In a city with no shortage of fancy places to stay, the Andaz Singapore fits right in to a skyline full of luxury hotels, but with a dash of flair only an Andaz hotel could bring.
Highlighted by a 26th floor infinity pool overlooking Marina Bay, four excellent in-house restaurant options, and clean, comfy rooms, I would highly recommend the Andaz for your next trip to Singapore. That's especially so if you have World of Hyatt points (or Chase Ultimate Rewards points you can transfer to Hyatt), which can be used to secure a room at the Andaz without paying a dime. But paying cash for a night at the Andaz Singapore won't necessarily break the bank, either.
The Andaz Singapore is a big step up from a business hotel, but maybe falls just shy of true five-star luxury. Still, it's a perfect extension of Hyatt's funky and fun Andaz brand in the city of Singapore.
How to Book the Andaz Singapore
World of Hyatt points are some of the most valuable in award travel. You can earn them by staying at Hyatt hotels or spending on a World of Hyatt credit card. Or if you've got a Chase Ultimate Rewards-earning card like the *chase sapphire preferred*, you can transfer those points to Hyatt to book.
Hyatt uses an award chart to determine how many points you'll need to book a free night at a particular property. The Andaz Singapore is a Category 6 hotel, meaning you can book a free night for 21,000-29,000 Hyatt points per night. The standard room rate is 25,000 points, with peak nights clock in at 29,000 points.
For my own trip in October, I transferred 25,000 Chase points to Hyatt to book a one-night stay. There's no resort fee at the Andaz Singapore, which is surprising given the hotel's amenities.
When you click on one of these nights, you'll see some more details, allowing travelers to use Hyatt points on King Bed rooms or 2 Twin Bed rooms.
If you don't have Chase or Hyatt points, don't fret! These Andaz rooms aren't terribly expensive. For many nights that I saw, there were rooms available for less than $300 – which is rare for a five-star hotel in notoriously pricey Singapore.
The Andaz also has a number of suites you can book for as little as $463 a night if you have a World of Hyatt account. The larger suites will run you upwards of $1,300 a night, however.
As is always the case with Hyatt hotels, they are best searched for and booked directly through World of Hyatt. You can find the Andaz Singapore on other booking sites and on credit card travel sites like Amex Travel, Capital One Travel, or Chase Travel, too if you want to use credits or benefits from those portals.
At Thrifty Traveler, we don't accept freebies. We use our own points, miles, or cash to pay for every single flight or hotel you see reviewed here – including this one!
Location
Located in the Duo Towers, the Andaz Singapore is beautifully situated near public transportation and within walking distance of some of Singapore's most famous attractions.
The closest and perhaps coolest spot is directly next door to the Andaz in Haji Lane.
Haji Lane's dozens of bars, restaurants, and shopping offer an intimate look at Singapore's incredible diversity. Whether you want Mexican food, a beer garden, a ramen joint, halal, Italian, a tobacco lounge, or some handbag shopping, Haji Lane and its neighboring shops and streets have it all. I spent some of my favorite hours in Singapore exploring these tiny streets and found lots to love, all near the beautiful Sultan Mosque.
But further toward the ocean is the famous Marina Bay – home to all the photos you've probably already seen of Singapore. The Marina Bay Sands and the Gardens by the Bay are just about a 25-minute walk from the Andaz or about 15 minutes by MRT train.
To get to and from the Andaz from Singapore's pristine Changi Airport, you can either take a cab or jump on the MRT train. The train will cost you $2.50 and you can pay by tapping your iPhone if you have Apple Pay set up. It was extremely simple to use on the way to and from the airport. The entire journey took about 50 minutes each way, though. If you want something faster, jump in a cab to shorten the ride to about 20 minutes, albeit at a cost of about $25-$40.
One of the great parts about the Andaz is that it is connected right to the Bugis MRT train station. The Andaz shares a space with the DUO Towers and the DUO Galleria, which is a large, covered, but open walking mall. You can descend into the subway straight from the mall, meaning I had direct access to the train to and from the airport on my trip.
Checking In
After an extremely long flight (the longest flight in the world, in fact!), I was eager to check-in and get a room at the Andaz Singapore. And after finding my way through the DUO Galleria and to the Andaz front door, it couldn't have been easier.
The DUO/Andaz building is easily distinguishable by its hexagonal, honeycombed exterior shapes.
From inside the DUO Galleria, follow the signs for “Andaz” and take the escalators up to the second level.
Once in the doors, signs will point you to the elevators you have to take up to the 25th floor to check-in. One cool feature of the elevators are these fancy-looking lights next to each door. When an elevator arrives going up, the top bulb of those lights will flash. When it goes down, the bottom bulb flashes. It's a funky little design element I found interesting.
