There are just not enough tourist-class hotels in Singapore. This has been a problem for a long time, more so in recent years when more and more visitors are coming here.

Other than in the central areas, hotels are almost non-existent. Downtown areas such as Orchard Road, Bras Basah Road, Bencoolen Street, Havelock Road and Geylang are saturated.

As a frequent traveller, I notice that hotels in most cities in this region are not concentrated in the city areas alone. For example, most cities in China have hotels in suburbs away from the city centre.

When I visited a few cities in China recently, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the four-star hotels I had booked were located in suburbs outside the city centre, and those areas were as vibrant as downtown.

Is it still not feasible or viable to have hotels at Bedok, Tampines or Pasir Ris? Think again, Singapore Tourism Board and URA.

William Jefferson