It’s been over two months since just five hotels kicked off the ‘Great Singapore Staycation’ movement by receiving approval to accept leisure guests after a three-month gap following the country’s ‘Circuit Breaker’ measures.
That list has grown significantly with well over 200 properties now on the approved list for staycation bookings across the city, from budget to boutique, economy to extravagant.
That’s giving travel-hungry Singaporeans a wide selection of local stays across the country, pretty much whatever their preferred style or budget, while overseas travel remains effectively locked down due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
As you can see during July and early August there was a significant increase in the number of hotels approved for staycations, however the rate has since plateaued and only small increments have been recorded over the last six weeks or so.
At the time of writing 218 of Singapore’s approximate 400 hotels have been staycation approved.
Note that a shorter list of around 70 properties is available to those visiting under ‘Green Lane’ / ‘Fast Lane’ arrangements, or while awaiting their COVID-19 test result on the ‘Air Travel Pass’ from Brunei or New Zealand.
Those on the ‘Air Travel Pass’ can then move to any staycation-approved hotel once they receive a negative test result.
Budget hotels dominate the list
One issue with the list of approved staycation properties is that it’s dominated by budget hotels, making up 146 of the 218 approvals (67%) at the time of writing.
Most of our readers are focussed on luxury or mid-range staycation experiences, which whittles the selection down to around 70 properties.
While that remains a good range to choose from, it means there are still a good number popular and notable hotels missing from the staycation approval list some 11 weeks down the line.
Why are some hotels still restricted?
There are effectively three primary reasons a hotel may not be on Singapore’s staycation approval list.
- The hotel is supporting the government through the SHN scheme and cannot realistically segregate staycation guests from SHN guests on dedicated floors or in separate wings, or has no spare capacity to do so.
- The hotel is supporting the government through the SHN scheme and could segregate staycation guests from SHN guests in accordance with the requirements, but chooses not to do so.
- The hotel is not supporting the government through the SHN scheme, but deems that likely custom and revenue from staycations is insufficient to viably cover operating costs.
You can learn more about the requirements for hotels offering staycations during Phase 2 in our detailed article here.
Which popular hotels are ‘missing in action’?
We’ve looked at 15 hotels still not on the staycation approved list, based on the properties we’re most looking forward to, or those our readers have been regularly asking about.
| Luxury | Mid-range Boutique |
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We contacted all these hotels to enquire about their proposed reopening timescale for staycation guests and their responses are provided, where we received them (some hotels did not respond).
Many reopening dates remain provisional at this stage. We’ve also provided the typical entry-level nightly room rates for each hotel, based on Agoda data from 2019.
SO/ Sofitel
| Category: | Luxury | Location: | Raffles Place |
| Rooms from: | S$230 | Opening: | Early 2021 |
The SO/ Sofitel told Mainly Miles that it might be early 2021 before they would be opening for staycation bookings, “due to some projects we are working on behind the scenes to make sure that when we are ready, your stay will be better than ever”.
Provisionally, the hotel is accepting bookings from 4th January 2021.
Conrad Centennial Singapore
| Category: | Luxury | Location: | Promenade |
| Rooms from: | S$320 | Opening: | TBC |
The Conrad told Mainly Miles they are currently supporting the government’s COVID-19 initiatives and do not yet have a firm date for reopening to staycation guests.
The hotel is currently accepting bookings from 3rd November 2020.
InterContinental Robertson Quay
| Category: | Luxury | Location: | Robertson Quay |
| Rooms from: | S$195 | Opening: | TBC |
The InterContinental at Robertson Quay told Mainly Miles that they do not have a fixed date for accepting staycation bookings at the moment.
The hotel is currently accepting bookings from 1st November 2020.
Pan Pacific Singapore
| Category: | Luxury | Location: | Marina Bay |
| Rooms from: | S$270 | Opening: | 25 Dec |
The Pan Pacific did not respond to our request for further information on their reopening plans. If we receive any details, we’ll update this section
The hotel is currently accepting bookings from 1st November 2020.
Update 30 Sep: Pan Pacific Singapore is opening for leisure bookings from 25th December 2020.
Swissotel The Stamford
| Category: | Luxury | Location: | City Hall |
| Rooms from: | S$300 | Opening: | 16 Nov |
Swissotel The Stamford has been appointed by the Government as a dedicated facility during COVID-19. The hotel told Mainly Miles that the arrangement was initially in place until end of August, however it has been extended to at least 15th November 2020, and is subject to further extension.
As such, they are tentatively taking in public reservations from 16th November 2020 onwards.
Swissotel Merchant Court
| Category: | Mid-range | Location: | Clarke Quay |
| Rooms from: | S$166 | Opening: | TBC |
The Swissotel Merchant Court did not respond to our request for further information on their reopening plans. The hotel is accepting bookings, however, from 24th October 2020.
