Where should you stay in Singapore? Marina Bay is the obvious place to look if you dream of skyline views, but I would also consider Chinatown and Bugis. They can offer a more practical base for food, exploring on foot and getting around by MRT.
Singapore has good public transport, so you don’t need to stay beside every major attraction. The important thing is choosing an area that suits your days and evenings. In this guide, I compare five options, from city hotels to a beach holiday on Sentosa, and suggest hotels for different budgets.
Sentosa – best for resort holidays and family time.
1. Marina Bay and City Hall – best for skyline views and a first visit 🌃
Distance to the centre: Around the bay and City Hall; roughly 0–2 km between hotels and the main waterfront promenades.
Public transport: Bayfront, Promenade, Esplanade and City Hall serve different parts of the area.
From the airport: Approximately 25–40 minutes by taxi or 55–80 minutes by MRT and on foot.
Price level: €€–€€€: one of the city’s pricier areas. City Hall can offer cheaper alternatives to waterfront hotels.
Practical advice: Keep an eye on your phone and bag at busy viewpoints. Allow for heat, rain and the distances around the bay.
Marina Bay is the place to choose if views and major sights should be a big part of your hotel stay. You get waterfront promenades, modern architecture and easy access to Gardens by the Bay. For a first visit, there is something appealing about staying in the part of Singapore you recognise from the photographs.
I have included City Hall because it lets you stay slightly away from the waterfront while still having a convenient base for this part of town. That distinction matters when comparing prices. A hotel near City Hall is not necessarily a hotel with Marina Bay views, but it can be better value.
See hotels in and around Marina Bay and City Hall here
Distances around the bay are greater than a skyline photograph suggests. Check which side you will be staying on and which MRT station is genuinely closest. An extra kilometre can feel long in the heat, especially after a flight. An air-conditioned shopping centre can be a welcome part of the walk back to your hotel.
At Supertree Grove in Gardens by the Bay, you can plan a visit both in daylight and after dark. Staying nearby makes it easier to spread the sights out instead of squeezing everything into one long day. I would particularly value that on a short stop of two or three nights.
Marina Bay suits travellers happy to spend a little more on location and their hotel. If you would rather eat your way through different neighbourhoods and spend more outside the hotel, compare it with Chinatown. You can easily visit the bay several times without paying to sleep right beside it.
Places to Stay in Marina Bay and City Hall
Marina Bay Sands – luxury
The obvious choice if the hotel itself and its famous rooftop pool are part of the reason for your Singapore trip. Compare room categories carefully, as views and prices vary. This is somewhere I would choose for the experience rather than for keeping costs down.
See photos, availability and prices for Marina Bay SandsPARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay – luxury, an alternative to Marina Bay Sands
A large hotel on the northern side of Marina Bay, well placed for the area around Promenade and Esplanade. It is worth comparing if you want a comfortable stay by the bay without choosing the city’s most famous hotel.
See photos, availability and prices for PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina BayWyndham Singapore Hotel – a cheaper alternative near City Hall
Previously known as Peninsula Excelsior, this hotel is near City Hall rather than directly on the waterfront. It can be a sensible compromise if you want easy access to Marina Bay and several central neighbourhoods at a lower price than the luxury hotels.
See photos, availability and prices for Wyndham Singapore Hotel
2. Chinatown – best for food and a practical central base 🥢
Distance to the centre: South-west of the bay; roughly 1.5–3 km to Marina Bay, depending on your address and destination.
Public transport: Chinatown, Maxwell and Telok Ayer are useful stations; choose according to your hotel’s location.
From the airport: Around 25–40 minutes by taxi or 55–80 minutes by MRT and on foot.
Price level: €–€€€: capsule hotels, smaller rooms and more expensive boutique properties.
Practical advice: Take normal care of your belongings in busy markets and food centres. Read about noise and check whether bathrooms are shared.
Chinatown is my most versatile recommendation if you want a central location without letting the hotel dictate your entire holiday budget. Food spots, temples and low-rise shophouses sit among larger buildings, and going out for a meal doesn’t mean choosing between expensive hotel restaurants. It is a base that works from morning to evening.
The official tourism board has an overview of Chinatown and its attractions. I would pay particular attention to the distance from Chinatown MRT or Maxwell if you plan to explore widely. The different MRT lines mean the most useful station can matter more than a few hundred metres on the map.
See hotels in and around Chinatown here
Chinatown isn’t the same everywhere. The busiest tourist streets attract plenty of visitors, while Duxton and the streets towards Tanjong Pagar have restaurants and bars with a different atmosphere. A hotel can mention Chinatown in its description and still be some distance from the station you expected to use every day.
