World City Guide

Hotels

Hotel prices are subject to additional charges of 16%, broken down as 10% service charge, 5% GST and 1% government tax, which is added to the bill (usually called ‘triple plus’).

Prices quoted below are the published starting prices for double rooms, excluding breakfast and the above extra charges, unless otherwise specified. Online reservations can be made at discounted rates for the top hotels at www.stayinsingapore.com and the hotel reservation desks at all terminals in the airport also make bookings with discounted rates. Top hotels often have a promotion price at less than half the published price, so it always worth checking prices and booking ahead.

Business

Furama RiverFront
A favourite with business travellers, at a very reasonable price, the RiverFront has (as its name suggests) a great location overlooking the Singapore River, with 480 rooms offering varying degrees of luxury. With rooms decked out in soothing pastel shades and polished wood, all have broadband Internet access (with wireless Internet in the function rooms and public areas), voicemail, in-house movies and IDD. There are over 13 function rooms to cater for corporate needs, plus an executive floor, and decent meeting and conference rooms. Wining and dining is available at The Square (with ‘interactive dining’) and an Indonesian buffet at Kintamani, Singapore’s first hotel halal restaurant. Leisure facilities include a pool, fitness centre, Jacuzzi and tennis court.

405 Havelock Road
Tel: 6733 2081. Fax: 6733 1588.
E-mail: reservations.riverfront@furama.com
Website: http://riverfront.furama.com
Prices: From S$240.

Grand Mercure Roxy Hotel
Convenient for a brief business stopover because of its close proximity to the airport, Singapore Expo and Suntec City, this 17-storey hotel, with 520 rooms, has great facilities. Rooms have a simple contemporary Asian style, with voicemail, desk, minibar and cable TV. Rooms on the two Royal Club floors and Corporate Suites have a kitchenette and Internet access, and a sea view. The hotel also has a business centre with secretarial services, meeting room, restaurant, café, bar and nightclub, and swimming pool. A free airport shuttle service operates every 30 minutes (0700-2400). The hotel is very close to Singapore National Stadium and Indoor Stadium.

50 East Coast Road, Roxy Square
Tel: 6344 8000. Fax: 6344 8010.
E-mail: info@grandmercureroxy.com.sg
Website: www.accorhotels-asia.com
Price: S$240.

Holiday Inn Atrium Singapore
Situated in a smart, charcoal-grey futuristic-looking building with a friendly ambience, the Atrium is good value. Its 515 rooms, including huge deluxe rooms and suites on separate business floors, are well furnished yet understated, and have voicemail, IDD, cable TV and tea and coffee-making facilities. Decent business facilities include secretarial services, Internet, fax, and hire of meeting rooms with appropriate equipment. The hotel also includes a fitness centre, outdoor pool and tennis court, plus a restaurant specialising in Cantonese cuisine. Located in a quiet area of the business district, a complementary shuttle service travels to several locations including the nearby Chinatown.

317 Outram Road
Tel: 6733 0188. Fax: 6733 0989.
E-mail: hiatrium@ichotelsgroup.com
Website: www.singaporehotels.holiday-inn.com
Price: From S$240.

Swissotel The Stamford
As one of Asia’s tallest hotels, the Stamford looms over the business heart of Singapore, and has nearly 1,300 rooms all with splendid views and tasteful furnishing. All rooms have balconies, IDD, minibar and tea and coffee facilities, a writing table and safe, and those rooms on the higher (and more expensive) floors have harbour views. Hotel facilities include business centre, multilingual concierge, Amrita Spa, outdoor pools and tennis courts. Equinox restaurant, on level 69, offers superb panoramic views of the city, likewise its adjacent New Asia Bar. Local cuisine is available at the Kopi Tiam restaurant, with Szechuan, Japanese and Italian cuisine at its sister (and adjacent) hotel Raffles The Plaza. One of the best value choices in this area.

2 Stamford Road
Tel: 6338 8585. Fax: 6338 2862.
E-mail: ask-us.singapore-stamford@swissotel.com
Website: www.swissotel-thestamford.com
Price: From S$195.

Luxury

Raffles Hotel
A national monument, named after Singapore’s founding father, Raffles Hotel is a high point on the sightseeing trail (see Key Attractions). Still one of the world’s most opulent, luxurious and award-winning hotels, it was restored in 1991 with an arcade added, containing shops and restaurants. Residents relive the past in one of the 103 suites, each coming with its own valet. Royalty, celebrities and writers all stayed here and homage is paid to them at every turn, particularly in the hotel museum. But it is also abundant in modern luxuries, like the Amrita Spa, swimming pool, business centre, florist, hotel arcade, boardrooms and its own theatre in Jubilee Hall. From the famous Long Bar, serving up Singapore Slings since the 1920s, to the contemporary New York-style Seah Street Deli and Oriental cuisine at Doc Cheng’s, there are many options for drinking and dining.

