Declared a National Monument in 1987, the hotel has grown from strength to strength. With its restoration and reopening in 1991, Raffles Hotel today stands as a jewel in the crown of Singapore's hospitality industry, renowned and loved for its inimitable style and unsurpassed excellence in service and facilities.
In multicultural Singapore it is not surprising that the visionary founders of Raffles Hotel were a quartet of enterprising Armenian brothers: Martin, Tigran, Aviet and Arshak Sarkies.
Raffles Hotel opened in 1887 in a rather sombre-looking old bungalow known as the Beach House. It was named after Sir Stamford Raffles, the founder of modern Singapore. Topical suites and sola topis were as much a part of Raffles Hotel's early style as bentwood tables and rattan chairs. Over the years the hotel has evolved into one of the world's most beloved grand hotels and welcomed innumerable celebrities, writers and royalty.
An aura of timeless elegance sets the tone for the Hotel's formal dining room. Beautifully restored to its former glory, with French windows overlooking the Palm Court, Raffles Grill captures the true essence of fine dining. The cuisine is light and innovative, characterised by a blend of classical and contemporary French cuisine. To complement the exquisite menu is a wine list featuring an extensive selection from the hotel's celebrated wine cellar.
Spread over two levels, Raffles Hotel Arcade houses a fine selection of elegant international fashion brands, watchmakers and jewellers to art galleries and antique boutiques. Set amidst a backdrop of colonial-styled architecture and tropical gardens, the Arcade offers a shopping experience like no other.
Somerset Maugham once called it the legendary symbol for "all the fables of the Exotic East". Few hotels can look back on more than a century of legendary service to so many distinguished guests and fewer still have preserved their past with a more loving attention to detail.
Today, Raffles Hotel is more legend than hotel, and is one of the most memorable experiences travel can offer in today's world.
