The Hotel I finally stayed at Raffles Singapore for the first time recently. The iconic Singapore hotel has been opened since 1887, and is classified as one of the few remaining great 19th century hotels in the world. Located along Beach Road, Raffles Hotel Singapore is also the flagship property of Raffles Hotels & Resorts and the heritage property went through an extensive restoration and was completed less than two years ago.

Room rates at Raffles Singapore are typically priced at more than S$1000 per night during pre-Covid days. I managed to book my stay with The Suite Life package just after circuit breaker, priced at S$798++ for two nights. I feel that it is a steal because this is pretty much a never seen before rate for this luxury property, and the package include perks such as a S$100 dining credit, 15% off dining during the stay, guaranteed early check-in at 11am and late check-out at 4pm (this perk has since been removed from the package), Singapore Sling welcome drink, and more.

There is a pre-registration form a few days before my stay, and upon which a QR Code will be sent. My check-in was seamless and as contactless as possible – showed the QR Code at the hotel entrance, and one of the staff swiftly escorted me to my suite, all done without passing through the Grand Lobby at all.

The Room I checked myself into the State Room Suite as part of The Suite Life package I booked. This was home for 2 nights, where the package is priced from S$798++ for 2 nights. It is probably one of the lowest price I will see Raffles Singapore selling their suites for a long while.

Before entering the suite, there is a verandah at the entrance which overlooks Fern Court. It is quite a narrow walkway, and I did not chill at the verandah during my stay at all as the interior of the suite is much more awesome.

In comparison, I do find the verandah of the Courtyard Suite more appealing to chill as the corridor is much broader.

Housed in the Bras Basah wing, the State Room Suite is a very spacious 67 Sqm (721 Sq ft). There are two separate entrances – one leading to the parlour, the other to the bedroom directly.

This is the walkway where the entrance leads to the parlour directly, though I only used it once and it is a very quiet walkway of the hotel.

The parlour is finished in contemporary colonial interior, cosy yet elegant. It comes with ample natural light from the entrance, and is a perfect space to idle the afternoon away while catching up on some reading on the in-room iPad, or simply chill while watching TV.

There is a working desk if you need to work on your laptop, which I hope is not the case for a stay at Raffles.

The mini-bar is housed in a Hermes like box, which is one of the most classy mini-bar I have seen. You can help yourself to the complimentary packets of Raffles Singapore Tea, though other alcoholic beverages come at separate charges.

On a separate note, the room key is a classy looking brown leather case. Little details like this which adds that bit of satisfaction to my stay.

There is also a welcome kit on the table, this Personal Care Kit is also retailing at the Raffles Boutique.

On to the bedroom itself, the four poster king bed at Raffles is really what I am looking forward to.

This design just goes so well with the word colonial, and what’s also amazing is the hard mattress which I am fond of. Each side of the bed also comes with ample charging plugs and USB ports.

There are two iPads in the room, and I really appreciate the fact that you can control everything in the room from the iPad – Lights, TV and the channels, communicate with your butler, air-conditioning, setting the do-not-disturb mode, curtain control – it is seamless. Oh and the best part? It comes with a press reader app where you can select tons of magazines or newspaper publications if you need to read something.

There is a nice pathway between the main entrance and the bedroom, where there is a dressing table, and the bathroom is right beside the suite’s entrance.

I really like the white marble finishing in the bathroom! Double sinks, bathtub (there is even a bathtub pillow), separate shower and toilet, and most importantly, it is very spacious.

The basic toilet amenities are housed in this classy transparent box.

My favourite toiletry is definitely the London-based Ormonde Jayne shower gel! I appreciate that it comes in larger-than-regular hotel bottle sizes, and the portion is enough to last through your shower for many days.

The Compound The hotel really doesn’t look that big from the outside, and it was only during my stay when I finally had the chance to take a thorough walk in the hotel compound. From the Bras Basah wing, I walked along the beautiful corridor to the open-air fountain right beside Tiffin Room.

Moving to the main building, level 2 and 3 of feels like a mini art gallery where art pieces are hung on the walls, and there is plenty of living room space for guests to chill around, though I do not understand why you would rather not be in the comfort of your suite.

And look whose suite I spotted?

The hotel’s Grand Lobby is a sight to behold – beautiful chandelier, grand stairway, and the natural light which streams through in the day. It is definitely one of the most classy looking hotel lobby in Singapore.

The main building links directly to Palm Court, which boasts a lush and spacious compound right in the heart of the city! This is also the section where the Palm Court Suites are located.

