Best Hourly Hotels in Singapore 2023: Rates & Amenities｜Tips for First-timers

• Budget-conscious adults are looking past the stigma associated with hourly rate hotels as lockdown continues.
• Finding the hybrid business model lucrative, more big-name hotels are offering hourly rates to cope with down-time.
• Tips you should know & learn how to mentally prepare yourself for your first hourly hotel stay.

Before the COVID-19 lockdown, we liked to laugh about going to an hourly hotel in Singapore to let off some steam, now we’re only half-joking. Many of us who have had more than enough time to spend with family are actually contemplating having a getaway like the daring and promiscuous peers we used to make fun of.

And you know what? Hourly rate hotels nowadays really don’t deserve the bad rap anymore, and we’re here to tell you why.

More importantly, we’re spilling the beans about the unspoken tips and tricks / ins and outs of renting a room for day-use.

Quick jump to:

• What’s the difference between an hourly hotel and a ‘proper’ hotel?
• Absolute Beginners’ Guide to Hourly Hotels in Singapore
• Which hourly hotel should I choose as a first-timer?
• Best Hourly Rate Hotels in Singapore: Rates & Amenities (SG Clean)
• lyf Funan Singapore by Ascott
• Hotel NuVe Elements
• ST Signature Jalan Besar
• Grand Park City Hall
• Park Hotel Farrer Park
• Hotel Mono
• YWCA Fort Canning

What’s the difference between an hourly rate hotel and a ‘proper’ hotel?

There used to be one major difference that splits the two apart: hourly hotels in Singapore rent out rooms for a few hours, whereas ‘proper’, conventional hotels rent out rooms by the day.

Hourly Hotels Have Gone Mainstream

However, in the last 1-2 years, an hourly/day rental hybrid model has gained popularity among major chains. Many are now offering hourly rates in secret to boost revenue.

Here’s an example of why big-name hotels are finally at peace with what they were once so vehemently against:

• Imagine a hotel charges $200 per night per room
• A night at a hotel is typically 20 hours long (check in at 3pm, check out at 11pm the next day)
• The hotel decides to split the night into five 4-hour sessions & charges $70 per session
• The hotel now makes $280 per night per room, $80 more than what it would have made without hourly rates

It’s a win-win situation – the shortened time slots available also eliminate a lot of undesirable activities guests may have to put up with, and guests who only need a room for a few hours are now able to save 65% off a full night’s rate.

Absolute Beginners’ Guide to Hourly Hotels in Singapore

If you’re a newbie in the hourly hotel scene in Singapore, how should you mentally prepare for a trip to the sex dungeon? What can you do to minimize the awkwardness and embarrassment, and not look like virgin or an unskilled dork who has just lost their v-card and screwed up their first time?

Here are some useful tips for first-timers.

1｜Always book online

So. Much. This.

Hourly hotels used to only accept walk-in reservations. You and your partner will have to physically walk up to the front desk, ask for a room, and line up until the room is ready.

During the evenings and weekends when people are found most likely to take care of their businesses, you may have to line up for what feels like hours on end.

Don’t do that to yourself. Install our hourly hotel app Flow, get a booking online there, and check in at a selected time, hassle-free.

You can pay online with a credit card and will get instant confirmation on the booking. Some hotels also offer free cancellation before check-in time.

2｜Try a big-name hotel

Now is not the time to be adventurous. Try a more vanilla, ‘safer’ option and get a room at a major chain for your first time. Once you’re comfortable with the routine, you can venture off to more exciting uncharted territory.

3｜You have to be of age

Most established hourly hotels in Singapore require all guests to be 18 or above. If you’re just over 16, chances are you don’t have many choices.

4｜Bring IC, both of you

Hourly hotel employees almost always check the identification of all the declared guests. If you’re checking in with a partner, make sure you both have ICs with you.

A friendly reminder to all the teen lovebirds reading this, don’t think for a second you can fool the hotel employees by playing the “I forgot” card – they REALLY have to make sure everyone who’s staying is of age.

5｜Bring enough for a deposit

Most hotels will ask you to pay a deposit upon check-in. Some accept credit cards (as pre-authorization, meaning they’ll only charge you the amount for real if they discover damages in the room during check-out inspection), some only accept cash. On Flow we put this as a remark to give you a heads up.

6｜Let the hotel know in advance if you want to extend the check-out time

Don’t wait for the knock on the door. Let the hotel know early if you’re extending your stay. Not only will the employees appreciate the heads-up, but you will also get to stay in the same room whereas you may have to switch rooms if the hotel has already rented it out to the next patron after you.

If you’re using Flow, our hourly hotel booking platform, you can book the next session online, no awkward talk on the call-phone required.

Which hourly hotel should I choose as a first-timer?

Your best bet is to choose ones that accept online booking. Every available session, every rate, and every amenity is clearly listed on the booking platform – much easier than walking into the front desk and asking a bunch of questions.

• If you’re getting a day room for work purpose, best to get a boutique or luxury hotel that offers daycation deals
• Only choose a ‘romantically-slash-erotically themed’ hotel if you and your partner are comfortable with it.
• If you’re looking for a wild, sensual getaway, make sure to look at some pictures online first. Some hotels offer a wide range of room themes, some can be too vanilla, while others can be too bold to your liking.

