A superb stay at Singapore’s first garden in a hotel.
Long before sustainability became a hospitality buzzword, the building now occupied by PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay was already one of Singapore’s architectural talking points. Originally the Marina Mandarin, it was completed in 1984 and officially opened in 1987 as part of Marina Square, an ambitious “city-within-a-city” built on reclaimed land. Conceived by American architect John Portman with DP Architects, its defining feature remains its soaring, 21-storey skylit atrium.
Following a S$45 million transformation, that dramatic volume has been replanted and repurposed rather than erased. Today, the 583-room hotel bills itself as Singapore’s first “garden-in-a-hotel”, with more than 2,400 plants from over 60 species spread across 1,400 square metres. A 13-metre green wall rises behind the concierge, while timber pavilions, water features and a stunning skybridge turn the fourth-floor lobby into an indoor landscape.
Above it hangs Orchidea, Richard Lippold’s intricate wire sculpture, installed in 1986. Inspired by Singapore’s national flower, its metallic forms have also been likened to gold coins cascading into open hands. It is a fitting emblem for a hotel that respects its late-modernist bones while softening them with foliage, birdsong and natural light.
The hotel connects directly to Marina Square Mall, with the Esplanade, Suntec City and the Marina Bay waterfront within walking distance. Yet entering the atrium creates an immediate sense of separation from the city outside, with the verdant greenery absorbing much of the scale.
Rooms and Suites
Our COLLECTION Club Marina Bay Room on the 20th floor delivers the view travellers come to Singapore for. The panorama stretches past the Singapore Flyer towards Marina Bay Sands and the Merlion, with the balcony providing a satisfying perch for an early morning caffeination.
The room is contemporary and calm, combining teal and turquoise accents with pale timber flooring and streamlined cabinetry. A filtered drinking-water tap removes the need for plastic bottles, while a Nespresso machine, comfortable work area, intuitive lighting and a bed stacked with plush linens make the space comfortable and cosy. The bathroom is well appointed, though the skyline remains the room’s greatest luxury.
Club access adds considerable value. The COLLECTION Club Lounge on level five offers breakfast, all-day refreshments, afternoon tea and evening cocktails with canapés. Perks such as complimentary minibar non-alcoholic drinks and late checkout are genuinely useful, while the nightly Sleep Ritual pairs herbal tea and botanicals from the Urban Farm with calming scents and singing bowls.
Families are also considered. The Gnome’s Burrow and Gnome’s Treehouse rooms introduce bunk beds, games and whimsical details without abandoning the hotel’s nature-led design.
Destination Dining
The hotel’s strongest restaurant is Peach Blossoms, where Executive Chinese Chef Edward Chong applies contemporary techniques and precise presentation to Chinese culinary traditions. The restaurant re-entered Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants extended list at number 78 in 2026. The Crispy Scales Fillet of Marble Goby in Spicy Pineapple Sauce is a standout, flash-fried to keep the flesh tender beneath crackling skin, then finished with hot oil and a bright sauce of pineapple, lemongrass and ginger flower. Equally memorable is the Wok-braised Rice Noodles with Whole Drunken Crab, a creation that places succulent crab meat and delicate seafood paste around the claw, served in a rich Shanghainese-style broth, slow-baked for two hours; the cooking is creative, but remains anchored in flavour rather than spectacle.
Peppermint, the halal-certified buffet restaurant, is a more energetic proposition. Greenery surrounds the dining room, resident songbirds fill the atrium with sound, and timber pods cocoon diners in pockets of privacy. Rotating spreads run from seafood and sashimi to the Seafood and Lobster Laksa Tower. Current highlights include Applewood-grilled Beef with Rempah Kuning and Buah Keluak Rubbed Roasted Baby Lamb, while fresh and grilled durian is served on selected evenings.
Outside Peppermint, the rooftop Urban Farm grows around 60 varieties of fruit, vegetables, herbs and edible flowers. These ingredients appear in dishes, spa rituals and the sustainable cocktails at Portman’s Bar. Elsewhere, Skyline Bar, beside the pool, is the place for a cooler drink and an unhurried city view.
Rest and Recreation
Level five is dedicated to wellness. The 25-metre outdoor pool offers welcome relief from Singapore’s humidity and becomes especially atmospheric after dark, when 1,380 fibre-optic lights shimmer beneath the water. The adjoining lawn and Skyline terrace make it somewhere to linger rather than simply swim.
On the dedicated wellness floor, guests can journey from mindful spa rituals and Thalasso therapies at the St. Gregory Spa or invigorate with mindful movement at Singapore’s first hotel Technogym Spin Bike Studio. The treatment line-up at this urban escape balances traditional therapies with more results-driven facials. Highlights include the Thalion Ocean Secrets Facial, the Elemis Wellbeing Massage and the Traditional Chinese Tui Na Massage, all designed to leave you looking brighter and feeling properly restored. It is compact rather than resort-sized, but its green outlook and quiet treatment rooms provide an effective reset.
The Verdict
PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay does not compete through ostentation. Its strength lies in landmark architecture, genuine greenery, strong dining and a location that works equally well for business, shopping and sightseeing. Service throughout is warm, observant and efficient without becoming overly formal.
Among Singapore’s many luxury hotels, this is the one for travellers who value visual drama but also want substance behind the sustainability messaging. The building’s history remains visible, yet the garden concept gives it a clear contemporary identity. It is not simply a place to sleep in Marina Bay, but a biophilic sanctuary with a persuasive sense of place.
Where: PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay, 6 Raffles Boulevard, Singapore
Contact: www.panpacific.com