A tourist in Singapore during the October Formula 1 weekend said he ended up sleeping outdoors near Marina Bay after finding hotel prices had spiked.
Known as Tom Brew on TikTok, he recounted the experience in a video uploaded on 15 Nov 2025.
Instead of paying the inflated rates, Brew decided to spend the night outdoors by making do with a piece of cloth on the grass near a bush.
His video showed the makeshift sleeping spot with a pile of laundry. The Singapore Flyer was also visible in the background.
Singapore Grand Prix Weekend Sees Hotel Prices Reach Nearly S$500 for Dormitory Bed
Screenshots from Brew’s booking app showed that hotel prices around Little India on 2 Oct to 3 Oct were about S$466 for a dormitory bed and over S$1,000 for other hotels.
Even a single bed in a dormitory would have set him back almost S$500. Most hotels in the area were fully booked, with rooms running out quickly.
The Singapore Grand Prix weekend took place from 3 Oct to 5 Oct 2025.
Brew’s screenshots revealed that hotel prices hiked up more than fourfold during the peak season.
In comparison, prices of a single bed at Little India dropped to about S$50 a night from 9 Oct to 10 Oct, the week after F1.
Backpacker Admits Poor Planning as Mosquitoes and Fatigue Take Toll
While he saved money, Brew said he was “very tired” the next morning due to poor sleep.
In the comments section, he mentioned encountering mosquitoes at night which made him itch the next day.
Brew ended the video saying he would do “a bit of pre-planning” next time. He admitted that he could have planned his trip better to avoid such a situation.
The tourist also mentioned he wasn’t the only person spending the night outdoors in the area. He observed a few homeless people resting under the bridge.
According to his TikTok bio, Brew is travelling around Southeast Asia. It appears that he is backpacking around the region and often opts for same-day hotel bookings.
He has visited Sentosa, the Adventure Cove Waterpark and attractions at Gardens by the Bay. Before arriving in Singapore, he had visited Brunei and Malaysia.
Comments on the video were mixed, with some netizens pointing out that this was the price of visiting Singapore during the F1 weekend.
One commenter suggested more budget-friendly options such as Hotel 81 outlets. They added that although the hotel outlets are not located near Marina Bay Sands, it still “beats sleeping in the heat, humidity, and being food for mosquitoes”.
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