Shangri-La Hotel

Enormous, extravagant and unmistakably Singaporean
Tipple of choice: With the exception of Euro-influenced BLU, many of the Shangri-La's dining options are starting to look a little tired. Opt instead for a signature cheongsam cocktail in the lofty Lobby Court.

Word to the wise: If the original Shangri-La Hotel doesn't spark your interest, consider Traders and the Rasa Sentosa Resort—the Shangri-La's lavish sister hotels.
Holding court over the city's luxury accommodation options for nearly half a century, this first hotel in the now ubiquitous Shangri-La chain set the benchmark for the over-the-top hospitality now synonymous with the Far East. Quirky and design-led it certainly isn't, but it would be hard to beat the oversized grandeur of this opulent hotels.

Set in a 15-acre oasis close to the city's premier shopping district of Orchard Road, the Shangri-La Hotel boasts a whopping 750 rooms spread over three distinctly separate wings, with the exclusive 'valley wing' its crowning glory.

If the recent garden wing renovation and the 2012 opening of the CHI, The Spa at Shangri-La are anything to go by, it would seem that this five-star stalwart is intent on honing its indulgent ambience in preparation for a few more decades to come.