Singapore is known for its incredible shopping and at the centre of it all is Orchard Road. Stretching for 2.2 kilometres through the heart of the city, this buzzy shopping street is home to more than 20 major shopping malls and a dizzying array of dining options. Here, some of the best places to eat, shop and stay on Orchard Road.
Orchard Road’s name comes from the fruit trees and spice plantations that lined either side of the road during the 1830s and 1840s. By the 1860s, only a few plantations remained and the area largely became residential, with Orchard Road Market and shophouses appearing in the late 19th century.
At the turn of the 21st century, rapid development of hotels and shopping malls had transformed the area. Today, Orchard Road is home to more than 20 major shopping malls and a multitude of dining options. The road is straight and flat, so can be walked, but there are also four MRT stations along the stretch.
It’s unofficially divided into three areas: Tanglin, Orchard and Somerset. At the western end, Tanglin is the known as the more traditional section, with older malls and a slower pace. Orchard is the heart of the shopping district, home to enormous flashy malls and designer boutiques. Whereas Somerset has a younger vibe, with trendy stores and casual dining at the eastern end. Next to Somerset, the district of Dhoby Ghaut is family-friendly, with green spaces and recreational activities.
Sitting directly above Orchard MRT, ION Orchard is eight levels of luxury and everyday labels. This huge shopping mall is known for its designer boutiques, including Hermès, Christian Louboutin and Cartier. But everyday folk will find more affordable shopping at Marimekko, Superga and Uniqlo. When it comes to dining, choose from takeaway favourites such as Guzman y Gomez and Cinnabon, or sit down for a meal at Jumbo Seafood or Din Tai Fung. There’s also an art gallery and ION Sky, where you can enjoy drinks at 1-Atico, a lounge and bar set 56 levels above Orchard Road.
Closest MRT Station: Orchard
Address: 2 Orchard Turn, Singapore
Opening hours: 10am – 10pm daily
If you want a mix of international and local brands, Wisma Atria is a great option. You’ll find Aussie labels Seed Heritage, Forever New and Seafolly alongside Singaporean stores such as Charles & Keith and Theimprint, whichpersonalises drink bottles and leather items such as passport holders and notebooks on the spot. When your tummy rumbles, there are plenty of casual eats such as Subway, Super Sushi or local cuisine at Food Republic.
Closest MRT Station: Orchard
Address: 435 Orchard Road, Singapore
Opening hours: 10am – 10pm daily
If your wardrobe is filled with the likes of Gucci and Givenchy, you’ll feel at home in Paragon. Spanning six levels, this shopping mall oozes a polished, upscale atmosphere. Whether you’re after new shoes from Jimmy Choo or a classic timepiece from Montblanc, Paragon has you covered. If your wardrobe is less Saint Laurent and more Skechers, never fear — the likes of Marks & Spencer, ASICS and Vans also call Paragon home.
Closest MRT Station: Orchard
Address: 290 Orchard Road, Singapore
Opening hours: 10am – 10pm daily
The young and trendy can be found hanging out at 313@somerset, a go-to destination for youthful brands and experiences. Fashion favourites include Zara, streetwear retailer Limited Edt and a Cotton On mega store. There are also several entertainment hubs including karaoke, carnival games and arcade machines.
Closest MRT Station: Somerset
Address: 313 Orchard Road, Singapore
Opening hours: 10am – 10pm, Sunday to Thursday, 10am – 11pm, Friday and Saturday
This 12-storey mall is home to Uniqlo’s multi-level flagship store, but it’s the lifestyle and entertainment offerings that set it apart. Visitors can try their hand at pottery at Am I Addicted Korean Pottery Studio, warm up their vocal chords at K Star Karaoke, or get active with a pilates, yoga or martial arts class.
Closest MRT Station: Somerset
Address: 181 Orchard Road, Singapore
Opening hours: 11am – 10pm daily
Design Orchard is Orchard’s best option for local Singaporean shopping. On the first level, DORS showcases more than 90 local designers and brands, where you can browse homegrown fashion, accessories and handcrafted homewares. The second level is occupied by The Cocoon Space, a fashion-focused co-working space that also hosts exhibitions and hands-on workshops. Upstairs, Third Floor Social is an all-day bar offering music, live entertainment and a relaxed setting that is has cosy living room feels.
Closest MRT Station: Somerset
Address: 250 Orchard Road, Singapore
Opening hours: 10:30am – 9:30pm daily
Chances are you’ll get hungry while shopping in the colossal ION Orchard shopping mall. Here, you can find one of Violet Oon’s three venues. This beloved restaurant oozes the elegance of an estate home and has an all-day dining menu that celebrates Singaporean and Peranakan cuisine, prepared using traditional methods and generational love. It also has a plant-based menu and offers a Singapore high tea from 3–5pm.
