Opened in May 1986, Amara Singapore is a 389-room business hotel located in the heart of Singapore’s Tanjong Pagar business district. Flagship of the growing Amara chain, the property underwent an extensive refurbishment in 2024, as part of a broader repositioning of the brand as a whole. Amara Hotels & Resorts itself began with this property in 1986 and has since grown into a small, locally rooted hospitality group, with four properties in Singapore, Bangkok, and Shanghai.

Booking Amara Singapore

The Amara is a hotel I’ve long known about, though not one I had ever considered staying at. As I came looking for accommodation for my quarterly visit to Singapore, I found a price so good that I couldn’t ignore. For my three-night stay, I paid a nightly rate of SGD 150, inclusive of taxes – roughly equating to USD 115 or GBP 88; this booked me into an entry-level Deluxe Room. On this trip, I reserved the hotel through Agoda.com, which had been the only website offering this phenomenal price, especially considering how high room rates have surged in Singapore post-pandemic.

Location

Amara Singapore lies within the Tanjong Pagar neighbourhood, which has organically evolved into an extension of Singapore’s central business district. Crowded with various trendy restaurants and historical Peranakan Shophouses, Tanjong Pagar has become a bit of a spectacle in its own right. At the heart of the neighbourhood stands Amara Singapore, located along the main Tanjong Pagar Road, adjacent to the Carlton City Hotel.

The hotel is a 7-minute walk from the Tanjong Pagar MRT Station, located beneath Guoco Tower, Singapore’s tallest building. The hotel is conveniently located within the vicinity of various points of interest, including architectural landmarks like Pinnacle@Duxton or Oasia Downtown, as well as cultural sites like Chinatown’s Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and the Lau Pa Sat Hawker Centre. I’ll also add that a shopping podium called 100 AM is attached to the hotel, giving convenient dining options for people staying longer.

Check-in

I arrived at Amara Singapore at 12.00, having taken a convenient Grab ride from Singapore Changi Airport. As I got out of the car, however, I noticed that there wasn’t anybody who came to greet or assist me with my luggage. While this genuinely wasn’t a problem for me, I was quite surprised by the fact considering how the hotel is marketed as a five star business hotel. Oh well.

I made my way inside, finding myself in the very beautifully designed, contemporary lobby. Enveloped in plants and warm wooden tones, the lobby certainly felt very fresh and inviting. Had I not known of the prior existence of Amara Singapore, I would have thought that this hotel was just a few years old.

Before long, I found the reception desks, which are located conveniently next to the lifts. A pair of self check-in/check-out kiosks were also available on the side, curiously. Since there wasn’t much of a line at the reception when I went up, I was quickly assisted by a very casual and friendly agent. Luckily for me, a room was ready and I was issued a pair of keys soon after having my Bpapers registered.

Given the commitments I had later in the day, I wasted no time going up to my room to get settled. This time, I was assigned a room on Level 13, which is on the upper portion of the 18 floor building. Upstairs, I was similarly impressed by the warm yet moody lighting of the public corridors, which felt very cosy and inviting.

Deluxe Twin Room

At 32 sqm (344 sqft), the entry-level Deluxe Rooms are comfortably sized – an excellent selling point given how compact many premium Singapore hotel rooms have become in recent years. True to the warm first impression set by the lobby, the room feels welcoming and serene, featuring a palette of light wood and soft, muted tones. Although the design felt somewhat stereotypical of East Asian hotels, I found the atmosphere genuinely calming and pleasant.

One detail I couldn’t quite warm up to, however, was the brushstroke motif on the bedside lamp. While I can appreciate the artistic intent, the thick, dark strokes had an unfortunate resemblance to a wad of black hair – not exactly the sight I’d love seeing when half-awake at four in the morning. Then there’s the open-concept bathroom, a polarising feature which attracts its own set of fans and haters.

Bedroom

At the centre of the room sit two comfortable beds, framed by a soft leather headboard thoughtfully equipped with built-in reading lights. Facing a large smart television, the beds are dressed in plush, thick duvets – a welcome pairing with the room’s extraordinarily cold air-conditioning; combined with the warm tones, the whole setup certainly creates an irresistibly cosy environment. Furthermore, conveniently placed universal power outlets can be found by the nightstand and at several points around the room, making it easy to charge devices without fuss.

By the window, a homely sofa nook with a round dining table doubles as both a work and dining space. As if that weren’t enough, on the opposite wall, a slim desk extends from a long shelf that runs the length of the room. Better yet, the desk chair can be pulled to the dining table to create an optimal meeting environment. I adore these simple yet practical features, especially at a time when many hotels have done away with dedicated workspaces altogether.

