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The Best Five-Star Hotels in Singapore
Written by Samantha Brown
The small city state of Singapore offers something for everyone, from beachy bliss, wellness escapes, retail therapy and foodie adventures.
Singapore is small but mighty! Known for its incredible shopping and bursting with some of the best hawker cuisine in the world, it’s also home to some pretty spectacular five-star hotels. And whether you’re looking to be in the middle of the action, with easy access to the best sights, or you’re on vacation to escape it all and curl up with a good book by the beach, it’s easy to find five-star accommodation to suit your holiday style.
Best Singapore Hotels for a Beach Escape
Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa
For a taste of beachside glamour, head to Singapore’s only beachfront resort – Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa. With its own stretch of private beach and surrounded by lush jungle, this resort gives all the feels of a secluded island escape, despite being within easy reach of the Singapore CBD. Choose to unwind completely, enjoy being within walking distance of some of Sentosa Island’s popular drawcards including Universal Studios, or make use of the complimentary shuttle to Shangri-La’s lifestyle and entertainment precinct, The Palawan @ Sentosa.
Bonus points: Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa is perfect for a family trip too, with facilities tailor-made for little ones – complete with kid-sized bathrobes and junior bathroom amenities, they’ll have their own little slice of luxury on this tropical playground.
Best Singapore Hotels for Wellness
COMO Metropolitan Singapore
Stay within moments of Orchard Road’s impeccable shopping precinct while also enjoying an uninterrupted slice of wellbeing at COMO Metropolitan Singapore. This is the ultimate wellness escape, complete with an entire floor dedicated to wellbeing – from yoga and Pilates studios and oxygen therapy spaces, to a huge fitness centre, red light therapy rooms and an extensive spa menu of massages, facials, life coaching and more.
Wellness comes from the inside too, and you’ll be able to treat your tastebuds to some of the most delicious and nutritious food from the COMO Shambhala Kitchen, serving up authentic, balanced dishes to delight the palate.
Capella Hotel Singapore
Take the opportunity to slow down and unwind with a stay at Capella Hotel Singapore, home to Auriga Spa, awarded five stars by the Forbes Travel Guide 13 years in a row.
With 112 rooms, suites and villas housed across two 19th-century colonial bungalows, this sprawling resort is found nestled in the lush rainforest of Sentosa Island, moments from Palawan Beach. You’ll have ample opportunities to embrace wellness, with a dip in the spa’s vitality pool, or head to the herbal steam room or ice fountain. There’s also a curated wellness menu from which to choose a wide selection of holistic treatments – try the Northern Light facial with a sea buckthorn and eucalyptus mask followed by an acupressure massage, or embrace all things celestial with a three-hour Auriga Signature Moon Ritual for the ultimate in rejuvenation.
Best Singapore Hotels for Orchard Road
Pan Pacific Orchard
Find yourself with immediate access to Orchard Road when you stay at Pan Pacific Orchard. Famous for its stretch of back-to-back shopping malls and endless eateries – start across the road at the glittering ION Orchard mall with eight levels of retail heaven, continue on to Takashimaya department store next door and just keep going. When you need to refuel, Pan Pacific Orchard is less than a 10-minute drive from the iconic Newton Food Centre – one of Singapore’s finest hawker centres.
Should the need arise for a hiatus from retail therapy, make the most of Pan Pacific Orchard’s St. Gregory Spa’s treatment menu, or head to the quiet, leafy surrounds of the Singapore Botanic Gardens – a 10-minute drive away – the National Orchid Garden is a colourful must-see.
Best Singapore Hotels for Food
Hotel Telegraph Singapore
If you’re heading to Singapore ready to explore the famous hawker centres, find yourself in a prime location with a stay at the Hotel Telegraph Singapore. Originally built in 1927, this four-story heritage building boasts old world charm with a contemporary twist, and is just moments from some of the best plates in the city. La Pau Sat, Singapore’s historic hawker centre (originally built in 1894 and one of the oldest Victorian buildings in the country) is directly across the street, while the famous Satay Street runs behind. Maxwell Food Centre and Amoy Street Food Centre, both incredibly popular hawker centres, are within walking distance.
