Raffles Singapore
Every city has its iconic symbol. Paris, the Eiffel Tower; New York, the Empire State Building; Rio, Christ the Redeemer. Singapore has a hotel, Raffles. Many visitors to Singapore consider a stay at the historic Raffles Hotel to be an essential part of their visit. Even those who stay elsewhere make sure to visit the famed bar at Raffles to experiences the hotels signature drink, Singapore Sling. The hotel is the flagship of the Raffles Group.
In contrast to the glass-and-concrete monuments to air-conditioning that house the other top-flight hotels in Singapore, Raffles Hotel embraces the climate and foliage of Southeast Asia. A central courtyard serves lunch on white wrought-iron tables in the shade of mature breadfruit trees and fan-shaped palms that reach the roof of the three-story buildings, and it hosts barbecues and fresh seafood in the evening. A central bar serves those famous Slings among their many cocktail offerings.
A covered arcade surrounds two sides of the hotel with classic columns and arches, leading to a covered plaza where guests may wait in the shade for their taxis. The lobby is a bright white atrium with Persian rugs, oversized ginger-jar planters and a pair of teak stairways rising to the hotel's 103 suites, off-limits to all but residents and their guests. Reservation staffers in Cole Porter-era cream-colored suits make a point to give each arriving guest thoughtful, individual service.
The Tiffin Room adjacent to the lobby serves curries, and Raffles Grill features contemporary French cuisine in a more intimate setting. Doc Cheng's, a nouvelle Continental and Asian spot, emphasizes the healing power of food and proves to be one of Singapore's most distinctive dining rooms. The Bar & Billiard Room, one of the few original rooms, serves lavish buffet luncheons and Sunday brunch in addition to its noted libations. The surprisingly tiny Writer's Bar and slightly larger Long Bar are across the courtyard.
The pool is in a landscaped court, and the 24-hour health club draws devotees with a gym, sauna and massage rooms.
The well-equipped business center operates 24 hours a day, and function rooms seat 300. The 388-seat Victorian-style Jubilee Hall Theatre Playhouse stages dramas, musicals, recitals, dances and films. For shoppers, top-flight merchants display their wares in the arcades, with entrances off the courtyard.
Magnificent teak verandas are reached through locked gates by key-activated elevators and by way of the grand staircase, which staffers guard round-the-clock. Tables and comfortable chairs dot the verandas, providing a space for reading and conversation. The suites feature sitting rooms of modest dimension, high ceilings with ceiling fans, rugs atop beautiful teak, marble or tile floors, and sofas, chairs and dining tables. Windows open to the veranda. Beyond, cool, dim bedrooms display splendid period furnishings and king or double beds. Three phones and service call buttons, TVs, minibars, safes and large desks are standard features. Lavish dressing areas with dual basins, stylish hardware, hair dryers, scales and good lighting flank commodious marble baths with tubs, stall showers, robes, thick towels and custom-blended toiletries.
Housekeeping and maintenance are impeccable. There is even an on-site historian, Mr. Lesley Danker, who regales visitors with tales of the hotel in times long past. Perhaps the last truly Asian hotel in this equatorial city, Raffles Hotel charms in a way that none of the newer hotels can match.
Raffles Hotel is a member of exclusive Virtuoso travel network. Book online or contact our Virtuoso Travel Advisor Info@classictravel.com for more details.
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