Strand Hotel
Dhoby Ghaut
51+ years in business
1 min walk from Bencoolen MRT
- Licensed hotel
Hotels in Singapore: 1,087 hotels, 42% matched to a government licence
Updated October 2026How we rank
Any premises renting four or more rooms to guests for stays under seven days needs a licence from the Hotels Licensing Board (HLB) – check the hotel listing on GoBusiness. Private homes cannot legally be rented for under three consecutive months, so short-stay apartment listings are a risk. Hotel room and dining prices are usually quoted "++".
12 of the best-documented hotels in Singapore
Businesses with the most complete public records first, photos, licence matches, hours and track record. Never ordered by payment.
Hotel Grand Central
Somerset
58+ years in business
3 min walk from Somerset MRT
- Licensed hotel
Classique Hotel
Jalan Besar
29+ years in business
4 min walk from Farrer Park MRT
- Licensed hotel
Grand Park City Hall
Clarke Quay
33+ years in business
3 min walk from City Hall MRT
- Licensed hotel
Hotel 81 Bugis
Bugis
20+ years in business
3 min walk from Bugis MRT
- Licensed hotel
Hotel 81 Changi
Kembangan
21+ years in business
3 min walk from Kembangan MRT
- Licensed hotel
Hotel 81 Chinatown
Chinatown
23+ years in business
1 min walk from Chinatown MRT
- Licensed hotel
Hotel 81 Cosy
Chinatown
22+ years in business
2 min walk from Maxwell MRT
- Licensed hotel
Hotel 81 Elegance
Jalan Besar
21+ years in business
4 min walk from Bendemeer MRT
- Licensed hotel
Hotel 81 Fuji
Novena
22+ years in business
12 min walk from Novena MRT
- Licensed hotel
Hotel 81 Kovan
Hougang
20+ years in business
9 min walk from Serangoon MRT
- Licensed hotel
Hotel 81 Lavender
Lavender
23+ years in business
4 min walk from Bendemeer MRT
- Licensed hotel
Ordered by verifiable signals, licence matches, track record and completeness of public records. Featured placements are labelled and never change this order.
Show all 1,087Compare 8 hotels side by side
Location, MRT walk, years in business, licence and published hours, facts from public records.
- Strand Hotel
- Area
- Dhoby Ghaut
- MRT
- 1 min · Bencoolen
- In business
- 51 yrs
- Licence
- Licensed hotel
- Hotel Grand Central
- Area
- Somerset
- MRT
- 3 min · Somerset
- In business
- 58 yrs
- Licence
- Licensed hotel
- Classique Hotel
- Area
- Jalan Besar
- MRT
- 4 min · Farrer Park
- In business
- 29 yrs
- Licence
- Licensed hotel
- Grand Park City Hall
- Area
- Clarke Quay
- MRT
- 3 min · City Hall
- In business
- 33 yrs
- Licence
- Licensed hotel
- Hotel 81 Bugis
- Area
- Bugis
- MRT
- 3 min · Bugis
- In business
- 20 yrs
- Licence
- Licensed hotel
- Hotel 81 Changi
- Area
- Kembangan
- MRT
- 3 min · Kembangan
- In business
- 21 yrs
- Licence
- Licensed hotel
- Hotel 81 Chinatown
- Area
- Chinatown
- MRT
- 1 min · Chinatown
- In business
- 23 yrs
- Licence
- Licensed hotel
- Hotel 81 Cosy
- Area
- Chinatown
- MRT
- 2 min · Maxwell
- In business
- 22 yrs
- Licence
- Licensed hotel
| Business | Area | MRT | In business | Licence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strand Hotel | Dhoby Ghaut | 1 min · Bencoolen | 51 yrs | Licensed hotel |
| Hotel Grand Central | Somerset | 3 min · Somerset | 58 yrs | Licensed hotel |
| Classique Hotel | Jalan Besar | 4 min · Farrer Park | 29 yrs | Licensed hotel |
| Grand Park City Hall | Clarke Quay | 3 min · City Hall | 33 yrs | Licensed hotel |
| Hotel 81 Bugis | Bugis | 3 min · Bugis | 20 yrs | Licensed hotel |
| Hotel 81 Changi | Kembangan | 3 min · Kembangan | 21 yrs | Licensed hotel |
| Hotel 81 Chinatown | Chinatown | 1 min · Chinatown | 23 yrs | Licensed hotel |
| Hotel 81 Cosy | Chinatown | 2 min · Maxwell | 22 yrs | Licensed hotel |
What licence should a hotel have?
Certificate of Registration and Hotel-keeper's Licence
Hotels Licensing Board (HLB) · Required by law
Required for any premises offering four or more rooms to guests staying less than seven days, including hostels. Renewed annually.
Check the official register
How to choose a hotel
- Confirm the hotel is licensed: search the HLB 'Hotel Listing' under Licensed Entities on the GoBusiness Licensing portal.
- Compare the final price: hotels that levy a service charge may quote rates before 10% service charge and 9% GST.
- For staycations, check what is included – breakfast, late check-out, pool access and parking are often separate.
- Be wary of short stays in condos or HDB flats: the Planning Act bars private homes from being rented for less than three consecutive months, and HDB flats for less than six months.
- Serviced apartments need URA approval and must rent for at least seven days.
Red flags
- A 'hotel' or 'hostel' not on the HLB listing.
- Nightly rentals of private condo units or HDB flats.
- Quoted rates that only show the full taxes and charges at payment.
Questions about hotels in Singapore
How do I check if a hotel is licensed in Singapore?
Go to the GoBusiness Licensing portal, choose 'Licensed Entities', expand 'Hotels Licensing Board' and open 'Hotel Listing'. You can search or export the list. HLB licenses hotels under the Hotels Act 1954, issuing a Certificate of Registration for the premises and a Hotel-keeper's Licence.
Is Airbnb legal in Singapore?
Short-term rentals of private homes for less than three consecutive months to the same person are prohibited under the Planning Act, and URA enforces against them. HDB flats have a six-month minimum. Licensed hotels and hostels can list on such platforms with their HLB licence number.
Do hotels in Singapore charge GST and service charge?
Yes, most do: 10% service charge plus 9% GST on top, about 19.9% over the base rate. IRAS allows hotels that levy a service charge to display prices before GST, provided they state prominently that prices are subject to GST and service charge.
How many hotels are there in Singapore?
Lookup lists 1,087 hotels in Singapore as of October 2026, with the largest concentration in Rochor (136). Listings are compiled from government registers and open map data and refreshed regularly.