Singapore, from Marina Bay to Sentosa
Singapore is a city built around its bay, from the old quays of the river to the resort island of Sentosa.
Singapore is a city built around its bay, from the old quays of the river to the resort island of Sentosa. Around the bay lie the Civic District and the old quays of the river where the city began, the towers and the three-tower skyline of Marina Bay that face them across the water, Orchard Road climbing north-west into the gardens of Tanglin, and Sentosa, the resort island a bridge away to the south. Ten hotels, chosen on merit: three that hold five-star standing and seven four-star addresses listed at exactly the tier they hold.
Luxury hotels in Singapore
10 hotels
“Because the grand dame of 1887 stands on Beach Road in the Civic District, an all-suite National Monument of 115 suites around its colonial courtyards and verandahs, with the Long Bar downstairs and the Raffles Spa inside, reopened in August 2019 after two years of restoration – and the house holds five-star standing.”
From our editors · Raffles Hotel Singapore
The neighborhoods
Raffles Hotel Singapore · Marina Bay & the Civic District — Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0Marina Bay & the Civic District
The bay and the city that grew around it, with seven of the ten hotels. It takes in the three towers and the SkyPark, the Esplanade and Gardens by the Bay, the Merlion and the river quays, the Padang and the colonial streets of the Civic District, Raffles Place and Collyer Quay.
Orchard Road
The shopping mile and its green end, with two of the ten hotels. It holds the malls of Orchard Road, the embassies and the gardens of Tanglin, and the Botanic Gardens beyond.
Sentosa
The resort island across the causeway from HarbourFront, with one of the ten hotels. It holds the beaches of the south coast, the golf courses, the marina at Sentosa Cove and the cable car from Mount Faber.
Good to know
Which are the five-star hotels in Singapore?
Three. The five-star hotels we list in Singapore are Raffles Hotel Singapore, on Beach Road in the Civic District; Capella Singapore, on Sentosa; and The Paiza Collection at Marina Bay Sands, the suite tier of the three towers on Marina Bay. Alongside them we keep seven four-star addresses that hold four-star standing and are never called five-star: Mandarin Oriental, Singapore, on Marina Bay; The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore, on Marina Bay; The St. Regis Singapore, in Tanglin at the top of Orchard Road; The Fullerton Bay Hotel Singapore, on the water at Collyer Quay; Conrad Singapore Marina Bay, beside Millenia Walk; Conrad Singapore Orchard, at the Tanglin end of Orchard Road; and Marina Bay Sands, the three towers under the SkyPark. Each has its own page, reached from the list above, with a concierge behind every stay.
Which part of Singapore should I stay in?
The ten hotels sit in three districts. Marina Bay and the Civic District hold seven – the bay, the Esplanade and Gardens by the Bay, the river quays and the colonial streets of the Padang, Raffles Place and the Central Business District – for the skyline, the museums and the offices. Orchard Road holds two, at the Tanglin end – the shopping mile behind, the Botanic Gardens beyond – for shopping and a quieter, greener base. Sentosa holds one, on the resort island across the causeway from HarbourFront, for the beaches, the golf and a stay that feels away from the city fifteen minutes from it.
When is the best season for Singapore?
Singapore is hot and humid all year, and the difference between the months is rain, not temperature. February to April are the driest; the north-east monsoon from November to January brings the wettest afternoons, short and heavy. The Formula 1 night race in September and the year-end holidays fill the hotels around Marina Bay weeks ahead; Chinese New Year, in late January or February, closes some rooms and opens others. The rates shown are mid-season.
How do you get to Singapore – and do I need a car?
Changi is about twenty minutes from Marina Bay and Orchard Road by taxi, and about thirty-five minutes by the MRT from the terminals. No car is needed – the MRT, the buses and the taxis reach every district, the Civic District and Marina Bay are walked, and Sentosa is a bridge, a cable car or a monorail from HarbourFront, about fifteen minutes from the center by taxi.
How do I reserve a stay?
Search your dates on the hotel's page to see reference rates, then send the concierge a request. The concierge confirms exact rates and availability with you before anything is booked, and any payment and its timing are set out before you confirm.
