What are the top 10 best five-star hotels in Singapore, including luxury five-star, boutique, and budget? Whether you are on your honeymoon, looking for a romantic break, traveling as a family, or simply stopping by for a night on a layover, we have the perfect hotel for you. In this review, we detail the top ten best 5-star hotels in Singapore.
Singapore, the gateway to Southeast Asia, is an intriguing country that was created by deeply passionate people following their dreams and aspirations. It’s a place that serves as a canvas for its people’s wildest imagination, where new experiences are created every day, and where foodies, explorers, collectors, action seekers, culture shapers, and socializers meet.
Singapore attracts more than 17 million international tourists every year. To put this in perspective, this is more than three times its total population. Some of this may be a result of the 2018 box office movie hit ‘Crazy Rich Asians.’ This film is largely set in Singapore and has boosted the Lion City’s tourism even further.
We have already detailed the best hotel club lounges in Singapore, and if you are flying out of Singapore airport, you need to read our guide on the best airline lounges at Singapore airport.
1. Raffles Singapore
The year was 1887 when the doors to the Raffles Singapore first opened. Since then, this luxury five-star hotel in Singapore has become an icon that epitomizes the romance of the Far East – an intoxicating blend of luxury, history, and colonial design.
Situated in the heart of the business and civic district, Raffles Singapore is a veritable oasis in the city. Its classic colonial architecture has been perfectly preserved and provides a stark but lively contrast against its modern-skyscraper neighbors.
Through the decades, liveried Sikh doormen have welcomed some of the most famous personalities, from writers to celebrities, politicians, and members of royalty, such as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Today it has a resident historian who has created a series of videos featuring key moments from its past (early guests included the writer’s Joseph Conrad, Somerset Maugham, and Rudyard Kipling).
Raffles Singapore has only recently reopened for guest stays following more than two years of renovation work across its guest rooms and public spaces.
The new works were led by interior designer Alexandra Champalimaud, architecture, and design firm Aedas, lighting consultants Tino Kwan and restoration and research consultants Studio Lapis.
The hotel’s suite count has increased from 103 to 115, while new categories have been added; it now offers State Room Suites, Courtyard Suites, Palm Court Suites, Personality Suites, Residence Suites, Promenade Suites, Grand Hotel Suites, and Presidential Suites.
The Raffles Arcade, a collection of shops and “lifestyle spaces,” has a new gift shop, spa, and retail brands, as well as a history gallery featuring archive pictures and stories.
The restaurant line-up now includes Mediterranean grill BBR by chef Alain Ducasse, steakhouse Butcher’s Block, three-Michelin star chef Anne-Sophie Pic’s La Dame de Pic, and Chinese restaurant yì by Jereme Leung, and classic Indian restaurant Tiffin Room.
In July, the hotel reopened its famed Long Bar, a popular tourist spot thanks to its invention of the Singapore Sling, and the Grand Lobby, which has a daily afternoon tea service.
Even the pool on the rooftop has been renovated, with the huge Marina Bay Sands building visible in the distance.
Some of the best rooms are the 31 suites leading onto the Verandah. These are 58 m², and ensuite bathrooms have been redesigned with Victorian details and Peranakan tiles, a type of colorful local ceramic.
No visit to Singapore is complete without a stay at this iconic all-suite 5-star luxury Singapore hotel. Each suite features period furnishings, lofty 14-foot ceilings, and modern conveniences expected of a 21st-century hotel. Raffles butlers, legendary for their charming and graceful service, are available to fulfill requests both ordinary and extraordinary.
2. Capella Singapore
There’s a private world of splendid serenity just ten minutes from the heart of one of Asia’s most dynamic cities. Where 30 acres of rolling hills surround your private enclave on Sentosa Island, Singapore’s premier recreational respite. In June 2018, the resort gained instant worldwide fame as it was the site of the Trump-Kim nuclear summit.
The 5 star Capella Singapore is a tranquil beachfront oasis on Sentosa Island, is ten minutes from downtown Singapore. Inspired by Tanah Merah’s Malay translation of red earth, the resort blends Singapore’s colonial heritage with modern designs.
The 112 guestrooms, suites, villas, and manors are decorated by renowned interior designer Jaya Ibrahim. Here, you can swim in one of three cascading pools, sunbathe alongside the lush greenery, get pampered in the award-winning Auriga spa, or dine at Cassia for Chinese cuisine or at The Knolls for Mediterranean flavors.
Reminiscent of the Cuban island bars of the 1950s and 60s, Bob’s Bar joins Old World charm and classicism with New World sensuality and elegance. Relax indoors and enjoy full-bodied spirits and wines, or step outdoors to the Terrace and recline in the tropical glow of the setting sun.
