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On an island that already has five shiny hotels—and will have a Norman Foster-designed resort when it opens in 2008—Amara Sanctuary Resort, amarasanctuary.com, aims to offer something different: a sense of history. Sentosa, a small island getaway 15 minutes from downtown Singapore, was a British military fortress during World War II, and the 121-room Amara has housed itself in two former barracks. You'll be surprised at just how comfy they can be when someone besides an army engineer is in charge of the design. Two colonial-era buildings above an air-raid shelter are now home to 20 suites; a third contains a spa. The main building features a rooftop infinity pool and 91 rooms. Scattered elsewhere are 10 elegantly furnished villas.

With seven restaurants and bars, dining options are plentiful for a development of relatively modest size. Try the lovely Sibon, a 13-seat Japanese kushiage, or skewer restaurant. Its owner, Masaki Miyake, was Amara Sanctuary's architect. His decision to build the resort around century-old trees accounts for the lush ambiance and the feeling that, in tiny Singapore, one really has traveled somewhere. Tourists after an alternative to the usual downtown hotels, as well as Singaporeans looking for a domestic break, will thank him for it.

• Joan Koh