The elevator interior will show you where to find everything including the lobby, pool, fitness center, and all the restaurants.
Once you arrive, three check-in desks will be open during check-in time. When I arrived at about 7 a.m., there was only one person working the desk at that quiet hour.
Thrifty Traveler CEO and founder Jared generously used one of his Guest of Honor certificates for my stay, which meant that I could get all the perks of his top-tier Hyatt Globalist status. Thanks to that, the check-in agent was able to get me into a room right away at about 7:30 a.m. When you check-in, it includes a coupon for a welcome drink that you can redeem between 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. on your check-in day at the Sunroom – a small lounge right next to the lobby and the lobby bar.
The free drink selections are limited, so I opted for a Prosecco. Other choices included beers, red and white wines, and various soft drinks, too.
I was given Room 3130 on the 31st floor of the building. When I arrived at it, the lock box had this old mailbox-style design, including a doorbell and a place to tap your keycard to unlock the door.
What's the Room Like at the Andaz Singapore?
My room was a King Bed Corner City View Deluxe, which clocks in at about $285 a night if you pay cash, depending on the day, of course. Normally, when you pay using World of Hyatt points, you get a normal King Room, but thanks to the Guest of Honor certificate, I was booked into this slightly nicer setup.
The room was bright and offered huge views of downtown Singapore. It had a long couch and sitting area with a small dining table and chair, too.
On the other side of the room was the king bed. A light on each side, a soft light behind the headboard, and some lights on the curtains were all controllable from the bedside. I also got two robes in the room during my stay, one of which was hung up by the bed.
On one bedside table was this Bose alarm clock that doubled as a portable Bluetooth speaker you could take anywhere in the room.
On the other side was a phone and a TV remote control, along with this control panel to click on or off all the room's lights and to control the curtains. When closed, the “blind” and “sheer” settings created an almost complete blackout effect in the room.
The blinds and sheer wrapped entirely around the whole room to cover up the floor-to-ceiling windows of the room.
The TV, which sits flat across the wall, can be swiveled out so you can see it from the bed, too.
Right as you walk into the room for the first time, you enter into this closet, which essentially doubles as a mudroom due to its proximity to the door. Before you step foot into the room itself, this closet awaits. It was, frankly, huge for a hotel room and was a welcome place for me to unpack and reset all of my clothes after the long journey over to Asia.
There was also this coffee and tea setup, with a mini bar underneath. There were wine openers, coffee cups, and other accoutrements in the top drawer and a refrigerator in the bottom that had a beer, a soda, some tea, and water inside. The minibar is free for all guests and replenished daily.
The bathroom in this hotel room left nothing to be desired. Besides being spacious and also featuring floor-to-ceiling windows, the bathroom had some unique elements as well.
The shower had a handheld shower head, but also a full rain shower head above. There were shampoo, conditioner, and body wash soap dispensers in the shower, too.
And if those windows seem…less than private, you can control the lower of the shades with a click of a button on the wall by the light switch.
The bathroom sink and vanity were lovely, and included something i've never seen in a hotel room before: A water bottle filler! The chrome spigot on the left hand side offered cold, fresh drinking water. Singapore's tap water is extremely safe. In fact, Singapore has the third best drinking water on earth by Water Quality score after the U.S. and Italy.
In the room and all throughout the property, the Andaz Singapore Wi-Fi was excellent. I was able to work and stream live TV from the pool deck to my room and everywhere else.
The Wi-Fi is free for all guests.
The Pool, Properties, and Amenities
Like everything in the gorgeous, lush city of Singapore, the Andaz Singapore is filled with greenery everywhere you look – inside and out. On each of its decks, from the observation deck on the top floor featured below to the pool deck, there are tons of meticulously cared for plants and trees.
This photo from the observation deck on the top floor is a great example, but just the tip of the iceberg.
Notably, the Andaz Singapore has a more subtle style than some of its fellow Andaz hotels. When I think to other Andaz hotels in Hyatt's portfolio, I think of the extremely chic, colorful Andaz London Liverpool Street, or the boozy, canine-themed Andaz Mexico City Condesa. The Andaz Singapore is more understated, but with the luxurious infinity pool and buzzy rooftop bar elements that are hallmarks of the Andaz brand.
Infinity Pool
The highlight of the Andaz Singapore is this infinity pool overlooking Marina Bay. I spent several hours out on this pool deck both days I was in Singapore and I loved it. For one, temperatures were in the high 80s with soup-like humidity the entire time I was there, making it perfect pool weather. But it's also a great place to sit and work, read, dine (more on that later), or swim.
The pool deck features several sitting areas amongst the foliage, too. These palms and bushes create a barrier between the restaurant and the pool, giving it a private feel, too.
