Sentosa isn’t exactly what we think is a place to get away for the weekend. If you’re not Singaporean and you’re flying in, Sentosa is fantastic but for some of us locals, Sentosa is perfect for a day out. A short stint. A brief jaunt at the casinos, Halloween Horror Nights, or pointing and laughing at residents staying at Sentosa Cove after a price devaluation for unsold units (oh, it’s just me?). But if there’s a need for a weekend staycay, we’d settle for Sofitel Singapore Sentosa.

The approach to the resort feels like you’re entering another country. Pass the gantry and your landscape switches—that Singaporean urban trait of buildings and glass reduced to sporadic sightings as the yawning green envelops your view out of the taxi. Entering Sofitel Singapore Sentosa’s premise and you’re greeted by manicured lawns and colonial fixtures with a subtle French twist.

Located on a cliff on the southern edge of Sentosa, it looks out into the azure ocean... filled with tankers. And hoarding, put up to block the construction. Still, there is a pervasive calm that settles when you step into the lobby.

Our room is the Junior Suite and for something that sounds like a step below the normal, it’s anything but. The soft lighting doesn’t dull the palette of rich colours and there’s an understated opulence that doesn’t scream gaudy (a tasteful towel swan at the bed always does the trick). A floating wall separates the living room and the bedroom; the ceiling-to-floor windows beckon you outside.

Food. It satiates the grumble of our empty stomachs. Breakfast is at Kwee Zeen. Offering a lavish buffet, with fares from the familiar corners of the world. From freshly baked croissants to local staples like laksa and roti prata. There are occasions when peacocks and peahens would grace the tropical gardens next to the restaurant. But no, these fowls didn’t deign to strut about for photos.

For lunch and dinner, guests can dine at The Cliff. This Italian fine-dining restaurant is helmed by chef de cuisine Paolo Benedet. Food at The Cliff is like a typical Italian get-together: you will be filled, both in heart and belly. With a focus on traditional cuisine from Treviso and Belluno, the dishes we ate were derived from chef Benedet’s family’s recipes. Try the Spaghetti alla Puttanesca, the burrata and the Paccheri di Gragnano served with a rich, umami-laden ragu.

There is a pool to work off the food (or just to lounge beside). It’s a 33-metre-long black pearlescent-tiled pool. Surrounded by large palm trees swaying in the breeze, the air was punctuated with the shrieks of excited children and the aberrant footfalls of little feet running around the pool’s perimeter, before that display of grace cannonballs into the waters. Cue more laughter and shrieks.

For the parent or childless couples who want to get away for a tipple, there’s LeBar and Maduro. The former is located at the outdoor pavilion lounge with cocktails that are cribbed from the sustainability playbook—ingredients are upcycled and garnishes are taken from the resort’s garden. The latter, Maduro, is located in the lower lobby. Founded by Peter Ng, this cigar and whisky bar buzzes with live music in the evenings.

The Sofitel Singapore Sentosa is a lovely respite. The place shows its age given that it opened in 1995 but is a space where time slows, indulgence takes centre stage, and you rediscover the joy of doing absolutely nothing.