Rubbish Eat Rubbish Grow

The first thing I heard at Amara Sanctuary Sentosa was a peacock.

Not spa music. Not a welcome speech. A peacock somewhere beyond the lobby making enough noise to remind everyone that this resort occupies a very different patch of Singapore.

I stayed there partly because I wanted to understand what Amara does better than the newer Sentosa resorts. The answer came quickly: land, history and space.

The harder question was whether the hotel itself takes good enough care of them.

The Couple Suite Is Why I Would Stay Here

The Couple Suites occupy part of the resort’s heritage Larkhill Terrace buildings, formerly used as British military accommodation. Mine opened directly onto the long infinity pool shared by these rooms.

That pool access changed the stay.

I could open the door in the morning, step outside and swim before breakfast without crossing a lobby or waiting for a lift. The surrounding greenery made it feel unusually private even though other suites were nearby.

Inside, the room was large and comfortable rather than particularly glamorous. The bed slept well, there was plenty of floor space, and the outdoor bathtub gave the room something a standard hotel bedroom would not.

But age was visible.

A bathroom fitting had seen better days. Some edges and surfaces looked tired rather than intentionally rustic. The towels were clean but thinner and more worn than I would expect at a resort charging five-star rates.

None of this ruined my stay. It simply kept interrupting the illusion that the resort was as polished as its setting.

The Resort Is Better Outside the Room

I spent more time walking around Amara than I expected.

Peacocks wandered across paths with the confidence of long-term residents. Squirrels appeared in the trees. In the morning, birds started before I wanted them to.

If you need complete silence to sleep, this may not feel remotely sanctuary-like. I found it difficult to resent wildlife for being noisy in a resort whose appeal is partly that wildlife still exists here.

The grounds also contain remnants of Sentosa’s military history, including old colonial-era buildings and air-raid shelters. Amara’s heritage works best when these places are treated as more than attractive backdrops.

There is real history beneath the resort. I wish the hotel leaned into it even more.

Service Can Be Warm, Then Strangely Passive

Check-in was easy. My luggage was handled quickly, and the staff member assisting me was warm without turning the arrival into a performance.

Later, however, I asked for an additional set of towels. Nothing came.

I called again around half an hour later and eventually received them.

It was a small request, but small requests are useful tests. Amara has staff members who are genuinely kind and proactive; I experienced that when a buggy was arranged quickly during a heavy spell of rain.

The problem is follow-through.

One employee can make you feel extremely well looked after, while the next interaction leaves you wondering whether the request reached anyone at all.

At this price, warmth cannot keep compensating for weak systems.

Breakfast Has Plenty of Food, Not Always Enough Attention

Breakfast at Sanctuary Tearoom was generous enough: eggs, pastries, fruit, Asian dishes and a noodle station, alongside the usual hotel staples.

The food was mostly good.

Service was harder to predict.

On my first morning, used plates remained on nearby tables longer than they should have, while several staff stayed behind the counter. Coffee took a while to arrive. The following morning was quieter and noticeably better.

This became something of a pattern during the stay. Amara can deliver a very pleasant experience when the resort is calm. Once things become busy, the gaps show quickly.

Three Pools, But Not All Feel Equally Fresh

The Larkhill Terrace pool outside my suite was easily my favourite.

I also visited the Sky Pool, which has a more open outlook and feels better suited to spending an afternoon. Dream Pool is surrounded by greenery and works well for families, although the children’s slide that older photographs may show is no longer there.

Around the pools, I noticed some ageing fittings and areas that could use closer maintenance.

Again, nothing catastrophic. But Amara has too many genuinely beautiful outdoor spaces for basic upkeep to be the thing guests notice.

Sentosa Is Close, Although Not Always Convenient on Foot

The resort feels secluded without actually being far from Sentosa’s main attractions.

I walked towards Imbiah once. It was manageable, but Singapore’s heat and the slopes made the return journey considerably less charming. The complimentary shuttle and resort buggies became much more attractive after that.

This is especially worth considering for families, older guests or anyone moving between buildings with luggage.

Readers comparing the best hotels in Singapore should choose Amara for space, greenery and a slower Sentosa stay rather than flawless luxury-hotel execution.

Is Amara Sanctuary Sentosa Worth Staying At?

I wanted to love Amara more than I did.

Few Singapore hotels have this much land, wildlife and history. The Couple Suite gave me something genuinely uncommon: a large heritage room where I could step directly into a pool surrounded by tropical greenery.

But worn towels, tired fittings, delayed requests and inconsistent breakfast service are difficult to ignore when the resort presents itself at this level.

Amara Sanctuary already has what many newer hotels are desperately trying to create: character. What it needs now is more consistent care.

I would return for the setting and the Couple Suite.

I would also check the towels.

This review is based on Celeste Tan’s personal stay at Amara Sanctuary Sentosa. As part of RERG’s ongoing hotel series, she documents Singapore hotels through lived in details, service texture and the honest rhythm of a real stay.