"Set in a tropical forest patrolled by friendly peacocks, Capella Singapore is a 30-acre oasis on Sentosa Island, just 10 minutes from the city center by taxi. Check in at a colonial bungalow, once a recreation building for British officers, and admire the view of the South China Sea. Spacious guest rooms were designed with neutral colors to highlight the gardens and pools outside."

"Part of the waterfront development that includes sister property Fullerton Hotel and dining hub One Fullerton, the Fullerton Bay Hotel opened in 2010 on the picturesque Marina Bay waterfront. Unlike its sister hotel, Fullerton Bay’s architecture skews heavily modernist, typified by the glass facade, a cylindrical lobby chandelier more than 15 feet in diameter, and finishes in gray, burnt orange, and eggplant. Contemporary Asian art, commissioned by the hotel, appears throughout the public areas. Vintage maps around the building give a hint of the area’s nautical importance. The location places the hotel on the edge of the financial district, across the water from the tri-towered Marina Bay Sands and between the heritage buildings of Clifford Pier and Customs House (the entry point for many of the city’s early settlers). Accommodations are pleasingly roomy, starting at 540 square feet, each with a balcony. The rooftop pool offers broad views of the bay."

"The three-towered, blue-and-green glass property is remarkable for its connecting, undulating tiered design inspired by terraced Balinese rice paddies and the elevated gardens that seem to hang from above. Designed by Singapore starchitects WOHA, the Parkroyal on Pickering is almost an extension of the green space in front of it—Hong Lim Park—with 160,000 square feet of gardens, reflecting pools, waterfalls, planter terraces, and vertical landscaping. Eco-mindfulness is evident elsewhere: photo sensors monitor light usage, showers are low-flow, sheets are changed on alternate days (less frequently if requested), and rooms have refillable glass water bottles. The property’s most striking space is the fifth-floor wellness area, where cabanas are shaped like giant bird cages, and the infinity pool looks out above the park with a view of the shophouses across the way. The generally compact rooms espouse the Scandinavian-sleek look."

"A hotel whose name is instantly recognizable, the Raffles Singapore is pure colonial confection, a landmark maintained in its original style, with liveried Sikh door attendants greeting guests. Opened by two Armenian brothers in 1887 as a 10-room bungalow hotel overlooking the South China Sea—its address, 1 Beach Road, attests to the waterfront location before reclamation extended Singapore ’s boundaries—it has since welcomed movie and music stars, authors, and heads of state. Somerset Maugham wrote, after a stay, “Raffles stands for all the fables of the exotic East.” At the end of World War II, it served as a transit camp for prisoners of war. A new wing and various extensions have turned Raffles into a little enclave, with pretty interior courtyards and a high-end shopping arcade with antique, art, fashion, and jewelry stores. Rooms come with butler service, 14-foot ceilings, verandas, Asian carpets, brass fittings, and glistening teak floors."

"Opened in 2014 as the third outpost of Accor’s SO/ brand (following Bangkok and Mauritius), this boutique hotel brings a bit of glam to a staid part of Singapore. Set in the heart of the financial district, in a Neoclassical limestone heritage building that once housed advertising giants Ogilvy & Mather, the 134-room property counts Karl Lagerfeld among its designers (he was responsible for the library, front-house staff uniform, and hotel emblem). The SO/ doesn't take itself too seriously, displaying a kind of Ian Schrager-meets-Philippe Starck postmodern whimsy and flair: think chairs with antlers protruding from the top, curvy couches in bright shades, and blingy, crystal-beaded light fixtures. Rooms meld France and Singapore—the former via high ceilings, crown moldings, and small statues of the Eiffel Tower, the latter via a country map on a mirrored table, or a coffee-table book of Lion City history—and come with iPads for controlling the lights, heat, and curtains. The rooftop 1927 bar borders a criminally underused gold-tiled pool, while the vibrant Xperience Restaurant serves an all-day menu of modern European and Asian-accented fare, plus a popular afternoon tea."

"Why we love it: A landmark-turned-hotel with elegant decor and top-notch dining The Highlights: - Five-star hospitality from one of Europe’s first luxury hotel groups - Three-Michelin-starred cuisine at 15 Stamford - An outdoor saltwater relaxation pool The Review: Located in Singapore’s civic and cultural district, the Capitol Kempinski Hotel is a modern-day union of two historical landmarks: The Capitol Building and Stamford House. Reimagined by late interior designer Jaya Ibrahim and his team (now part of BLINK Design Group), the property stays true to its roots with a colonial-meets-Art-Deco design, including high corniced ceilings, dramatic archways, and grand windows that reveal sweeping city views. Equally elegant are the 157 guestrooms, which boast Chengal wood flooring, custom lacquered Indian rosewood furniture, and cornices resembled fish scales—a reference to the Merlion, Singapore’s official mascot. The hotel takes pride in its culinary programming, placing a heavy emphasis on high-quality ingredients and a carefully curated wine selection (reflecting the Kempinski brand’s origins as a 19th-century wine merchant). Nowhere is this more evident than at signature restaurant 15 Stamford, where three-Michelin-starred chef Alvin Leung serves reinterpreted Asian classics like Assam suckling pig with fresh fig and Hokkaido scallops with shiso and soy jelly. For something more casual, sample the specialty rums and chocolates at The Bar at 15 Stamford; take your afternoon tea at The Lobby Lounge; indulge in German breads and pastries at Berthold Delikatessen; or fill up on German-Austrian fare at Frieda. When you need a break from all that eating, pay a visit to the outdoor saltwater pool or spa, where the team performs calming treatments with award-winning products from Gaylia Kristensen."

"Opened at the mouth of the Singapore River in 1928 to celebrate 100 years since Singapore 's British founding, the Fullerton Hotel was, at the time, the largest and most expensive building in the Lion City. It served as the General Post Office, Exchange, Chamber of Commerce, and Singapore Club before undergoing a $320 million refit to open as a hotel in 2001. Visually, it’s a showstopper, with coffered ceilings, cornices, and marble floors—a Palladian building in stark contrast to the neighboring bland office towers. The atrium lobby is refreshingly bright, with a grandness of scale that brings drama to the arrival experience. Rooms have vanilla-colored walls, and some open to the atrium. The 25-meter infinity pool is almost theatrical, with Doric columns rising behind. Leisurely afternoon tea is a fine excuse to linger in the atrium lobby and appreciate the airy space’s tranquil qualities."

"Another of attorney-turned-hotelier Loh Lik Peng’s boutique properties (along with the New Majestic), Wanderlust is perhaps the quirkiest hotel in Singapore , taking guests on a fanciful journey that befits its name. The building opened in the 1920s as the Hong Wen Chinese School and later served as a settlement where Indian immigrants reared livestock. Its unchanged sober white facade with black shutters gives little hint of the outré interiors. Each of the four floors was fashioned by a different Singaporean design agency, resulting in various themes. In the lobby, an industrial-glam aesthetic manifests itself in an old-fashioned collapsible metal gate repainted in gold, a Frank Gehry-designed sofa, and seats made from recycled road signs by Australian Trent Jansen. Rooms on the "Creature Comforts" floor include Typewriter, where giant lettered arms reach out and up from a sofa with keyboard letters on the upholstery, while lanterns cast shadows of monsters along the corridors."