Singapore’s historic Raffles Hotel reopens after restoration

AN ICON of Singapore’s history has been restored and is now open again.

The Raffles Hotel, which first opened in 1887 and was declared a National Monument by the government a century later, has reopened after an extensive renovation that started two and a half years ago, according to a statement from the hotel.

The Raffles, known for its Long Bar where the Singapore Sling cocktail was invented and peanut shells tossed on the floor, now offers 115 suites in nine categories including Grand Hotel Suites and Presidential Suites. The Long Bar has been refreshed and will still sling its reddish-pink gin-based drink.

“The newly restored Raffles will provide an experience like no other,” said Christian Westbeld, the hotel’s general manager. “There are few hotels in the world whose names have become virtually synonymous with the cities in which they are located — and none more so than the Raffles Hotel in Singapore.”

A search on the hotel’s website for an upcoming Saturday night showed prices starting at S$869 ($632) a night for one guest in the hotel’s cheapest suite option. At the higher end, a two-bed President Suite for one night in October was going for S$11,899 ($8,650).

The newly restored hotel also features restaurant collaborations with chef Anne-Sophie Pic, of the three-Michelin star Maison Pic in Valence, France; French master chef Alain Ducasse; and chef Jereme Leung, who is known for his innovative Chinese cooking.

The restoration, led by acclaimed interior designer Alexandra Champalimaud, was also supported by Aedas, a leading global architecture and design firm. Raffles Hotel Singapore is the flagship property of Raffles Hotels & Resorts, a part of French hospitality firm Accor SA. The hotel itself is owned by Qatar-based Katara Hospitality, a global hotel owner, developer and operator based in Qatar. — Bloomberg