Capella

Nobody met us at the door of Capella Singapore. A dozen or so peacocks were grazing at the entrance instead, and they have the run of the property — every evening they turn up at Bob’s Bar for happy hour, because happy hour means bar snacks. So we had cocktails with peacocks. Our bartender there, Flora, made Old Fashioneds and Sazeracs with a twist of her own.

Waiting in our villa were a basket of tropical fruit and stuffed peacocks, with a note addressed to us by name. The villa came with its own pool, which we hardly used, because it rained. The hotel around it is a set of restored British colonial mansions with a curving modern building threaded between them, on Sentosa — an island off Singapore given over to beaches, resorts and a theme park. A bridge gets you there. A cable car gets you there with more drama.