Live like a Crazy-Rich Asian at these 8 New Hotels in Singapore

Take a deep-dive into the Peranakan heritage (a local culture with both Chinese and Malay influences) of Singapore's Katong neighborhood at the city's first Hotel Indigo, one of the best new hotels in Singapore. All 131 rooms have brightly-colored fabrics, patterned bathroom tiles, a Singer sewing machine base supporting the bathroom sink, and murals by local artist Don Low depicting street scenes of food hawkers and café life. After kicking back at the rooftop pool, head to the nearby Baba Chews Bar and Eatery in the neighborhood’s former police station for regional dishes like chili crab cakes or chicken or mutton satay.

Philippe Starck is making his way around Singapore, and this new property in Robertson Quay is his latest work. M Social is as contemporary as it gets, from the LED-screen walls in the lobby to AURA, the Relay Robot delivering items like towels, toiletries, and bottled water to guests staying in its 293 ultra-modern rooms and lofts, many of which have access to a private terrace. A shuttle bus service is available for exploring other parts of the city, but make sure you have at least one meal at the psychedelic on-site restaurant Beast & Butterflies, whose boneless chicken wings marinated in five-spiced oyster sauce are a can’t-miss dish.

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This old warehouse on the Singapore river has seen many incarnations over its 120-year history—as a spice warehouse, an illegal distillery, and even a discotheque. Now, local hospitality company Lo & Behold Group has transformed it into a 37-room boutique, with original industrial and historical details like exposed beams and peaked roofs. Guest rooms are done up in all-natural accents like traditional rattan and leather-lined desks. After a dip in the rooftop infinity pool, head down to Po, where chef Willin Low highlights modern takes on favorite Singapore dishes and the cocktail menu guides guests through more than 200 years of the country’s history.

It’s easy to spot this Far East Hospitality newcomer, in the quiet Tanjong Pagar neighborhood just outside of downtown, thanks to the massive vertical garden that climbs its 27-story façade. Inside, 428 minimalist rooms are full of natural light and long, sleek surfaces, blond wood paneling, and white bedding. For access to the infinity pool and in-room wellness drinks, upgrade to a slightly larger Club Room (or you can just work out in the eighth-floor fitness center and swim in the other outdoor pool, open to all guests). The on-site restaurant, Marmalade Pantry, is a local favorite for its slew of Western comfort staples like burgers, pasta, and cupcakes.

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This massive, three-building complex became the newest luxury addition to downtown Singapore when it opened this past December. The 634 Philippe Starck-designed guest rooms are bright and airy with smart features like USB power sockets, facial steamers and hair straighteners, while the public spaces showcase a multi-million dollar collection of 30+ artworks and installations by internationally acclaimed artists like Lee Lee Nam, Fernando Botero, and Iain Nutting. With so many drinking and dining options—Korean-inspired Japanese cuisine by chef Akira Back; global plates at Beach Road Kitchen; American-style comfort classics at gastropub Media Bar; creative cocktails at Court Martial Bar and Tonic—as well as two outdoor pools, sky gardens, a 24-hour fitness center, and an upcoming spa, guests might never feel the need to leave.

Nightlife lovers, take note: this shophouse hotel is the perfect base for exploring Chinatown, home to some of Singapore’s best cocktail bars. And your hangover will appreciate its 20 recently renovated rooms, which are all about comfort and tranquility: think gray wood panels, sleek Hypnos platform beds with Ploh bedding and upholstered headboards, and whitewashed bathrooms stocked with Bamford toiletries. Kick off a night of bar-hopping at one of the hotel’s four drinking and dining options—be it Tiger’s Milk on the rooftop for Peruvian ceviche and a Pisco sour or downstairs at basement restaurant Blue Label Pizza & Wine.

Notable French designer Jacques Garcia's first hotel in Asia is a stunner. Set in an Art Deco building in Little India, the hotel's glamorous lobby is draped in red velvet; upstairs, each of the 41 rooms feature mahogany writing desks, Chinese folding screens adorned with colorful flowers, and Italian marble bathrooms decorated in glass mosaics. Pay tribute to the neighborhood at the hotel bar and order an Indian-inspired Bandung cocktail made with rose tea, gin, vanilla, and citrus, and shaken with an egg white.

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If the beach is more your speed, check into this Sofitel resort, on the sandy island of Sentosa, whose rooms and villas echo the surrounding gardens with their flower-shaped knobs and floral area rugs. You can while away the hours on crescent-shaped Tanjong Beach or cool off in the aquamarine tiled pool, then get an abhyanga or Thai massage at the massive SO Spa (the 14 treatment rooms, six outdoor pavilions, and garden are housed in a converted 19th-century military barracks). For dinner, check out Kwee Zeen, which specializes in pan-Asian cuisine, or Il Lido for modern Italian.