About the hotel
Founded in 1887 by the Sarkies brothers and named for Singapore's founder, Raffles is the definitive colonial-era grand hotel — white verandahs, travellers' palms, Sikh doormen, and a guest book that doubles as a history of the twentieth century. It was declared a National Monument in 1987 and reopened in 2019 after a three-year restoration as an all-suite hotel.
Its cultural weight is literary: Somerset Maugham wrote in the Palm Court and said Raffles "stands for all the fables of the exotic East"; Kipling, Conrad and Hemingway all passed through.
Suites & dining
The heritage suites along the original 1887 wing, with their parlours and verandahs, are the classic booking. The Long Bar is the birthplace of the Singapore Sling (circa 1915) — tossing peanut shells on its floor is the one sanctioned mess in Singapore — and the Tiffin Room has served curry since the 1890s.
The celebrity connection
Charlie Chaplin, Ava Gardner and Elizabeth Taylor headline the classic ledger; Queen Elizabeth II and Michael Jackson the modern one. Legend insists the last tiger shot in Singapore was cornered under the Bar & Billiard Room in 1902 — the hotel has dined out on the story for a century. Today's stars come quietly: suites open onto private verandahs, not corridors.
Location
1 Beach Road, Singapore 189673
Worth knowing
- ★The Singapore Sling was invented at the Long Bar around 1915.
- ★Declared a Singapore National Monument in 1987.
- ★A tiger was famously shot under the billiard room in 1902.
- ★Reopened all-suite in 2019 after a three-year restoration.
Questions & answers
What cocktail was invented at Raffles?+
The Singapore Sling, created at the Long Bar around 1915 — where tossing peanut shells on the floor remains the one sanctioned mess in Singapore.
Which writers made Raffles famous?+
Somerset Maugham wrote in the Palm Court and said Raffles "stands for all the fables of the exotic East"; Kipling, Conrad and Hemingway all passed through.
Is the tiger story true?+
A tiger really was shot under the Bar & Billiard Room in 1902 — the hotel has dined out on the story for a century. Raffles has been a National Monument since 1987 and reopened all-suite in 2019.
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