Closest MRT Station: Orchard
Address: 2 Orchard Turn, Singapore
Another excellent restaurant with many locations across the city, Merci Marcel brings a taste of France to the tropics. Its Orchard Road outpost is set within the Palais Renaissance shopping mall and serves breakfast, brunch, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and takeaway. It offers modern, casual French cuisine in a very chic setting. It also has a boutique store attached, selling quality homewares and gifts.
Closest MRT Station: Orchard
Address: 390 Orchard Road, Singapore
Since 2016, this elegant restaurant at Hilton Singapore Orchard has held a Michelin star. Shisen Hanten by Chen Kentaro specialises in Chūka Szechwan Ryori, a distinctive fusion of Szechwan cuisine and Japanese culinary techniques. Chef Chen Kentaro honours his family’s culinary heritage through time-honoured recipes, including his famous Mapo tofu made with fermented bean paste aged for more than three years in Chengdu’s Pi Du District, along with silky tofu, ground pork, chilli oil and Szechwan peppercorns.
Closest MRT Station: Somerset
Address: 333 Orchard Road, Singapore
Who doesn’t love an all-day breakfast? This Singapore favourite has been serving its extensive global menu since 2009, with dishes inspired by destinations from Sydney to Tunisia. Tuck into a Mexican breakfast burrito, a Jerusalem shakshukit or a classic English big breakfast with the works, alongside coffee, tea, juices, beer, wine and cocktails. The Orchard Road restaurant has a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere, with a Brooklyn-inspired design.
Closest MRT Station: Orchard
Address: 333A Orchard Road, Singapore
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In the heart of Singapore’s shopping belt, Hilton Singapore Orchard is particularly convenient for shopping at ION Orchard and Paragon. The hotel has modern rooms with views across the city and Marina Bay, including family suites and connecting rooms, as well as a full children’s programme. Its five dining options include Michelin-starred Shisen Hanten, alongside casual dining and a stylish cocktail bar. There’s also an outdoor pool for cooling off on hot Singapore days and a fitness centre.
Closest MRT Station: Somerset
Address: 33 Orchard Road, Singapore
This contemporary, design-forward hotel holds a prime position in the centre of Orchard Road, close to Paragon. Expect pops of bright colour and vibrant art throughout the hotel and rooms, along with excellent dining options, including a modern Asian restaurant filled with natural light and greenery and a sophisticated bar. The outdoor pool is a highlight, with daybeds and poolside cocktails to while away afternoons after shopping.
Closest MRT Station: Orchard
Address: 270 Orchard Road, Singapore
JEN Singapore Orchardgateway by Shangri-La is located close to 313@somerset shopping mall and Somerset MRT station, making it an excellent base for exploring and shopping. The hotel has modern, comfortable rooms, including a family room that sleeps four, plus a buffet restaurant and rooftop bar beside the pool, where incredible city views stretch towards Marina Bay Sands. There’s also a gym for keeping active during your stay.
Closest MRT Station: Somerset
Address: 277 Orchard Road, Singapore
A short walk from ION Orchard, voco Singapore Orchard is a great choice for travellers looking for spacious, modern rooms and plenty of dining options. The hotel has a contemporary steakhouse, a lunch buffet, an Italian restaurant, a patisserie, two bars and a Michelin-starred European restaurant. There’s also a 24-hour fitness centre and a rooftop pool with poolside service, perfect for cooling off after a day of shopping.
Closest MRT Station: Orchard
Address: 581 Orchard Road, Singapore
While not physically sitting on Orchard Road, this uber-luxurious hotel is located at the Tanglin end, within easy walking distance of the Singapore Botanic Gardens when you need a reprieve from the shops. Its minimalist rooms range from deluxe doubles to lavish penthouse suites. Dining options include FYSH at EDITION, a seafood-focused steakhouse surrounded by lush greenery, a relaxed lobby bar with a rose-coloured Calacatta marble pool table, a sapphire-blue cocktail bar, a glamorous 1920s-style club and an alfresco rooftop. There is also a lush day spa and 24-hour fitness centre.
Closest MRT Station: Orchard Boulevard
Address: 38 Cuscaden Road, Singapore
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The best wellness holidays aren’t necessarily spent wrapped in a spa robe. Sometimes they’re found around a dinner table in Cambodia, on a hiking trail in New Zealand or after finally beating jet lag on the other side of the world. The hotel you choose is what makes them happen.
