A small waterfall cascades into one of the resort's pools.

YOU are floating in one of three swimming pools at a fabulous tropical island resort and spa, dreaming of your massage to come, and the pleasure of relaxing in your resort-styled room.

Nearby is a padi field that is part of 3.5ha of lush gardens and natural rainforest, beyond which glistens the sea.

Bali, perhaps? Or a resort in Thailand?

A clue: As well as new villas and a hotel, there are also restored colonial buildings. Two are former army barracks.

Another clue: In complete contrast to the calm you are enjoying, within three years there will be a bustling family resort with gaming facilities just across the road.

A church built in the 1930s is now Sibon Japanese restaurant, which offers alfresco dining.

Ah, it must be Sentosa. And the lushly green resort is the Amara Sanctuary Resort Sentosa, which will open within the next two to three months.

The hillside boutique resort has been built at a cost of about $60 million, making it one of the most expensive on Sentosa.

The 121-room resort will bring to six the number of resorts on Sentosa, which is enjoying a rebirth as a holiday destination, and provides a uniquely Singaporean experience, what with its greenery and touch of colonial days, yet being located a three-minute walk away from Palawan Beach.

Its owner, hotel and property developer Albert Teo, chief executive officer of Amara Holdings, explains: "It's like walking through a rich man's kampung.

The bedroom's four-poster bed and wooden floors add to the tropical resort feel.

"And yet, you're only a 15-minute drive away from the city."

While the resort dramatically ups Sentosa's pamper factor, Mr Teo is unfazed that it is also located just across the road from where the upcoming integrated resort (IR), Resorts World at Sentosa, will be situated.

He bought the 4ha resort site in 2004 from the Sentosa Leisure Group, before an IR on Sentosa had even been suggested.

However, a relaxed Mr Teo sees the opening of the IR - which will have six hotels with 1,830 rooms and a Universal Studios theme park - as complementary to his hotel.

"Resorts World caters more to a mass market, whereas we are more niche," he says. "So guests who want privacy and exclusivity will come to us.

"As a smaller hotel, we can be more attentive to their needs."

Each colonial villa has a 1.38m-deep plunge pool between the living room and bedroom.

He is also not bothered that the peace and tranquillity surrounding the resort may be disturbed when construction of the IR starts.

According to a spokesman for Resorts World, which is developed by Malaysia's Genting International: "Development construction will begin soon. It will take three years, with the resort slated to open in 2010."

He adds: "We will endeavour to comply with all the stipulated regulations to ensure that noise impact is kept to a minimum."

Mr Teo, 58, notes that while the resort, in particular the pool area, will face Universal Studios, trees have been planted to help block out some noise.

He says: "There will be less construction for a theme park compared to construction for the hotels. Hence there will be less noise."

He assures that the resort's rooms are located away from the main road so guests can still enjoy a peaceful stay, and not have to put up with noise from theme park guests.

Six resorts and counting

IN ADDITION to the Amara Sanctuary Resort arriving on the Sentosa scene, two more resorts are also on the way - Millenia Hotel's Capella Singapore, which will be completed by the end of next year, and The W Hotel at the Quayside Isle on Sentosa Cove, developed by City Development Ltd, which is to be completed by end-2010.

Sentosa already has five resorts: Costa Sands, Rasa Sentosa, Siloso Beach, The Sentosa Resort & Spa and Treasure Resort.

Mr Mark Griffiths, general manager of The Sentosa Resort & Spa, says the opening of Amara Sanctuary will add diversity to the choice of accommodation available.

The Amara Sanctuary Resort promises something different from the other resorts with its mix of old and new. On its site are two former army barracks and a church, all built in the 1930s.

"Call me a sentimentalist. These old buildings were an attraction for me as they have lots of history behind them," says Amara's Mr Teo.

Japanese architect Miyake Masaki of Miyake Masaki Associates turned the two-storey army barracks, which were last used as holiday chalets, into 20 suites that have either a verandah or a courtyard. These are going from $900 a night.

The facades of the barracks were conserved, and Mr Miyake used glass, instead of wood, to link the two buildings.

"Glass allows the beauty of the old buildings to shine through," he says.

The facade of the church was also conserved and has been turned into Sibon - the resort's Japanese restaurant run by Mr Miyake, 44. This is his first venture in the food and beverage business.

There are also three other restaurants, three pools, a cooking school and a ballroom that can hold up to 600 people.

While Amara Sanctuary calls itself a resort, Mr Teo wanted it to be different from the Thai and Balinese resorts that holiday-goers are more familiar with.

"I wanted the resort to reflect our local architectural heritage," he says.

Ten single-storey villas were constructed, and these have a colonial look with their sloping tiled roofs. Each villa comes with its own plunge pool and outdoor shower area, and costs from $1,500 a night.

The hotel's remaining 91 rooms are housed in a new four-storey building, giving guests either a garden view or a view of the South China Sea.

Rooms go from $500 a night and Mr Teo says these are targeted more at the business crowd who want to stay at a resort near the city - albeit one with its own rich man's padi field.

taysc@sph.com.sg

OTHER SENTOSA HOTELS

COSTA SANDS RESORT (SENTOSA) Built on a hill overlooking Siloso Beach, this resort has 34 air-conditioned chalets and 15 air-conditioned kampung huts. Rates start from $60 nightly for a kampung hut for non-NTUC Club members, while NTUC Club members pay from $28 during off-peak periods from Sundays to Thursdays.

SILOSO BEACH RESORT Located within Siloso Beach, this resort has 172 rooms, 10 family suites and 12 villas overlooking the South China Sea. It is next to Imbiah Lookout where Underwater World and the Dragon Trail Nature Park are. Rates start from $260 per room per night.

TREASURE RESORT Formerly the Sijori Resort, its 64 rooms are in a pre-war building. Some rooms offer clear views of the Merlion. Rates start from $180 per room per night.

RASA SENTOSA RESORT This five-star resort, part of the Shangri-La group, is Singapore's only beachfront hotel and is on Siloso Beach. Its 459 rooms and suites offer views of the South China Sea or the greenery of Fort Siloso. Rates start from $255 per room per night.

THE SENTOSA RESORT & SPA This five-star resort was formerly known as The Beaufort, before it underwent a rebranding in 2003. It is perched atop a cliff overlooking the South China Sea, and has 215 rooms. It also runs Spa Botanica, which offers mud pools, flotation pools and Turkish-style steam baths. Rates start from $420 per room per night.

COMING SOON

CAPELLA SINGAPORE This six-star resort will have 110 villas and suites when it is completed next year. Two existing colonial buildings from the 1880s will form its centrepiece, blending traditional Asian materials and themes with contemporary influences. Rates have not been fixed but could start from US$500 (S$760) per night.

THE W HOTEL This will be Singapore's first five-star marina hotel and is expected to be completed by end-2010. The seven-storey building will have 320 rooms and will be managed by Starwood Hotels and Resorts. Rates have yet to be confirmed.

This article was first published in The Straits Times on March 31, 2007.