The Serangoon House

Named for its location on Little India’s Serangoon Road, Serangoon House Singapore is as pure an Indian colonial fantasy as you’re likely to find outside of the subcontinent itself. The lobby is dazzlingly opulent, decked out in custom-made antique-style furniture and bold, brash colors; the 90 rooms and suites are a touch more modern, but absolutely no less lavish in style.

Highlights include gilded canopy beds and De Gournay wallpapers depicting scenes from Colonial India, as well as bathrooms in vibrant rose, jade, or emerald-hued marble. There’s a rotary phone by the bedside to complete the time-travel illusion, but fear not — beneath the surface, Serangoon House’s comforts and conveniences are as modern as they come. Those canopy beds have a trick up their sleeve, in fact; bring out a ladder and the upper tier conceals a top bunk, which means every room can sleep up to six.

And the food and beverage program takes a different direction from the one that the décor might suggest. GupShup is an artful, high-end experience, but it’s inspired by chaat, or street food, from all across India, curated by chef Surjan Singh, better known as Chef Jolly.