Bintan Resorts: How to Choose Where to Stay

Bintan can feel like one big resort, but the island actually offers four quite different kinds of stay in a single stretch of coast. Choosing well is less about the “best” resort and more about matching the place to who you are travelling with and what you want to do. Here is how to narrow it down before you book.

Lagoi: where almost every resort is

Nearly all the resorts Singaporeans visit sit in Lagoi, a planned resort zone on Bintan’s northern coast that the operator markets as “Bintan Resorts”. This matters because it is also the only part of the island served directly by the ferry from Singapore. The high-speed Bintan Resort Ferries (BRF) catamaran runs from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal to Bandar Bentan Telani (BBT) inside the zone in about 60 minutes; the resorts arrange their own shuttles from BBT to your hotel.

The rest of the island - the main town of Tanjung Pinang in the south, reached by separate town ferries - is a different trip altogether, with city hotels rather than beach resorts. For a resort weekend, think “Lagoi”, and let the ferry and the resort transfer do the rest.

Card comparing Bintan resort styles: luxury villas, family hotels, glamping and value stays with who each suits

How Bintan’s resort styles compare. Source: Bintan Resorts, October 2026.

Match the resort to your trip

The operator groups the Lagoi properties into four tiers, and each points to a different kind of traveller.

Luxury villas and estates are the pick for couples and milestone trips. Banyan Tree Bintan has Balinese-style villas built into a green hillside, many with private pools, and markets itself squarely at honeymooners; The Sanchaya feels like a private beachfront estate built for a quiet, exclusive stay; and Hotel Indigo Bintan Lagoi Beach brings a colourful, design-led feel with a rooftop infinity pool and direct access to Lagoi Beach.

Mid-range family hotels are the sweet spot for most families. Holiday Inn Resort Bintan Lagoi Beach is built around a kids’ club and family-friendly pools, so parents get a break; Four Points by Sheraton Bintan is a modern all-rounder with a big pool and several restaurants, good for a low-fuss weekend.

Glamping suits groups of friends and families who want something that photographs well. The ANMON Resort is a desert-themed camp of air-conditioned tents with an outdoor cinema and a lively bar, while Natra Bintan pitches safari-style tents right beside the Crystal Lagoon so you can swim or kayak straight from your door.

Value stays keep the trip cheap without leaving the beach. Cassia Bintan offers bright apartment-style rooms with small kitchens - handy for groups self-catering - and Grand Lagoi Hotel is a clean, modern base if you just need somewhere comfortable to sleep between activities.

Things to build a day around

Lagoi is compact, so plan your days around a few anchors rather than trying to see the whole island.

Golf is a genuine reason to choose Bintan: the zone markets four championship courses, including the oceanside Laguna Golf Bintan and Ria Bintan Golf Club. A golf-plus-beach weekend is one of the island’s signature trips.

The Crystal Lagoon at Treasure Bay is a large man-made swimming lagoon with kayaking and water toys, open to day guests as well as the Natra and ANMON campers next door - a good non-beach option when the sea is choppy. Treasure Bay also puts ANMON about five minutes from the ferry pier, the shortest transfer on the island.

Beyond that, resorts cluster spa, watersports, mangrove tours and dining within their own grounds, which is part of Bintan’s appeal: you can do very little, deliberately.

When to go

Bintan’s weather follows a clear pattern. It is generally sunny, dry and calm from late March to early November; the northeast monsoon from late November to early March brings stronger winds and passing showers, which can affect boat activities and sea conditions. Any time of year works for a pool-and-spa weekend, but if watersports or a calm beach matter, aim for the dry window.

Prices track Singapore’s calendar more than the weather. School holidays and long weekends are busy, and the ferry charges peak “black-out” fares on dates such as early November and much of late December - exactly when rooms are scarcest too.

Getting there and getting around

Getting to the ferry is easy. The Changi Airport–Tanah Merah shuttle runs daily from about 09:00 to 19:45 (with a mid-day break between 14:30 and 16:45); a taxi from the airport is roughly 15 minutes; or take the MRT to Tanah Merah and bus 35 to the terminal.

At the terminal, check in at least 1.5 hours before departure - the counter closes 40 minutes before the boat. On the island, your resort’s shuttle meets the ferry. To get around once you are there, the zone runs an eco-friendly BINBIN electric shuttle bus with an unlimited day pass linking the ferry terminal, resorts and the Plaza Lagoi dining-and-shopping hub; GrabCar now operates inside Bintan Resorts too, alongside taxis and car rental.

Entry in one paragraph

Entry is the same as any Bintan trip and is covered in full in our guides, so here is the short version: Singapore passport holders enter Indonesia visa-free for up to 30 days (the A1 tourism exemption, non-extendable), on a passport valid at least six months, and must file the free All Indonesia digital arrival declaration before travel. Singapore PRs have a separate four-day concession with conditions. See our Indonesia entry requirements guide for the detail and the PR cases.

What a weekend costs

Your two big costs are the ferry and the room. The BRF Economy return runs around S$100 (more on peak dates) - our Singapore to Bintan ferry guide has the current fares and the fees to add. Room rates swing widely by tier and date: value and glamping stays are the cheapest, family hotels sit in the middle, and pool villas are the splurge. Resorts also charge for transfers, activities and dining inside the grounds, so a quiet villa weekend and a glamping-plus-golf weekend can cost very different amounts.

Quick questions

Is one resort area better than another? They are all in Lagoi; the real choice is the resort’s style - villa, family hotel, glamping tent or value stay - not its postcode.

Can I resort-hop during a weekend? Yes, but plan it. Use the BINBIN electric shuttle day pass, GrabCar or a taxi; many people still prefer to settle at one resort and use its facilities.

Which is best for families? A mid-range family hotel such as Holiday Inn Resort, built around a kids’ club and family pools.

Which is best for couples? A luxury pool villa like Banyan Tree, or the quiet beachfront of The Sanchaya.

When should I avoid? Nothing is a write-off, but the late-November-to-early-March monsoon is windier and wetter, and peak-date weekends are the priciest and busiest.