Best boutique hotels in Singapore

Just because you are in Singapore doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a little Parisian chic. Located in the Central Heritage District, luxury service begins from the moment you enter The Vagabond Club.

Once you’re checked in, you will be taken on a guided tour of the property. Admire photographs from Satinder Garcha’s worldly travels and the hotel’s Artist in Residency program. Hard to miss are the giant sculptures in the hotel bar or the hallucinatory video-scape in the lift.

This boutique hotel offers its guests 41 rooms designed by Jacques Garcia which mix plush fabrics with dark woods. While no two rooms are alike, they all offer complimentary Nespresso coffee machines, a mini-bar stocked with artisanal beverages and ETRO Milan bath amenities.

After you’ve spent the day wandering the nearby colourful streets of Kampong Glam and Little India, end your evening at the hotel’s Whiskey Library, where you can learn about the 750 bottles of rare and refined award-winning whiskies from around the world.

Maybe you prefer a more clean-cut look to your boutique hotel experience? In that case, Lloyd’s Inn is the perfect sanctuary worthy of an Instagram moment. While the clean neutral-tone design and serenity of this hotel may make you feel like you are in an upscale retreat far from the city, the infamous Orchard Road is only a 5-minute walk away.

After its revamp in 2014, this 34-room boutique hotel now offers up eight different room types, each catering to specific traveller’s needs. If business deals still need to be made while on your staycation, the Business room provides guests with an ergonomic desk, stationery and daily newspapers at your door each morning; but if you prefer reading novels over newspapers, the Reading room includes an armchair, floor lamp, and side table so you can be turning pages in style.

After a day of shopping down Orchard Road or relaxing by the hotel pool, you might be feeling a bit peckish. Not to worry, you can pick up ingredients at the local supermarket down the street and rustle up a meal at the Outdoor Pantry: a communal space with chairs and tables, a microwave, coffee machine, and a vending machine.

Boutique hotels aren’t just about quirky hallway art sculptures, they can also tell a story. The AMOY by Far East Hospitality pays tribute to the area’s trading past. Named and inspired by the Zhengzhou people who settled in Singapore from China, the hotel is nestled amongst historic shophouses and located on top of the Fuk Tak Chi Museum.

Located inside Far East Square, each room mixes Chinese heritage with modern design; featuring a modern oriental bed, porcelain basins and Chinese stools, as well as an in-room coffee machine and complimentary mini-bar. And to allow guests to immerse themselves in the rich heritage of Singapore’s migrant history, each room has its own surname, named after some of the first Chinese immigrants to arrive in Singapore.

Perfectly situated near Chinatown, you won’t be far from a fun night out with Club Street and Ann Siang Hill only a short stroll away. The best bar-hopping street in the city, you can enjoy a Spanish-inspired cocktail at Los Primos, devour some pub grub at Gem Bar and Lounge, or catch a meal and a movie at the Screening Room.

Described as a playground for grown-ups, this four-storey boutique hotel, set in a historic 1920s building, offers designs that will delight the senses. Each of the Wanderlust Hotel’s four storeys is designed by a different award-winning Singapore design agency, so you can be sure no floor is alike.

Depending on what you fancy, you can either enjoy a ‘capsule-like’ room with neon signs of songs like ‘Purple Haze by Jimi Hendrix’, or a monochromatic room called Origami or Pop Art that uses paper as inspiration. Each room is stocked with a complimentary non-alcoholic mini-bar, wireless internet and a selection of Nespresso coffee and artisanal teas.

If you choose to venture out of the playground, the hotel is perfectly set in Little India, offering up an array of culinary delights. If you realize you’ve forgotten to pack deodorant or want to pick up a Bollywood DVD, the 24-hour Mustafa shopping centre is only a 10-minute stroll away.

Just like the bustling city of Singapore, Hotel 1929 is a mix of modernity and cultural heritage. Made up of five shophouses that were built in (you guessed it!) 1929, this boutique hotel features 32 individually furnished rooms showcasing both classic and retro vintage décor.

For the ultimate hotel experience, we’d suggest you spend your nights in the Terrace Suite. Featuring a private rooftop veranda with an outdoor bathtub; you can spend an evening or two having a soak under the stars. If you’d rather just lay out in the sun, you will enjoy The Patio, the hotel’s landscaped garden and wooden sundeck.

Located in Chinatown, immerse yourself in a blend of sights, sound, cultures and religions. Here you can see a Hindu temple, an Islamic mosque, and a Chinese Buddhist temple all within a short walk of each other. If you want to tempt your taste buds, make sure to head over to Duxton Hill to try out the eclectic mix of cuisines. Enjoy grilled or steamed lobster at Pince and Pints, taste Chinese delights at Xin Divine and indulge in your sweet cravings with a visit to FLOR Pâtisserie for Japanese and French-inspired baked goods.

Part of a boutique hotel chain, you can be sure that Hotel Clover The Arts knows how to offer luxury to its guests. As the name suggests, all 44 rooms are Arts-inspired showcasing urban street, retro and line art and manga creations, all the while oozing with vibrant colours and natural light.

Each individually themed room takes its guests on a journey – whether that be a Southeast Asian sanctuary, business getaway or total immersion in the Arts. The Arts King signature room is all about enticing guests’ senses with splashes of colour (our favourite is the Cherry Blossom design), and as a special gift, you’ll receive a postcard featuring the design of your room to keep as a memento.

Located close to Clarke Quay, spend your day taking a stroll along the Singapore river, visit the Asian Civilisations Museum or get your adrenaline pumping by conquering an escape room at Lockdown Singapore. But if you’re craving a dip in a pool, guests are welcome to visit the hotel’s sister property, Hotel Clove 5 Hong Kong Street, to use their rooftop pool.

The first luxury boutique hotel to open in Singapore, The Scarlet Singapore’s jewel-inspired palette exudes luxury in every space of the property. Located near Ann Siang Hill, the hotel’s interior design is inspired by its hostess, Scarlet, with each room personifying her fashion and lifestyle.

If luxury is what you are after, you might want to overlook the 80 standard (but still unique) rooms and choose one of the five themed suites – Splendour, Passion, Opulent, Lavish and Swank. The Passion Suite is perfect for a romance-fueled holiday; furnished with black satin drapes, scarlet red painted walls and a four-poster bed perfect for lazy morning lie-ins. Keep an eye out for your unconventional welcome gift, a back scratcher.

Candlelit dinners are easy to come by with both on-site restaurants ooze romance with the tastes of Italy. Casa Turtufo whips up authentic Northern Italian fare (don’t skip the pasta with white truffle), while ARIA tempts the taste buds with Sicilian delights and sunset rooftop views.