Hotel suggestion for overnighting at the Singapore airport
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Without knowing your budget, I am scared of making a reccomendation.
Still. I transit SIN a couple-three times a year, and I place a very, very high value on sleep, enough that I will only fly Y transpac if it's the only seats available. So that gives you an idea of my budget/value priorities.
My personal litmus test is layover time - 11 hours or less, stay at the transit hotel; longer, go off-airport.
Less than 11 hours
The Transit Hotel is a great short-term stay, when all you need is a quiet bed and a shower. The quality isn't great but not bad; think Holiday Inn Express. The good: you never clear customs, so you get off the flight at 11:00 at night and can walk straight to your bed. The bad: you never clear customs, so any longer than 9 hours sleep + 1 hour shower + 1 hour to board the next flight is waaaayyyy to long to be in the secure area of an airport.
More than 12 hours
Because you're 20 hours layover, I'd be off the airport.
I've stayed at the Changi Village Hotel, which is very nice, quiet, and ultra-modern. This used to be a Sofitel but was sold. Advantages are quiet, free shuttle, and great decor. Disadvantage is that there's really nothing around, so you are stuck in the hotel. <shrugs> It's okay if you get a screaming deal on the room price.
For your stay - I would be at one of three hotels: Raffles/Fairmont (the Stamford), Swissotel (the Stamford), or the Pan Pacific. The reason is these are at opposite ends of the nice giant underground mall, CityLink. With 20 hours you'll need to do more than sleep and shower.
All three hotels are a $20SD taxi ride from the airport and take about 15 minutes in rush hour traffic. Add 45 minutes for check in and you can be in crisp sheets in an hour after clearing customs.
Raffles and Swissotel are also parked directly over the City Hall subway station, the Singapore subway is very clean and safe, and a cheap easy way to reach the rest of the city easily, so that's an up-check for those two hotels.
Raffles is expensive. If you have to ask "how much" don't bother. It is my favorite for 3-day stays, though, as then you can really get the service you're paying for.
Swissotel and the Pan Pacific are comparable quality and service, with a 20% higher cost with the Swissotel. What you're getting is easy access to the City Hall subway and the Starbucks.
With all that said, for the last year all we've been staying at has been the Pan Pacific. There's deals to be found on the internet, quality (since they completed renovations late last year) is just as good as the Swissotel, and actually, the Pacific Floor is just the same incredible quality and (literally) personal service as the Raffles. If you're more budget-sided this would be my reccomendation.
As a last thought, for layovers of less than 24 hours, you can have your luggage interlined to your next flight, so you don't have to pick it up in SIN.
Outstanding information from fdog except for this doozy:
Originally Posted by fdog
All three hotels ...... and take about 15 minutes in rush hour traffic.
The only way you could do that is by helicopter. I live very near the airport and work very near these hotels. In normal traffic, 20 minutes should be enough time but you should double that allowance in the morning and evening rush hour - and hope it does not rain or there is an accident.
His basic point is correct though - Any hotel in Singapore is close enough to get to during a 20 hour layover. You have your choice from the S$12 backpacker hostels to the S$700 antique rooms at the Raffles.
<shrugs> After timing it a couple times I stopped putting a watch to it.
It's only 15-16 kilometers on a freeway. Seriously, from the time the cab door slams until we get out at the Pan Pac.
I'll admit that most of the times the cab drivers drive like their rear bumper is on fire, and maybe I haven't really seen rush hour traffic. But it sure feels like rush hour when it's 5:00 PM and you sit stalled for a while admiring the Eye.
If you have 20 hours. Go into Singapore.....I've stayed at the Hilton, Le Meriden and my fav the Conrad Hilton. Make sure you go down to the Boat Caye and have the crab!
I go through Singapore about 20 times a year. If you really have 20 hours then I would go downtown and probably stay in the Orchard Road area. If you want airport convenience then a brand new - Crowne Plaza - just opened that is the only airport (other than the transit hotels) at the airport. It is directly connected to Terminal 3 but very easily accessed from all of the other terminals.
1) real rest or to keep your things while you can walk around?
if you wish, go for the cheapest hotel intown. Try 7th storey hotel or any cheaper ones rather than the 4 or 5 star hotels. There is shops all around even for local delicacies. You may even walk alittle further to visit some of the dive shops along beach road.Taking the taxi to and fro with your hotel budget and food is enough to cover than you checking into a 4 star hotel alone.
2) Just to pass time while not having to carry your bags around.
Go to Terminal 1 or 2 or even 3 to ask for leaving your luggage and pay them for a reasonable fee. You may also join a local day tour of Singapore just as well.
3) Are you luggage going to be transit directly to your next flight? If yes, then go for a day tour of Singapore or as what others have mentioned but do it 6 hours before your departure time cos the transit hotel charges like 6 hours per visit.
i have to go to Sing next week too, i hate Sing hotels!!!!!!!!!!!!!! they all cost an arm and a leg. Last time i stayed in a backpackers, 40 a night and was the worst thing i have ever been to...
Next up is the hooker type places like Hotel 81. still around 60 a night..
Seems the only decent hotels are at least 100 a night.. silly...
I highly recommend the Hotel Rendezvous, a 4* hotel, centrally located in the Orchard Road area, quiet and clean. Another big plus is that there is a Kopitiam right across the street with excellent, cheap food that stays open all night. It was great to grab some fresh fruit in the morning before our early flight and wash it down with yummy lime juice. There is also a 7-11 steps away which was handy for snacks or bottled water.
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Originally Posted by fdog
