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Off to visit my daughter in Vietnam in September and am flying into and out of Singapore. Will pick up a flight from there probably via HCMC.
I’m thinking two nights in Singapore will be enough. Recommendations for best are and hotels please? I have no hotel points and just need somewhere where I can see the Gardens by the Bay. Need a twin room and ideally less than £200 per night. Should I even consider staying by the airport?Also help please with best seats BA0011 , not sure how I see which plane type it is. It’s not club suite and has the upper deck. Currently have 56j & 56k and on the return 59 a & b all upper deck.
I would stay near Bugis/Middle Road. You can connect to everywhere in the city from there and its a short walk to Little India and Kampong Glam. There are often good deals on at the IC Middle Road and it is connect to the MRT which is helpful. There is currently a 100% bonus on points purchases which might help bring the cost down (depending on whether the recent devaluation has impacted the IC Singapore).
If you can stretch to three days, I would… but I am biased, I love Singapore.
Fullerton or Swissotel should be in your budgets and give the view, Swissotel will give better views as its very tall and has balconies whilst Fullerton is historic and the balcony rooms tend not to have views; though transport is easy so you could stay near an MRT or bus route and get in. There is also a park royal but never stayed and can’t comment on the views.
If midrange is ok, the Westin can be an option. It’s in the CBD, but pretty close to gardens by the bay.
Singapore has excellent transport and taxis are good, so you aren’t far off wherever you stay.There are a couple of Marriott options near boat quay that can be cheap and there’s the Andaz near Bugis as well.
We stayed at the Swissôtel Stamford last week for 3 nights and were very happy with it. Spacious rooms and excellent location. It’s attached to a large mall and MTR station. Easy to get to Gardens by the Bay from there, either by MTR or taxi (both are cheap).
We also flew to SIN on BA011 in CW. We had row 13 DEFG and it was fine. Whilst the yin-yang layout is a bit awkward I actually found the flat bed to be more comfortable than in the Club Suite cabin which we had been on previously.
For that sort of budget I would recommend Maxwell Reserve Singapore, I think if you book in advance (non cancellable) the rates are around £130 a night, location is very central and close to the fairly recently opened TEJ line (brown). I wouldn’t stay near the airport personally, there is a lot to see, do and eat central.
You could easily fill 3 or 4 days in Singapore in my mind if you haven’t been before.
+1 for the Swissotel , usually very reasonable and as @FH2 says, great central location right on top of a mall and the MRT. Do check out secret escapes and luxury escapes as there are often deals on there – Hotel Jen at Orchard is one that used to be good via those sites. There is also a big new Mercure ICON which a friend stayed in for a good while as it was cheaper than rent 😂
Swissotel is £260 per night but on a non refundable rate. I’d go for it otherwise.
I’m seeing the following at rates around £170 per night:-
Day by Dorsett AMTD
Carlton
The Clan
Anyone have any experience of these ?Sorry Dao by Dorsett
No idea about rates, but I’m literally in the air now having flown out of
SIN after another great stay at the Hilton Orchard. Pretty unbeatable
location for our needs, great b-fast, decent lounge offering and non-cold pool!Thanks Michael. It’s £218 per night.
We’ve decided to have 3 days there on the return leg . The only thing on my must see list is Gardens by the Bay, but I will research and find lots more to do. Is the Hilton easily accessible to the gardens ?Everything is easily accessible in Singapore ! But yes this is particularly easy now the TEL (brown line) is open as it goes directly there from Orchard. You can tap in using any credit/debit card. Recommend going late afternoon or making 2x trips so you go in the day and see the Supertree show at night
Swissotel is £260 per night but on a non refundable rate. I’d go for it otherwise.
I’m seeing the following at rates around £170 per night:-
Day by Dorsett AMTD
Carlton
The Clan
Anyone have any experience of these ?Not The Clan, it has a tiny pool and not great F&B. No experience of the Carlton (the main one not the city one)/ but the location is good near City Hall and also Chijmes for dinner or a drink. Dao by Dorsett is right in the CBD but still a handy location – again it’s near a TEL station
Thanks to all. Lots of great info.
Now onto HCMC recommendations. Will post separately,I would highly recommend a visit to the Botanical Gardens, in particular the Orchid Gardens. The Hawker Centre at Maxwell is also worth a visit for food.
I would highly recommend a visit to the Botanical Gardens, in particular the Orchid Gardens. The Hawker Centre at Maxwell is also worth a visit for food.
Thanks I will add to my, so far tiny, list.
The friend I’m travelling with wants to do the night safari but I won’t go to a zoo/ wildlife park. Are there any opportunities to see wildlife that are actually wild within striking distance of Singapore?
Yes, have a look at Central Catchment/Bukit Timah, Pulau Ubin or Sungei Buloh/Kranji.
Everything is easily accessible in Singapore ! But yes this is particularly easy now the TEL (brown line) is open as it goes directly there from Orchard. You can tap in using any credit/debit card. Recommend going late afternoon or making 2x trips so you go in the day and see the Supertree show at night
That’s the route we did, to the letter!
@Annie – Two great garden displays on at the moment: Monet and Angkor Wat orchids. Also, don’t
know if it’s your type of thing, but we really like the nearby ArtScience museum. Oh, and the 40-minute
bumboat trip leaving from Clarke Quay is pleasant and interesting.Might be stating the obvious but do make sure you avoid the Grand Prix weekend as hotel prices will spike.
There’s a Jen hotel (Shangri-La group) on Orchard Road that would be in budget. Also check websites like Luxury Escapes – they often have some great deals/upgrades/throw in breakfast/drinks etc. And you won’t earn hotel points but given you don’t collect them anyway….
Have stayed a both Jen hotels (the one at Tanglin when it was Traders). Both have small rooms. The one on Orchard Road is immediately above Orchardgateway MRT, so convenient. The one at Tanglin is by the Regent. Regent also good hotel but more expensive. Have also stayed recently at HIX Clarke Quay and HI Little India (which I preferred of the two). However of all I prefer the IC Bugis. I got good deals on points for all 3 IHG hotels last year and year before. For IC you could try Emyr to see what deal he can get.
As someone else suggested, definitely go for a wander around the Botanic Gardens. I go there on every visit, sometimes more than once. Somewhere you can easily get lost in thought and wander around for hours. The Orchid Garden is lovely, but you pay for that whereas the gardens are free. My favourite area is Swan Lake. It’s magical and the swans are usually by the sculpture.
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