In 1887, the most fabled hotel in the Far East opened to its customers. Loved by British-colonials, Raffles Hotel, Singapore offered 10 rooms in an old bungalow-style beach property. The luxury and exceptional service the original hotel bestowed upon its guests remains, but the original building has been extended and neighbouring properties subsumed behind the elegant, colonial-style facade that is quintessentially, recognisably, Raffles.

A 30-month restoration, completed in 1991, saw the Raffles Hotel restored to its original glory and the guest list reads like a red carpet event for stars of stage and screen. Elizabeth Taylor, Ava Gardner and Charlie Chaplin stayed here. Somerset Maugham was drawn to the hotel and Rudyard Kipling immortalised it in his writing.

Raffles Arcade houses most of the hotel’s restaurants, and around 40 boutiques. Shopping here is relaxed, a slower experience for those that browse this hallowed hall. International designers sell here, alongside a lesser number of local brands, offering shoppers an experience beyond retail in this beautiful setting.Singapore

The Raffles Hotel is rife with history and legend. In 1902, a tiger was discovered in the billiard room: the hotel simply sent a man to shoot the tiger and the hotel continued to operate as normal. In 1915, the legendary Singapore Sling was invented by Ngiam Tong Boon, head bartender in the Long Bar. It’s not reserved to residents of the hotel either: thousands of people visit purely to order this signature drink in the very place it was invented: a sling of gin, a hit of cherry brandy, dashes of lime and pineapple juice, Cointreau and Benedictine. It is also the only place in Singapore where you can drop rubbish without breaking the law: it is tradition to shell monkey nuts and drop the shells where you sit or stand.

The hotel is currently closed for further renovation, reopening in early 2019. Guests who are fortunate enough to be part of the next chapter of Raffles will get to enjoy modern-world amenities while immersed in the 130-year history of the hotel that resonates within its walls.Singapore

The renovation promises exquisite suites and re-thought dining concepts, with no compromise on ambience: the spacious accommodations and exquisite luxury remain constant, as does the hotel’s place in the lifestyles of the rich and famous.

The city of Singapore developed around the hotel, but it hasn’t lost its serenity, an oasis of tradition in this city of lions.

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