There is something charming about perfectly polished white marble floor and private gardens, not to mention the beautiful arches of the architecture as well.

Other common sights within the hotel compound include the hall of fame, where you will spot famous personalities like Queen Elizabeth and Michael Jackson in the gallery; as well as the Library, located in the Bras Basah wing.

The Facilities The outdoor pool and fitness centre are both located on level 3 of the Grand Lobby building. Both the pool and gym require pre-booking of slots at 90 minutes intervals, subject to one booking per room per day. The pool is not huge, and I would coin it an oasis in the midst of City Hall. Pool slots get filled up really fast, so that should be prioritise over the gym slots.

I managed to catch a dramatic and cloudy sky one afternoon, before the rain came.

The gym is awkwardly positioned, as all guest to the pool will have to walk past the gym workout area. It is decently equipped, though the gym area is not that big as well.

If you are up for some pampering, there is also the Raffles Spa locates at the Raffles Arcade, which is opened to the public as well.

The Restaurants Breakfast is definitely something I look forward to before my stay, priced at a whopping S$72++ for public. The main breakfast area is the Tiffin Room, a North Indian restaurant where the space is used to house guests during breakfast timings.

You can also opt to have your breakfast at the Grand Lobby, or the outdoor courtyard area overlooking the water fountain.

The breakfast selection at Raffles Singapore is quality over quantity for me. While it is not an extensive list, I managed to try a few good dishes. Go for the Asian Delights such as Nasi Lemak and Mee Goreng, and the latter is simply delicious!

Of course, eggs are a must for me and I am glad there is the usual Eggs Benedict, Scrambled Eggs, and you can pair it with any sides you fancy. There is also the Raffles Signature Omelette topped with a tinge of masala, along with sides of your choice. My Classic Eggs Benedict with smoked salmon was also perfectly done.

I also managed to try the Congee with an assortment of accompaniments, and some Dim Sum. Other options on the breakfast menu include the likes of Cinnamon French Toast, Belgium Waffles and Pancakes. Beverage wise, you get to choose from the Raffles Tea Selection, Raffles Blend Coffee and freshly squeezed juices.

Other dining concepts to check out – The Grand Lobby is the spot to have the Raffles Afternoon Tea; La Dame de Pic is the French fine-dining concept; Butcher’s Block serves a good range of meats; while Yi by Jereme Leung is a Chinese restaurant which took over the space of the now-defunct Royal China.

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There is also the casual Raffles Courtyard, which serves a weekend brunch menu, and daily happy hour drinks.

Dining concepts which are not opened yet include Long Bar, Writers Bar and BBR By Alain Ducasse.

Mention one of the most iconic trait of Raffles Singapore and The Singapore Sling definitely comes to my mind. This national cocktail of Singapore was created back in 1915 at Raffles Singapore, and I managed to have it during my stay as part of the welcome drink for my Suite Life package.

The Presidential Suite One highlight of my stay is the complimentary history tour, and the highlight of the tour has to be a visit to one of the Presidential Suite. It feels really exclusive, and definitely quite a jaw-dropping experience to step into one of Singapore’s most expensive hotel suite.

The spacious living room feels like the setting to host high ranking foreign diplomats.

There are two spacious bedrooms in the Sarkies Brothers suite, with views of Palm Court and the main hotel entrance facade. There is also a very spacious outdoor balcony overlooking Palm Court.

Rants During my check-in, I do think that it will be nice if the staff who escorted me to the room ask if I need help with the three bags I was carrying. It is not that I couldn’t carry them myself, but I do expect it from a property like Raffles. In any case, I am also giving the staff the benefit of my doubt that they are simply practising contactless interaction with guests

One rant about the State Room Suite is that you get some fade traces of corridor light into the bedroom at night. Bubble bath turndown service is not provided at the moment, though the butler didn’t elaborate why so. I suspect it is around the heightened hygiene awareness, but thought that it will be nice if they explain to guests.

Overall Experience Finally, a bucket list off my list. I am glad I jumped on the current staycation promotion to check out Raffles Singapore, and my impression of the property is no longer just what I see from the glamorous facade along Beach Road. It is amazing how well-restored the more than a century old heritage property is. This is definitely one property to stay once in your lifetime, and I am proud of such a heritage property in Singapore.

Raffles Singapore
1 Beach Road
Singapore 189673

For more information, do check out Raffles Singapore website.

Ranted by The Ranter