One of the quickest ways to derail healthy habits on holiday is to spend half of it working out where to eat instead of digging into the culture around you. Thankfully, Novotel has done much of the hard work already, with chefs building menus that lean into the flavours, ingredients and traditions of each destination.
In Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Korkor soup – often dubbed ‘Cambodian ratatouille’ – sits alongside raw blue crab dressed with lime and chilli, best enjoyed with views across the Gulf of Thailand.
In the lovingly chaotic city of Bangkok, the presence of food cranks up the sociability. At Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, you can settle in with mango sticky rice and stranger-turned-friends beside the pool at Sky on 20 rooftop bar, or bring them along to tackle river prawns and stir-fried crab with holy basil at the buzzing Crab Paradise Dinner Buffet.
Then Novotel Dubai Al Barsha welcomes you with a laidback twist on the level of indulgence the Middle Eastern city is best known for up on Deck Se7en. Looking towards Burj Al Arab, the rooftop lounge has everything from Mediterranean-style dishes like seabass ceviche to Italian prosecco sundowners.
At the other end of the scale, in the hills that surround the Novotel Bali Ubud Resort, calm comes from nature. At Siralada restaurant, Balinese traditions shape the menu while thunder rumbles over the surrounding jungle – proving the setting is as nourishing as the food itself.
While at Novotel Nha Trang, chef Kieu Thi My Hanh and her team showcase Vietnam’s knack for balancing freshness, texture and fragrant herbs. Pho remains a favourite, while seafood salad with pomelo and mango brings those flavours together in one bright dish.
It’s all an approach backed by partnerships with expert food creators such as Alfie Steiner, whose plant-forward recipes prove healthy food should never taste plain.
There are few travel experiences more disappointing than arriving in a new country, determined to seize the day, only to fall asleep fully clothed by 3pm.
For Australian travellers, jet lag is often an unavoidable part of the journey. That’s one reason Novotel runs sleep-focused initiatives that help guests adjust quickly without compromising on health. We’re talking partnerships with Sydney-based sleep specialist Olivia Arezzolo, known for her advice on everything from better sleep habits to beating jet lag, alongside features like pillow menus, in-room yoga content and tailored sleep guidance.
The sooner you’re operating on local time, the sooner you can get back to more pressing matters – like deciding which spa treatment to book.
Every place in the world has its own way of getting you moving: whether that’s hiking up ice-bitten mountains before a sauna or gentle stretching by the pool before a facial. From fitness centres to spas, Novotel recognises that wellbeing rarely looks the same.
At Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, activity is inescapable. Here, hiking trails, ski fields, bungee jumps, and white-water rafting have made the region famous. The hotel’s location on the shores of Lake Wakatipu means less time spent organising yourself and more time out there experiencing them. To top it all off, you can book a private hot tub for the evening before heading back into the wilderness tomorrow.
Bali, of course, takes a softer approach. At Novotel Bali Ubud Resort or Novotel Bali Nusa Dua, movement is less about conquering a mountain and more about a dance class between the tropical gardens and lagoon pools. Afterwards, the spa takes over, with traditional treatments like a Lulur body scrub: a combination of rice, turmeric, sandalwood, ginger and jasmine that’ll soothe muscles already relaxed by the Balinese heat.
One of the best things about travel is that it gives your family stories you’ll be telling for years. Novotel helps create them with activities that bring everyone together, whether that’s trying something new, learning a local skill, or simply spending more time together.
Go for a distinctly Thai twist at Novotel Phuket Vintage Park, where many of the family activities draw on local culture. Kids can try everything from beginner Thai boxing and language lessons to umbrella painting and – a pastime beloved by children the world over – pool foam parties. Everyone is welcome to join in, whether that’s getting splashed, covered in paint, or simply watching their children discover a new side of Thailand during the dedicated Family & Kids Day.
A different adventure awaits at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh. Kids could be perfectly content with discos, drawing classes and new holiday friends, but the Red Sea has other ideas. Sitting on the edge of Naama Bay, days here might involve snorkelling colourful reefs, taking a boat trip to Ras Mohammed National Park or heading into the desert by quad bike or camel for a Bedouin-style dinner beneath the stars.
Everyone’s idea of wellness looks a little different. With more than 600 hotels across 65 countries, Novotel gives guests the freedom to choose the destination that suits them best. Whether that’s a beachside escape in Phuket, an alpine expedition in Queenstown or a city break in Bangkok, there’s a good chance a Novotel isn’t far away.
All that’s left? Choosing your version of wellbeing.
Discover stays to inspire your everyday at novotel.accor.com.