Best Hourly Rate Hotels in Singapore: Rates & Amenities

Here are a few boutiques hotels that can be charged by the hour on our App in case you don’t know where to start and need some pointers. Read on to see what they are perfect for and why they are worth your while!

• lyf Funan Singapore by Ascott
• Hotel NuVe Elements
• ST Signature Jalan Besar
• Grand Park City Hall
• Park Hotel Farrer Park

1. lyf Funan Singapore by Ascott

Run and managed by the largest co-living property in Southeast Asia, lyf Funan Singapore by Ascott is ideally located in the Funan Mall – a 5-min walk from the City Hall MRT station.

With a fashionably-designed communal kitchen, laundry room, and gym room to boot, you can have tons of fun and take many insta-worthy shots here.

▼ lyf Funan Singapore by Ascott Hourly Rates ▼

2. Hotel NuVe Elements

Hotel NuVe Elements, opened in December 2019, is a 7-storey modern and serene hotel with a rooftop terrace with Jacuzzi and a café.

Some hotels give off a cold, sterile and rigid vibe despite having really nice interiors, but certainly not this one. The warm-toned rooms and comfy beds at Hotel NuVe Elements make you feel right at home.

▼ Hotel NuVe Elements Hourly Rates ▼

3. ST Signature Jalan Besar

“You know how when you’re driving and it’s pouring down rain, you drive under a bridge and everything stops. Everything goes silent and it’s almost peaceful. Then you finally get out from under the bridge, and everything hits you a little harder than before.”

ST Signature Jalan Besar is the bridge.

Want the privacy of working from a hotel but don’t want to be confined in your workstation for hours on end? This hotel is the perfect place for you.

ST Signature Jalan Besar is a co-living hotel that boasts a communal kitchen with daily free premium 100% Arabica coffee, laundry room, co-working space, and many other shared spaces for you to meet and greet like-minded people.

If you’re afraid you’ll get peckish, fear not as it is located in a small hip area where you can enjoy specialty coffee and inventive modern cuisine in quirky cafes.

▼ ST Signature Jalan Besar Hourly Rates ▼

4. Grand Park City Hall

Luxury hotels that offer rooms for a few hours are a rare find. Grand Park City Hall is a 5-star hotel equipped with a beautiful outdoor pool, a fitness centre, and an upscale European restaurant and bar called “Tablescape”.

There are shopping malls nearby and entertainment spots that are perfect for your bae who’s all about the glam. If your boo doesn’t have the patience of a saint, you’ll be happy to know that it’s only a 5-minute walk from the nearest MRT station and is surrounded by Instagram-worthy historical landmarks to distract them from the walking.

▼ Grand Park City Hall Hourly Rates ▼

5. Park Hotel Farrer Park

This hotel makes an irresistible deal because of its location, which is right on top of an MRT station.

To cast a love spell on your partner, you can make use of the exquisite interior design, breathtaking sight and the pre-war ethnic shop houses in the area to get the mood on and the love on lock. It will be the romance of a lifetime, one that the hotel and our App would be more than happy to make come true!

If you’re planning on staying at the hotel the entire stay, Park Hotel Farrer Park boasts two dining options, Blue Jasmine and The Coffee Belt, that offer exceptional set breakfast for S$25+ and S$12.5 per adult respectively.

▼Park Hotel Farrer Park Hourly Rates ▼

6. Hotel Mono

If you are a fashion guru or artistic person who has an affinity with neutral colors, the color scheme of Hotel Mono‘s rooms is second to none!

Rocking Rococo-era windows and classical airwells, and set in six historical shop houses of modern design, you should start planning your next day or staycation in Hotel Mono if you’re (also) a person with a profound interest in architectural design and buildings with a clash of  timeless beauty and modernity.

▼Hotel Mono Hourly Rates ▼

7. YWCA Fort Canning

In need of a break from your cramped bedroom and want to feel like you’re on vacation staying in a huge hotel room? YWCA Fort Canning‘s got your back! On top of their excellent service, you get more natural light and more space in their rooms with their floor-to-ceiling windows!  

Boasting a fitness centre and an outdoor swimming pool, an addition to their collection of pride and joys is their brand new cafe lodge. Do remember to check out their mouthwatering dishes and irresistible dining deals!

The list of reasons why people go (back) to this hotel is endless. It is surrounded by the heaven-look-alike Fort Canning Park and the hotel is neighbors with Orchard Road and the CBD of the city in case you are on a shopping spree.

You’ll also feel awesome staying in YWCA Fort Canning knowing all their proceeds go to social initiatives such as Empowering Mums, and  Meals-on-Wheels to financially support women from low-income families!

▼YWCA Fort Canning Hourly Rates ▼

These are a couple of tips to help you with getting the hang of boutique hotels that charge by the hour in Singapore. Now that you know more about them, you are ready to write your own story and create lasting memories in love, at work and in life, with all of them taking place in the hotels you can find on our App.

— About Flow —

Flow – the “Platform for Space” where travellers can book hotels or office space by the hour or timeslot, enabling flexibility in check-in time & duration of stay.

Why book for the whole day, if you need to stay for just a few hours?

Download Flow App now (Android / iOS) and enjoy up to 75% cheaper prices.