Tourist resorts to sleeping in public at Marina Bay after hotel prices surge during F1 weekend

A tourist visiting Singapore during the Formula 1 (F1) weekend in October claimed he slept outdoors in Marina Bay after discovering that hotel prices had surged.

The man, who goes by Tom Brew on TikTok, shared his experience in a video posted on Nov. 15.

Slept on a grass patch in Marina Bay

In the video, Brew showed that hotel prices around Little India on Oct. 2 to 3 were about S$466 for a dormitory bed and over S$1,000 for other hotels.

Screenshots from his booking app also indicated that most hotels in the area were fully booked.

In comparison, prices in the same area on Oct. 9 to 10 dropped to about S$50 a night.

Rather than pay the inflated F1-weekend prices, Brew decided to spend the night outdoors in Marina Bay.

His video showed a makeshift sleeping spot with a pile of laundry near a bush, complete with Marina Bay Sands in the background.

@tom.brew4 My trend of something going mildly wrong continues. My same-day hotel bookings proved to have a down side during the F1 weekend. #singaporetiktok #traveltiktok #travelfail #traveldownside ♬ original sound - Tom Brew

Saved money, but exhausted

While he saved money, Brew said he was “very tired” the next morning.

Comments on the video were mixed, with some noting that such price hikes are normal during the F1 period.

One commenter suggested checking out Hotel 81, saying it would be better than enduring the heat, humidity, and mosquito bites.

Brew replied that he was indeed itchy from mosquitoes.

He also mentioned in another comment that he wasn’t the only person spending the night outdoors in the area.

Brew ended the video saying he would do “a bit of pre-planning” next time.

Travelling around Southeast Asia

According to his TikTok bio, Brew is travelling around Southeast Asia.

It appears that he is backpacking around the region and thus often opts for same-day hotel bookings.

He has visited Sentosa, the Adventure Cove Waterpark and attractions at the Garden by the Bay.

Before arriving in Singapore, he had visited Brunei and Malaysia, based on his earlier videos.

Top photos from tom.brew4/TikTok