Singapore is probably one of the most expensive places in Southeast Asia to visit, but it also offers some wonderful bargains if you know where to look. These nine budget hotels all offer accommodations under US$100, and offer great local atmosphere and adequate facilities to boot.
A few of them are located in Geylang, Singapore's red light district – intimidating for some newbie travelers, but quite safe given Singapore’s rigorous law-enforcement atmosphere. What Geylang lacks in respectability, it compensates with its proliferation of hawker centers and authentic Singaporean working-class atmosphere.
Fragrance Hotel, Selegie
Address: 183 Selegie Road, Singapore
Price: From US$61
Part of the budget-minded Fragrance Group of Hotels, the Fragrance Hotel on Selegie Road is perfect for the visitor who only needs a place to crash. Rooms and bathrooms are very small and not soundproofed, but the hotel is quite close to the Little India MRT Station, seven minutes' walk away from Mustafa Market, and ten minutes' walk away from Orchard Road.
The Fragrance Selegie Hotel's 120 rooms come with TV/DVD combo, broadband internet, safety boxes, and laundry service. The rooftop swimming pool is a welcome plus.
Fragrance Hotel, Crystal
Address: 50 Geylang Road, Lorong 18, Singapore
Price: From US$32
It's set on one of the busiest lorongs in Geylang, Singapore's red light district, so visitors with families are advised to stay away. Otherwise, there's much to recommend the Fragrance Crystal Hotel to budget-minded visitors - 125 guest rooms fitted out with cable TV, tea and coffee facilities, hair dryer, and IDD phone service; 7 minutes' walk from Aljunied MRT station and easy access to Singapore's best cheap eats, with loads of hawker centers within the vicinity.
Rooms come in three variants - superior, with a queen size bed; superior twin, with two single beds; and family, with one queen size and one single bed.
Fragrance Hotel, Emerald
Address: 20 Lorong 6, Geylang Road, Singapore
Price: From US$32
The hotel is set in the working-class district of Geylang, but it's only ten minutes' walk away from Kallang MRT Station, three stops away from the city center. The Fragrance Emerald Hotel has 126 guestrooms, most of them rather small (exactly what you'd expect with a budget hotel), but each room provides cable TV, tea and coffee making facilities, and bathroom with towels. Two PCs downstairs are reserved for guests' internet needs, but you can't plug in with your own laptop.
Hotel 81, Palace
Address: 25 Lorong 16, Geylang Road, Singapore
Price: From US$34
If you don't mind the location within Singapore's red light district, Hotel 81 Palace is a steal: 191 rooms with cable TV, hot showers, even disabled-friendly rooms upon request. The hotel has a decent dining room, but with the countless cheap hawker centers in the vicinity, only a fool would eat at the hotel and call it good value!
The Hotel 81 Palace is a five-minute walk away from Aljunied MRT Station and a 25-minute taxi ride from Changi International Airport.
Hotel 81, Star
Address: 31 Lorong 18, Geylang, Singapore
Price: From US$34
Another Geylang hotel, but the budget rooms, proximity to the Aljunied MRT station, and on-site parking facility for rented cars make the Hotel 81 Star a great deal for tourists. The Hotel 81 Star's rooms are small but quite clean, up to Singapore's exacting sanitation standards. Cable television, air conditioning, and bathroom come standard, but you'll have to go outside to experience Geylang's many charms for yourself.
Harbour Ville
Address: 512 Kampong Bahru Road (opposite Keppel Distripark), Singapore
Price: From US$52
The Harbour Ville's rooms are small but clean, and the friendly staff do all they can to provide any extras a three-star hotel can reasonably offer. Air conditioning, telephone, cable TV, and bathroom come standard, and you can ask for an ironing board and internet access if you need it. The Harbour Ville also offers laundry services, parking, and room service.
Caveats: its location along Kampong Bahru Road is not very convenient; you need to ride a bus from the Harbour Ville to reach an MRT station.
The Inn at Temple Street
Address: 36 Temple Street, Singapore
Price: From US$87
The Inn at Temple Street was created out of five refurbished shophouses in the middle of Singapore's historic Chinatown district. Nevertheless, guests enjoy modern facilities commensurate to the cost of their stay - air-conditioning, bathroom, personal electronic safe, and satellite TV come standard with each room. The lack of a bath mat means bathwater may soak into the rest of the room, accounting for the musty smell that accompanies some rooms.
The location is ideal for tourists who want to see Singapore on foot. Travelers who enjoy local color will best enjoy their stay at the Inn during Chinese New Year, when all of Chinatown is alive with food stalls and parades.
The Royal Peacock
Address: 55 Keong Saik Street Road, Singapore
Price: From US$53
Set on Chinatown's historic Keong Saik Road, the Royal Peacock is built from a row of restored shophouses, preserving the materials and the ambience of the shops the buildings used to house. Rooms are tight but clean, with television and refrigerator included. The in-house restaurant and café stands ready to serve guests, offering an adequate buffet breakfast. Not so good: Internet access for guests limited to a single free public-use computer near lobby.
The location at the heart of Chinatown promises authentic atmosphere, but lots of noise at inconvenient times. The Outram Park MRT station is close by, offering easy access to the rest of Singapore's sights.
Summerview
Address: 173 Bencoolen Street, Singapore
Price: From US$73
The price says “budget”, but the amenities are more than you’d expect for the price – baby-sitting services, tour assistance, and disabled-friendly rooms are available on request. The in-house D’Lemon Tree restaurant offers some good local dishes and free breakfast.
The Summerview is only a five-minute walk away from the Bugis MRT Station, and a short walk away from Orchard Road, Little India, and Parco Bugis Junction.