Undisputedly, Singapore’s most exclusive and beautiful golf club, Sentosa Golf Club, is the home to not one but two of the most scenic yet challenging golf courses in the region – Serapong and Tanjong. Guests of Capella Singapore will have preferential access to the world-class, members-only Sentosa Golf Club.
Auriga Spa is focused on our guests’ health and wellness by using natural and organic products, unique treatment offerings, and specialized programs-all administered by a highly trained and caring staff of service professionals.
3. Fullerton Bay Singapore
Strategically located in the heart of Singapore’s financial, arts, and cultural districts, the 5-star Fullerton Bay Singapore is within immediate proximity to the Central Business District and key attractions such as the Merlion Park, Esplanade Theatres on the Bay, Asian Civilisations Museum, Boat Quay and Clarke Quay. The Singapore Flyer, Gardens by the Bay, and the city’s main shopping belts of Orchard Road and Marina Bay are only minutes away.
With only 100 guestrooms and suites, the hotel’s intimate ambiance and sophisticated interiors will appeal to discerning guests. It is definitely one of the best boutique hotels in Singapore.
The spacious rooms measure 50 m² (538 ft²). Each room impresses with panoramic views of the Marina Bay waterfront and the vibrant Singapore skyline through full-length windows and a private balcony. Overlooking the city’s landmarks from the privacy of the guestroom, guests are treated to natural light and a sense of place. Amenities are top-notch; Bvlgari Red Tea bath amenities are one of my favorites, and there’s an in-room Nespresso machine. The sheets are fine Egyptian cotton linen.
Strategically positioned on the top three levels of the hotel, six exclusive suites offer unsurpassed views through generous floor-to-ceiling windows and two balconies. Among the six suites are five Theme Suites and a Presidential Suite. These have to be some of the best suites in town. Each of the stunning suites is adorned with bespoke artwork and antiques, signature fabrics, and decorative items that embody their individual themes alongside contemporary pieces.
The Fullerton Bay Hotel provides a variety of culinary experiences on the resplendent Marina Bay waterfront. Guests can choose to indulge in culinary treats at a chic brasserie, Clifford, which is illuminated by 10-meter high floor-to-ceiling glass windows, unwind at the sophisticated waterfront lounge, The Landing Point, luxuriate under the stars at the much-talked-about Lantern, a rooftop bar with panoramic views of Marina Bay and the city skyline or the newly unveiled restaurant, The Clifford Pier.
The hotel’s stylish rooftop bar, Lantern, is recognized as one of the world’s best hotel bars by CNNGO. With bespoke outdoor vintage-inspired furniture, including romantic daybeds, Lantern presents a lush, charming tropical environment that is representative of Singapore.
The new dining destination, The Clifford Pier, preserves Pier’s intrinsic hawker culture and honors its historical role as the landing point of Singapore’s forefathers, as well as a melting pot of diverse cultures, presenting the best of Singapore’s delicacies alongside reinterpretations of dishes from the region and Western classics.
4. Four Seasons Singapore
Located on tranquil, tree-lined Orchard Boulevard, Four Seasons Singapore provides a welcome oasis of calm in the midst of the city’s bustle. Renowned for its service, each of the hotel’s 255 spacious rooms, including 40 suites, offers a full range of amenities. While this hotel is probably too large to be included in our listing of the best boutique hotels in Singapore, it remains one of the smaller 5-star hotels in the city and does feel boutique, even though it has an extravagant 255 rooms.
Foodies can savor Michelin Star Cantonese cuisine at Jiang-Nan Chun, authentic Asian or Western dishes at One-Ninety Restaurant, and cocktails at One-Ninety Bar. Post-sightseeing, you can gently rejuvenate your body and soul under the masterful strokes of skillful therapists at the award-winning Four Seasons Spa or reinvigorate at the tennis courts, 24-hour gym, and two outdoor pools – one of which is located on the 20th floor, complete with a bar and an unforgettable, spectacular view of Singapore’s city skyline.
5. Fullerton Hotel Singapore
The magnificent Fullerton Building is a grand neoclassical landmark built in 1928 that was once home to Singapore’s General Post Office, the Exchange Room and Exchange Reference Library, and the prestigious Singapore Club. Today, the 5-Star Fullerton Hotel Singapore has been transformed into a stunning 400-room heritage hotel in Singapore.
Dynamically located in the heart of the financial and arts districts, the hotel successfully blends rich heritage with contemporary style and personalized service to offer guests a world-class accommodation experience. It is actually located at the mouth of the Singapore River and is a mass of grand staircases, high ceilings, and marble. Super classy! This area was originally the heart of colonial Singapore. A nearby footbridge dates back as far as 1870.
