The 2025 Workation Guide Part 1: Best boutique hotels in Singapore for work and play

From cutting-edge business facilities and co-working lounges to world-class nightlife, personalised wellness services, luxury sleep packages, and curated cultural experiences, Singapore’s hospitality industry is evolving to meet the diverse needs of both locals and global travellers.

In this three-part series, senior features editor Chelsia Tan explores how nine hotels are enhancing their offerings across three key pillars: Work, Play, and Live.

Part One spotlights three of Singapore’s trendiest boutique hotels.

The past two years have seen a boutique resurgence sweep across the industry. The Standard Singapore, QT Singapore and Pullman Singapore Hill Street are just a few of the boutique players that have emerged post-Covid. What they lack in scale, they more than make up for in design, creativity, and character.

Pullman Singapore Hill Street

1 Hill St, Singapore 179949, pullmansingaporehillstreet.com

The bells and whistles of this five-star, 350-room boutique hotel greet you with a reproduction of a classic Pullman sleeping cabin, which serves as a luggage holding area. Designed by DP Architects and opened in 2023, the hotel draws inspiration from the golden age of travel in the 1930s.

Accessibility

City Hall MRT is just a four-minute walk away, with shopping malls such as Raffles City Shopping Centre, Capitol Singapore, and Funan located nearby. Visitors won’t have to venture far to explore heritage landmarks like St Andrew’s Cathedral, the National Gallery Singapore, and the Peranakan Museum.

Room with a view

I stayed in the Deluxe Room with a bay view on the 9th floor, which had a panoramic sweep of Marina Bay Sands, the Esplanade, and St Andrew’s Cathedral. If you’re going to sit through a Zoom call, it might as well come with a view like this.

When there are meetings and deadlines to meet, quality sleep is non-negotiable. Fortunately, the room delivers on this front with a king-sized Slumberland mattress that is hypoallergenic, and designed for spinal support, pressure relief and motion absorption. 

Each room is stocked with two feather pillows and two synthetic ones, with extras available through the hotel’s pillow menu. Options include a leg and neck pillow, an active work pillow for reading or working in bed, and an active work cushion for added spine, neck, and back support.

Service

Feeling grumpy after a long day of meetings? The cheerful doormen might just be the dose of sunshine you need. What impressed me most was their attentiveness – always ready to help, and always with a smile. The concierge, noticing that I was checking in from Friday to Saturday, kindly offered a generous late check-out at 2pm – giving me more time to sleep in and enjoy the facilities.

Wine and dine

Unwine (pun intended) for the day at Moga, an izakaya-inspired bar and restaurant, or at El Chido’s, a rooftop Mexican hangout with an infinity pool overlooking Marina Bay Sands. 

Moga’s sushi rolls are undoubtedly one of the more decadent highlights. The Moga Samurai Roll ($32) – crispy tempura prawn and fresh hamachi topped with tangy Sriracha and yuzu mayo – is indulgent without being cloying. Tapas-style plates, like the buttery Hokkaido milk buns ($10) served on a bed of mashed peas and the fried potato mochi ($16), are inventive pairings best enjoyed with cocktails.

You can’t go wrong with the refreshing Dirty Sake-tini ($25), but Is It Mary? ($25) – a spicy-savoury blend of Volcan Blanco tequila and a pink guava togarashi mix – offers a bold twist on the classic Bloody Mary.

Good for b-leisure?

You literally don’t have to leave the hotel – perfect if you’re in the mood for some me-time. The corner booths of Madison’s, modelled after an American diner, are ideal for work brunches, while those looking for a quieter spot can grab a seat by the window of a cosy coffee nook run in collaboration with Sarnies on the first floor. 

Otherwise, you could hang out at the Porter Lounge co-working space. Designed in the shape of a cabin, it functions as a semi-private area.

For more privacy, the Executive Lounge on the 3rd floor – accessible to Executive Room and Suite guests – offers complimentary food and drinks throughout the day. It is also conveniently connected to the outdoor swimming pool and gym. 

TIP! The daily business set lunch offers a fuss-free yet satisfying midday break – opt for a two-course meal at $30++ or go all in with a three-course menu at $38++. Check out the hotel’s happy hour from 12pm to 7pm, where wine, beer, and spirits go for just $12++ a glass.

QT Singapore

35 Robinson Rd, Singapore 068876, qthotels.com

Owned by Singapore construction company Sunray Woodcraft Construction, which took over the former Hotel Telegraph’s neo-classical property in 2024, it was the only Singapore entry named in Time Magazine’s World’s Greatest Places of 2025. 

The 134-room hotel is managed by Australian boutique chain QT Hotels & Resorts, and Singapore is its first international outpost. It features sleek, Instagrammable Art Deco interiors that were refurbished over a period of just 10 months. Fun fact: Sunray was the main contractor for the restoration of Raffles Hotel Singapore in 2019.

Accessibility

You won’t find a more convenient accommodation than QT Singapore, located right next to Lau Pa Sat and right smack in the CBD. Telok Ayer MRT is a five-minute walk away, while Raffles Place and Shenton Way MRT stations are an eight-minute trek. There are cafes, restaurants, and bars along Boon Tat and Amoy Street, just opposite the hotel.

Room with a view

My room was palatial, to say the least. I was generously assigned the Balcony Suite on the third floor, complete with a spacious balcony overlooking – well, traffic. At 90 sqm, it’s cavernous enough to host an impromptu meeting, with a separate lounge area and a desk just a few metres away. Highly recommended for the claustrophobic – or anyone who appreciates a bit of elbow room.

