Contents
- Context
- TLDR
- Room Overview
- Facilities and Amenities
- Location
- Buffet Breakfast
- I recommend this hotel for …
- Pros and Cons
1. Context
The Shangri-la Rasa Sentosa Resort is a hotel that has been in business for more than 30 years. My family has been coming to this resort quite often in the last 20-odd years for staycations, even before staycations were a thing.
So you can probably imagine that this is a very special post for me as I have many fond feelings towards the hotel, even if my early memories are fuzzy at best. I will try to be as objective as I can, but I please treat this as a disclaimer that I may be biased in this review.
At the same time, I think my familiarity with the hotel has allowed me to experience it in different seasons over the years. Most notably, the rooms have gotten much more expensive, and from the outset I can say that you may find better value at some other hotels on the island. But I believe the resort has its own charm and leans into its differentiated positioning as a family-focused resort, plus the only one on Sentosa with private beach access.
My final disclaimer is that my recent visits are as a group of 2 to 3 Singaporean adults and 2 Singaporean seniors. So read on if you would like to hear more. I have tried to put together an overview of the room and comprehensive review of the resort overall, with ample photos from 2025 and past visits. Leave a comment if you have any questions!
2. TLDR
- ✨ Aesthetics: Cottage by the beach, light wood, forest green
- 🏨 Room: Clean, bright, comfortable
- 🧳 Facilities: Pools, private beach access, free planned activities, kids club
- 💵 Price: On the pricier side but certainly not the most expensive on Sentosa
- 📌 Location: Somewhat isolated from key attractions but is the only hotel with private beach access
- 👨👩👦 Clientele: Primarily international families with young children
🌟 Overall verdict: A great choice for families with young children and those who prefer to spend their holidays near the beach or lounging by the pool.
3. Room Overview
The room was fairly large, and we requested an extra roll-in bed as we had 3 adults in this room. This room is one of the cheapest available at the resort as it faces that back of the hotel and not the sea.
The room amenities were limited but sufficient. Water was provided in these cartons, but we could also get water from this dispenser which dispensed room temperature and hot water. However, I found the machine quite tedious because we had to refill the water tank with water from the tap. I didn’t know the proper method of removing the tank from the machine to refill it directly so I had to transfer water using a small glass. It seemed like a lot of work when I could have just my room temperature water directly from the tap (Which is a viable option since Singapore’s tap water is safe to drink).
Years ago, the minifridge contained some little items like snacks and drinks, which were chargeable of course. This time, the minifridge came with two little creamers and nothing more. That’s fine by me since we typically used the fridge to store the drinks we bought from the Cheers convenience store right outside the property anyway. 😉
The tea and coffee drawer contained some Shangri-la branded teas, which were free to enjoy and take home. The teas were in those fancy net bags too.
The bathroom was spacious, with quite a bit of countertop space for all my skincare. The room also came with a bathtub, perfect for soaking at the end of a long day of island activities.
The shower amenities were quite nice. They have these “john masters’ organics” shower amenities which had nice citrus or other smells. Though I think if you prefer your shower amenities unscented, you might want to bring your own.
☹️ Some room for improvement
One major con was that we weren’t really able to watch TV. Only the satellite TV channels were available and there was so much static it was difficult to watch anything. I believe the TV should have been able to connect to the internet but it said it was “not connected to a network”. There was no Chromecast attached either so we couldn’t stream Netflix. This surprised us because there was one attached on our last visit. Perhaps it was because this was a cheaper room?
Our room also did not have a Nespresso machine, which I don’t personally care about. However, if there are specific things you must have in a room, it would be wise to look through the room amenities carefully to avoid disappointment . The only reason I noticed this room difference was because our parents were staying in the “Panoramic Sea View”, which had a Nespresso machine. But even then, they complained that the mugs in the room couldn’t fit into the Nespresso machine properly. They had to hold up the mugs at an angle while the drink was being dispensed.
One last thing nitpicky thing was about a “painting” which I thought was an odd choice. It was the one piece of artwork in the room which helped to liven up the space with a pop of red. But when I looked at it straight on, I could clearly see that it was a picture that was not meant to be blown up to that size. The obvious pixels in the painting, I’m sorry to say, made it look quite tacky when everything else was perfectly alright. Still, this is just about the design and did not affect my stay at all.