This hotel is magnificent, with a pillared frontage, historic dining rooms, and glorious waterfront views. The hotel is actually dwarfed by the surrounding skyscrapers but offers a nice slice of history on the waterfront.
Rooms overlook the sunlit atrium or have verandas with views of the skyline, river promenade, or Marina Bay waterfront. The rooms are extremely generous in size, as are the bathrooms, but the highlight for me here is the pool, which is infinity in design on floor two and has great views of the river and bay.
When you stay here, you are a three-minute walk from the boat quay, which offers a lively nightlife with lots of restaurants and bars. Beyond Boat Quay, there are other quays that again offer great options for nightlife. Chinatown and Little India are also close by if you take public transport.
The hotel has an equally luxurious but different-styled sister property across the street, the 100-room Fullerton Bay Hotel, which is housed in a modern waterfront building and is ranked the number one hotel in Singapore by Tripadvisor.
The Straits Club Lounge at the Fullerton elevates your luxury stay further by offering breakfast, including champagne breakfast (Veuve Cliquot), afternoon tea, and evening drinks and snacks all for free if you book a club room. Crucially, our luxury travel concierge can get access to this lounge included in your room booking for free.
The food at breakfast, tea, and cocktails in the evening is extensive and should fill you up. There are daily specials at each mealtime, and as you would expect from a hotel of this caliber, the food quality and the array are excellent. Although it is lovely to take advantage of these freebies, it is worth popping up to the rooftop bar to take in the views at least once during your stay.
They say: “The Straits Club offers the ultimate service experience to discerning travelers by providing premium accommodation and the highest level of quality and comfort. Guests of The Straits Club enjoy privileges that include round-the-clock personalized service, in-room registration, a complimentary daily Chandon breakfast, afternoon tea, evening canapés, and cocktails in a dedicated lounge with a vintage Peranakan décor featuring Straits Chinese artifacts. Other privileges include preferred laundry rates, pressing service for up to two clothing items, and late check-out (subject to availability). To accommodate guests’ meeting needs, a meeting room for up to six persons may be availed for two hours.”
6. SO Singapore
Probably the best value 5 star luxury hotel in our selection is the SO Singapore, a luxury boutique hotel ideally located in the city-state’s central business district. This hotel fuses old-world charm with the latest media technology. Known as downtown Singapore’s funkiest hotel, this hotel AccorHotels’ 800th hotel in the Asia Pacific region.
An oasis at the heart of historic Tanjong Pagar, the hotel is strategically situated just 20 minutes from Singapore’s Changi Airport. It will be AccorHotels’ 13th hotel in Singapore and will be shortly followed by a combined 782-room Novotel and Mercure complex, which will open on Stevens Road, firmly cementing the group’s position as the largest hotel operator in Singapore.
Housed within an iconic former telecommunications building and decorated with a perfect blend of both French style and chic Singaporean influences, it redefines the 5-star luxury boutique hotel experience in the Lion City and is perfect for any traveler who wishes to experience local charm at its best.
SO Singapore is an audacious lifestyle hotel bursting with local energy and infused with a French twist. Located in the heart of The Lion City, the luxury boutique hotel is the perfect blend of old and new, housed in a heritage building yet fitted with the latest media technology. Enjoy unique experiences in design and gastronomy that showcase local traditions and cultures in a new light to surprise and delight.
SO Singapore offers great value as well as boutique 5-star luxury in the center of Singapore, and their rooftop infinity pool is fabulous!
7. Andaz Singapore
While most of the best Andaz hotels tend to be at the boutique end of the Hyatt brand, the Andaz Singapore has 342 rooms and is housed in a striking pair of concave skyscrapers clad in a latticework of hexagonal windows.
Located at the heart of cultural crossroads, the boutique hotel draws inspiration from its lively surroundings – intimate alleyways filled with shophouses in vibrant colors and textures. The 342 contemporary rooms, including 26 suites, feature floor-to-ceiling windows framing the stunning city views. A number of acclaimed artworks are showcased in the hotel, including color-saturated pieces by Brazilian sculptor André Mendes. Alley on 25 brings street food to hotel guests by offering seven alleyway ‘shophouses’ on one floor, from a platter of barbecued snacks from Smoke & Pepper to a steaming bowl of noodles from Auntie’s Wok & Steam or a refreshing shaved ice from Icehaus.
8. Mandarin Oriental Singapore
Located at Marina Bay, Mandarin Oriental Singapore features an impressive atrium lobby with 527 beautifully refurbished rooms and suites. Contemporary in design with a stylish Oriental flair, all rooms offer floor-to-ceiling windows boasting sweeping views of the city, ocean, or harbor.
