Expectations are bound to be high when you name your properties after an imaginary utopia. Rasa Sentosa Resort is aiming for luxurious bliss and, well, utopia, as it embarks on a complete makeover of its guest rooms and facilities, including its pool, gym, spa, children’s club, restaurants, and meeting rooms. Rasa Sentosa Resort is the only resort in Singapore with a beachfront location on Sentosa Island. Overlooking the South China Sea, it enjoys close proximity to mainland Singapore, which is conveniently linked by a causeway. Besides numerous island attractions, it is minutes away from VivoCity, one of the largest shopping malls in Singapore. The project is targeted for completion in early 2011 and will reopen as Shangri-La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort. www.shangri-la.com. —Melissa Gillespie
Village Life
On the southern side of Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas, Schooner Bay will occupy 320 acres, with Marsh Harbour and the famed Abaco Cays to the north, and the pristine beaches and fishing villages of rural Abaco to the south. Construction is underway for the first 10 homes at Schooner Bay. Forty-five of Schooner Bay’s 130 phase-one lots are sold or reserved, with 600 homes planned over the next 15-plus years. With completion of The Island neighborhood in the harbor, more than 28 homes will be completed by late 2011. Lot sizes range from less than 2,000 square feet to more than 42,000 square feet and are priced from $105,000 to $2 million for one-acre beach lots. All structures will be built to LEED standards using green materials that emphasize urbanism and sustainability. Plus, more than two-thirds of the private land will be preserved as common, no-build green space. The village will be centered around a 14-acre harbor, with a mix of shops, offices, restaurants, and an all-age school and community center. schoonerbaybahamas.com.