Hotels in Singapore

Also featured on the Gold List in: 2005, 2006

Located near the Orchard Road shopping mecca, this tower hotel has 1,500 pieces of Asian art and service that's "impossibly good." The clubby Bar at One-Ninety serves light snacks and cocktails on an outdoor terrace replete with foliage. At the fitness center, "attendants constantly come around with cold towels and complimentary mineral water." In guest rooms, the marble bathrooms are "totally decadent."

254 rooms

Amenities: Pool, Spa, Tennis

Also featured on the Gold List in: 2005, 2006

Situated on Scotts Road, "it's two steps from everything." The business center lures corporate clients with its translation and courier services, library facilities, and laptops. Very modern minimalist rooms are imbued with soft-grained timbers and neutral colors. Oasis, added in 2006, serves up international barbecue dishes. One of the spa treatments is a wrap that uses marine salts, minerals, and oils.

663 rooms

Amenities: Pool, Spa, Tennis

Also featured on the Gold List in: 2005, 2006

Neo-Renaissance architecture and open spaces blend with a tropical-garden setting to give this multi-winged Singapore National Monument "a bit of a retro feel." All suites have a parlor and dining area, 14-foot ceilings, and period furnishings. Of the 18 restaurants and lounges, Long Bar is where the Singapore Sling was invented, "and the drink is still pretty potent."

103 suites

Amenities: Pool, Spa

Also featured on the Gold List in: 2005, 2006

Located near City Hall, the hotel promises "very spacious, attractive rooms with lovely views," marble bathtubs, and high-end sound systems. "There's a modern and sophisticated tranquillity here" that's shaped by Western and Asian art, natural finishes, and soft lighting. "Overwhelming dining and drinking options" include INK Club Bar for a night of mojitos, music, and dancing.

769 rooms

Amenities: Pool, Spa, Tennis

New to the Gold List

It's "a short taxi ride" from Singapore's center to this 14-year-old beachfront property. Light-toned rooms have garden or South China Sea views. Expect to encounter "monkeys and peacocks wandering the resort." The Terrace serves alfresco barbecue and steaks that are "really good, and a good value." Staff are "very efficient, yet you barely notice them."

459 rooms

Amenities: Beach, Pool, Spa

Also featured on the Gold List in: 2005, 2006

This three-wing property on 15 acres off Orchard Road is "an oasis from the bustle of downtown." A wall of glass separates the lobby from the infinity pool and botanical gardens. The Rose Veranda has "a wonderful afternoon tea." Room decor varies, from earth tones with curved furniture to light beechwood floors and tropical upholstery.

750 rooms

Amenities: Pool, Spa, Tennis

Also featured on the Gold List in: 2005, 2006

This 1928 Doric-columned Palladian hotel,formerly a General Post Office,has "a magnificent atrium lobby" with the original moldings. Contemporary rooms in browns and creams have Philippe Starck bath fixtures and "unique layouts"; the best are on the seventh floor, with a balcony overlooking the Singapore River. At San Marco, a restaurant in a former lighthouse, Italian cuisine is served by "top-notch waiters." The Courtyward offers a chocolate buffet on weekends.

400 rooms

Amenities: Pool, Spa

New to the Gold List

Every room in this tower in a "very peaceful and yet central" Marina Bay location has floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the harbor or the city. Accommodations have ebony-and-ivory palettes and granite-and-timber baths. Axis Lounge serves afternoon tea before transforming into a late-night haunt. "Staff are genuinely warm and seem proud to be here."

527 rooms

Amenities: Pool, Spa

Also featured on the Gold List in: 2006

"You are greeted at the door, whisked to your room, and treated wonderfully throughout your stay" at this atrium hotel two blocks from Orchard Road. Contemporary interiors have different Indonesian batiks on every floor. Guest rooms are "not fussy, but nicely comfortable," and suites have private balconies. Order tempura at TenShin.

439 rooms

Amenities: Pool