Where to stay in Singapore

Neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood guidance for Singapore, Singapore: which areas suit which travellers, what they cost, and the stays we list in each.

• Clarke Quay & Robertson Quay (4) — Riverside bars, hotels Restored godowns along the Singapore River packed with restaurants and clubs. Robertson Quay upstream is the calmer, better-value end.
• Orchard (4) — Malls, hotels, greenery A mile of air-conditioned shopping with hotels stacked above it.
• Katong & Joo Chiat (3) — Peranakan shophouses, laksa Pastel Peranakan terraces, the original laksa stalls on East Coast Road, and the beach a short bus away. The most characterful base outside the centre.
• Chinatown (2) — Shophouses, hawker centres Restored shophouses, temples and the best cheap eating in the city.
• Little India (2) — Spice shops, bright terraces Loud, fragrant and open late — the least sanitised corner of central Singapore.
• Sentosa (4) — Resort island, beaches Universal Studios, the beach clubs at Siloso and the big resort hotels. Self-contained and pricey, with a 20-minute monorail or taxi into town.
• Bugis & Bras Basah (2) — Malls, museums, hostels The cheapest central beds in the city, with the National Museum and Peranakan Museum a walk away and Bugis Street market open late.
• Holland Village (3) — Expat cafés, low-rise Village-scale streets of cafés and boutiques ten minutes from Orchard — the classic expat address, with a handful of boutique hotels.
• Marina Bay (4) — Waterfront towers, light shows The postcard Singapore — Gardens by the Bay and the skyline on your doorstep.
• Tiong Bahru (3) — Art deco walk-ups, bakeries Curved 1930s blocks, an excellent wet market and a well-known bakery.
• Geylang (1) — Durian stalls, frog porridge The cheapest hotels in the city and the best late-night eating — durian, frog-leg porridge, beef hor fun — along the numbered lorongs. Rough-edged; this is also the red-light district.
• Kampong Glam (3) — Arab Street, indie shops Textile shops, the Sultan Mosque and Haji Lane's bars in a few compact blocks.

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