I was in Singapore for three days this past week for business meetings, and I must say it was a genuinely surprising experience. I mostly heard about Singapore as a business city, not great tourist destinations or local hideaways, but after a few days I experienced both.

My journey started off a little worrisome because my flight arrived at 6 a.m., and I doubted they had a room ready for me, but I took a chance and called ahead to the Conrad Centennial Singapore. When I arrived, I was pleasantly surprised to find a room ready on my already-booked club level. The rooms were typical of the Conrad: rich colors and modern amenities with lots of adapted plugs, a great marbled shower, and local fruits placed in bowls throughout the room.

The Conrad’s best-known restaurant is the Golden Peony. The menu consists of Chinese dishes with a modern and elegant twist. See the photo of the delicious seafood soup in a beautiful pumpkin bowl and the refreshing dessert, offering a local flavor.

After a day of meetings, we went to the Clark Quay neighborhood. This area has bars with every theme you can imagine, from Bollywood to disco. We stopped at the Hunter, a Scottish tavern. I sampled the famous Singapore Sling, which was created by a bartender in the Raffles Hotel. The original recipe used gin, Cherry Heering, Bénédictine and fresh pineapple juice.

To get a feel for the local food, we went to Lau Pa Sat. The small side street is blocked off nightly and filled with vendors selling dim sum and satay. Each vendor states he is the best: Best Satay #6, Best Satay #7, Best Satay #8. Sitting in a hot area, on wobbly plastic chairs, with no napkins in sight . . . I had a great night of very good food!

I look forward to going back next year.

— Carly Allen, vice president