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Where to Stay in Singapore for Chinese New Year (2027): Five Areas, 12 Hotels and the 19.9% on Top

By Sophie, Gently Yonder writer

Where to stay in Singapore for Chinese New Year 2027: Chinatown, the river, Marina Bay, Bugis and Orchard, 12 hotels, what is announced, and the 19.9% on top.

Last updated · 18 min read

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In this guide14 sections
  1. The short answer
  2. The dates for 2027: what is published
  3. The rules that decide where you sleep
  4. Singapore’s hotel prices: service charge and GST
  5. Getting in from Changi Airport
  6. Chinatown and Outram: the light-up on foot
  7. Clarke Quay and the river: evenings by the water
  8. Marina Bay: River Hongbao and the skyline
  9. Bugis and City Hall: transport and a calmer base
  10. Orchard Road: malls and a rest
  11. How to book Singapore at Chinese New Year
  12. All 12 at a glance
  13. Before you go
  14. Frequently asked questions

Singapore’s Chinese New Year is a public holiday with a festival laid over it, and two of the most useful things about 2027 are already fixed. The Ministry of Manpower lists Chinese New Year as Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 February 2027, and the Singapore Tourism Board’s festival page gives the same dates. The hotel bill has a quirk of its own: hotels commonly add a 10% service charge and then 9% GST on the total, so a headline rate rises by 19.9%. What is not yet published is the programme: the Chinatown light-up and festive fair, River Hongbao and the Chingay Parade had no 2027 dates when we looked on 1 November 2026. Where an official page still describes last year, we say so.

This guide covers what is and is not announced, five areas matched to the kind of festival you want, 12 hotels, the tax and what to ask before booking. For the rest of your trip, where to stay in Singapore covers five neighbourhoods and 12 hotels, nine of which also appear here. The hotels are researched picks, chosen for location, what each property publishes and consistent guest feedback, and each was checked as operating in October and November 2026. No hotel pays to appear here.

The short answer

If you want… Stay in Why
the street lights and festive fair on foot Chinatown and Outram The organiser’s own pages put last year’s light-up on South Bridge Road, New Bridge Road, Eu Tong Sen Street and Upper Cross Street, with Chinatown MRT beside it
an evening by the water, with Chinatown a short ride away Clarke Quay and the river Restaurants and bars in old godowns on the Singapore River, and a quieter reach at Robertson Quay
River Hongbao at Gardens by the Bay Marina Bay Last year’s festival was held at Gardens by the Bay, with Bayfront and Marina Bay stations nearby
good transport links and a calmer base Bugis and City Hall Bencoolen, Bras Basah and Bugis stations each have a hotel within a few minutes’ walk
malls, and a rest from the crowds Orchard Road The Tourism Board’s festival page names Chinatown, River Hongbao and Chingay, not Orchard Road

Not sure which area? Rank these areas for your trip: pick what matters and see the reasons.

A large lit horse figure in gold and orange beside a road at night, with rows of red-lit lantern overhangs above the road beyond and light trails from passing cars
A horse figure and lantern overhangs in Chinatown, from the Year of the Horse lights. Photo: Richard L / Pexels

The dates for 2027: what is published

The Ministry of Manpower’s list gives the first two days as Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 February 2027, and adds a condition: Monday 8 February is a public holiday only if your rest day falls on 7 February. Many people will have a long weekend from Saturday to Monday, but not everyone, so do not assume a Monday holiday for staff, shops or the person you are meeting. In 2026 the two days were Tuesday 17 and Wednesday 18 February.

When What Status for 2027
Friday 5 February Chinese New Year’s Eve By our arithmetic from the first day
Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 February Chinese New Year, first and second days Published by the Ministry of Manpower and the Tourism Board
Monday 8 February Public holiday, if your rest day falls on 7 February Published by the Ministry of Manpower
Before and around the holiday Chinatown street light-up and festive fair Listed by the Tourism Board; no 2027 dates found
Around the holiday River Hongbao, Gardens by the Bay Not announced; 2026 ran 15 to 24 February
After the holiday Chingay Parade Not announced; 2026 was 27 and 28 February
The nights themselves MRT, bus and road notices None found for February 2027

Chinatown: the street light-up and festive fair

The Tourism Board’s page lists a street light-up, a festive fair and food fair and weekly stage shows in Chinatown, and gives no dates for any of them. The organiser’s site, run by the Kreta Ayer community, put three goat-themed designs for the 2027 centrepiece to a public vote that closed on 19 July 2026, and says the winner “may become” the centrepiece. The People’s Association published a tender on 6 August 2026 for the 2027 light-up decorations, so the light-up is planned, though not dated.

Last year’s is described on the organiser’s page, no longer on its live site. The 2026 theme was “Galloping into the Prosperous Year”, with an 8.8-metre golden horse as the centrepiece and overhangs along New Bridge Road and Eu Tong Sen Street, Upper Cross Street and South Bridge Road. We could not open an official page that still carries the 2026 light-up or fair dates, and we will not print dates from unofficial sites. Check chinatownfestivals.sg once the 2027 dates are posted.