4. Facilities and Amenities
Pools
One of my fondest memories about the resort as a young child was the pools! I still enjoy the pools now as an adult.
The main pool area was split into two, one section for the main activities and one section with two Jacuzzis that was roped off for adults only. The pool wasn’t large but it was fine for a soak. We had a nice time in the pool having a quick swim and using the waterjets in the Jacuzzi. It was slightly less chaotic in the adults only section, but we could still hear the chaos from the family side.
There was a kids area with three water slides and some splash pads. During the day, there were also scheduled activities hosted by the hotel like waterpolo and other family-friendly games. I can’t comment on these as I did not participate.
Private beach and open water activities
The private beach access is one of the differentiating factors of the resort. We had tried the hotel’s free kayaking activity on a previous trip. We just went up to the rental station and the staff got out the kayaks for us. We had to wear life jackets, but we were free to paddle out past the private area of the beach to the main Siloso beach area. We could go pretty far, at our own risk but those main beaches were also patrolled by lifeguards.
This time, we only visited the beach on our last morning. Unfortunately, it was high tide so the sliver of beach that was available was quite small. There was only a few meters between some of the deck chairs and the lip of the ocean. There were families playing in the sand, but my family rushed to take a photo for memories before quickly scuttling back into the shade. The sun was too brutal!
Other planned activities
There are noticeboards in the lift lobby and near the pool that list the free daily activities that are taking place at the resort for the week. There are things like forest walks, aquarobics, etc. that are free to participate in.
There was also a kids club and playground on the property for families with young children. When I passed by the kids club, it looked like parents were doing craft activities with their children. There were ping pong and pool tables on the first floor and some bicycles for rent by the pool as well.
This trip, they were also offering a free buggy service to Palawan beach and a 20% discount on Palawan beach activities. This included another beach club, go-karting, mini golf, etc. This buggy service is different from the free shuttle bus service to VivoCity, which is a mall outside of Sentosa island. It is directly linked to Harbourfront train station that can be used to connect resort guests to the rest of Singapore.
5. Location
The resort’s ability to offer a private beach is also due to its location at the western-most point of Sentosa, next to Fort Siloso (See map below. Please note that I took this map directly from Sentosa’s website and their compass is … incorrect.). The good thing was that the resort’s surroundings were relatively quiet even during the day. Staying near Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) would have kept us close to the hustle and bustle, but that would have included some major construction works. In contrast, the Rasa Sentosa Resort was a nice retreat.
But its location was a double-edged sword. It took longer to travel to the major tourist attractions like Universal Studios Singapore, The Oceanarium, The Luge, etc. To travel to RWS from the resort, we needed to take a free Sentosa Island bus from Siloso Point (see bus route below). It would take anywhere between 10 to 20 minutes, depending on how quickly the bus arrived. Beach Station would be another two stops from RWS.
There also weren’t any affordable food options near the resort. Our only options were room service, one of the hotel’s restaurants, or Southside, a food market that had limited opening hours. At least there was a Cheers convenience store right outside the resort. We managed to get our snacks and drinks from the store which closed at 10pm to satisfy our late night munchies.
For comparison, I had stayed at The Outpost Hotel in September 2025, which was only a 3-minute walk away from Imbiah Station, one of the Sentosa Express monorail stations. This made it super convenient to go out to VivoCity for more affordable food options or head down to the beach. If we were peckish, we could also just walk about 5-7 minutes to WEAVE at RWS.
Despite my praise about the resort’s tranquillity, note that it is still a family-friendly resort. The common areas are bound to be somewhat rowdy all year round, especially during the holidays. You should also check in with the hotel if you are sensitive to noise. For example, there was a New Year’s Eve countdown party that was held at Siloso beach in 2025. This was right outside the resort where festivities ran from evening till midnight. Knowing about such events would help you better plan for your stay.
6. Buffet Breakfast
The buffet breakfast is also one of the highlights of the resort. It has one of the widest food selections at any international hotel breakfast that I’ve ever had. The quality is also fairly good, depending on what you like and the time of day. I had particular praise for the Indian food section which was excellent this trip. It also supplied me with my much needed Teh Tarik (pulled black tea with condensed milk).