‘Extra’ is the word I’d use to describe the bathroom: a deep bathtub roomy enough for two, a rain shower, dual sinks, and a separate makeup counter make it feel truly luxurious.

One thing to note: be sure to shut the balcony doors tight; unless you prefer a 6am wake-up call from the traffic and the koels outside.

Service

Friendly receptionists and helpful doormen – what’s not to like? A nifty touch is the luggage elevator, which makes navigating the steps up to the lobby a breeze. While the luggage storage area is manned by staff, it’s an open space that doesn’t feel particularly secure – though our photographer left her equipment there for about two hours without issue. Phew.

Wine and dine

With all the dining options in the area, it’s easy to overlook the hotel’s restaurant, Cygnet by Sean Connelly. But if you’re a die-hard steak lover, you will not want to miss a meal here. 

Choose from a “meat library” – a menu of various types of beef cuts, from rump cap and Tokyo to Scotch fillet, sourced from the US, Japan, and Australia. Have them with sides like duck fat potatoes and honeycomb mac & cheese, or pile on the meat with tableside steak tartare as an entree.

I had the steak frites ($42), made with grain-fed Australian beef. Cooked to a perfect medium rare, it was tender and juicy, with a rich peppercorn sauce that added just the right kick – a comforting reward after a long day. Pair it with red wine if you’re a traditionalist, or go wild with a spicy negroni.

Good for b-leisure?

If you’re staying in the Balcony Suite, it’s safe to say you won’t need to leave your room. That said, the Cygnet Bar offers cosy, intimate booths where you can jump on a Zoom call or enjoy a quiet coffee or drink. Just a heads-up: It gets noisy from 5pm onwards, even on weekdays, during the bar’s daily happy hour.

For those in need of a post-workout cool down or an invigorating start to the day, ice baths will soon be available on the rooftop.

And if you’re planning a longer stay, QT’s Luxuriate a Little Longer package offers 10 to 15 per cent off the more nights you book.

TIP! Cygnet Bar’s happy hour, known as “The Cygnet Hour,” runs daily from 4pm to 7pm. During this time, guests can enjoy a selection of cocktails, beers, wines, and bar bites – all priced at just $10 each.

The Standard Singapore

12 Orange Grove Rd, Singapore 258353, standardhotels.com

One of the newest additions to the scene, international design hotel chain The Standard unveiled its fifth Asia-Pacific outpost in November 2024. Instagrammable features abound, with the space brimming with quirky, aesthetically pleasing art installations by local creatives.

Accessibility

Tucked away in the residential enclave of Orange Grove Road, The Standard Singapore isn’t the most convenient spot to get to, but its off-the-radar location offers a welcome respite from the bustling Orchard Road belt. However, walking to Orchard MRT station takes around 15 minutes – an eternity when you factor in Singapore’s sweltering heat.

Room with a view

The Standard King room with a pool view delivers serious vacation vibes, thanks to its outlook over the lush, green balconies of the neighbouring Shangri-La apartments. A small table and L-shaped seat doubles as a work and lounge area. Admittedly, it’s not as spacious as some of the other hotels I’ve stayed in, but the fun and cheery decor lifts your mood, even as you attempt to clear an overflowing inbox.

Service

Youthful exuberance comes to mind the moment you step into the lobby. A few of the front-desk staff appear to be Gen Zs – perhaps a nod to the hotel’s appeal to a younger, trend-savvy crowd. Helpful and affable, the warm hospitality extends beyond the front desk to the housekeeping team as well.

Wine and dine

The hotel has two dining options – one of which is Kaya, a stylish yet approachable izakaya that offers a bold, modern take on Japanese cuisine. Chef Nicholas Cheng is constantly experimenting with fermentation, resulting in dishes that are, for lack of a better word, an umami bomb.

My personal favourite? The drowned beef carpaccio ($20) – delicate raw slices of beef soaked in a miso dashi sauce that’s sweet, savoury, and bursting with flavour. Kaya also offers weekday set lunches (starting at $22++); I went with the Nikujaga beef short ribs, twice-cooked to perfection, with meat so tender it practically fell off the bone.

A lunchtime cocktail… well, why not? Much like its adjoining restaurant, the bar’s guiding principle is innovation – and it delivers in spades. I was particularly impressed by the Hikari Spritz ($27), a refreshing mix of lemongrass, ginger, and passionfruit, spiked with umeshu and finished with a surprisingly pleasant hint of curry leaves.

Cafe Standard, tucked away in the lobby, is an underrated gem. This American-style bistro keeps things simple with a compact menu of 10 items. 

The standout? The Standard Burger ($24), so good it rivals offerings from some of the more well-known American chains in town. Nestled in a buttery bun, the patty is tender, juicy, and topped with a punchy sriracha mayo. Pair it with a boozy bourbon Biscoff milkshake ($18) and you’ve got yourself a meal worth the 15-minute trek.

Good for b-leisure?

One word: yes. There are plenty of spots to work from if you prefer a lush, outdoor view. Cafe Standard is well-equipped with power outlets, while the lawn overlooking the pool offers a stunning sunset backdrop. I even spotted a few guests engaged in casual work tete-a-tetes at the lobby bar.

TIP! A great souvenir to take home is the yukata-inspired bathrobe, designed by Bangkok luxury label Shone Puipia and available exclusively at The Standard Singapore. Last we heard, they sold out quickly – but not to worry, the hotel is in the process of restocking.