No guilt, only pleasures await at Singapore’s first all-villa resort

Singapore’s heaving hotel scene just got more crowded with the debut of Raffles Sentosa Singapore, the city-state’s first all-villa resort, pipping the post on the October 2025 opening of the Loris. Billionaire Asok Kumar Hiranandani’s Royal Group has backed this 62-villa retreat while simultaneously investing £110m in its first London hotel – the former NatWest building on Piccadilly in Mayfair, due in late 2026. Investment figures for Raffles Sentosa remain officially undisclosed, though whispers start at around £41m. The bet? That luxury travellers will trade the colonial grandeur of the original Raffles Singapore in town for jungle chic and island zen. The gamble looks like it’s paying off. Occupancy rates are high, even with entry-level villas starting at around £800 nightly, while locals are booking staycations with fiscal abandon.

Wallpaper* checks in at Raffles Sentosa Singapore

What’s on your doorstep?

Forget postcard ocean views – Raffles Sentosa takes the high road, literally. Perched on a hill festooned with crêpe ginger shrubs, elephant ear fronds, frangipani, ficus and kapok trees, the resort swaps sea vistas for forest intimacy and a light jungle soundtrack of cicadas and peacock cries. It’s a bold move that creates a 100,000 sq m hideaway that’s more Bali-esque than your typical Singapore waterfront fare. The elevated position also means natural privacy barriers courtesy of Sentosa’s canopy, with Tanjong Beach and the golf club within easy reach. Proving once again that, sometimes, the best view is the one you don’t expect.

Who is behind the design?

North American studio Yabu Pushelberg transforms the sometimes starchy Raffles formality into something more relaxed. ‘The client envisioned a resort that would carry the Raffles legacy forward,’ says Glenn Pushelberg. ‘We approached Raffles Singapore as the matriarch, positioning the Sentosa property as her contemporary granddaughter on holiday.’ Which explains the dark floral-bloomed prints, relaxed pale-green linen couches, tall mirrored wardrobes, and oak-panelled ceilings. Travertine tile flows from outdoor pool decks into interiors, while natural materials like rattan and linen complement bold tropical patterns. Equally pleasing are copper accents that catch light, from bedside water jugs and drinking vessels to flower pots.

The room to book

The 515 sq m Presidential Villa steals the show with its three-pavilion set-up wrapped around a private square pool. This, says Pushelberg, is his favourite space. ‘It feels like a private resort within the resort. We love the serene and secluded atmosphere.’ For full tycoon extravagance, though, the 650 sq m Royal Villa delivers four bedrooms and a sprawling living room – ideal for blow-out parties for your entourage. Every villa gets its own butler, ready to unpack your chaos and arrange an island tour in one of the resort’s two Rolls-Royce Phantoms and fix everything else – from poolside cocktails, and late evening baths scented with lavender and vanilla bean oil to midnight snack attacks.

Mini bar highlights?

Skip the predictable Delamotte champagne and salted egg yolk crisps for something more interesting. Such as bespoke dark rum scented with Malaysian molasses and French oak, Rojak gin infused with ginger flower and lemon peel, and a killer Straits Vodka spiked with wildflower honey, nutmeg and cinnamon. In other words, local flavours that actually taste like somewhere specific. If a DIY post-prandial tipple is too much effort, decamp to the soigné Chairman’s Room for a £317 shot of 30-year-old Macallan Sherry Oak.

Staying for drinks and dinner?

The resort conspires to keep ravenous guests on-property with at least seven food and beverage options. Empire Grill highlights Tuscan fare, the mood best experienced at twilight when poolside dining turns full Somerset Maugham fantasy. Royal China – no relation to the London namesake – serves a mix of classic and light fusion-Cantonese standards, while Iyasaka by Hashida squeezes omakase intimacy into 12 precious seats. The real gem is, perhaps, the aforementioned Chairman’s Room, a bijou cocoon hidden behind the reception area like a proper speakeasy serving up rare whiskies and the Sentosa Sling – the original Singapore Sling’s eco-conscious cousin made with upcycled watermelon skins and resort-grown lemon leaves.

Where to switch off

The wellness facility, formerly the Sofitel spa, occupies a restored 1930s military barracks. Completely remodelled after the Raffles takeover, the spa now features 13 treatment rooms spread across a rambling bungalow, backed by a 22m lap pool, steam rooms, and an outdoor whirlpool complete with decorative rock waterfall and mud pool. It’s adaptive reuse done right, with colonial history meeting millennial wellness regime without losing either story.

The service

Just as Rome wasn’t built in a day, neither is flawless service. At the new Raffles, the staff’s enthusiasm runs high, though the resort’s recent (March 2025) opening date occasionally shows through small gaps in execution. The younger crew brings genuine eagerness that sometimes lacks veteran polish – think eager puppy rather than seasoned retriever. The heart’s absolutely there; muscle memory just needs time to develop.

The verdict

Raffles Sentosa Singapore succeeds by refusing to be its Beach Road sibling’s doppelgänger. Sure, some operational kinks need to be smoothed out, but the core appeal works, not least, spacious villas and personalised attention. It’s luxury hospitality recalibrated for travellers who prefer escapism with tropical vibes, privacy and nature over city buzz. The question isn’t whether the resort matches the original Raffles legacy, but whether it creates something worth returning to. Early signs suggest yes.

Raffles Sentosa Singapore is located at 4 Bukit Manis Rd, Sentosa, Singapore 099947.