Raffles Singapore

Raffles Singapore stands on Beach Road in the Bras Basah-Bugis arts and heritage district, within walking distance of City Hall and Esplanade MRT stations, the National Gallery, and Marina Bay. Opened in 1887 and named after the city's founder, the hotel is one of the last great colonial-era hotels in Asia, distinguished by its white neoclassical facade, palm-lined courtyards, and the Long Bar, where the Singapore Sling cocktail was created in 1915; the property underwent a major restoration completed in 2019 that preserved its heritage architecture while updating infrastructure. Raffles operates as an all-suite hotel, with every room a suite of at least 47 square metres, individually decorated with antique furnishings, four-poster beds, and personal butler service included as standard. Dining includes the Tiffin Room for North Indian cuisine, the formal Raffles Grill, and the historic Long Bar, alongside high tea service and a museum documenting the hotel's literary guests, including Somerset Maugham and Rudyard Kipling. The Raffles Spa and an outdoor pool provide wellness facilities within the courtyard gardens, and the boutique arcade offers high-end shopping. Service is built entirely around the butler programme, with white-uniformed butlers assigned to each suite for the length of the stay, reflecting the hotel's positioning as Singapore's foremost heritage luxury address.