugis | $$ | Sultan Mosque, Haji Lane, Bugis Street, National Library |
| Sentosa | $$$$ | Universal Studios Singapore, Siloso Beach, Palawan Beach, VivoCity |
| Tiong Bahru | $$ | Tiong Bahru Market, Chinatown, Henderson Waves |
Getting to your hotel
Changi Airport is about 20 km east of the centre. The MRT (East-West line, changing at Tanah Merah) reaches City Hall in about 35–45 minutes; a taxi or Grab takes about 20–30 minutes outside rush hour. Jewel connects to Terminals 1, 2 and 3 on foot.
Questions travellers ask
+What is the best area to stay in Singapore for first-time visitors?
Marina Bay. Marina Bay is the postcard: Marina Bay Sands, the ArtScience Museum, the Merlion and Gardens by the Bay are all linked by a waterfront promenade around the bay.
+Where should families stay in Singapore?
Marina Bay: Walk to the headline sights.
+Which area of Singapore is best for a budget stay?
Chinatown ($$): Restored shophouses, temples, Maxwell Food Centre and Keong Saik bars.