We are travelling from Canada and have a stopover in singapore from 1:00AM until 4:40PM.
Would like to go into the city, but need a few hours sleep first.

Should we check into an airport hotel or find something in the city?

Also, Which hotel do people recommend for a few hours sleep?

I answered a whole thing on this topic and Singapore. Pull up the following: Mother and teen:Where should we go? Then scroll down to my name where my responses are.The above was posted by Joselin on April 17th.Happy Travels!

I'd suggest that you go into the city and get a hotel. There are transit rooms airside in Changi, but the rooms are very basic. These rooms are best for someone who doesn't want to go through immigration and has checked their luggae through to their next destination. I stated at the Le Meridien Changi on my last trip for an overnight layover. It took about as long to get to the hotel as it would have going into the city. So I'd recommend that you get a hotel in the city, close to where you want to go. Transport is cheap and efficient in Singapore.

Thank you Kathie -
Is there a specific in-town hotel that you recommend?

There's also an intransit hotel inside the airport. Happy Travels!

There are lots of wonderful hotels in Singapore. Search on one of the hotel sites like www.asiahotels.com for placces in your price range, then come back and ask about specific properties. I'd suggest choosing one that is clost to an MRT station for convenience. The Swisshotel Stamford and Raffles the Plaza (not to be confused with The Raffles Hotel) are in a great location, orperhaps you'd prefer one of the hotels on or near Orchard Road (There is a Hyatt and a Marriott in that area).

Tal,
I agree with Kathie stay in town.

We recently had a short stopover in Singapore 10pm till 6am the next morning and we stayed at an airport hotel, the Grand Mecure. It took more than 15 minutes to drive there!

Apart from the transit hotel it seems to me that the airport hotels in Singapore aren't actually near the airport! Certainly not right next door the way they are elsewhere.

My advice is go into the city and stay near something you want to see.

If you want to be near the Botanical Garden, the Regent Hotel is very close by. After you get some rest, a walk through the Gardens might clear your head and get you ready for the onward journey.
If you want to walk out the door of your hotel right into some local culture, there are many small hotels right in Chinatown. You could do a little shopping and have lunch before heading back to the airport. there are 2 newer hotels in Chinatown that are a bit funky and different....one is called 1929 and the other is the Scarlet. Scarlet has a great website. It's located right across the street from the Maxwell Rd hawker center, which is fun for lunch, if you want to try local food.
One other idea is to stay at the Fullerton, which is right on the river and perfect for strolling in the "colonial district." Lots of good restaurants around there as well.

I also would 'not' recommend staying at the Mweridien Changi, not worth it, that time of night 20-25 mins max you will be downtown. We find the Crowne Price on orchard Road great value for money, big rooms, nice service and right on Orchard Road.

Which hotel you stay in depends on what you want to do in the city. If you want to shop on Orchard Road, go to Botanic Gardens, or go to LIttle India, get a hotel on Orchard Road.

If you want to explore the historic district, stay in the Raffles Area.

For Chinatown, there are some great boutique hotels there:
Try Hotel 1929 or Scarlet Hotel

Don't stay at Changi Village hotel unless you just want to sit on the beach.

The airport also has a transit hotel as well as sleeping rooms (you pay per 3-4 hours of sleep.) The airport can also arrange for a tour of the city.

Check out Asiarooms.com for discounted rates.