Give us the skinny.
Amara is a Singapore-owned hotel chain with two hometown properties, as well as one in Bangkok and another in Shanghai. In November of 2024 the brand celebrated its 38th anniversary with the unveiling of the completely renovated Amara Singapore, which looks brand new but still has the feel of a long-established hospitality veteran.
The Vibe.
As part of the renovation, Amara Singapore’s chief operating officer—third-generation heir of the founding family—envisioned the high-ceilinged lobby and entrance area as more of a social hub, with couches and co-working desks. As such, her redesign has moved the check-in area off to the side, allowing the Lobby Bar to be front and center, and inviting guests and visitors alike to enjoy coffees by day and drinks by night.
The redesign also incorporates a lot of greenery inside, complemented by natural earth tones in the decor. Moving up to Level 6 we find a well-equipped, modern fitness centre—open 24 hours—as well as a large outdoor swimming pool that lends this central city hotel a much appreciated touch of that “urban resort” feel.
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The open-plan lobby area. Courtesy of Amara Singapore.
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Lobby Bar. Courtesy of Amara Singapore.
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Pool vibes. Courtesy of Amara Singapore.
The Location.
The downtown location is superb, with Tanjong Pagar MRT Station (on the airport line) just around the corner, and the city’s vibrant Chinatown district a mere 15-minute walk away. What’s more, the street that leads to Chinatown—Tanjong Pagar Road—is overflowing with casual eateries, cafés, bars and restaurants, including loads of Korean BBQ.
It’s a colorful neighborhood, with a bit of a checkered past, and Amara’s rather novel ‘A Walk Through Time’ tour explores this. Led by Alvin Chiong, a heavily tattooed, ex-gang member who turned over a new leaf and is now a tour guide, it covers all the area’s must-see landmarks, such as Ann Siang Hill and the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, as well as the less savory side, including former opium dens and gang hangouts.
The Crowd.
With its multiple meeting rooms and event spaces, it’s no surprise that Amara attracts many a business traveler, most of whom will opt for a Club Room or Club Suite, which both provide access to the 17th-floor Club Lounge. The leisure travel guests, meanwhile, run the gamut from couples and small families to solo adventurers, representing a cross-section of nationalities and languages. Not an outwardly flashy crowd, so no White Lotus shenanigans here.
The Rooms.
This 389-key property has seven separate room types, the largest of which are the Club Suites and the one- and two-bedroom apartments designed for long-stay guests. We stayed in one of the 32-square-meter Club Rooms on the 18th floor, and because of the renovations, everything was brand spanking new. Redesigned to give a greater sense of overall spaciousness, it covered all our must-haves: deep-soak bathtub; big comfy bed; and an espresso machine.
Interestingly, one unique detail that really stood out was the tap-water filter—installed in every room—which in one fell swoop eliminates the need for bottled water. This green initiative is part of the hotel’s overall eco-conscious direction, which also includes motion sensors that turn off room lights when no one’s there, and climate-controlled air conditioning that adjusts the interior temperature based on the outside temperature. All this and more has earned both the Amara Singapore and the Amara Sanctuary Sentosa, its sister property, a prestigious Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) certification.
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Club Room. Courtesy of Amara Singapore.
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Vanity. Courtesy of Amara Singapore.
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Pantry. Courtesy of Amara Singapore.
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One Bedroom Apartment. Courtesy of Amara Singapore.
Food & Drink.
Within the property itself there are four partner restaurants, with the second floor given over to Thanying (authentic royal Thai cuisine), Peony Jade (elevated Cantonese and Sichuan fare), and Sushi Yujo (unconventional Japanese omakase), while the lively Bar-roque Grill occupies the street-level space.
Alongside these tenant venues there’s Element, the hotel’s all-day dining and buffet breakfast spot, and Café Oriental, which is well worth a visit for foodies interested in Singaporean heritage. Must-try items include local variations of laksa and nasi lemak, but save room for the XO fish noodle soup with its brandy-infused broth. Another highlight here is the traditional Singaporean kopi, or ‘Nanyang’ coffee, which can be prepared 12 different ways depending on your desired sweetness and intensity.
For the cocktail crowd, Amara has the distinction of being home to the award-winning Jigger & Pony. Serving up a diverse selection of signature concoctions, from some of the city’s top bartenders, this plush yet intimate drinking den is located right next to the hotel’s own Lobby Bar, which reportedly boasts Singapore’s most extensive collection of Louis Roederer champagne.
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Cafe Oriental. Courtesy of Amara Singapore.
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Cafe Oriental's CEO Laksa. Courtesy of Amara Singapore.
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Element restaurant. Courtesy of Amara Singapore.
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The Lobby Bar specializes in Louis Roederer. Courtesy of Amara Singapore.
Service.
Even locals tend to agree that Singaporeans are efficient first and friendly second, but at Amara we encountered service with a smile pretty much at every turn. Even on a particularly rainy evening, after all the umbrellas at the front desk had been loaned out to guests, one of the concierge staff happily zipped down to the basement for us to bring more out of storage.
Would we visit again?
Of course. Admittedly there are more lavish—or perhaps we should say more expensive—properties in Singapore, and many that offer much, much less in terms of space and facilities, so Amara delivers nicely on that very comfortable mid-point… and then some.
singapore.amarahotels.com; doubles from SGD 361 per night
The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.
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