A member of the prestigious Small Luxury Hotels of the World, you’ll return from your foodie adventures to exquisitely bespoke, neoclassical rooms, and the hotel’s elegant rooftop bar serving up expertly crafted cocktails.
Conrad Singapore Orchard
For the passionate epicurean, Conrad Singapore Orchard is a foodie destination in its own right, with 10 restaurants and bars to satisfy even the most discerning palate. The hotel is home to the Michelin-starred Summer Palace, where an authentic Cantonese menu is celebrated with seasonal ingredients alongside fine wines and Chinese tea cocktails. Channelling the Italian Riviera is Basilico, where you can dine on the terrace and indulge in artisanal cheeses at the Signature Cheese Room or head to the carpaccio bar. Partial to a cocktail? The moody and atmospheric Manhattan is one of the best bars in Singapore, with a selection of over 220 bottles of American whiskey, and a cocktail menu inspired by the bright lights of New York.
For a truly unique experience, Conrad Singapore Orchard also offers an Edible Garden Walk through the incredible Singapore Botanic Gardens, complete with a curated tasting with Gastrogeography of Singapore.
Best for Singapore Hotels for Sightseeing
The Capitol Kempinski
Access to the best of Singapore is yours with a stay at The Capitol Kempinski, part of a larger complex including the Capitol Theatre, built in 1929, Capitol Piazza and the Arcade @ The Capitol Kempinski – full of dining options and convenient access to the MRT station, connecting you with the East West and North South lines. The facade makes it one of Singapore’s most easily recognisable street corners, and places you within walking distance Chijmes – a historic former convent turned dining hotspot – and Raffles City shopping mall, and a short drive from the National Museum of Singapore and the Esplanade Theatres on the Bay.
Bonus points: The Capitol Kempinksi is also home to Tropical Sunday Champagne Brunch at 15 Stamford – think themed cocktails, fresh lobster, a foie gras station, modern Asian and grilled meats, free-flow Telmont champagne and more.
Marina Bay Sands
Easily the most recognisable hotel in Singapore with its iconic rooftop pool, Marina Bay Sands is a five-star integrated resort. The resort’s SkyPark Pool is actually the world’s largest rooftop infinity pool and appears to float above the city, providing unparalleled views across Singapore. You won’t even have to leave the hotel grounds with everything you could possibly want out of a holiday at your fingertips. Need some retail therapy? Head to the Marina Bay Mall. Fancy a massage? Banyan Tree Spa has you covered. Hungry? Across the hotel’s towers, mall and SkyPark, there’s almost 50 cafes, restaurants and bars to choose from.
Should you need to head out, the ArtScience Museum, iconic Gardens by the Bay and Spectra outdoor sound and light show are directly outside. Plus, you can get around the city with ease, with the Bayfront MRT station underneath – connecting to both the Circle and Downtown lines.
Best Singapore Hotels for Heritage Glamour
Raffles Singapore
It wouldn’t be a list of the best five-star Singapore hotels without mentioning the most luxurious of them all: Raffles Singapore. Originally opening in 1887, Raffles Singapore is the epitome of old-world grandeur, famous for its impeccable butler service, the birthplace of the Singapore Sling, and home to one of the most divine afternoon tea services in the world. Despite its location surrounded by the sleek modernity of Singapore’s streets, you’ll be transported back in time from the moment you step onto the hotel’s grounds. It’s extravagant, but in a truly understated and elegant way.
Step around peanut shells and order a cocktail at the iconic Long Bar or find a quieter seat at the brass counter of the Writers Bar and choose from the menu inspired by some of the world’s most famous authors and literary guests. For a treat for the tastebuds, indulge in delectable North Indian cuisine at the Tiffin Room, originally built in 1892 and beautifully restored to retain its heritage features.
Hungry for more Singapore travel inspiration? Uncover Singapore’s Best Eats & Bars.
Featured image: Merlion Park.