The exclusive Oriental Club Lounge, located on the 19th floor, enjoys panoramic views of the Singapore skyline. The lounge has a contemporary Asian feel with floor-to-ceiling windows, wood floors, and elegant furnishings.
Guests on the four executive floors of The Oriental Club enjoy benefits such as daily Champagne breakfast, evening cocktails, and late check-out until 6:00 pm. For an exclusive enclave in the heart of the city, the stylish swimming pool offers a relaxing environment. Gastronomic choices range from Italian at Dolce Vita to Cantonese at Cherry Garden to international at Melt Café.
Mandarin Oriental Singapore is a brilliant 5-star luxury hotel choice, not only for its club lounge but also for the incredible views from floor-to-ceiling windows in the rooms. Your view will be either of the bay, the ocean, or the city. These views, along with the contemporary design a stylish Oriental flair, make this luxury hotel a great choice.
9. St Regis Singapore
The St Regis Singapore is the best Marriott Bonvoy hotel in Singapore. The pampering at the St Regis Singapore begins upon your arrival, as a customized Bentley can be reserved to chauffeur you to the doorstep. The fine art of St Regis hospitality, refined over a century of storied legacy, awaits throughout the 299 elegantly appointed rooms and suites.
Enjoying stunning vistas of Singapore’s downtown skyline, the rooms feature full silk-shaded chandeliers, bespoke furniture, lush fabrics, French marble bathrooms, and state-of-the-art electronics, including Singapore’s very first IP phones. Gastronomes enjoy epicurean excellence with French cuisine at Brasserie Les Saveurs, Italian dishes at LaBrezza, Cantonese fare at Yan Ting, and Japanese omakase at Michelin-star Shinji by Kanesaka. The hotel also houses one of Asia’s finest private art collections.
10. Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore
Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore is centrally located along Singapore’s Marina Bay. This 608-room luxury hotel continues to be distinguished by unparalleled hospitality synonymous with The Ritz-Carlton brand. Attractions such as Gardens by the Bay, the Art Science Museum, the Integrated Resorts, and the Singapore Flyer are only minutes away, while over 2,000 shopping and dining options are accessible via a covered sky bridge.
Renowned for iconic views from its spacious guestrooms and suites, the hotel features an exclusive Club Lounge on level 32. The Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge is a peaceful, exclusive retreat for leisure guests and business travelers. Located on the top floor, The Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge is an exclusive space for guests to work or play while enjoying spectacular views of the Singapore skyline.
Guests of this 5-star luxury hotel can unwind at the outdoor swimming pool, spa, or 24-hour gym, savor Singapore at Colony, or indulge in Cantonese cuisine at the Michelin-star Summer Pavilion.
11. Marina Bay Sands Hotel
OK, so this is number 11 in a top 10 listing, as it seems wrong to exclude this iconic hotel, regardless of its quality. The Marina Bay Sands hotel is a 5 star hotel (some class it as 7 star but this rating is more related to media buzz than level of luxury. It comprises three 55-story towers, 2,560 luxury rooms and suites, and 18 different room types. This is an enormous hotel and hosts the iconic and eye-watering high swimming pool that sits across its towers.
This unique structural masterpiece, designed by visionary architect Moshe Safdie, spans the width of all three soaring Marina Bay Sands hotel towers. The SkyPark floats atop the three soaring hotel towers at a height of 200 m (650 ft). This gravity-defying platform stretches longer than the Eiffel Tower laid down and is large enough to park four and a half A380 Jumbo Jets.
It houses a ticketed observation deck, lush gardens, shops, top-notch restaurants, and an exclusive infinity-edge swimming pool with a legendary view. Complementing the retail space are delectable dining options, which include restaurants by celebrity chefs, fine dining, and casual eateries.
To be honest, it’s not my cup of tea at all. I am not great with heights, and this is the world’s largest infinity-edge pool at that height. It comprises 412,000 pounds (191,416 kilos) of stainless steel and holds 380,000 gallons (1,438,456 liters) of water.
Natare engineered this stainless steel swimming pool to allow for the swaying of the three skyscrapers in every direction. There are four movement joints beneath the main pools, designed to help them withstand the natural motion of the towers, and each joint has a unique range of motion. The total range of motion is 500 millimeters (19.68 inches). The SkyPark is designed for wind pressures of up to 2.5 kPa (5,933 lbs./ft² or 250 kg/m²) and wind speeds of up to 105 ft./s (32 m/s). It seems almost unnatural, but you can’t help but admire this marvel of engineering. It shouldn’t work, but it does!
The hotel rooms are less noteworthy. The level of luxury is limited by the sheer size of this hotel. 2,500 rooms are not boutique! Expect glamour and awe here, but if you are looking for the highest level of 5-star luxury, pick the hotels in the number 1 to 10 spots in my review.
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