If we receive more details, we’ll update this section.
JW Marriott Singapore South Beach
| Category: | Luxury | Location: | City Hall |
| Rooms from: | S$320 | Opening: | 1 Nov |
The JW Marriott (see our review) told Mainly Miles they plan on reopening for staycation guests on 1st November 2020.
At the time of writing the hotel is accepting bookings from that date, however it remains subject to change.
The Westin Singapore
| Category: | Luxury | Location: | Marina Bay |
| Rooms from: | S$350 | Opening: | TBC |
The Westin Singapore told Mainly Miles they have no definite reopening date for accepting leisure bookings at the moment.
Provisionally however, you can book through the hotel website for stays from 16th October 2020.
Hotel Fort Canning
| Category: | Luxury | Location: | Dhoby Ghaut |
| Rooms from: | S$270 | Opening: | TBC |
Hotel Fort Canning is currently supporting the Singapore government initiatives to assist with COVID-19. The hotel asked us to “check back on the status in October” with regard to staycation bookings, but did not provide any indication of an opening date.
The hotel is not accepting bookings through its website for stays before 1st February 2021.
Six Senses Duxton
| Category: | Boutique | Location: | Tanjong Pagar |
| Rooms from: | S$250 | Opening: | 2021 |
The Six Senses Duxton will be rebranded under the Marriott portfolio when it reopens in 2021 as The Duxton Reserve Hotel, Autograph Collection.
The hotel will not be opening for staycations before then.
Six Senses Maxwell
| Category: | Boutique | Location: | Tanjong Pagar |
| Rooms from: | S$230 | Opening: | 2021 |
As with its sister property the Six Senses Duxton, this hotel will reopen as The Maxwell Reserve Hotel, Autograph Collection and will not reopen for bookings until 2021.
Ann Siang House
| Category: | Boutique | Location: | Tanjong Pagar |
| Rooms from: | S$180 | Opening: | TBC |
Ann Siang House Hotel told Mainly Miles they are “still assessing the optimum recovery plan for our business and we are unable to confirm re-opening dates at this time.”
PARKROYAL COLLECTION Pickering
| Category: | Luxury | Location: | Chinatown |
| Rooms from: | S$320 | Opening: | 1 Nov |
The PARKROYAL Pickering confirmed to Mainly Miles they will be reopening for staycation bookings on 1st November 2020.
For full details including current staycation offers starting at S$196++ per night, check our full article here.
Hotel Indigo Katong
| Category: | Mid-range | Location: | Marine Parade |
| Rooms from: | S$145 | Opening: | TBC |
The Hotel Indigo Katong told us it has no proposed reopening date for leisure bookings at this stage.
The hotel is currently accepting bookings through its website from 1st November 2020.
Naumi Hotel Singapore
| Category: | Boutique | Location: | City Hall |
| Rooms from: | S$210 | Opening: | TBC |
The Naumi told Mainly Miles it does not have a firm reopening date for the hotel.
You can currently make bookings through the website for stays from 1st December 2020.
Summary
We fully support the many hotels across Singapore still assisting with the government’s COVID-19 measures. These include providing accommodation for SHN guests and in some cases to frontline healthcare workers, a far bigger priority than relieving our boredom at home!
However, as the situation begins to subside and arrivals from more countries are either free of the SHN requirement or able to self-isolate at home rather than at a dedicated facility, more of these hotels will be able to make the switch back to their everyday business – accommodating regular customers.
There are still a number of great staycation options not on the approved list, with those we outlined above being our own favourites, or those sought after by our readers.
These include some great value mid-range and boutique properties as well as those at the luxury end, and while some won’t open until 2021 there is confirmation (or strong suggestion) that a decent number will join the ranks in November or December this year.
As always, you can keep up to date with the latest list of staycation options at our dedicated and continually updated page, split by property type and highlighting the latest additions.
Which hotel are you most looking forward to seeing on the staycation approved list? Let us know in the comments section below.
(Cover Photo: Hotel Fort Canning)
you missed regent too. they also extended to Jan
Not a favourite of ours sadly, Manhattan Bar aside!
How about the Sentosa hotels still under SHN? Namely Shang-rila Rasa Sentosa Resort, Village Hotel and Outpost Hotel?
Probably wouldn’t put any of those under Singapore’s “top” hotels! Shangri-La Rasa told us they have no reopening date yet.
I guess families would be interested in the Village Hotel and maybe the Hard Rock Hotel too (Hard Rock also told us TBC).
Thanks for the great rundown Andrew! Waiting for Fort Canning and JW Marriott here 🙏