A red and gold temple of several tiers with pagoda-style roofs, lit against a night sky, with a residential tower to its left and light trails on the road in front
The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, Chinatown, at night. Photo: Pixabay / Pexels

River Hongbao

River Hongbao is a free festival of giant lanterns, fireworks, stage performances, rides and a food street, organised by the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations with the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, SPH Media’s Chinese Media Group, the Tourism Board and the People’s Association. Its 40th edition ran at Gardens by the Bay from 15 to 24 February 2026, opening at 6.30pm on the first two evenings and at 2.30pm daily from the 17th, the first day of the new year. That is last year’s pattern: it opened two days before the first day. Its site still describes 2026 and carries no 2027 dates.

The Chingay Parade

The Chingay Parade is a multicultural street parade, listed on the Tourism Board’s festival page. Its official site says the 2026 parade was held on 27 and 28 February, ten days after the first day, under the theme “WISH”. It had no 2027 date when we looked, so do not build a stay around it until one is announced.

Getting between the festivals

The Chinatown organiser lists Chinatown station (North East and Downtown lines), Outram Park (East-West line) and Maxwell (Thomson-East Coast line) as the stations for its sites. One Chinatown hotel’s page counts two MRT stops from Chinatown to Bayfront, for Marina Bay and Gardens by the Bay. We found no 2027 notice about extended MRT hours, road closures or crowd arrangements, so none is described here.

What shuts

Crowded rows of tables under ceiling fans in a food centre, with stall signs in Chinese and English along the left and green beer bottles on the nearest table
A busy hawker centre in Chinatown, Maxwell Food Centre. Photo: 小和尚 温柔的 / Pexels

We found no official list of which shops and stalls close at Chinese New Year. It is widely reported that many family-run hawker stalls, independent shops and traditional restaurants shut for the first days of the holiday, and that malls, chain restaurants and tourist-facing places are more likely to stay open. Treat that as a general pattern, not a promise; it varies stall by stall. The National Environment Agency publishes a separate schedule of hawker centres closed for cleaning, which on data.gov.sg covered 2026 only when we looked. If a particular stall or restaurant matters, check it before you go.

The rules that decide where you sleep

Singapore’s hotel prices: service charge and GST

Singapore has no separate tourist or accommodation tax that we could find; the extras on a room are the service charge and GST. The Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore says hotels and restaurants often add a service charge, typically 10%, and that GST is calculated on the total including it. The current GST rate is 9%. Hotels may display prices before GST if they show a prominent statement that GST and service charge apply, which is why a booking site’s first price can be lower than the final one.

What Rate or rule
Service charge Typically 10% of the room rate
GST 9%, charged on the room rate plus the service charge
Together About 19.9% over the headline rate
Price displays Hotels that add a service charge may show prices before GST, with a prominent statement

As our arithmetic, a room shown at S$300 “plus plus” has a S$30 service charge, S$29.70 of GST on the S$330, and comes to S$359.70 a night. Hotel taxes around the world shows how other cities charge theirs.

Getting in from Changi Airport

Chinatown and Outram: the light-up on foot

Chinatown is the quarter south of the river with the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, the Sri Mariamman Temple, hawker centres and shophouses, and it is where the festival’s lights and fair are held. Staying here means you walk to the lights and back, at the price of busy pavements in the evenings. Our Singapore guide for first-timers covers the district, and things to do in Singapore covers the rest of the city.

Where to stay in Chinatown and Outram

How the hotel links work: a hotel’s name goes to its own website. “Check rates” opens it on Booking.com through our partner Stay22, which pays us a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you.

Clarke Quay and the river: evenings by the water

Two bumboats on a river at night with blue-lit crane-like structures, a wide covered promenade on the left and lit office towers behind
The Singapore River at Clarke Quay at night. Photo: CK Seng / Pexels

The Singapore River runs from the Bay past Boat Quay and Clarke Quay, where old godowns and shophouses are now restaurants and bars, up to Robertson Quay, where the riverside walk is quieter. At its mouth stands the Fullerton Building, once the General Post Office. Clarke Quay station is on the North East line and the Downtown line stops at Fort Canning, so Chinatown is a short ride away, though we have not timed it from either hotel below.

Where to stay on the river

Marina Bay: River Hongbao and the skyline

Three tall hotel towers joined by a curved deck at the top, lit from below, beside the green-lit canopy of a tree-shaped steel structure against a night sky
Marina Bay Sands beside a Supertree at Gardens by the Bay. Photo: Arian Fernandez / Pexels

Marina Bay is the Singapore of the postcards: Marina Bay Sands, the ArtScience Museum and Gardens by the Bay, where River Hongbao was held in 2026. The Circle and Downtown lines meet at Bayfront and the Thomson-East Coast line stops at Gardens by the Bay. The Chinatown lights are not here, so this is the area for River Hongbao, if it returns to the Gardens, and for the view.

