Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
69
Tips
Making Hotel Reservations Online
The website
www.asiarooms.com
offers the best rates I've seen for Internet
bookings, particularly for hotels in the Very Expensive and Expensive categories;
however, they don't have deals for every hotel property. It's worth it to browse
and compare.
it impossible for couples to use them togethe. Although tour desks can be found in some
lobbies, car-rental desks are nonexistent.
Many of the finest r estaurants in S ingapore are located in hotels, either operated b y
the hotel directly or just inhabiting rented space. Some hotels host five or six restaurants,
each serving a differ ent cuisine. G enerally, you can expect these r estaurants to be mor e
expensive than places located outside hotels. I n each hotel review, the distinguished res-
taurants have been noted; these restaurants are also fully reviewed in chapter 6.
RATES
For a “Little Red Dot,” Singapore gets big visitor numbers. H otel prices—already com-
paratively expensive for Asia—continued to set r ecords in 2007, when occupancy rates
hit an all-time high of 87%. With room rates rising more than 20% year-on-year and an
average room now breaking the S$200 ($134/£90) barrier for the first time, this can be
a tough destination for travelers on a budget. As more and more hotels move away from
the rack rate system of published r oom prices, it can be difficult to compar e value, so
although some rack rates are included here, there are plenty of promotional rates on offer.
A little research can really pay off, leaving your expensive hotel costing less on a particu-
lar date than a so-called moderate hotel. I f you've decided where you want to stay, make
sure you call in adv ance and ask what special deals ar e available. Also check out hotel
discount w ebsites on the I nternet (such as www .asiarooms.com, abo ve), though they
don't list every hotel. Places that have just completed renovation programs tend to offer
good discounts, and many business-orientated hotels have special rates for weekends and
longer stays.
Rates sho wn her e r epresent the price of a standar d double r oom in high season,
booked via the I nternet. For the purposes of this guide, I' ve divided hotels into these
categories: very expensive, S$450 (US$302/£203) and up; expensiv e, S$300 to S$450
(US$201-US$302/£135-£203); moderate, S$200 to S$300 (US$134-US$201/£90-
£135); and inexpensive, under S$200 (US$134/£90).
5
TAXES & SERVICE CHARGES
All rates listed ar e in Singapore dollars, with U.S. dollar and B ritish pound equiv alents
provided as w ell (remember to check the ex change rate when y ou're planning, though,
because rates fluctuate). Most rates do not include the so-called “++” tax es and charges:
the 10% service charge and 7% goods and services tax (GST). Keep these in mind when
figuring your budget. Some budget hotels will quote discount rates inclusive of all taxes,
and Internet sites normally include taxes.
