Civic District / City Hall

Raffles Singapore

★★★★★

Raffles is the most famous hotel in Southeast Asia and still the most romantic place to stay in Singapore. It opened in 1887, founded by the Armenian Sarkies brothers, and grew into the white-colonnaded palace on Beach Road that hosted writers, royalty and film stars for more than a century; it is now a National Monument and one of the few nineteenth-century grand hotels in the world that still operates as a hotel. A major restoration, completed in 2019, kept the architecture and atmosphere while rebuilding everything inside, and the result is calm, light and polished. Every room is a suite, 115 in all, set around tropical courtyards and opening onto wide verandas with teak floors and planters' chairs, and personal butler service comes with every stay. The suites are classic rather than flashy, with high ceilings, separate parlours and generous marble bathrooms. The dining is a destination in its own right: the Long Bar, home of the Singapore Sling, where peanut shells still go on the floor; the wood-panelled Writers Bar; the Tiffin Room for North Indian curries; Butcher's Block for wood-fire cooking; contemporary fine dining at 1887 by Andre; Chinese cuisine at Yi by Jereme Leung; and afternoon tea in the Grand Lobby. There is a rooftop pool, a spa and a gym. The location is central: City Hall MRT, the National Gallery, the Esplanade and Marina Bay are all within walking distance.

The history is part of the stay. Raffles was where Somerset Maugham and Rudyard Kipling wrote and drank, where the Singapore Sling was created at the Long Bar in the early twentieth century, and where, according to the hotel's most famous story, the last tiger in Singapore was shot under the billiard room. Its Palm Court and the fountain in the courtyard are the classic images of colonial Singapore. The hotel is open about the complicated past of the colonial era, and a short heritage walk through the arcades and the museum-style displays is a good way to understand it.

Choosing a suite: the entry-level Courtyard suites face the gardens and are the quietest; Palm Court suites look onto the famous lawn; the Personality suites are named after famous guests and decorated accordingly; and the larger Residence, Grand Hotel and Presidential suites are made for families and special occasions. All include butler service, which in practice means help with unpacking and pressing, restaurant bookings, and a friendly face who learns your habits. Breakfast and afternoon tea in the Grand Lobby are highlights. The Long Bar is crowded with visitors in the afternoon; hotel guests will find it more relaxed later in the evening, and the Writers Bar is the quieter alternative for a well-made Sling.

Who it suits: honeymooners, milestone celebrations, history lovers and anyone who wants a sense of place over a view. The trade-offs are price, at the top of the city's market, and the lack of skyline views from the low-rise buildings; if you want to look at Marina Bay from your bed, stay elsewhere and come here for a drink. But for atmosphere, service and a sense of arriving somewhere special, nothing in Singapore matches it, and the location in the Civic District means you can walk to the gallery, the river and the bay.