Where to stay at Marina Bay

Bugis and City Hall: transport and a calmer base

A paved street lined with painted arched panels and colourful shopfronts, with the golden dome and minaret of a mosque beyond, under a blue sky
A street in Kampong Glam, with the Sultan Mosque beyond. Photo: CK Seng / Pexels

Bugis and City Hall sit between the civic core and Kampong Glam, with the National Museum, Bugis Junction and Haji Lane around them. The festival is not here, but the MRT is: the hotels below each name a station within minutes, and the Bay is a short ride. It is a sensible base if you want Chinatown for an evening and somewhere quieter to come back to.

Where to stay in Bugis and City Hall

Orchard Road: malls and a rest

Orchard Road is more than two kilometres of malls, with the Singapore Botanic Gardens at its western end. The North-South line runs beneath it at Orchard, Somerset and Dhoby Ghaut. The Tourism Board’s festival page lists Chinatown, River Hongbao and Chingay, not Orchard Road, so this is the area for a calmer evening, not for the festival, and malls are the likelier places to find shops open if the family-run ones in Chinatown are shut.

Where to stay on Orchard Road

How to book Singapore at Chinese New Year

All 12 at a glance

Hotel Area Tier Best for Watch out for
Furama City Centre Chinatown Good value The lights at your door for less Traffic and crowds outside
PARKROYAL COLLECTION Pickering Chinatown Comfortable A garden in the city Busy roads
The Clan Hotel Singapore Telok Ayer Comfortable Hawker centres on foot Busy weekday mornings
The Fullerton Hotel Singapore The river mouth Splurge Heritage between the river and the Bay Price
The Warehouse Hotel Robertson Quay Comfortable Character at the quiet end of the river Few rooms
Marina Bay Sands Marina Bay Splurge The pool and the view Price; the mall crowds
Pan Pacific Singapore Marina Bay Comfortable The Bay on foot for less A busy, 790-room hotel
Raffles Singapore City Hall Splurge History, in 115 suites Price
Rendezvous Hotel Singapore Bras Basah Comfortable A station at the door Club Lounge is adults only
Village Hotel Bugis Kampong Glam Good value Room size near Bugis station Façade works notice
Hilton Singapore Orchard Orchard Road Comfortable The middle of Orchard Road Its size
YOTEL Singapore Orchard Road Orchard Road Good value A lower price on Orchard Road Small rooms

Before you go

Frequently asked questions

When is Chinese New Year 2027 in Singapore?

The Ministry of Manpower lists Chinese New Year as Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 February 2027. Monday 8 February is a public holiday only if your rest day falls on 7 February. Chinese New Year's Eve is Friday 5 February, by our arithmetic.

Where should I stay in Singapore for Chinese New Year?

Chinatown and Outram, if you want the street light-up and festive fair on foot; last year's lights ran along South Bridge Road, New Bridge Road, Eu Tong Sen Street and Upper Cross Street. Marina Bay suits River Hongbao if it returns to Gardens by the Bay, and Bugis, City Hall or Orchard Road make calmer bases on the MRT.

When is the Chinatown light-up in 2027?

Not announced when we looked on 1 November 2026. The Tourism Board lists a street light-up and festive fair without dates, and the organiser's site had only put three 2027 centrepiece designs to a vote, which closed on 19 July 2026. The 2026 theme was a golden horse; the 2027 designs show a goat.

When are River Hongbao and the Chingay Parade in 2027?

Neither had a 2027 date when we looked. River Hongbao 2026 ran at Gardens by the Bay from 15 to 24 February 2026, opening two days before the first day, and the Chingay Parade 2026 was held on 27 and 28 February.

Is there a hotel tax in Singapore?

We found no separate accommodation tax. Hotels commonly add a 10% service charge, and GST, currently 9%, is charged on the total including it, so a headline rate rises by about 19.9%. A S$300 room shown before charges comes to S$359.70 by our arithmetic.

Do shops and food stalls close at Chinese New Year in Singapore?

It is widely reported that many family-run hawker stalls, independent shops and traditional restaurants close for the first days, while malls and chain restaurants are more likely to stay open. We found no official list, so check a place you are counting on before you go.

Sources & further reading

Dates, rules, prices and hotel terms change, and several 2027 notices were not yet published when we checked; where we describe last year’s arrangements we say so. Every hotel detail here was checked in October and November 2026; confirm minimum stays, rates and cancellation terms with the hotel before booking. These are researched picks, not reviews. This article contains affiliate links: hotel rates on Booking.com and other booking sites through Stay22, and tours, transfers and eSIMs through our partners; if you book through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. No hotel pays to be included.

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