In a neighborhood of modern, glass-paneled apartment blocks, the St. Regis stands out with its fleet of imposing bronze Bentley limousines parked outside. It's all unapologetically decadent: butler service is available at the push of a button, the rooms are positively palatial, and the hotel’s award-winning spa is consistently voted among Singapore’s best.

This Neoclassical grand dame is stately yet buzzy. There's constant traffic in the lobby area—it's a popular meeting spot for execs from the surrounding business district, and a regular stop for tourists on the heritage trail (the hotel has been gazetted a national monument). No other hotel in Singapore has a heritage so linked to the country's modern history. Previously called Fullerton Building, it was once the General Post Office and housed various government agencies before it was turned into a hotel in 2001.