How many of us fly through various airports around the world and have to stop over for more than a few hours, and need a hotel, only to find that the nearest reasonable or sometimes, not so reasonable or even nice hotel claiming to be an “airport hotel” s a shuttle bus, taxi or Uber ride away?
The Jewel Changi Singapore Airport
Well, if you are transiting through Singapore’s excellent Changi Airport, as I did recently on the way to Thailand and need an overnight hotel, I discovered the Crowne Plaza Changi Airport by IHG, which I found to be a really fabulous option for anyone transiting through Changi Airport.
Even better, you will need no shuttle or Uber ride, as the Crowne Plaza Changi Airport by IHG is located right in Changi Airport and right by Singapore’s famous MRT, so it’s not only easy to get to but also provides effortless access to Singapore’s fantastic attractions.
Allora Ristorante & Bar, Crown Plaza Changi Airport by IHG – John Alwyn-Jones.
When I have landed at Changi in the past, I could actually see the Crowne Plaza Changi Airport by IHG, as it is nestled right in the airport, with this time I found that the Crowne Plaza Changi Airport by IHG entrance is located right in Changi’s Terminal 3, near the check-in counters, which is fantastic, but from other Changi terminals make sure you follow the signs, which I have to say are not as clear as they might be. Still, of course, that might just be me after a long flight!!
Many other airports around the world have hotels that claim to be airport hotels, but they are often not actually in the airport. Still, the Crowne Plaza Changi Airport by IHG is absolutely walkable from all of Singapore Changi Airport’s terminals, of course, after you clear customs and immigration….so easy!
The Lobby, Crown Plaza Changi Airport by IHG – John Alwyn-Jones.
The Crowne Plaza Changi Airport by IHG also offers easy access to quality dining, either right in the hotel with its excellent Allora Ristorante & Bar, or with several options close by in the airport, with heaps of shopping right next door. It also has a direct walkway to the stunning Jewel precinct.
The Crowne Plaza Changi Airport by IHG has also won heaps of awards, including the World’s Best Airport Hotel at the Skytrax World Airport Awards for ten consecutive years, from 2015 to 2025 and the Best Airport Hotel in Asia/Asia-Pacific at both the Skytrax World Airport Awards and the Business Traveller Asia-Pacific Awards.
In 2025, the Crowne Plaza Changi Airport by IHG also received Haute Grandeur Global Awards, including Best Airport Hotel, Asia; Best Hotel View, Asia; and Most Unique Guest Experience, Asia. The Allora Ristorante & Bar, located on the ground floor of the Crowne Plaza Changi Airport by IHG, was also awarded Best Hotel Restaurant (Global) and Best Italian Cuisine (Singapore). In the Luxury Lifestyle Awards, it won Best Luxury Airport Hotel in Southeast Asia, Best Luxury Italian Cuisine in Southeast Asia for its Allora Ristorante & Bar, and an International Sustainability Award.
De Luxe Room, Crown Plaza Changi Airport by IHG – John Alwyn-Jones.
Although the Crowne Plaza Changi Airport by IHG was built in 2008, and opened in May 2008, with 320 rooms, be reassured, it is not at all dated, as it has undergone substantial renovations and expansions, including in 2016, when an excellent 243 new rooms were added and another refurbishment in 2023, when an additional 12 rooms were added, with continuing ongoing work undertaken to maintain and even improve the quality and status of the hotel.
There is a standard check-in and a dedicated check-in for IHG Elite members with happy smiling staff, which makes such a difference after a long flight. I was also provided with Lounge access, which was excellent. Still, it meant I feasted on the superb food in the Lounge, with complimentary cocktails and mocktails, and I remember that drinks can be costly in Singapore. Hence, this offers excellent value for money even if you have to pay for access.
A range of quality, stylish, modern rooms and suites is available. I was fortunate to be given a very lovely, very comfortable, and very well-equipped room with a king bed overlooking one of the runways, which, for an airline geek like me, was heaven. But be assured that it was not at all noisy!
The bathroom was modern and very well equipped, with plenty of international-standard charging points throughout. The free Wi-Fi was very speedy indeed, the TV was fabulous, offering a vast range of international channels, and the room service menu was extensive.
The Lounge, Crown Plaza Changi Airport by IHG – John Alwyn-Jones.
I was exhausted when I arrived and having feasted in the Lounge, I regret that I did not have dinner, but I did have breakfast, where the selection and quality was superb in the Allora Ristorante and Bar, offering a buffet and made to order breakfast, and also if I had been hungry, authentic Italian lunch and dinner, with a bar and alfresco dining, with Allora recognised as among the TOP 100 Restaurants of the World by Luxury Lifestyle Awards in 2024.
I also found it very interesting that the Crowne Plaza Changi Airport by IHG and Allora Ristorante & Bar are both very popular indeed with locals for weddings and celebrations, which speaks volumes as recommendations and also as great places for conferences and meetings.
In summary, I found the Crowne Plaza Changi Airport by IHG, to be an excellent, genuine “in airport” hotel, a “must stay” for any stop overs in Singapore, offering an extremely convenient great value and outstanding quality location for transit travellers, with a relaxed, tropical garden ambiance, great restaurant, and a really nice bar, a tropical pool and gym and most importantly for me after a long flight, superb rooms with extremely comfortable king side beds and right in Singapore’s Changi Airport! What could be better?
An independent hotel review by John Alwyn-Jones. – (c) 2025
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