ROOM REPORT

A REJUVENATING RETREAT AWAITS AT OASIA RESORT SENTOSA

Tucked amid the pastel-hued alleyways of St.Tropez’s historic fishing quarter, Hôtel La Ponche has emerged from an eight-month renovation.

Harking back to a time before the French Riviera town of St.-Tropez was a byword for glitz and glamour, Hôtel La Ponche began life in the 1930s as a modest fishermen’s tavern and went on to host the likes of Picasso and JeanPaul Sartre. Now, after an eight-month makeover by its new owners, the 21room bolthole is ready to welcome back another generation of travelers. In keeping with their original spirit, interiors are summery and Provençalinspired, accented by walnut woodwork, hand-painted frescoes, and original Picasso lithographs. The restaurant’s Mediterranean menu is now overseen by young Parisian chef Thomas Danigo, while other draws include seaside yoga sessions and a cozy piano bar. The hotel’s enduring charm also owes much to its location: set among the alleyways of St.Tropez’s old fishing quarter, it overlooks the beach where Roger Vadim filmed his 1956 Brigitte Bardot classic And God Created Woman — the very movie that put St.-Tropez on the map (laponche .com; doubles from US$410).

An oasis of calm in the heart of Singapore’s leafy Sentosa Island, the newly opened Oasia Resort Sentosa is now welcoming guests to refresh, recharge, and refuel their mind, body, and soul. Decked out in earthy and calming tones, the resort’s 191 suites and rooms were designed with rejuvenation in mind and come equipped with yoga mats and ondemand wellness videos, as well as a curated wellness journal with self-care checklists and access to a collection of guided meditation recordings.

The wellness journey continues at the Oasia Spa, which offers an extensive list of pampering spa treatments alongside cryotherapy facials. It’s also the first spa in Southeast Asia to carry products by Kotoshina, an organic skincare brand from Kyoto. To complete the experience, guests can relax over healthy snacks and herbal tea in the Meditation Lounge, where active oxygen–infused air provides the benefits of forest bathing, as inspired by the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku.

Until November 30, 2021, discover Sentosa’s new gem with the Oasia Escape opening promotion. Priced from S$688 nett, the offer includes two nights’ stay in a Premier Room, daily breakfast for two, spa treatments worth S$300 per stay, unlimited wellness activities, one-way arrival limousine transfer, personalised wellness amenities (including a choice of fine items for your in-room Wellness Minibar), and up to 25 percent off at participating restaurants and attractions on the island.

Clockwise from top left: Overlooking the Gulf of St.-Tropez; the hotel’s green-shuttered facade; one of the 21 guest rooms; the view from a suite terrace; banquette seating in the restaurant; old-school brass room keys; the piano bar.