“Taylor Swift Concert Weekend Sparks Surge in Jalan Besar Hotel Room Rates: ST Signature Hits S$530, Arton Boutique Hotel Soars to S$1,320”

Hotel room rates in Singapore have gone up on the first weekend of March 2024, which can be attributed to Taylor Swift’s concerts happening over March 2, 3 and 4 from Saturday to Monday.

Her Singapore-exclusive six shows at the 60,000-capacity National Stadium in Kallang is expected to result in an influx of visitors to Singapore, with the other three shows scheduled over March 7, 8 and 9.
The boom in tourism is not difficult to miss, going by the surging hotel room rates.

A cursory check on hotel booking sites in the early hours of Sunday, March 3 revealed rates that have gone up by as much as 100 per cent or more for some of these establishments, especially those in the Bugis, Jalan Besar and Rochor area.

Bucking the trend, last-minute bargain-hunters can seek out the cheapest option, Hotel Yan, which has priced its room at S$291 for a one-night stay from March 3 to 4, which is about 70 per cent higher than normal.

The most expensive is Arton Boutique, which is priced at S$1,320, far more than what most hotels in the city centre are charging on a Sunday.

As expected, other hotels in the Little India and Rochor area have listed rates that are much higher than usual.

Hotels closer to Orchard and Marina Bay have similarly priced their hotel rooms above the norm as well.

For example, a room at Marina Bay Sands is going for S$1,199, while a room at Conrad Centennial is going for S$1,151.

The Fullerton Hotels and Resorts, as well as the Fairmont Hotel, previously told AFP that demand for rooms during the concert period had risen.

Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines said there had been increased demand for Singapore-bound flights but could not say whether it was solely due to the “Swift Effect”, A