Location The Capella is on the island of Sentosa, a mere 15-minute drive from the city centre and joined to Singapore by causeway and cable car. Sentosa has changed dramatically in the past few years. It has always attracted Singapore’s elite, with their sprawling houses overlooking the South China Sea, but now the island boasts a Universal Studios, beach bars and restaurants and one of Singapore’s largest casinos. Not that you’d know any of that existed from the Capella. Set in 30 acres of lush gardens, the hotel feels like a tropical getaway and yet is minutes from bustling Orchard Road.

Style The heart of the Capella is the British colonial building dating from the 1880s. This houses the reception, the beautiful Cassia Chinese restaurant and library, complete with plantation-style verandas. It’s all very proper and old-fashioned, with tea, macaroons and sherry being served in the library. By contrast, the ever industrious Foster + Partners has artfully added the accommodation wings, which are totally contemporary and yet work seamlessly with the old style.

Guestrooms With not a gold tap in sight, all 112 rooms are what can only be described as Asian understated luxury. Ceilings are high, the colour palette calming and it contains everything you’d expect a hotel room of this calibre to have – iPod dock, flatscreen TVs, Nespresso machine and a touch panel that controls pretty much everything. Opt for a garden suite or villa that overlooks the South China Sea. As well as having plunge pools and outdoor bathing facilities, they are totally private and utterly luxurious.

Can I work here? On arrival, each guest is assigned a personal assistant who can facilitate almost any business request. There are excellent meeting and conference facilities, catering for small groups or up to 180 delegates. Many business people think Sentosa is all about leisure and instead opt for a hotel in the CBD. They work hard all week and then fly off to some nearby island for some R&R. Our advice is to check into the Capella, enjoy the locale, cascading pool, gym and award-winning spa and take the short cab ride to the city. You’ll feel totally relaxed and do better business. In any case, who needs Langkawi?