The range of Singapore shopping malls is so vast that some visitors to this tiny island state book their plane tickets purely for one reason: to shop til they drop! In fact, Singapore has more high-end shopping malls per capita than anywhere else in Asia, and visitors are simply spoilt for choice in terms of both quality and quantity of the many retail options.
The shopping hub of the country, Orchard Road, features heavily on our Top 10 list, with mega malls such as ION Orchard and Ngee Ann City Mall both firm favourites with tourists and locals. Singapore shopping malls are diverse too; a trip to Little India’a 24-hour Mustafa Centre certainly makes for a memorable experience, and VivoCity, near Sentosa, is so big you could spend a whole week shopping, dining and exploring its various entertainment facilities. All of these – and more – feature in our list of the Top 10 Shopping Malls in Singapore!
A stylish architectural wonder, ION Orchard glows like a futuristic beacon at the end of Orchard Road enticing fashionistas and luxury shoppers inside. Welcome to Singapore’s most glamorous shopping complex a glass, marble and steel work of art where there are even extra special toilets for high spending customers and celebrities. Superior services include butler style concierge and a celebrity chef fine dining establishment. Luxury couture, the hottest names fresh from the world’s runways, art exhibitions and even cloud viewing attract an in-vogue shopping crowd at ION Orchard.
-
Louis Vuitton is present on a grand scale alongside the other fashion greats including Bling King Harry Winston, Miu Miu, Cartier, Prada and YSL. Glittery, swanky and unashamedly lavish, ION Orchard takes Singapore shopping malls to a whole new level.
Located on Orchard Road, ION Orchard is easily accessible via Orchard MRT Station. There are multiple entrances into the shopping centre from the MRT station via a new LED-lit walkway. The two main subway entrances are situated on Level 1. The car park has spaces for 650 vehicles including disabled parking; there is free parking Monday to Friday if you spend over $100.
From Changi Airport, the mall is a 30 minutes train ride away. Landmarks include the Marriot Hotel which is directly opposite. Once inside ION Mall, useful services include concierge on Level 1, Level 4 and Basement 3, Singapore Visitors Centre on Level 1, Singapore Airlines centre and complimentary cell phone charging throughout the mall. There are regular shopping promotions including frequent deals for AMEX Platinum Card holders and a tourist privilege card with a range of discounts is also available.
Offers and sales are listed on their website where you can sign up for an e-mail newsletter to find out about the latest deals.
Opening Hours: 10:00 – 22:00 (Daily)
MRT: Orchard
Address: ION Orchard, 2 Orchard Turn, Singapore 238801
Tel: +65 6238 8228
Shopping
ION Orchard is a magnet for luxury goods lovers, with a ream of impressive extravagant brand names lining the polished marble mall. Halle Berry was decked out in Harry Winston gems when she collected her Oscar for Best Actress so it’s definitely worth a peek through the window of this fine jewellers even if you’re just window shopping.
Bringing the brands down to earth are the cheaper chic names including Topshop and New Look.
Food
Even the food hall is fabulous at ION Orchard, with faux Philippe Stark Ghost chairs and decadent chandeliers, the aptly named Food Opera claims Singapore’s largest variety of food in one location with over 80 vendors. Sleek escalators whisk you down to Basement 4 where a veritable feast of options awaits.
For those seeking something even more special, there are plenty of fine dining restaurants starring celebrity chefs and haute cuisine. Touted as Singapore’s ‘sexiest’ restaurant the Salt Grill & Sky Bar is ION Orchards pièce de résistance. Located at the top of the mall it offers a degustation menu, an À la carte menu and an executive set lunch menu.
Owned by celebrity chef Luke Mangan of Sydney Glass Brassiere fame, delights served include Australian Yellowtail Kingfish sashimi and Petuna ocean trout rillettes.
Entertainment
ION Orchard attractions go beyond superb shopping and fine dining, this creative building also hosts art exhibitions in its very own gallery. Residing on the 4th Level, ION ART presents arts and culture events from across the globe, occupying 5,300 square foot of space. Emerging artists and designers present their work including those incorporating multi-media.
Interestingly, the mall has been assigned status as an ‘Official Cloud Spotting Area’ thanks to the ION Sky observation deck. Located on the 56th floor, at 218 metres high, the viewpoint gives 360° views of Singapore through state-of-the-art BEHOLD telescopes. It’s also a great location for catching a fashion show or product launch.