I would choose this area for a first Singapore trip where food and sightseeing matter more than shopping centres. It also works well as part of a longer Asian journey when you want to keep hotel costs under control. If both cities feature in your itinerary, you can compare it with my guide to where to stay in Bangkok.
Pay close attention to the cheapest room categories. A private room can be very small, and a budget stay may come with a shared bathroom or no windows. That needn’t be a problem for a short visit, but it should be a deliberate choice. Here, I would spend extra time on the room description rather than relying solely on hotel photographs.
3. Bugis and Kampong Glam – best for cafés and good value ☕
Distance to the centre: North of Marina Bay; around 2–3 km from the main waterfront promenades.
Public transport: Bugis, Rochor and Bencoolen serve different parts of the neighbourhood.
From the airport: Approximately 20–35 minutes by taxi or 50–75 minutes by MRT and on foot.
Price level: €–€€€: often more reasonably priced options than directly beside Marina Bay.
Practical advice: Check for noise from bars and roads. Respect dress requirements and visitor rules at religious sites.
Bugis and Kampong Glam make a good compromise if you want cafés, shops and interesting streets around your hotel. The area by Sultan Mosque and Haji Lane feels different from Marina Bay’s large buildings, while Bugis provides MRT connections and shopping centres nearby. Together, the two parts work well as a city-break base.
I would look here if Chinatown sounds practical but you would also like a little more café and shopping life close to your hotel. Many interesting streets are close together, so you can spend a morning exploring without a detailed plan. Later, take the MRT to the rest of the city.
See hotels in and around Bugis and Kampong Glam here
Not every hotel description uses the boundaries between Bugis, Bencoolen and Kampong Glam in the same way. A hotel by Bencoolen isn’t necessarily right beside Haji Lane. That doesn’t make it a worse choice, but compare the actual walks to stations and food spots instead of relying on the neighbourhood name.
Here, I would pay particular attention to whether the room provides the space you expect. Several modern hotels prioritise communal areas over large bedrooms, which can work very well for a short stay. If you have large suitcases or want to work from your room for a few hours, the floor space matters more.
The area suits couples, friends and solo travellers who want a central base with life around them. If you plan early starts, I would choose a quieter side street rather than staying directly beside a bar. If Singapore is part of an island holiday, you can also find inspiration in my guide to where to stay in Bali.
4. Orchard Road – best for shopping and comfort 🛍️
Distance to the centre: West of Marina Bay; approximately 3–5 km from the shopping district to the bay.
Public transport: Orchard and Somerset are the main reference points, but hotels in side streets can be some distance from the stations.
From the airport: Around 25–40 minutes by taxi or 60–85 minutes by MRT and on foot.
Price level: €€–€€€: large hotels and a wide range of room categories.
Practical advice: Shopping centres can be busy. Watch the traffic and remember that some hotels involve an uphill walk.
Orchard Road suits travellers who want shopping centres, large hotels and plenty of eating options under one roof. It is a different starting point from Chinatown: more planned urban development and fewer little historic streets right outside. In return, it can be very convenient, especially when the heat or rain makes an indoor break appealing.
I wouldn’t choose Orchard Road purely because a hotel describes itself as central. Singapore has several centres, and you will still need the MRT or a taxi to Marina Bay and Sentosa. Choose it because shopping and comfort fit your trip, or because you find a hotel with the space and facilities you need.
See hotels in and around Orchard Road here
Look closely at the distance to Orchard or Somerset MRT. Side streets can be quieter than the main shopping road, but hotels may be further away than their names suggest. Check the actual walking route if you travel with children or expect to return to your room several times a day.
Orchard Road also makes sense on a longer stay when you don’t have to squeeze every major sight into two days. You can spend one day by the bay and another in Chinatown, then return to a familiar area with plenty of places to eat. That is particularly useful when everyone in your group wants something different for dinner.
I would choose the area for shopping-loving couples and families who want a larger hotel as their base. If you are looking for small cafés and street life immediately outside, I find Bugis or Chinatown more interesting. If shopping also features in your wider Asian trip, compare it with my guide to where to stay in Tokyo.
Places to Stay in Orchard Road
Shangri-La Singapore – luxury
A large hotel in greener surroundings in the western part of the Orchard area. It is relevant if time in the hotel and relaxing breaks matter, but check the walk to the MRT: you won’t be directly above a station or in the middle of the main shopping strip.
See photos, availability and prices for Shangri-La SingaporeYork Hotel – mid-range
A hotel in a side street off Orchard Road, worth comparing if shopping and a more traditional hotel base are your priorities. Its location is set back from the main road, so allow for the walk to shops and the MRT.
