This is the time of the expat in Singapore. If you are from overseas and have a profession and money, you're welcome. And the government is making it easier for the international crowd, actively seeking out international business relationships and courting foreign talent to live and work in this 270-square-mile island city-state at the tip of Malaysia. The theme has even worked its way into the prime minister's speeches. The locally grown business talent is also blooming like mad, and on any given afternoon, you might find yourself sharing a restaurant with several young millionaires—both old money and new.

Where to Stay

The colonial enclave and the CBD, or Central Business District, are—no surprise—where most of the financial and business sector is located. There, the Pan Pacific hotel's Pacific Club rooms hook you up with high-speed Internet, cocktails and canapés, butler service, and a round-the-clock concierge. Plus, its Pacific Club lounge has a view of the new giant Ferris wheel, the Singapore Flyer. Raffles the Plaza (not to be confused with the old-world, British colonial Raffles Hotel across the street) is swish and modern and has the RafflesAmrita Spa, a luxe spot to indulge in a massage if the stress of sitting in meetings and making money starts to get to you. Stay in a Club Room at the Ritz-Carlton, Millenia and you can enjoy a drink at the special lounge on the thirty-second floor while taking in 360-degree city and bay views.

On Orchard Road—a stretch that is still central but nearer to shopping and dining—the Four Seasons Singapore provides the attention to detail you'd expect, and the brunch at its One-Ninety restaurant is decadent and the alcohol is flowing. When the Sultan of Brunei is in town, he stays down the road at the Grand Hyatt. If you book a room there, the feng shui (note the angled doors in the lobby) may send some good luck in your direction.

Another way to go is the New Majestic hotel in Chinatown, where the city's creative and media types are setting up shop. Each room is designed by a local artist, there's free Wi-Fi, the toiletries are by Kiehl's, and non-alcoholic beverages in the minibar are complimentary. Note that some rooms are on the tiny side, so request a large one like the Wayang Room, designed by film and theater director Glen Goei and inspired by Zhang Yimou's Raise the Red Lantern.

Where to Eat

Hawker centers are the great equalizers. In these open food courts lined with stalls serving inexpensive local fare, a millionaire might sit next to an elderly auntie. Maxwell Food Centre, in Chinatown, and Lau Pa Sat, in the CBD, are two of the largest and most popular; the latter is in a huge cast-iron structure from the 1890s. You'll impress your local hosts if you chope (hold) an open table by tossing down a pack of tissues before you head to the stalls that have the longest lines for delicious bak ku teh (pork soup) or chicken rice.

In Singapore, Sundays are for hotel champagne brunches. Standouts include those at Global Kitchen in the Pan Pacific, The Line in the Shangri-La, and Straits Kitchen in the Grand Hyatt. (If you or your colleagues are Muslim, as many citizens are, consider a meal at the Straits Kitchen or at Carousel, which is in the Royal Plaza on Scotts; both are halal.)

Private dining rooms are a hot trend here, and one of the most popular is Xi Yan, where the chef presents 13 Asian-cuisine courses in a set menu that changes nearly every night (reservations required; six-person minimum). The national dish is chili crab—a giant crustacean doused with the red spicy stuff—and locals argue whether it's better at No Signboard or Jumbo. Head to the East Coast Seafood Centre, a strip of restaurants on an oceanfront boardwalk, and decide for yourself.

Where to See and Be Seen

Local millionaires, media and fashion-industry types, and anyone jonesing for a foie gras burger or a delicious cupcake congregate at Marmalade Pantry, at the Palais Renaissance mall—the conveniently placed mirrors mean optimum people watching. And if you land a reservation at Buko Nero, which typically has a month-plus waiting list, you'll definitely make an impression. After dinner, take a cab out to One Rochester for a drink. Set in a row of "black and white" bungalows, or British colonial-era residences, this bar-lounge is modeled on a house (complete with a living room, a library, and a small but lush garden).

Where to Close a Deal

Eating is the number one pastime in Singapore, and many meetings are held over lunch or dinner. The Regent Singapore is home to the increasingly hot Iggy's, a set-menu Euro-Asian restaurant created by local star chef Ignatius Chan. The place is all counter, so try to land a corner if you're there to talk business. The China Club, atop Capital Tower, is an offshoot of the restaurants of the same name in Hong Kong and Beijing, and it carries its forerunners' cachet. The views are 360 degrees, the service impeccable, the private rooms elegantly decked out in ornate Chinese antiques, and the clientele exclusive.

Local Codes

Tardiness is epidemic in Singapore: Locals, expats, and visitors all seem to forget how much traffic a cab can encounter enroute to a meeting. But since everyone is running behind schedule, no one seems to mind. Of course, that's no reason to be late—just allow for more time in the taxi.

A business card is presented with two hands, the card facing your colleague; and be sure to look at the card you receive before stuffing it in your pocket. People will sometimes arrange business cards on the table in the order in which people are seated as a reminder of who's who.

Saving face is important here. Politeness goes a long way in maintaining good relations—even if it doesn't help things move faster. Meeting face-to-face is very important, and you'll find that a quick get-together over coffee will do more in the long run than the most carefully constructed e-mailed prospectus.

Airport Intelligence

Singapore's Changi Airport is well oiled and full of amenities. In addition to candies at the immigration checkpoint, it offers free Internet and local phone calls, free foot-massage chairs, and a pool and a movie theater. If you ever have to endure a long layover, this is the place to do it. If you want to venture into the city, grab a cab from the queue outside the arrivals area; drivers are honest and often quite chatty about their proud home.

The Three-Hour Tour

Since Singapore is so small, you can see a lot of it quickly. The island was carved into ethnic enclaves by founder Sir Stamford Raffles, and those neighborhoods—Little India, Arab Street, Chinatown, and so on—still exist. The Original Singapore Walks leads trivia-packed tours in all of them. Orchard Road is worth seeing for the sheer number of malls crammed into one avenue, and Sentosa (accessible by a quick cable-car, monorail, or taxi ride) is notable for being pretty much the only beach worth visiting on this island-nation. The Night Safari at the zoo is cheesy but fun; afterward, head to the posh City Space bar atop the Swissôtel the Stamford for cocktails and an amazing skyline view.   

-Billie Cohen