Finally, beside the desk is a compact minibar, neatly equipped with both a kettle and a coffee machine. The latter comes stocked with four capsules of Nanyang Black Coffee, a locally inspired roast created in collaboration with Pyroast, a Singapore-based coffee roaster – certainly a thoughtful local touch that gives the in-room experience a bit of homegrown flavour.

Bathroom

As I touched on earlier, the Deluxe Room features an open-concept bathroom just off the entryway. Aside from the enclosed shower and toilet cubicle, there’s little in the way of privacy – the design leaves much of the space exposed to the bedroom. While I appreciated the extra space afforded by the open concept, I couldn’t help but wish for a sliding door or retractable blind to provide optional separation, similar to what you’d find at the Renaissance Nusa Dua Bali.

Anyway, on one side sit the shower and toilet, while the sink and open closet stretch along the opposite wall. As is increasingly common at many Singaporean hotels, a filtered drinking water tap is installed in lieu of the provision of single-use plastic water bottles. I’ll also add that the toilet also comes equipped with a built-in bidet, as is common across Southeast Asia.

The shower stall, enclosed in frosted glass and clad in marble-effect tiles, features both a rain shower and a handheld option, operated via an uncommon push-button control. Water pressure was excellent, though the temperature never quite went beyond warm – perhaps not helped by how cool the room itself was. On a brighter note, I really liked the Appelles bath amenities provided in large, refillable bottles; they brought back pleasant memories of my stay a few years ago at the Four Seasons Hotel Sydney.

Fitness centre

Located just off the lift lobby on Level 6, the hotel’s fitness centre is open 24 hours a day and accessible with a room keycard. Though compact, it’s well-equipped, featuring a solid selection of modern cardio and strength-training machines – including treadmills, an exercise bike, and even an indoor rower!

That said, despite the up-to-date equipment, the fitness centre felt like the hotel’s least inviting space. Beyond the darker colour palette and the carpet stains, the room gave the impression of being only infrequently serviced. During both of my visits, I noticed used towels left draped over machines and in corners. Disregarding the inconsiderate habits of the previous users, I wish that the facility would be cleaned more regularly.

Swimming pool

Beyond the fitness centre lies the door leading to the hotel’s open-air garden and swimming pool area, open daily from 07:00 to 20:00. Said to be inspired by the atmosphere of Bali, the space beautifully captures a resort-like calm within the distinctly urban setting. The lush greenery and sandstone tiles encircling the turquoise-green pool create a sort of tranquil respite, offering a refreshing contrast to Singapore’s stressfully fast-paced society.

Along one side of the pool is a neat row of sun loungers, thoughtfully paired with parasols and side tables – a comfortable and thoughtful setup. My only quibble was the absence of pool towels well past the stated opening time of 07.00; even during my morning swim between 08.00 and 09.00, the towel stand by the poolside bar remained empty.

Still, as I let the breeze dry me off, my attention was quickly drawn to the stunning view from the pool deck. Beyond the familiar rows of Singapore’s public housing flats, the iconic Pinnacle@Duxton stand proudly – coincidentally a remarkable public housing project and architectural statement in its own right. Set against the backdrop of tropical foliage, it’s a scene that perfectly encapsulates Singapore’s fitting moniker of a ‘city in a garden’.

Service

Overall, I found the staff at Amara Singapore to be friendly and well-intentioned throughout. I particularly appreciated the front desk team, who were chatty and effortlessly casual, giving a warm, personable welcome to the start of the stay. That said, some parts of the hotel felt a little amateurish, with certain aspects handled reactively rather than proactively – such as the absence of a greeter at the entrance, or the unattended towels in the fitness centre, or the lack of towels at the pool. Still, these were minor shortcomings that didn’t detract from my overall experience. Yet the experience just reminded me more of a four-star property in New York than of an upmarket Singapore hotel.

Concluding thoughts

Standing strong for nearly four decades, the Amara Singapore has aged with grace – and certainly feels anything but old. With its pleasantly refreshed rooms, beautiful pool, and convenient location in the heart of Tanjong Pagar, I found that the hotel offers plenty for both business and leisure travellers alike. While a few minor quibbles surfaced during my stay, the Amara still manages to stand out among its neighbours, particularly the Carlton City next door. All things considered, I’d be more than happy to return in the future, especially at the right price.

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