Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza review: Luxury and location

With its unusual hexagonal design and oriental finishes, the Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza manages to stand out in a city filled with architectural curiosities. Handily located on Orchard Road, the city's bustling commercial centre, it's a destination not just for travellers on business, but for romantic getaways and family holidays, too.

I stayed at the Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza with my wife and 3 kids (aged 12, 10 and 7) in December 2023. A time when the streets and surrounding shops are full of Christmas spirit. This is my review of what turned out to be a very memorable experience in Singapore.

Cost

Make no mistake, Singapore is a very expensive destination. The standard king bed room will set you back around $500 per night, give or take, depending on demand and dates. Expect to pay a small premium for higher floors or ones that look out over Orchard Road.

When I compared this price to other 5-star hotels in and around Orchard Road, it makes for a competitive rate. Like I said, Singapore is expensive.

Travelling as a family of 5, we stayed in 2 interconnecting rooms. The first with a king, the other with 2 singles and a rollout. From what I could see, 3 was the maximum capacity for the standard rooms, so families will need to take that into account. Although happily, there's ample room for a rollout (or cot) in the rooms and they are comfortable, too.

Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza location

If you're visiting Singapore for the first time, it's not a city with an obvious tourist hub. Instead, there are numerous hotspots to explore, each offering something special and different. The excellent subway system, called Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), makes accessing it all from any one spot straightforward.

Still, if you're going to identify a geographical central spot, it would be Orchard Road. The flashy commercial centre. It's dotted with shops from all the glamour brands, street performers and multiple levels (above and below ground) of retail experiences and food courts.

The Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza sits right in the heart of it. And also, right above an MRT station and food court, too!

It's the expensive end of town, but Orchard Road is a spectacular experience, especially at night. We even did a dusk walk down Orchard Road, through Fort Canning Park to Clarke Quay, then followed the river all the way down to the Marina Bay Sands. It took 2 hours, but it was a great way to take in the city.

Decor

The Marriott is, of course, one of the biggest and best-known hotel chains in the world. For the Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza, the company has looked to meet its location with an oriental theme.

It can be seen in the hexagonal, pagoda-like building design. The roof dressing, which extends to the brickwork of the outside terraces. And in other touches across the rooms. The overall feel is not just a place of luxury, but of harmony within its setting.

This is particularly true of the stunning lobby, with its grand roof, reaching up to large skylight, water feature and intricate woodwork. It's as opulent as the fancy entrances that welcome the rich to the stores outside.

The hexagonal building shape also provides a surprising bonus for the rooms. Usually, hotels have a rectangular shape, resulting in 4 corner rooms per floor. The Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza has 12 corner rooms per floor, with 1 on each side of the 6 corners. It makes for much wider than usual windows that frame the city wonderfully and let in a lot of light.

Staff

The entrance to the Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza, being that it is on the corner of a bustling street, can be a little tough to find for Grab (the Singaporean Uber) drivers. Plus, it's busy with passing foot traffic. As such, we were happy to be greeted with staff on arrival who took care of all our luggage.

The front desk was well-staffed and we were in our room within 10 minutes. Our rollout bed wasn't installed, but a quick call downstairs was all that was required to remedy the oversight. It was in place within minutes.

Shortly after, we went straight up to the pool for a swim, where more friendly staff were on hand to offer us towels and bottles of water. I had similarly great experiences at the high tea, buffet breakfast and when getting our luggage picked up and stored on the day we checked out.

Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza room

As mentioned above, the first thing you notice when you step into the spacious rooms is the big windows. While not a true corner, the shape of building means the windows extend onto a second wall. This certainly lengthens the view and makes the room feel very bright. Especially from our spot on the 20th floor.

The second thing you notice is the luxury finish to everything. It feels fresh, expensive and comfortable. With air-con that easily keeps the outside heat at bay.

Our connecting rooms more or less mirrored each other. You're greeted immediately by a large bathroom with a floor-to-ceiling marble finish. Embedded LED lighting frames the mirror, the big shower has a seat and a rainmaker and it has all the amenities.

Into the room proper, the bed is amazing: you'll want to jump on it as soon as you see it. There's space for a couch at its end and a decent-sized desk, to go with 2 full-size bedside tables. A large smart TV with around 40 channels is another notable feature and there's plenty of storage space. Plus, a fridge!

The rooms at the Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza are fantastic!

Facilities

Being a city-set hotel, space is at a premium. Despite this, the Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza does a good job in offering guests some treats. The pool is wonderful. Beautifully designed, large and surrounded by comfortable lounges and cabanas, it's a great destination for guests of all ages. An oasis to escape Singapore's ever-present mugginess in style.

There's enough space nearby for a garden to relax in. You'll also find a well-equipped, if a little crammed, gym that even has a small basketball court attached.

Those guests with M Club status get a lovely lounge right by the pool. But sadly, there is no space for regular guests to hang out, outside of the busy lobby area. When I asked if there was a space I could do some work, I was told to try to find a spare seat in the lobby, of which none were available. At least the included internet worked well throughout the building.

There is an inside-outside, public-facing café, bar and restaurant on the ground floor. It's a lovely space, allowing you to look out at the action on Orchard Road while still feeling separate from it.

Food

The buffet breakfast experience at the Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza was definitely a highlight of my stay. It has a delicious and diverse offering of foods from across cultures, as well as bespoke eggs to enjoy. I was impressed by how well-stocked it stayed right up until it closed. The coffee was nice, too.

I didn't get a chance to try room service, but the hotel does put on themed high teas in the lobby area. Ours, of course, celebrated Christmas. You get a castle of sweet and savoury sweets to indulge in, as well as bottomless tea and coffee from a menu of exotic flavours. Our kids were even offered some non-caffeinated varieties.

The high teas aren't cheap, but boy are they yummy. And I'll admit to being very full come the end.

Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza review verdict

It's always nice when a 5-star hotel delivers a 5-star experience. The Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza delivers the luxury experience you expect from both the brand and the price point.

The rooms are truly fantastic, with the building's unusual design resulting in great city views and plenty of space. You'll rarely have slept better. And while the location ensures there's no shortage of things to do, the stunning pool and wonderful breakfast also give you plenty of reason to just stay at the hotel.

I can see travellers of all shapes, sizes and ages enjoying their stay there. As a result, I can easily recommend the Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza for your Singapore accommodation.

Disclaimer: I was invited to stay at the hotel by Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza as a guest.