The only downside was the buffet crowd. While the restaurant was large and could accommodate quite a lot of guests in a combination of indoor and outdoor seating, there were peak periods from 9-11am where we had to queue up.
On a previous trip, we had been offered dining space in one of their ballrooms on the first floor to skip the queue. The food offered there is exactly the same, just in a different location. They even set up the “live” stations for noodles and eggs, which couldn’t have been an easy feat.
Overall, I think the variety of food shines here. These were the selections on this trip:
- The Western section offered the usual options like scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, and a “live” egg station that could even serve eggs benedict.
- The Indian section offered different breads and curries, and a “live” station that made fresh appam.
- The Chinese section offered porridge, soups, dim sum, and other dishes. It even offered a pork belly bun on our second morning.
- The back of the restaurant included a “live” noodle station offering chicken soup and laksa.
- The pastries section was packed with the usual breakfast items like pancakes, muffins, and bread. But it also included more delectable treats like egg tarts, local coffee buns, and pain au chocolat.
- For drinks, there were a couple of coffee machines offering the usual western coffees. There were tea bags for hot teas, and a “live” Teh Tarik station. There was also a selection of fruit juices and milks, including a dairy-free alternative.
- The kids section was placed at a lower height so smaller kids could still choose their foods, and a small baby section included jars of baby food.
- There was a very small vegan and cold dishes section as well as a salad bar and charcuterie selections. These were complemented by a selection of cut fruit, yogurts, and even Bircher Muesli.
If you have specific dietary requirements, I suggest asking the staff or chefs manning the stations to be sure.
7. I recommend this hotel for …
This resort has a relatively higher price point compared to other Sentosa or Singapore hotels, so it’s not suitable for every traveller.
As I’ve mentioned many times throughout this article, I recommend this hotel primarily for families with young children. There were many of them during this trip, with young children of around 4-12. If you are any other demographic, just be sure you are okay with the potentially rowdy common areas like the pool, beach, and buffet area.
The clientele also skewed international this time, though in the past it was a good mix between locals and tourists. I heard many accents and languages on the property, many that I couldn’t even place. So I think the hotel should be quite familiar with hosting international guests.
I think this hotel is also better suited for people who prioritise proximity to the beach, or for those looking for a poolside holiday with ocean views.
You also need to either have money for the expensive food options nearby or be willing to travel out for more affordable options. Or maybe you’re willing to eat cup noodles from the convenience store everyday, who knows.
If you want a more budget-friendly (for Singapore at least) family option in Sentosa, you can look into the Village hotel. I’ve stayed there before and it was pretty good, and the clientele is quite similar to the Rasa Sentosa, but with more tour groups.
From TripAdvisor reviews, I’ve seen that families seem to stay at the Rasa Sentosa resort for up to a week at a time, which feels a bit long to me! But these look like international families who are here for a tropical vacation, so perhaps they need the sun and the surf (there are no big waves here, just to be clear, I was just using a turn of phrase). You can theoretically travel out everyday to the mainland using a taxi, Grab (our local ride-hailing service), or other chauffer options, but if you want to be near the city-centre, this is not the hotel for you.
8. Pros and Cons (it’s my opinion)
😍 Pros
- Hotel includes family-friendly amenities and activities
- The pool has an adults-only section for some calm pool relaxation
- Clean and comfortable rooms with a tropical island/beach vibe
- Attentive and prompt staff
- You are somewhat close to nature (see the Hornbill sighting at our balcony in the photo above)
🙁 Cons
- The hotel is further away from the Sentosa island attractions and the Singapore mainland
- Food options are slightly limited and expensive
- The hotel itself is not for budget travellers
- Television quality was not great with only satellite channels available
- Pool and buffet breakfast can get quite rowdy and crowded during peak periods
Thanks for reading till the end. Happy travels! 💜
P.S. If you are interested, I may actually consider posting more about some other rooms we have stayed in, such as the sea view adjoining rooms. I might also write about some of my recent experiences at some of the new stores at RWS. Stay tuned!
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