A genuinely great hotel needs to feel like home, a place you’re not only reluctant to leave but one that you could happily move into – which is what I found in Singapore. Let The Fullerton sprinkle its stardust on you, where location, service, style and soul are all immediately apparent. It’s a red-letter year for the Fullerton building, which is celebrating its 90th anniversary, and retains its classic allure in a highly connected world. Taking a stroll along the Singapore River at night, the building which originally served as the General Post Office before becoming an iconic hotel, glistened like a wedding-cake on the waterfront.

With its stately Doric columns, coffered ceilings and cornices, this masterpiece of neo-classical architecture was the largest structure ever built in Singapore, 90 years ago. This showpiece hotel is anything but pickled – it hums with a playful buzz. After being chauffeured from the airport in the hotel limousine, I was whisked straight to my room, where the sign-in formalities were swiftly attended to.
Stylish and soothing and with a ringside seat over Marina Bay, my spacious suite was the meticulous blend of heritage, luxury and comfort, with a cream and caramel colour palette, heavenly bedding, sumptuous bathroom loaded with exclusive toiletries, nespresso coffee and fresh tropical fruit, delivered daily. Push the boat out and enjoy access to the Straits Club, for a plethora of indulgences including a classic afternoon with freshly baked scones, and a lavish nightly selection of sublime canapes and cocktails.

After an early morning stretch of the legs on the riverside trail, I was ready to retox with a champagne breakfast, where a lip-smacking buffet of assorted goodies, strung across pedestals, complemented the eggs benedict, I ordered off the a la carte menu. Other headline dining experiences await at Town Restaurant, offering international fare, and exquisite Chinese cuisine draws them in to Jade. Perched at the apex of the hotel where a beacon originally guided ships ashore, The Lighthouse is beloved for its supreme Italian cuisine and commanding views.
The atmospheric Post Bar is an effervescent haunt for mingling and mixology. If you’re partaking in some cheeky nightcaps, don’t forget to enjoy the signature Merlion Cocktail. After a long-haul flight, my body was gagging to be pressed for pleasure. In the dimmed light of The Fullerton Spa, I savoured a 90 minute signature Asian Heritage massage, which is intensively applied. My limbs felt so relaxed, I felt as if I might levitate after having so many kinks ironed out from my travel-weary body.

Across the hotel, staff are unfailingly obliging and engaging, catering to your every whim, including sharing with you a plethora of heritage nuggets and anecdotes, that permeate the building.
Take time to immerse yourself in the Heritage Gallery, which offers so many charming insights on the importance role this building has played in the Singapore narrative. But within this jewel-box of hospitality, my runaway favourite haven was the knock-out infinity pool lording over the Singapore River, backed by the statuesque grandeur of those Aberdeen granite pillars, and flanked by loungers. Every time I called by for a restorative dip, it took an age to tera myself away from this insatiable happy place.

The Fullerton is a proud member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, the world’s largest independent hotel brand with more than 650 one-of-a-kind member hotels, resorts, and residences across 85 countries. Preferred Hotels & Resorts is celebrating its own milestone this year, its 50th Anniversary, and throughout the year a variety of Golden Anniversary special deals are available across its portfolio. iPrefer members also receive free Internet, room upgrade, priority early check-in, late check-out, and points for free nights at this hotel. For the very best deals and seasonal specials, check out the iPrefer app, which includes member rates and rewards, or book direct at www.preferredhotels.com