15 hour layover in Singapore_luxury hotels near airport,please
 

I have a 15 hour stop in Singapore and am keen to revisit the night safari and spend the night at a decent hotel near the zoo/airport before returning to Changi at 6.00am the next day. Any recommendations?

The Ambassador Transit Hotel is right in the airport, is of high quality, and you can conveniently leave your luggage right there rather than having to schlep it outside.

When you do leave for the <wonderful> zoo and, maybe?, Night Safari, you can go out through Customs with no baggage (your hotel room key will keep them happy).

http://www.airport-hotel.com.sg/

Thanks it sounds perfect. Do you know what the food is like at the transit hotel and also if there is much walking involved to get to the taxi rank or do you think one could one wheel a wheelchair to the taxi rank?
By the way you probably think we're crazy just wanting to visit the night safari but we've been to Singapore many times and as the plane comes in late afternoon we thought this would be a perfect way for our 7 year old to spend a few hours!

If you are in the Transit area you won't have access to your baggage if your baggage has been check thru to final destination.
The Transit hotel rooms are although adequote for a transit stop very small rooms with base facilities. If your baggage has been checked thru and you have boarding cards for onward flights that should be ok. If you are flying on SQ 'sometimes' your onward card will be stamped "No Check in at Changi Permitted", you need to check with SQ on this if you are flying with them otherwise you wouldn't know that until you checked in for your Singapore flight.

The other option is to check yourself thru to Singapore, head to a central hotel where the tour trip people can pick you up, do the Night Safari and back to your hotel. Then head to an early check in.

By 15 hours I guess that means you would be arriving at 9 pm (?) The time we did it several years back I think we were picked up about 6 pm !

When do you actually get into Singapore?

Just noticed your flight arrival late afternoon, as said I think we were picked up 6 pm, some could think the Meridien at Changi would be a good choice as fairly near the nearport ( free shuttle ) , about SGD 140/150 per night inc breakfast, but the downer is that the site I looked on which was the ones we used actually specify that they 'won't' pick up from the Meridien at Changi.

Your timing could be 'close' for a 6.30 pm pick up, perhaps best if you
try an email this person and tell her hat you need and see what she suggests:

[email protected]

They do the Night Safari with about 6/6.30 pick up.

The transit hotel is NOT luxury, but very basic. It's clean. It's also airside, so I'm not sure you could go into the city (or to the night Safari). I know you can't get your luggage.

The Meridien Changi is certainly nicer than the transit hotel, but I wouldn't call it luxury, either. And it takes almost as much time to get to the airport from there as it does from a hotel in town. If you want luxury, choose a hotel in the city.

I strongly endorse your idea of using your layover for a visit to the Night Safari. You can easily fill up 4-5 hours if you walk around the park. (You mention a wheel chair. If one of your party isn't a walker, you should check this out with the NS in advance.)

The restaurant choices are also fun. Pretty standard mass-market processed food, but with a view of giraffes!

You shouldn't have a problem getting a taxi back to the airport or your hotel from the NS.

Hotel choices near Singapore airport are adequate and decent but far from luxury. They should however fulfill your needs for a few hours between the NS and your departing flight.

Here's the URL for the Le Meridien Changi Village hotel.

http://www.lemeridien.com/singapore/...l_sg1669.shtml

One good thing is there's good and cheap local food available within a short walking distance till late at night.

Have you tried the nasi lemak (Malay fragrant rice with fried fish or fried chicken, egg and anchovies with peanuts? A local favorite. There's a few stall selling this at the food centre just diagonally across from the hotel.

Do remember that although there is a free bus to/from the Meridien it still takes 15-20 minutes, and it might be just minutes more to get to a downtown hotel. The Meridien went thru a major refurbishment and it is now rather minimalist, there is little character in the place. There is a rooftop pool with views over the sea and you can see tankers chugging past, and as the other poster said there are some cheap local places to eat but remember you are not in the City and otherwise there is nothing around there, I would head to somewhere convenient in the city.

I'd like to second what JamesA said about the Meridien. It may be the closest hotel to the airport, but it is not what you would think of as an "airport hotel." I stayed there several years ago and found it dirty, depressing and not at all convenient. Hopefully, they've renovated since then, but as far as the location goes, you may as well plan another 20 minutes and go to Orchard Road.

I stayed at the Meridien Changi in November and posted a review of it here after I returned. It has been totally redone, and just reopened in October, 2004. I probably wouldn't stay there again - I'd just go into the city.

I would also just stay in the Singapore Transit airport if I were you...http://www.airport-hotel.com.sg....T...el.com.sg...or depending on which terminal you will be staying [email protected] or [email protected] . Hope this info has helped.Singapore is a great place to visit! Hope this information has helped. Happy Travels!