The name befits this centrally located gem, a great jumping off point to explore Singapore’s colonial core near the river, the buzz and glitz of Orchard Road, historic Fort Canning, and the island’s best museums, including the Singapore Art Museum just down the street. Historic 19th-century Chijmes, a former convent school and now a complex of bars and restaurants, is just across the street and the iconic Raffles Hotel just a short walk down the road. Recently renovated, the hotel has an attractive colonial façade and modern interiors with a focus on eclectic art, from large sculptures to abstract paintings, digital panels of changing colors, and funky photography. But perhaps the best part is the reasonable rates.