See photos, availability and prices for York HotelYOTEL Singapore Orchard Road – often a cheaper alternative in the area
A modern hotel with compact rooms near Orchard Road’s shops. It works well for a short stay where location matters more than lots of floor space. Compare room layouts if you are travelling with several large suitcases.
See photos, availability and prices for YOTEL Singapore Orchard Road
5. Sentosa – best for resort holidays and family time 🌴
Distance to the centre: An island south of the city; around 7–10 km by road to Marina Bay, depending on your hotel.
Public transport: Connections via HarbourFront and Sentosa Express, plus local buses on the island.
From the airport: Approximately 30–50 minutes by taxi. Allow around 75–100 minutes or more by MRT and onward transport.
Price level: €€–€€€: budget here means a cheaper resort alternative, not the city’s lowest prices.
Practical advice: Follow swimming guidance and watch children around pools. Check how you will get back to your hotel in the evening.
Sentosa is a deliberate choice about the kind of holiday you want. You stay on an island with beaches, resorts and attractions, so the hotel and pool can matter as much as city sightseeing. That makes sense if Singapore is the holiday itself, or if you want to finish a longer trip with a few slower days.
It is less obvious as your only base on a short stop when you want to see Chinatown, Kampong Glam and Marina Bay in two days. Getting into the city is perfectly possible, but it adds another leg to the journey. Sentosa Express links the island with VivoCity at HarbourFront, where you continue by MRT.
See hotels in and around Sentosa here
I would choose Sentosa for families who genuinely plan several days around the island’s attractions and hotel facilities. If the children only need an hour in the pool after sightseeing, a city hotel may be more practical. It is worth distinguishing between wanting a pool and wanting a whole resort holiday.
The hotels aren’t all beside the same beach or station either. Look at transport around the island and the distances to the places where you expect to spend most of your time. A lovely hotel in green surroundings can be wonderful, but you may not be able to walk out to every evening meal.
On a longer trip, I would consider splitting your stay between the city and Sentosa. That avoids commuting every day and lets you use each hotel for what its location does best. It does mean changing hotels, but it can be more relaxing than trying to combine city days and a beach holiday from one address.
Places to Stay in Sentosa
Capella Singapore – luxury
An exclusive Sentosa resort that particularly suits travellers seeking peace and time in the hotel itself. I would choose it as a clear part of the holiday rather than merely somewhere to sleep between long sightseeing days in the city.
See photos, availability and prices for Capella SingaporeVillage Hotel Sentosa – mid-range for Sentosa
A family-focused hotel with several pool areas, worth considering when children and swimming are a big part of your trip. Compare room categories and space so that you choose an arrangement that works for the whole family.
See photos, availability and prices for Village Hotel SentosaSiloso Beach Resort – often a cheaper resort alternative
A hotel by Siloso Beach, worth considering if the beach location matters more than a brand-new luxury setting. I would read the latest reviews about room condition and approach it as a simpler resort choice.
See photos, availability and prices for Siloso Beach Resort
Where should you avoid staying in Singapore?
For a short visit, I would avoid hotels a long way from the MRT, even if the address looks reasonably central on a map. Heat makes long daily walks less practical, and money saved on the hotel can end up going on taxis. A Changi hotel is useful for an early departure, but rarely the best base for several days of city sightseeing.
I also wouldn’t choose Sentosa just for a pool if all your plans are in the city. At the cheaper end of the market, check windows, bathrooms and room size. Those practical details are what I would prioritise rather than ruling out whole neighbourhoods because of their reputation.
If Singapore is a stopover on your way to Australia, my guide to where to stay in Sydney can help you plan the next part of your trip, with options in the city centre and by the beach. If you’re comparing big cities in Asia or combining two of them on one trip, you can also read my guide to where to stay in Hong Kong.
Planning your trip to Singapore at the last minute? 🇸🇬
Here are some of the best things to do, hotels and other tips for your trip to Singapore.
🛌 Best Hotels:
1. Marina Bay Sands is pure luxury, with the famous rooftop pool and views over the bay 2. Hotel 1900 Chinatown is in Chinatown, close to the streets and transport, at a reasonable price 3. ST Signature Chinatown is a simple budget choice in Chinatown, with shared bathrooms in several rooms
Travel ressources & websites I use all the time 👇
• Booking.com has the best offers on hotels and unique places to stay • GetYourGuide is the best place to book tours & activities with free cancellation • Welcome Pickups is the best & safest place to pre-book airport transfers
