Singapore River / Marina Bay

The Fullerton Hotel Singapore

★★★★★

The Fullerton is the grand old building at the mouth of the Singapore River, and staying here puts you at the exact point where colonial Singapore meets the modern bay. The Fullerton Building opened in 1928 as a neoclassical landmark with Doric columns, and for most of the twentieth century it housed the General Post Office, the Exchange, the Chamber of Commerce and the exclusive Singapore Club. It became a hotel in 2001 and was declared Singapore's 71st National Monument in 2015. Today it has 400 rooms and suites, arranged around a soaring central atrium, and the best of them look out over the river, Cavenagh Bridge and the Boat Quay shophouses, or across to Marina Bay and the Marina Bay Sands towers. Rooms are classic and comfortable rather than cutting-edge, with a muted, elegant style; the Heritage and Quay rooms with river or courtyard views are the sweet spots, and the Straits Club rooms add lounge access. The hotel has a pool on the river side, a spa, and several restaurants and bars, with Cantonese dining, a busy afternoon tea in the lobby and well-known weekend brunches. A free heritage tour of the building is offered to guests who book directly, and the hotel has a small history gallery. The setting is the selling point: the Merlion is across the road, Raffles Place MRT and the CBD are behind you, and the Asian Civilisations Museum and the National Gallery are across the bridge.

The building rewards a slow look. The post office counters once ran the length of today's atrium, and the hotel has kept details like the old lighthouse beam on the roof (the Fullerton once guided ships into the harbour) and the grand staircases. Sister properties nearby, including the Fullerton Bay Hotel on the waterfront and the restored Clifford Pier, make up a heritage precinct along the bay, and guests can wander between them. The heritage tour, offered free to direct bookers and also available to the public, tells the stories of the building's many lives, including its role during the Second World War.

Choosing a room: courtyard-facing rooms look into the atrium and are the quietest and cheapest; Quay rooms face the river and the shophouses of Boat Quay, which is lively at night; Heritage rooms are larger and often have the best outlooks; and the Palladian and Presidential suites open onto colonnaded terraces with views across the bay. Families will appreciate connecting rooms and the central location. The pool overlooks the river and is pleasant at sunset. Service is warm and well practised, and breakfast is a strong spread.

Who it suits: travellers who want heritage and a classic hotel in the most central spot in the city, without Raffles prices; families who want to walk to everything; and business travellers working in the CBD. The trade-offs: some rooms face the atrium rather than outside, and the river side can be lively at night with bars on Boat Quay. At night, walk out of the door to the Merlion and the waterfront promenade and you will understand why the location is hard to beat.