A mixture of work and pleasure recently took me to Singapore.Mumbai- my current base, and the hyper-slick city of Singapore could scarcely be more different.I was expecting to find the latter too clinical, too oppressive; and while it certainly doesn¡¯t have the colourful, madcap, yet seductive, chaos of India, from time to time it¡¯s nice to drive on smooth roads, to float through regimented, beepless traffic, to get in a taxi and not expect a long debate over the price at the end of it , just to soak up the general aura of calm organisation¡
What was even nicer was to stay at Capella¡¯s hotel on Singapore¡¯s Sentosa Island.
Designed by Norman Foster¡¯s studio, the design cleverly blends the original, 1880s colonial architecture with a sweeping, modern structure: gleaming white, collonaded splendour with a space age flourish! Even the most ¡°basic¡± rooms are wonderfully spacious, with beds like clouds, a terrace- equally perfect for ****tails or breakfast, and a free supply of beauty goodies from British brand, and fellow Walopolers, Abahna.
Mine had a panoramic view of the South China Sea, bustling with trading ships that twinkled like a nautical galaxy at night.
The Capella is set amidst lush rainforest, and the Auriga Spa with its enormous windows and wonderful sense of light does its best to bring the outside in. There are 9 treatment rooms, an outdoor garden and incredibly luxurious men¡¯s and women¡¯s dedicated spa areas. I loved the hydrotherapy pool and the ¡°rainforest shower¡±: you step inside and are misted with a cooling, mint scented spray- so refreshing! Afterwards I felt like I¡¯d had a cheat¡¯s yoga class: all the pleasure without the pain.
To my delight the spa is stocked with Organic Pharmacy products (another British brand). I tried out the Organic Pharmacy Rose Facial and Organic Pedicure: top to toe beauty, all in the name of research, of course¡ Both were blissful.As with the rest of the hotel, one of the great strengths of the spa is the incredible staff. They were so knowledgable, friendly without seeming fake, and utterly professional. Three cheers!
Quite aside from the resort feeling that a proper spa provides, the three cascading pools and the sophisticated al fresco areas- buzzing with a beach-club atmosphere during the famous Sunday brunch and glamorous for ****tails in the evening, all lend Capella an atmosphere of escape.
Yet, jump in a taxi and you can be experiencing Singapore¡¯s famed retail therapy in a matter of minutes. After a long day of meetings (and just a spot of shopping) it felt like such a treat to come back, and change for dinner at the outstanding Knolls Restaurant, and drinks (a Moscow Mule made with homemade ginger beer) at Bob¡¯s Bar.
The best of both worlds¡
