Living in a big city and with all busy life, sometimes can be so stressful. You need to take a break for a moment. These days, a staycation can be your answer to take a breather. It is simple, without having to fly somewhere to have a vacation. More importantly, you can just go over the weekend for a staycation in Singapore without having to wait for a public holiday in Singapore to come. Besides, Singapore has a lot of good hotels!

The range of great hotels in Singapore varies from cheap hotels in Singapore to luxurious hotels. We know figuring out what you want is not easy. You also need to know what information you need to know before choosing a hotel online. If you choose the wrong hotel, your staycation will be not fun and not optimal. But worry no more, because we’re here to give you tips and tricks on choosing good hotels online in Singapore. Hopefully, it will help you in picking a good hotel online for your next staycation.

Here are 12 steps that you can do to get a good hotel in Singapore for your next staycation:

To pick a good hotel for you, you need to know what you need first. Make a quick list of the things that you require to have a good night’s stay. It can start from a simple question. Do you mind if you don’t get a free breakfast? Do you prefer to stay at a personal and intimate hotel where the staff calls you by your name? Are you willing to splurge on something luxurious?

Or, how about the design interior and decoration? Does it matter to you that the decor is old-fashioned, minimalist, modern, or historical? What do you expect from the staycation? A calm staycation, a city tour, or a short staycation while shopping? All of these questions will help you know what actually you want from a good hotel to have a satisfying staycation.

Once you know what you want from a good hotel and for your staycation plan, you can move to the location. Location can determine whether your staycation is successful or fail, or whether it is a good hotel or not.

If you want a quiet staycation, choosing a good hotel that is far from the center of the crowd can be an option. If you want to have a little walk while having a staycation, choose a good hotel online that is surrounded by public transportation or a famous attraction. You can also choose a good hotel in an area that you have never visited before, so you can be a tourist in your own city.

Another important tip for choosing a good hotel online in Singapore for a staycation is to check the facilities that are owned by the hotel. This is good to think of if you just want to stay all day in the hotel. You have to check whether the hotel has important facilities like free WiFi, swimming pool, gym, and spa.

We know you couldn’t live without an internet connection. So checking the availability of internet connection is very important. Most good hotels provide free WiFi, but some will charge you a small amount of money. There are also a few that allow access for a limited number of devices. It can be a problem if you’re having a staycation with your friends.

Another thing to note, the hotel website might mention that there’s WiFi, parking, and breakfast without a price next to it. But it doesn’t always mean like it is. So you have to double check this information. It goes the same with air conditioning. Some hotels only have air conditioning in certain rooms. Sometimes hotels will advertise that they have parking, but it is actually a third-party garage that isn’t located on-site. This is important if you’re planning to drive your own car. If you prefer to have breakfast at the hotel, make sure you choose the room rate that includes breakfast.

It can be a problem when you don’t realize a hotel doesn’t provide toothpaste. Especially if you’re not planning on bringing your own toiletries. Checking up on whether the room has a working area or not is also important if you’re planning on doing some work while having a staycation.

If you don’t know where your hotel is in relation to where you want to be in the city, you aren’t going to be happy when you arrive. You probably can’t trust 100% of a hotel's own description of their location. They often say Orchard Road is easy to reach from the hotel, while what they actually mean is that you can “easily” walk to an MRT station 15 minutes away, then “easily” take a 20-minute MRT ride to a station near these attractions.

It is wise to check the map to see the exact location of the hotel before you finally book the hotel online, especially if you’re planning to visit some attractions near the hotel. Be sure to see how long it would take you to reach attractions, dining options, shopping, and other points of interest on foot. If there’s nothing walkable, then check for public transportation. By checking the exact location first, it will save your time and money. So, you will have a good staycation experience.

The important thing about choosing good hotels online is the price. After checking the facilities and amenities you will get from the hotel, you have to check the hotel price. Is it worth the price you need to pay with the facilities and amenities you will get? Sometimes, you choose to have a staycation in the city because of the limited budget. So, you need to be careful with the price. There is no point in doing a staycation if you end up spending and booking a hotel the same amount that you would if you flew somewhere. But if you’re not on a budget then you can choose a good hotel based on your need and preference.

Anyway, a good hotel doesn’t have to be expensive, and an affordable hotel can be a really good hotel too!

