Hi Shaz, my husband & I just came back from Singapore & we stayed at The Stamford Hotel ( a sister company of Raffles Hotel). It's not near a zoo, but it's very convenient, literally beside a mall, an MRT (mtr) station and is in the "Heritage District". The accomodation is around 220++ SD w/ a great harbour view.
Singapore is warm & breezy. They have a wide variety of food choices (make sure you visit hawkers' centre like Newton Circle), but mostly spicy. And the people are very friendly & speaks english. Enjoy your trip!