1 Beach Road
Tel: 6337 1886. Fax: 6339 7650.
E-mail: ask-us.singapore-raffles@raffles.com
Website: www.raffleshotel.com
Price: From S$700.

The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore
This 32-floor high-rise has some of the best rooms on the island. Designed by prize-winning architect Kevin Roche, all 610 rooms (including the huge bathrooms) have panoramic views over the Singapore skyline or Marina Bay. All rooms, larger than in most other hotels, are stylish with light timber and Tibetan-style floor covering, and include broadband Internet access, multilingual voicemail and walk-in wardrobes. Its collection of 4,200 pieces of contemporary art is one of Southeast Asia’s best and in addition to several top quality dining venues (including its signature restaurant Summer Pavilion specialising in Cantonese cuisine) the hotel also houses seven acres of landscaped gardens surrounding a pool.

7 Raffles Avenue
Tel: 6337 8888. Fax: 6337 5190.
E-mail: ers@ritzcarlton.com.sg
Website: www.ritzcarlton.com
Prices: From S$515.

Moderate

The Gallery Hotel
The chic Gallery Hotel, a HIP hotel in the business hub, has gained a reputation thanks to its award-winning colourful interiors and designer cool, featuring interactive doorway CCTV, free Internet access in all rooms and executive women-only floors. The 222-room hotel consists of three blocks linked by bridges and open walkways, plus a fifth-floor pool over-hanging the street. The red-, blue- and yellow-framed windows will appeal to anyone who enjoys a splash of colour. Facilities include multilingual voice-mail and digital room safes, in rooms immersed in bright furnishings and frosted glass bathrooms of polished marble. Larger rooms are available in The Glazzhaus (which even has extra long beds), with junior suites in The Observatory facing the river and king-sized beds in studio suites in the Executive Studio. The Gallery also houses the funky Liquid Room bar, and Latte Lounge café.

76 Robertson Quay
Tel: 6849 8686. Fax: 6836 6666.
E-mail: general@galleryhotel.com.sg
Website: www.galleryhotel.com.sg
Price: From S$138.

Hotel 1929
As Chinatown’s only HIP boutique hotel, Hotel 1929, which opened in 2002, has managed to combine designer cool with affordability in an unpretentious part of town. Voted Asia’s Best Budget Hotel 2004 by Time Asia magazine, plus many other awards and rave reviews, five colonial-era shop-houses were joined to create this 32-room hotel - and the result is funky. Each room is small but individually styled, with retro-style furniture, flat-screen TV, broadband Internet access and a designer shower. Guests can enjoy a rooftop Jacuzzi - and the owner’s private collection of designer chairs. Added to that, Chinatown is rapidly becoming gentrified, with good nightspots in addition to its fabulous shopping. Room rate includes breakfast.

50 Keong Saik Road
Tel: 6347 1929. Fax: 6327 1929.
E-mail: reservations@hotel1929.com
Website: www.hotel1929.com
Price: S$130.

Other Recommendations

The Fullerton Singapore
Although The Fullerton hotel is fairly new (it opened in 2000), it is a restoration of one of Singapore’s oldest, largest and grandest buildings. Built in 1928, its classic Doric columns share the grandeur of Palladian architecture with Singapore’s other two great Colonial buildings – the Supreme Court and City Hall. Located in the business district, the hotel is home to 400 rooms and suites with broadband Internet access, IDD and voicemail, satellite TV, with views over the river, city or harbour. The hotel includes a business centre, pool, fitness centre, Asian Spa, function rooms and a good selection of restaurants and cafés.

1 Fullerton Square
Tel: 6733 8388. Fax: 6735 8388.
E-mail: info@fullertonhotel.com
Website: www.fullertonhotel.com
Price: From S$470.

Shangri-La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort
This resort hotel, located on the western tip of Sentosa island, is Singapore’s only beachfront hotel and still only 15-minutes drive from the city. It is one of the island’s best hotels, with all 459 rooms furnished in light, simple décor with private balconies overlooking the sea or the hills of Fort Siloso. Room facilities include Internet access, writing desk, IDD, voicemail and satellite TV. Hotel facilities include a seafood restaurant, a terrace barbecue and pool bar, with a huge pool, Jacuzzi and water slides. The spa has gym, sauna and massage room, and the Sea Sports Centre offers kayaking and paddle skiing. The hotel also has a business centre and function rooms, although is obviously more popular as a resort hotel.

101 Siloso Road, Sentosa
Tel: 6275 0100. Fax: 6275 1055.
E-mail: sen@shangri-la.com
Website: www.shangri-la.com
Price: From S$228.