The Best Boutique Hotels to Book in Singapore

One of the coolest boutique hotels in Singapore, the Vagabond Club is in a stately art deco-style building, and stepping inside feels like arriving on the set of a David Lynch film. The building has had a tumultuous past as both an illegal brothel and a dormitory for workers. Today, the lobby is an assault on the senses, all red and gold trimmings and dramatic art installations, and the location is ideal for exploring nearby Arab Street and Little India.

We love the Scarlet for its vintage heritage. It comprises 13 two-storey shophouses – once the homes of prominent Chinese immigrants – built nearly 150 years ago and a stunning art deco structure from 1924. While many original features have been retained, you can expect mod cons in all the rooms. Here, you’re steps from the hip dining options along Amoy Street and perfectly placed to wander around Chinatown.

The restaurant at Hotel G, Ginett, has been making waves for its impeccable European fare, and the hotel itself is no slouch. Its location in skyscraper-studded Bugis places you in the heart of the action, with the top museums in the city, Fort Canning Park and Marina Bay all within walking distance. This Singapore hotel was seemingly designed with millennials in mind, as evidenced by its Instagrammable decor, whimsical touches in the rooms and a focus on hip communal spaces.

On the edge of Labrador Park – a nature reserve overlooking Sentosa Island and the Singapore Strait – this lovingly restored 1920s British-colonial garrison building now houses 20 individually styled rooms. Original features and whimsical touches – ye olde luggage trunks, wooden bathtubs – are combined with contemporary comforts, such as private pools on terraces attached to the self-contained Luxe Sarang rooms. Dine on Thai and Shan cuisine beneath the soaring rafters at Tamarind Hill, or head to central Singapore via the nearby MRT station.

The pared-back aesthetic makes this elegant hotel stand out amid the bold colours and hubbub of Chinatown. An all-white facade hides six sensitively restored historical shophouses that combine original features – such as rococo windows – with black-and-white decor, charcoal-grey sofas in the larger rooms and thoroughly contemporary mod cons. There’s a handy metro station and many restaurants right on your doorstep, and you’re perfectly placed for grazing at the Maxwell and Chinatown complex hawker centres.

From the rooftop infinity pool, surrounded by skyscrapers in central Singapore, you can see the historic Raffles Hotel next door, where you can sip an original Singapore Sling. Farther out is the marina, while Fort Canning Park, the National Gallery Singapore and the National Museum of Singapore are all an easy walk away. Poolside, Florian serves delicious Italian dishes. Downstairs, rooms range from the relatively simple Habitat, Oasis and Patio to the Warhol- and Coco Chanel-inspired Eden & Nirwana and Gabrielle & Camellia suites.

Step into the Insta-worthy mural-adorned reception at this self-styled “urban chic jungle” hotel that doubles as a bar, and you’ll understand why this is one of the hippest boutique hotels in Singapore. Inside a revamped 1950s shophouse along the foodie enclave of Keong Saik Road, Hotel Soloha (“so” + “aloha” = Yolo, carpe-diem attitude) has Pop art-inspired rooms, ranging from snug standards to split-level lofts, all with frosted-glass showers. Got cash to splash? Splurge on an outdoor suite with a private open-air terrace.