This Singapore Resort Has Just Landed in the World's Top 10 Hotels – And It's Hiding in the Jungle!

Picture this: you step off the plane in Singapore, the city buzz still ringing in your ears, and within 30 minutes you're deep in a lush rainforest. Birds you’ve never heard before are calling from the canopy, a gentle breeze carries the scent of wet earth and wild orchids, and your biggest decision of the day is whether to sip your morning coffee while watching monkeys swing past your window or head straight to the treetop pool.

Sound like a dream? It’s real. And it’s just been named one of the top 10 hotels on the entire planet. Drumroll, please…

It’s the Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree.

Yes, the brand-new stunner tucked inside Singapore’s Mandai Wildlife Reserve has stormed into fifth place in the globally respected AHEAD 2025 Awards. Beating out some of the most celebrated properties in Europe and the Middle East. Less than a year old, and already rubbing shoulders with the greats. We’re officially obsessed.

Why this place feels like nowhere else in Singapore

Forget the shiny skyscrapers and infinity pools overlooking Marina Bay (lovely as they are). This is Singapore’s wild side. The one most visitors never discover. The resort is literally built into the rainforest, with rooms and suites that spill out onto the edge of the Upper Seletar Reservoir. The design is pure biophilic brilliance: floor-to-ceiling glass, natural timber, living walls, and clever little details that make you feel like you’re sleeping in the trees rather than just near them.

And then there are the treehouse pods. Yes, actual treehouse suites suspended among the greenery. Wake up, slide open the doors, and the entire canopy is your front garden. It’s the kind of “pinch me” moment that makes even the most jaded traveller go quiet.

Wildlife on your doorstep (the good kind)

You’re not just staying next to the parks. You’re practically living in them. The Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, Bird Paradise, River Wonders and the brand-new Rainforest Wild ASIA are all a short stroll or complimentary buggy ride away.

Fancy breakfast with orangutans in the background? Done. A private after-hours tour of the Night Safari? They can arrange that too. This is the only hotel in Singapore where your morning alarm might actually be a hornbill.

Food that respects the forest

Dining here isn’t an afterthought. The signature restaurant, Forage, is all about hyper-local, harvest-to-table cooking with ingredients foraged from the surrounding reserve (ethically, of course). Think wild herbs, tropical fruits you’ve never tried, and lake views that make every meal feel like a special occasion.

There’s also a gorgeous rooftop pool bar for sunset cocktails and a spa that uses botanicals from the very rainforest you’re staying in. Sustainable luxury at its finest.

Is it actually affordable?

For what you’re getting? Shockingly yes. Rooms start from around SGD $450 per night (including breakfast in many packages), with the jaw-dropping treehouse suites from SGD $1,100. That’s proper five-star, once-in-a-lifetime territory without the usual heart-stopping price tag of Singapore’s city-centre icons.

The verdict If you’ve done the usual Singapore hit list. Gardens by the Bay, Sentosa, rooftop bars. This is the next-level upgrade your future self will thank you for. It’s the perfect mix of adventure, serenity and serious wow factor.

Singapore has always been a city of surprises. This one just happens to be wrapped in vines and ranked fifth best in the world.

So… when are you packing your bags?

Mandai Rainforest Resort by Banyan Tree

60 Mandai Lake Road, Singapore

Book direct for the best rates and those sweet treehouse upgrades.

Tag us in your jungle selfies when you go. We’re already jealous. 🌿🐒

Photos: Mandai Rainforest Resort