The next tip for choosing good hotels online is to check the hotel type. Maybe it won’t be a problem if you’re travelling alone. But if you’re travelling with friends or family, choosing the right type of hotel is important, especially if you’re bringing your kids. You have to check whether the hotel is family friendly or not, like do they have facilities for children?

A little tip for you: maybe, it’s best for you to not stay at the budget hotel if doing a staycation with your family, because usually budget hotels don’t have many facilities for children.

We noticed that many guests complained about room sizes on review sites. Size does make a difference to your travel experience. Whether it is a budget hotel or luxury hotel, the size of a hotel room needs to be considered. A good hotel is supposed to be comfortable. If it’s not even comfortable, it shouldn’t be considered a good hotel at all!

Always prioritize what’s important to you, and don’t compromise on them. If there’s not enough space for your belongings or even to do your daily activities comfortably, it can ruin your staycation experience, especially if you’re not doing a staycation alone and with your family or friends.

Actually, the size of the room is connected to the room type. A higher room type doesn’t mean you get a bigger room sometimes in some hotels. Every person has a different preference too. One thing you need to consider before booking a hotel online is to check whether the room is smoking or non smoking room type. If you’re not a smoker, it’s best to choose a non-smoking room to avoid the stench of someone else’s smoke, and if you’re smoking, please note that many hotels only have a non smoking room.

Please be sure whether you need specific needs or not before booking a hotel online. For example, if you’re travelling with a pet, you will need to get a pet-friendly hotel. Or if you’re going to stay with someone with a physical disability, you need to check whether the hotel has a lift or elevated toilet seat. Safety is always key when travelling, so look out for facilities you require when checking out a hotel.

You might be wondering why it is important to check when the last time the hotel was renovated. You must have an expectation that the hotel needs to be clean and modern. Before booking a hotel online, find out when was the last time the whole property was last updated. Note that pictures can lie.

If the hotel has updated or renovated its spaces within the last four years, you can usually expect clean, well-maintained decor. No one wants to see grime in the showers or peeling wallpaper! Usually, it takes four to six years for things to start to look dated. If it’s more than six years then maybe you can be disappointed. Don’t just focus on the decor when it comes to asking when the hotel was updated. You also want to know things like when the mattresses were replaced, so you don’t end up sleeping on a saggy, spring-riddled bed. You must have expected to have a good night’s sleep, so if the bed is not comfortable, your staycation will fail.

A lot can happen in a year. So when you go to Traveloka to check on the previous guest review, make sure you check the review within the last year. Interpreting a rating can be tricky. Some of the good hotels might have been fantastic five years ago in terms of management, decor, and amenities, therefore they get a high rating and have received an overwhelming number of positive reviews.

In a year or five years, the hotel might change their employee, change the owners, and the decoration. So the positive reviews are not relatable to the current situation and interfere with the negative reviews from the present. So when researching, be sure to focus on reading the reviews from within the last year. This will generally provide you with a good sense of what you can expect during your stay.

Who doesn’t like discounts and promos on a good hotel? When booking a hotel online, always find a way to save up some money. Sometimes, you might not want to have a staycation but you’ll book a hotel anyway because of the promos. It’s also great if you have a loyalty card. Once you reach some level or point you can get a promotion or at least an upgrade. Promos can come from many sources, including Traveloka. Usually, Traveloka provides attractive hotel promotions in Singapore for you, such as discounts when booking on certain days, discounts for credit card holders, and much more. So don't forget to check the promos that are available!

Sometimes, there is a program like the Singapore Rediscovers Vouchers that will help you to get a good deal for your booking of a great hotel for your staycation. Unfortunately, this SRV program will end in 2021, so you have to use it immediately before this year is over!

Do you agree with these 12 tips for choosing a good hotel online in Singapore? At the end of the day, it’s all about understanding what you want from a good hotel that will suit all your staycation needs. Whether it’s about the location, price, hotel type, the size of the room, room type, reviews from the previous guests, the facilities, amenities, and even the promotion.

If you take all those things into consideration, It’s very easy to eliminate hotels that wouldn’t suit you and figure out which ones would be perfect, even if it is a great hotel. Now, you will have a wonderful and memorable staycation at a good hotel. Also, balancing your needs and expectations first will help you determine the best hotel stay for you.