There was free water and towels for all pool guests right as you walk in. When you round the corner, you'll see these sun chairs and umbrellas that are first-come, first-served for all hotel guests. Most of the chairs are recliners like these ones, but there were some upright sitting areas, too.
And for those who aren't SPF-soaked redheads like me, there were some chairs situated outside of the umbrellas, too.
Around the corner and away from the main pool is this little kiddie pool, too, giving families a place to escape without feeling like they're bothering the other guests.
Behind that are these pool deck changing rooms and bathrooms. There are flip-flops, towels, and lockers that any guest can use after accessing these rooms with their keycards.
There are also full showers in here with soaps and everything – presumably for pool guests.
Fitness Center
The fitness center at the Andaz had just about one of everything you'd need to get a workout in while traveling, but the space was small.
Even with just four or five other guests inside, this well-adorned, but intimate hotel gym felt cramped. The equipment being brand new and the space staying as clean as it was made it feel luxurious. And it certainly wasn't lacking for equipment.
The row of treadmills and stationary bikes took up the majority of the space, giving runners a great view of the city without having to run in its humidity.
Restaurants & Other Dining Options
The Andaz Singapore has five distinct restaurants in the hotel, all of which you can charge to your room to earn those valuable extra World of Hyatt points. In addition, you can order poolside service or room service as well. I had a chance to sample all of these options except one.
The lobby bar at the Andaz Singapore is called Bar Square, and features a long, fun cocktail list with views overlooking downtown Singapore.
This drink, the Ceylon Fling (Colombo gin, cocchi Rosa, st-germain, creme de cassis, pineapple, lime, kaffir lime leaf), was a tasty treat I enjoyed while overlooking the skyline at happy hour one day. Drinks were slightly cheaper across the board during happy hour, but the full price of this bad boy was 25 Singapore dollars, or $19 U.S…ouch!
Upstairs on the 38th floor of the building is 665°F, a Southeast Asian steakhouse and seafood restaurant that offered up some of the best Marina views in the whole building.
While I was there, the restaurant was offering a takeover menu of a Michelin-rated chef from Austria. This steak and potatoes dish was the perfect way to watch as the sun set over Singapore.
If you're looking for a hearty, meat-forward meal and lots of wine choices, head up to 665°F. You'll also pay a hefty price to dine here. My steak, potatoes, and single glass of red wine clocked in at $62.
If you want more ambiance and scene, Mr. Stork is the place you should head instead.
Located on the roof of the Andaz Singapore, Mr. Stork is a buzzy bar that offers these unique teepees for larger groups. (solo diners were not allowed to book them, so I was turned away.)
When you book a reservation at one of these, they place tables and chairs inside of them and then you get specialized service for a few hours. There are 10 of these tents at the restaurant.
You can be seated at 5 p.m., 7:15 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. in these huts for a full dinner service. There is a $228 (300 Singapore) minimum spend requirement to book these teepees.
When I was there, I just opted for a bar seat overlooking the marina. I ordered this “Opus” cocktail (Bourbon, shiso, cucumber, yuzu, saline, perrier) that I thought was the perfect way to kick off my evening.
The other restaurant I dined at was Alley on 25 – the breakfast buffet. It was spread throughout three rooms that are depicted by this handy sign.
One room offered typical western breakfasts, the other was a continental breakfast full of fruits, pastries, yogurts, and more, and the third was called “Smoke & Pepper” and featured all of the Asian breakfast cuisine.
I sampled a little something from each room and thought it was all fantastic. The fruit spread was especially impressive and the buffet area was kept fresh, clean, and uncrowded throughout the meal.
The only restaurant I did not sample was the Cantonese restaurant, 5 on 25. It simply wasn't open when I wanted to eat there and I ran out of time, but if you're looking for something that promises traditional Cantonese cuisine, that's where I'd head.
Starting at noon everyday, you can also order food directly to your seat at the pool. I went ahead and did just that … for journalism, of course. By scanning a QR code on the table at your seat, you can order poolside food and drink service like room service at the Andaz Singapore, which is how my burger and mojito made their way to my seat.
I know what you're thinking: “A burger in Singapore? Who is this heathen?” Well, the menu said it was the chef's special, and it was phenomenal.
I also sampled room service breakfast one morning (My free Globalist breakfast only applied to the morning after my one-night stay). My fully-loaded avocado toast made its way up to the room in about 15 minutes, as did my Cappuccino.
Bottom Line
For World of Hyatt lovers, the Andaz Singapore is a no-brainer for your next visit to Singapore whether you pay with points or cash.
With a tremendous infinity pool, sweeping views of Marina Bay, and a perfect location right on the MRT subway and within walking distance to some of Singapore's best attractions, I highly recommend a stay at the Andaz Singapore.