In this post, we’ll quickly explain the different areas or neighbourhoods in Singapore, and help you decide which part of Singapore is best for your stay, be that a holiday, vacation or weekend break. Singapore is an incredible destination and we visit often. If you get the chance of a long layover, grab it!
Singapore, ancient temples, city skyline, heritage houses and hotels plus, the Singapore River and coastline. Where should you stay in Singapore? Photo: ChinatownSingapore.
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Best Areas To Stay In Singapore
Sentosa Island (Resort hotels, Universal Studios, SEA Aquarium, beaches).
Here are the main areas of Singapore with tourist accommodation, from incredible luxury 5 star hotels to more budget-friendly hostels, hotels, and guest houses. We explain more about each area in the more detailed sections that follow.
Stay On Sentosa Island, Singapore
Sentosa Island is connected to mainland Singapore by road, it’s not actually an island.
Stay on Sentosa if you plan to visit Universal Studios and would prefer a resort style stay. There are some very large hotels here, some are incredibly expensive, some are more affordable.
We have stayed on Sentosa in a family-friendly resort hotel over Christmas read about that here. It was a good experience and being able to walk to Universal Studios and the SEA Aquarium were big bonuses. I wouldn’t stay here for more than a few days, there’s little of cultural interest and food choices are better and more “Singaporean” in areas like Chinatown.
To give you an idea, we ate at The Hard Rock Cafe here. That’s the sort of thing that’s available.
To be close to Universal, stay at one of the hotels that makes up Resorts World Sentosa, this is where we chose to stay for just a few nights over Christmas. It was, at that time, our most expensive hotel stay, ever.
All of the links above go to Booking.com. For Asia, and Singapore in particular, consider using Agoda, they are Singapore based and often have better options. We use Agoda ourselves, often. Take a look on Agoda here.
Singapore’s Bay Area
The super trees of Gardens by the Bay, with the Marina Bay Sands hotel to the rear.
Marina Bay Sands, the famous boat hotel, looks out to sea over the Super Trees of Gardens by the Bay. There is a large shopping centre nearby and you’re not far from the Singapore River and Merlion Park.
This is a very good place to stay in Singapore, but the hotels here are expensive. Very expensive!
Marina Bay Sands itself is one of the most expensive hotels in Singapore. We chose to stay at The Fullerton, read our review of this classic Singapore hotel here. It’s not far from Marina Bay Sands, but the price tag is far more manageable.
Stay Near The Singapore River
I took this photo from Clarke Quay, looking toward the Singapore Straight. The next quay, around the corner, is Boat Quay, then the river opens into Marina Bay and the ocean. You can see The Marina Bay Sands hotel to give you an idea of distance. Gardens by The Bay is the other side of the hotel. It’s a walk, but for us, easy walking distance. There are also boats to take you along the Singapore River.
On our first trip to Singapore, we found the cheapest family-friendly hostel possible near the Singapore River, between Boat Quay and Clarke Quay.
In 2025 we revisited this area, and although it’s a good location in terms of walking to various places, it felt a bit seedy. I wouldn’t stay on that particular street again. Also, the hostel had gone.
I remember it was $80 US for a shoebox-sized room with shared bathroom. Nothing is cheap in Singapore, it is not, at all, a budget destination.
But is it a good idea to stay near the Singapore River? Yes, we think so. It’s great to be able to walk along the river. There are a lot of restaurants at Clarke Quay and Boat Quay, we didn’t try them so we can’t comment on quality.
The Quay Hotel is in this area, has good reviews, and is somewhat affordable. I can’t find anything very budget friendly here today.
Stay in Singapore Chinatown
Chinatown has markets, food courts and many places of cultural and religious significance. It’s a great area to stay in Singapore.
I really like Chinatown, it has beautiful temples and cultural heritage, vibrant markets and many food choices. It’s also within walking distance of the Bay Area.
I would say that Chinatown is a very good place to stay in Singapore, and there are some more affordable hotels and hostels here.
Street art on a side street in Singapore’s Little India.
If you love Indian food (we do), stay in or near Singapore’s Little India. It’s not as walkable as Chinatown, from the Bay area, but there is the Metro system to take you anywhere, or those hop on hop off buses.
Like every part of Singapore that we’ve seen, it’s clean, well maintained and well ordered.
You’ll also find some of the cheapest budget accommodation and hostels in Little India. We thought this area was nice, we may base ourselves here next time to learn more. Take a look at this place, with private family rooms, it’s about as cheap as you’ll find with decent reviews.
From a worldschooling perspective, if you can’t make it to India, you could learn a lot about Indian culture in Little India.
Kampong Glam
Kampong Glam, or Gelam, is the Malay Muslim area of Singapore. It’s north of The Singapore River and was historically the home of the Sultans. The golden domes of The Sultan Mosque are the most well-known landmark.
Haji Lane, Kandahar Street, Bussorah Street, and Arab Street are here, the Shophouses are restored and beautiful, as they are in many of the older areas of Singapore. Shopping and eating are favourite activities here.
Kampong Glam is quite a long way from the Bay area, you’ll need a vehicle or public transport to get here. You’ll also find some more affordable accommodation options.
Orchard Road Singapore is the main shopping district of the city. Luxury labels take centre stage, but you’ll also find old shophouses, bars, and a few fun things to do.
This is Singapore’s historic business and civic district, close to Singapore International Convention & Exhibition Centre and Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay. This is a good location, on the northern side of the Singapore River and Bay, just south of Orchard Rd.
The Fairmont Singapore (Booking.com link) is nearby, and it’s much more affordable than Raffles, but still costly.
Downtown Singapore
Downtown Singapore is south of Chinatown, north of Sentosa Island. It’s an area we’ve never visited so I can’t comment on whether or not it’s a good place to stay.
Alyson is a British medical scientist who jumped ship to chase dreams. A former Chief Biomedical Scientist in London hospitals, she started in website creation and travel writing in 2011.
Alyson is a full-time blogger and travel writer, a published author, and owns several websites. World Travel Family is the biggest.
A lifetime of wanderlust and over 6 years of full-time travel, plus a separate 12 month gap year, has given Alyson and the family some travel expert smarts to share with you on this world travel site.
Today Alyson still travels extensively to update this site and continue her mission to visit every country, but she's often at home on her farm in Australia.
