Raffles Singapore: One of the World’s Greatest Hotels
Index to Genius1 Trip Reports
An icon in hospitality for the last 135 years and one of the most legendary hotels anywhere in the world, Raffles Singapore oozes elegance at every turn. The hotel underwent a two-year tip to toe renovation between 2017 and 2019, its most comprehensive refurbishment since the late 1980s; and what a refurbishment it was. With interiors by Alexandra Chamalimaud and restoration by Studio Lapis, what once was a slightly faded property is now a sparkling shrine to a bygone era of luxury, with injections of modernity ensuring the property not just competes with but outshines many in its class. This is the story of my two-night stay at Raffles Singapore in April 2022.
Two days before arrival I had been called to check the details of my reservation; this is usually the sign of a good upcoming experience, and this occasion did nothing to change that opinion. The Raffles team member advised me of my Virtuoso benefits, including early check-in, late check-out and suite upgrade, confirmed restaurant and history tour reservations and prompted me to complete check-in documentation online (provision of passport information and credit card details).
Pulling up at the hotel’s main entrance is a suitably impressive – even slightly intimidating – experience, watched over by a team of Raffles doormen under the porch in their signature uniforms and front desk staff forming a welcome guard of honour. The Main Building dates from 1897 and replaced the original beach house purchased by the hotel’s founders, the Sarkies brothers, ten years earlier. The cast-iron entrance porch is a 1913 addition, albeit absent from the 1920s until the 1989 refurbishment when a ballroom extension to the Main Building stood in its place.
Our bags were promptly taken and we were escorted into the Grand Lobby for a photograph on a digital Polaroid camera; I am torn whether I think this is tacky or sweet. Besides being home to an impressive wooden staircase ascending through three levels, the Grand Lobby is the venue for afternoon tea, whilst the Tiffin Room (for breakfast and North Indian cuisine) and three Michelin star La Dame de Pic flank either side of the staircase.
The Writers Bar is located immediately to the right of the main entrance, opposite La Dame de Pic, roughly in the location where the original reception once stood. Whist there is a small enquiry desk to the left of the main entrance, there isn’t a formal reception, as all documentation is dealt with prior to arrival by phone or online.
Our host escorted us from the photo opportunity directly to our suite in the Courtyard Wing, pointing out the hotel’s key features along the way.
The Courtyard Wing, directly behind the Main Building, was built in 1989 and modelled on the original but much smaller 1910 wing it replaced. Don’t let the date fool you; the hotel seamlessly matches original structures with more modern additions, such that unless like me you’ve looked at the hotel’s floor plans in the Raffles Boutique, or attended the history tour, you wouldn’t know where one era stops and the next starts.
Our Courtyard Suite was a two-category upgrade on our booked Studio Suite (the hotel’s base category). At 58 square metres, these are spacious accommodations, comprised of private seating on the shared veranda, living room (or parlour), bedroom and bathroom, all arranged in a linear fashion contrary to many hotel rooms where the bathroom will typically be off the entrance hall. The layout along with the sublime interior design combine to provide a sense of supreme tranquillity unmatched by almost any other hotel room I’ve stayed in.
The veranda overlooking the lush tropical gardens is the room’s most unique – and relaxing – feature, although its presence and lack of windows elsewhere means the room doesn’t benefit from much natural light. Despite the presence of air conditioning, traditional ceiling fans were fitted in both the parlour and bedroom, a nod to the hotel’s history.
All furniture within the suite is custom designed, right down to the sofa which has a lower arm on the side adjacent to the table for ease of use. This level of attention to detail and practicality continued with leather key fobs, iPads to control room lighting, electronic blinds, the TVs and to order in-room dining, and a trinket tray on the bedside table. Whilst the iPads had the potential to be a savvy addition to the room, it wasn’t particularly easy to control the lighting with them (the master off option didn’t always work, for instance) and there was no option to dim the iPad’s display for use at night. A personal care kit was provided and was stocked with wipes, masks, and perfumed hand sanitiser.
USB charging was extremely fast. There was no desk in our suite (aside from a small makeup area adjacent to the wardrobe), although I guess business travellers aren’t the hotel’s target audience.
We were staying for a birthday, and the thoughtful gifts of a cake, chocolates, fruit, card and balloons arranged in the parlour were much appreciated.
Butlers come as standard with all suites at Raffles, and ours arrived soon after we did to introduce herself, deliver the photo we’d had taken in the lobby, and offer us a welcome drink, which we opted to book in for the second day of our stay in the Raffles Courtyard. We didn’t really use our butler much over the course of our two nights, other than to request an iron and ironing board, some bath salts, to confirm our late (15:00) checkout and to clarify the meeting point for the history tour. The butler changed constantly throughout our stay, and we rarely saw the same person twice, although I suppose you would do if you used them more regularly. As we were staying over Easter, an artfully created chocolate rabbit and chocolate eggs made an appearance on the second day of our stay.
The minibar in the parlour was in the style of an old trunk, and contained Raffles-branded nuts, tea and Nespresso coffee (the latter two complimentary). The refrigerated part of the minibar leaked slightly over the floor, and on the second day the complimentary Nakd water was replaced with an inferior brand (Just Water), which seemed a little cheap. There was no minibar price list in the room or on the iPad, although one was provided on request.
Our suite’s marble bathroom was spacious, with a freestanding bath (complete with bath pillow), dual sinks and separate rooms for the toilet and shower. Thoughtful design features included a shelf in the toilet, and a seat in the shower. Amenities were in generously sized and readily replenished bottles by Ormonde Jayne, and the bathroom drawers were stocked with high quality wooden accessories such as a hairbrush and comb.
Turndown service was of course provided each evening, which included a mini story placed on the bed; call me old fashioned, but I’d have rather had a chocolate. The bed itself was firm but comfortable.
The second evening of our stay featured a truly biblical downpour, which resulted in a slight leak coming through the ceiling of our suite in the bedroom area. The staff seemed unphased and following an inspection of the roof cavity advised the leak couldn’t be repaired whilst we were in the suite, offering us the use of a Palm Court Suite as an alternative. On the second night of a two-night stay, and late at night, it was too much faff to move, so we stayed put and crossed our fingers that the roof didn’t fall in (it didn’t). There was no service recovery or real apology offered, which I thought was a little out of step with the otherwise excellent service.